Category: Members

Europlanet Vice President Elected

September 10, 2024

Europlanet Vice President Elected

The results of the elections of the Europlanet Society Executive Board were announced at the Europlanet General Assembly on Tuesday, 10 September 2024. Anita Heward will join the Board of the Europlaent Society and Europlanet AISBL.

Find out about her objectives and what she hopes to achieve by serving on the Board of the Europlanet Society over the next four years.

Vice President

Anita Heward

Anita Heward Vice-President (2024-2026)

I have been involved in Europlanet since 2006, when I took part in the very first outreach workshop and set up the press office for the inaugural Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) in Berlin. Since then, I have worked with Europlanet as it has evolved from a Networking Activity to a Research Infrastructure (RI), a Consortium and a Society, playing an active role in its outreach, communications and management, and helping to put in place the structures for its most recent incarnations. 

In 2019, I became the first elected Secretary of the Europlanet Society, serving a four-year term until November 2023. I led communications and community networking activities in the €10 million EC-funded Europlanet 2024 RI project, which ran from 1 February 2020 until 31 July 2024, and was a part of the Management Team at the University of Kent. I acted as the Virtual Organising Committee Chair for the first fully-virtual EPSC in 2020, and I have served as Vice-Chair of EPSC from 2021-2024 and for the 2019 EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting. Over the past year, I have also chaired a Sustainability Working Group to look at how to sustain activities carried out by Europlanet 2024 RI beyond the EC grant. I was a founding member of the Europlanet Association Sans But Lucratif (AISBL) which was established in 2023 to provide a independent legal structure for the sustainability of Europlanet activities.

I have been a director and trustee of several small businesses and charities, including the Dill Faulkes Educational Trust Ltd since 2012, and I have nearly 25 years’ experience working for astronomy-related organisations around the world.

I am now standing as Vice-President of the Executive Board of the Europlanet Society and Association to ask for a mandate to help Europlanet make the transition to a new, sustainable footing as a non-profit association that provides professional services to the community.  I do not seek a full 4-year term and aim to stand down by 2026 to make way for a new Vice President or President Elect who can take Europlanet forward, beyond this transitional phase.

The last few years have been a time of significant upheaval and challenge for us all due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For Europlanet, it has also been a time of rapid change and evolution. Independent evaluation of the Europlanet 2024 RI project demonstrates, for the first time, robust evidence of the important role Europlanet plays in underpinning the planetary community by providing access to facilities, field sites, services and expertise. It is critical that these activities should be maintained for the benefit of the community. 

In September 2024, Europlanet will launch a new organisational membership programme that will provide a solid foundation for its research infrastructure and networking activities, which have been developed and optimised over nearly 20 years.

I believe that my longstanding knowledge of Europlanet, coupled with my practical experience of running small non-profit enterprises, puts me in a unique position to help Europlanet through this evolution into an independent, sustainable association.

Europlanet’s ‘raison d’être’ is to support the planetary science community in Europe, cementing values of inclusiveness, diversity, collaboration and excellence in science. I would like to help ensure that Europlanet can continue to deliver this support to benefit the next generation of planetary scientists and, more broadly, Europe’s citizens.

Meet the New Board Members of the Europlanet Society

November 12, 2023

Meet the New Board Members of the Europlanet Society

The results of the elections of the Europlanet Society Executive Board were announced at the Europlanet General Assembly on Friday, 10 November. Eight new members of the Board were elected including a Vice-President, two Secretaries (co-position) and five new Board Members.

They join Ann Carine Vandaele, who takes up the mantle of President following her year as President-Elect (elected 2022), Treasurer Didier Moreau (elected 2021) and Vice President Angelo Pio Rossi (elected 2019 with a one year extended term to ensure that the turn-over of the Board is staggered).

Find out about their objectives and what they hope to achieve by serving on the Board of the Europlanet Society over the next four years.

Vice President

Stravro Ivanovski

Stavro Ivanovski, Europlanet Society Vice President
Stavro Ivanovski, Vice-President (2023-2027)

The birth of the Europlanet Society has been followed by the establishment of a Society with long-term activities and values based on inclusiveness, high quality science and outreach, and a sustainable structure open to planetary scientists, amateurs and industry. From my perspective, the Society is not only an idea and platform that represents and connects planetary scientists and enthusiasts, but it is much more – a space driven by sharing ideas, paving apath for early-career scientists and building a self-functioning scientific forum seeking for new (financial) opportunities to address today’s planetary paradigms.

I am a researcher at INAF – Astronomical Observatory of Trieste and Adjunct Professor at the University of Trieste. My research focuses on small bodies and planetary magnetospheres in the Solar System. I am involved in various planetary ESA and NASA missions (e.g. DART/LICIACube, Rosetta, BepiColombo, Comet Interceptor, Hera, Ariel). As a graduated actor with theatre experience, I have a strong commitment to public engagement and outreach as well.

I joined Europlanet in 2017 through its research infrastructure project and since then I have been closely connected with Europlanet. Since 2020, I have acted as the Co-Chair of the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) Scientific Organising Committee (SOC). I am serving as the Chair of Italian Europlanet Regional Hub. Also, while chairing the EPSC Outreach in 2020, I was one of the creators of the “InspiredByOtherWorlds” art contest that invites everybody to submit all kinds of artworks inspired by planetary science. Furthermore, my experience within Europlanet includes leading the Machine Learning Work Package and acting as the INAF deputy within the Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (RI) project.

As Vice-President, I will dedicate my efforts:

  • to maintain the high level scientific content of EPSC and related activities; to strengthen the position of the Society in different countries, for example, Italy and under-represented country such as Balkan countries; 
  • to disseminate all current and future outreach initiatives; to improve the integration and visibility of Society within other scientific communities like astrochemistry and Origins of Life; 
  • last, but not least, to investigate the modern Artificial Intelligence techniques to support the Europlanet Society activities.

Secretary – Co-position

Federica Duras

Federica Duras, Europlanet Society Secretary
Federica Duras, Secretary (2023-2027)

As leader of the Outreach Working Group and as outreach officer in the Italian hub, I am thrilled to apply for the position of Secretary. This pivotal moment in Europlanet Society’s journey presents an exciting opportunity for fresh perspectives and new enthusiasm. In my role as the head of the Outreach Working Group, I have honed my organisational skills, ensuring seamless communication and collaboration among the team and among diverse teams. I could summarise my objectives for the Europlanet Society as follows:

  • Continue enhancing the Europlanet communication channels on a larger scale, fostering an interconnected Europlanet community with transparent information dissemination.
  • Building upon the success of the Outreach Working Group activities in the past years, I aspire to amplify Europlanet’s outreach efforts. This involves using modern communication tools and social media and exploring innovative ways to connect with a wider audience.
  • Strengthen the sense of unity and involvement within the Europlanet family. As I believe in the power of collective action, I am firmly convinced that through collaborative projects and shared initiatives we can engage our community also in this transition phase.

Edita Stonkute 

Edita Stonkute, Europlanet Society Secretary.
Edita Stonkute, Secretary (2023-2027)

I am working at the Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy of Vilnius University in Vilnius, Lithuania as a senior researcher and an associate professor. My scientific interests are focused on detailed chemical composition studies of Galactic stars (including planet-hosts) using high-resolution spectra. I am a member of the Lithuanian Astronomical Society, the European Astronomical Society, the International Astronomical Union and Europlanet Society.

Here, at Europlanet I’m responsible for coordinating the Mentoring programme. I hope my dedicated time and work to the Society will be valuable and I would like to be nominated as a Secretary.

Board Members

Julia de León

Julia de Leon, Europlanet Society Board Member
Julia de Leon, Board Member (2023-2027)

I am a planetary scientist with 20 years of experience in the field. My main interest is the near-Earth asteroid population (NEAs) and its physical, compositional and dynamical properties. As a consequence, my work has been strongly connected to planetary defense. I am mainly an observational researcher, working with both ground-based and space-based data. I have recently been part of the EU project NEOROCKS, focused in the characterisation of NEAs and with the participation of 14 European institutions. In addition, I have participated in at least two observational campaigns to study potentially hazardous asteroids, coordinated by the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN). Finally, I am/have been actively involved in several space missions to visit and study asteroids and other minor bodies (Rosetta, OSIRIS-REx, Hayabusa2, DART, Hera, MMX, DESTINY+, Lucy), led by the main space agencies (ESA, NASA, JAXA).

 All this overall research experience has intensified my personal conviction that planetary science is a collaborative activity, and that it evolves and improves thanks to all this global collaborative effort. I would be honored to serve on the Executive Board of the Europlanet Society. This is an experienced, diverse, large, and strong society with a solid base in Europe but a global view. I will put all my gained experience in international collaborations at the service of the European planetary science community to enhance and promote global collaboration.

Livia Giacomini

Livia Giacomini, Europlanet Society Executive Board Member
Livia Giacomini, Board Member (2019-2023, 2023-2027)

Over the past years on the Executive Board, I’ve had the privilege to actively contribute to our Society’s activities, focusing on education, communication and policy initiatives. As I seek to continue my journey with Europlanet, my vision is to strengthen Europlanet visibility, working for its sustainability in the long term, strengthening our ties with international entities and finding ways to make the Society grow. I would also ensure that Europlanet remains at the forefront of innovation in education of planetary science and in the broader scientific domain. As the editor-in-chief of astroEDU, the IAU platform for peer reviewed educational activities, I believe I have valuable experiences and connections to pursue this objective for our Society. I am dedicated to serving as a bridge, connecting our history with the future that the community envisions.

Melissa Mirino

Melissa Mirino, Europlanet Society Board Member.
Melissa Mirino, Board Member (2023-2027)

I am currently the Co-Chair of the Europlanet Early Career Network, and I have been previously involved with Europlanet by managing the EPEC Communication WG. As such, I have been very active on committee matters. During my involvement with the organization, I have been always active in supporting Early Careers by organizing and managing activities such as the “EPEC Profiles”, the “#PlanetaryScience4All video contest” and the EPEC Podcast “Stairway to Space” to allow the young professionals to showcase their contribution within the field of Planetary Science. Additionally, I have supported many other activities (Outreach, Annual Weeks, Europlanet Magazine, EPSC, EPEC annual report) by collaborating with the Europlanet communication team.

My objectives would be:

  1. rebuild the existing EPEC structure to make it a long-lasting organisation within Europlanet that supports early careers from any background,
  2. to be a direct link between the Early Careers who join our Network and the Europlanet Board, by representing their interests and needs into our Society. I strongly believe that the direct presence of an Early Career among the Europlanet Board Members would largely benefit Europlanet by hearing the Early Career voice.

Leigh Fletcher

Leigh Fletcher, Europlanet Society Executive Board Member
Leigh Fletcher, Board Member (2019-2023, 2023-2027)

I am a Professor of Planetary Science at the University of Leicester, specialising in the exploration of Giant Planet systems via a combination of ground-based observations, space telescopes, and visiting planetary spacecraft. I have been a member of the Europlanet community since the mid-2000s, and have always delighted in the opportunity offered by EPSC to meet with like-minded European planetary scientists. We have a thriving and diverse community, spanning the whole portfolio of planetary science, and the Europlanet Society provides a voice to our members, both across Europe and with the wider international community. It has been a pleasure to serve on the Board, and be a member of the Europlanet team, for the past four years. This experience has given me an insight into how the Society works, the key challenges it faces, and the opportunities that await in the years to come. The EPSC meetings are my topmost priority, being the premier networking and collaborative meeting for European planetary scientists. We should ensure these are held annually in Europe as a service to our community; costs are kept manageable to ensure wider representation; locations are kept accessible via public transportation with minimal carbon footprints; and virtual capabilities are maintained to improve access for those who may be unable to travel. We should continue to provide resources to our Early Career Network, particularly to enable exchanges of ideas and capabilities so that no one ever works in isolation. We should continue to use Europlanet as a conduit for interactions between amateur observers and professional planetary scientists. We should reintegrate the best of the European hubs back into the society, recognising the importance of local connections, but without stretching individual hubs too far. Above all, we should ensure that Europlanet activities and the thriving EPSC meetings are sustainable in the decades to come

Luca Montabone

Luca Montabone, Board Member (2023-2027)

An opportunity to do things together that would not be possible on their own. This is what I would like the Europlanet Society to represent for its members. The first time I heard about the concept of a European “virtual observatory” was at a meeting in London, when I was a postdoc at the University of Oxford, UK, after a PhD in Geophysics in Turin, Italy. Since then, several things have changed in the original EuroPlaNet as well as in my career, but the shared passion for planetary science and enthusiasm for new challenges have not changed! I worked for more than a decade on the physics of planetary atmospheres also at the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique/CNRS in Paris, France, at The Open University in Milton Keynes, UK, and at the Space Science Institute in Boulder (CO), USA. Over the past few years, I have created a bridge between the academic and industry facets of planetary science in Europe. I am now running my own small enterprise in South-East France, collaborating with several international research institutions and ESA in satellite data analysis, modelling, and mission concepts for the atmosphere of Mars. The new reality of the Europlanet Society requires a variety of experiences and ideas to support the planetary science community in Europe and to build capacity elsewhere, all in a self-sustainable way. It now seems the right time for me to share my experience and ideas within the Executive Board and the Society at large. As one of the Board members, I will naturally focus my attention on the relations between the Society and the private sector (companies working on hardware, software, data analysis, etc.). Given my aptitude for training and public outreach, I will also look closely at the developments in these areas. Because policy can open up thriving directions for the Society, I would like to take on the challenge to engage with policy makers (European institutions, space agencies, etc.). However, I believe that only a community approach can succeed in moving the Europlanet Society towards its goal of becoming a self-sustained reference for the planetary science community itself, in Europe and beyond. Therefore, strengthening the role of the regional hubs, widening participation, inclusion and diversity are all key areas which I am particularly keen on. As for the other strategic areas (such as early career, research infrastructure, etc.), I am eager to work with Board members who will focus on them.

Europlanet Society Discord Get-Togethers

October 27, 2023

Europlanet Society Discord Get-Togethers

What Are They?

Europlanet Society’s Discord get-togethers are informal, weekly sessions aimed at fostering community, facilitating conversation, and promoting engagement among our members. Unlike formal meetings, these get-togethers provide a relaxed environment for everyone – from newcomers to long-standing members – to interact, share knowledge, and stay updated on the latest within Europlanet Society.

When and Where?

The get-togethers occur weekly on Fridays and are hosted on our Discord server. Currently, they are held at 12:30–13:30 Paris time, a slot chosen to accommodate the various time zones across Europe. This timing is open to adjustment based on member feedback.

Who Can Attend?

These get-togethers are open to all Europlanet Society members. If you’re not yet a member but are interested in planetary science, consider joining the Europlanet Society to take part.

What’s On the Agenda?

Each week features something different. Topics can range from presentations on Europlanet services to discussions on the latest research in planetary atmospheres. We also dedicate time to community-generated topics and allow members the freedom to steer conversations organically.

Why Attend?

Engaging in these get-togethers offers a unique chance to network, discuss ongoing projects, and even collaborate on new ideas. This is your chance to get involved with the largest planetary science community in Europe.

How to Join?

Simply become a member of Europlanet Society’s Discord server and you’ll receive notifications for each get-together. To join the server, visit our membership website here.

ERIM / EPEC Annual Week 2023 – Registration Now Open

March 31, 2023

Europlanet Research Infrastructure Meeting (ERIM)/Europlanet Early Career (EPEC) Annual Week 2023 – Registration Now Open

The first Europlanet Research Infrastructure Meeting (ERIM), co-hosted with the fifth Europlanet Early Career (EPEC) Annual Week, will take place from 19-23 June 2023 in hybrid format at the Hotel Sorea / Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia and online. 

Registration is free and accommodation and travel support is available for participants. 

Registration is now open.

Deadline for on-site registration: 19 May 2023

Deadline for virtual registration: 16 June 2023

About ERIM

ERIM is a new kind of meeting to support European planetary science and associated communities. The format of ERIM 2023 is a series of interactive workshops related to the activities of the Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (RI) project, research infrastructures in general, and the Europlanet Society. The meeting will be co-hosted with EPEC Annual Week 2023, the training school for the Europlanet Early Career Network. 

How will it Work?

Workshops will be organised under a series of programme tracks. You can dip in and out of programme tracks, workshops and even sessions during the week. The aim is to make new connections, brainstorm ideas, develop synergies, increase opportunities for collaboration and help us build a strong, thriving, sustainable community for planetary science in Europe.

You don’t have to be a member of the Europlanet Society or the Europlanet 2024 RI project to participate in ERIM. We are looking for new people to engage with Europlanet, so everyone is welcome. However, we will be offering free accommodation and travel grants to a limited number (~150) of participants. If we are over-subscribed in requests for support, priority will be given to Europlanet Society members. (Find out about other benefits of joining the Europlanet Society).

Programme 

Many different topics will be covered within the ERIM programme tracks and workshops, including:

For full details of the meeting and registration, see: https://www.europlanet-society.org/erim2023/

If you have any questions, contact us.

We hope to see you in Bratislava!

The ERIM 2023 Organising Committee

Europlanet Society Webinar (29 November 2022): Expert exchanges – Past Case Studies and New Opportunities

November 18, 2022

Europlanet Society Webinar (29 November 2022): Expert exchanges – Past Case Studies and New Opportunities

14:00 CEST

The Expert Exchange Programme, funded through Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (RI), aims to support the mobilisation of the planetary community to share expertise and best practice and to prepare new facilities and services for integration into the RI. The programme provides funding for short visits (up to one week). 

Objectives for an Europlanet Expert Exchange might be:

  • To improve infrastructure facilities and services offered to the scientific community by Europlanet 2024 RI laboratories or institutes.
  • To provide training on theoretical or practical aspects of the laboratory/fieldwork required to plan a future TA application.
  • To foster cooperation between academia and industry (SMEs).
  • To support early career professionals to develop skills to use or manage RI facilities or services.
  • To widen participation from Under-Represented States in RI activities and services. 
  • To support the inclusion of amateur communities in European planetary science campaigns.
  • To support engagement with wider society e.g. through the involvement of outreach providers, educators, journalists, artists etc.
Victor Dorneles visited the Natural History Museum in London through the Europlanet Expert Exchange Programme. Credit: V Dorneles.

In this webinar, Maria Genzer, the Expert Exchange Coordinator, presents some past case studies of Expert exchanges and answers questions related to the future applications.

Speakers:

Maria Genzer, Finnish Meteorological Institute

Register for this event by completing your registration on Zoom here.

All events for Europlanet Society Members

Europlanet Society Webinar (25 October 2022): Europlanet Mentorship Programme

October 18, 2022

Europlanet Society Webinar (25 October 2022): Europlanet Mentorship Platform for Early Career Researchers

14:00 CEST

The planetary sciences and related fields are built on the foundation of sharing knowledge and making it accessible to all. In August 2020, Europlanet launched the Mentorship platform with the aim to support early career researchers. The platform is built to help early career scientists to develop expertise, ask questions and discuss career plans with the support of more established members of the planetary community. The success of the mentorship programme highlights the need for this platform and the potential role it can play in developing the individuals within our community who will advance planetary sciences over the coming years.

In this webinar Edita Stonkute, the mentorship coordinator, will present the Europlanet mentorship platform and the current status of the programme. The mentees and mentors are invited to share their stories and participate in the discussion. We invite everyone who would like to learn more about the mentorship. This webinar will also include:

  • How Mentoring works
  • How to plan your Mentorship
  • How long will it takes for Mentors and Mentees to be matched?
  • Who is responsible for the Mentoring process?

Speakers:

Edita Stonkute, Vilnius University

Jen DeWitt, Europlanet 2024 RI Evaluation Officer

Anita Heward, Europlanet 2024 RI Networking Coordinator

All events for Europlanet Society Members

Europlanet Society Webinar (11 October 2022): Take the Challenge – How Machine Learning Data Challenges Can Help Tackle Planetary Problems

October 5, 2022

Europlanet Society Webinar (11 October 2022): Take the Challenge – How Machine Learning Data Challenges Can Help Tackle Planetary Problems

14:00 CEST

Machine learning has revolutionised data analysis in many fields of science and industry, and examples of machine learning being used in planetary and exoplanetary research are currently increasing at an almost exponential rate. Running data challenges has proved an effective way of harnessing expertise and bringing the planetary community and other data analysis fields together. In this webinar, two case studies of machine learning challenges (both currently open to participants) are presented, followed by a discussion on the benefits and difficulties of organising data challenges related to planetary science.

Speakers:

Ingo Waldmann – The Ariel Machine Learning Challenges. Ingo will share insights into running three interdisciplinary machine learning challenges (2020-2022) linked to deciphering exoplanets’ atmospheres, and will he discuss some of the lessons learned so far.

Nick Cox, Giacomo Nodjumi and Dan Le Corre – the EXPLORE Lunar Data Challenges. Giacomo, Nick and Dan will talk about how they went about launching a new data challenge in 2022 to identify features on the Moon and plot a lunar traverse, and will discuss some of the issues they encountered (e.g. in preparing a suitable dataset).

The Ariel Machine Learning Challenges

The use of machine and deep learning is prevalent in many fields of science and industry and is now becoming more widespread in extrasolar planet and solar system sciences. Deep learning holds many potential advantages when it comes to modelling highly non-linear data, as well as speed improvements when compared to traditional analysis and modelling techniques.

As part of the ESA Ariel Space mission, the European Conference on Machine Learning (ECML-PKDD) and NeurIPS, we have organised three very successful machine learning challenges in 2019, 2021 and 2022. 
The aim was to provide new solutions to traditionally intractable problems and to foster closer collaboration between the exoplanet and machine learning communities. Often interdisciplinary approaches to long-standing problems are thwarted by jargon and a lack of familiarity. Data challenges are an excellent way to break down existing barriers and establish new links and collaborations.

Find out more: https://www.ariel-datachallenge.space

EXPLORE Lunar Data Challenges

The EXPLORE Lunar Data Challenges use machine learning techniques to identify geologic features of interest on the Moon. Through the Data Challenges, the EXPLORE project aims to support the automation of planetary mapping and the identification of hazards or resources for future missions.

The Machine Learning Lunar Data Challenge is open to students, professionals and enthusiasts interested in planetary science and data processing. The EXPLORE Lunar Classroom Challenge is aimed at school students aged 10-14 year olds. The EXPLORE Public Data Challenge is open to everyone that wants to have a go.

Find out more: https://exploredatachallenges.space

Register for this event by completing your registration on Zoom here.

All events for Europlanet Society Members

Europlanet General Assembly – 22 September 2022, Granada, Spain

August 25, 2022

Europlanet General Assembly – 22 September 2022, Granada, Spain

The Europlanet General Assembly will take place on Thursday, 22 September during the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2022 in Granada, Spain.

All the members of the Society are entitled to attend the meeting. Members will be sent details by email of how they can vote on motions proposed during the General Assembly and how to participate in the ballot to elect the next President of the Europlanet Society, who will take up the Presidency in 2023 when the term of our first President, Nigel Mason, comes to an end.

Members wishing to have matters included on the agenda should inform the Secretary in writing at least 14 days prior to the meeting.

Europlanet Society Webinar (28 June 2022): The Funding Landscape

June 20, 2022

Europlanet Society Webinar (28 June 2022, 14:00 CEST): The Funding Landscape

The next round of funding calls from the European Horizon Europe programme is being issued with opportunities for the planetary science community In this webinar these opportunities and those open In Europlanet programme will be summarised. 

We will also present an update on sustainability planning for Europlanet, including the formation of a new international Europlanet Association under Belgian law, which will provide a permanent legal structure for Europlanet.

The webinar is led by Nigel Mason, President of the Europlanet Society (University of Kent), and Didier Moreau, Treasurer of the Europlanet Society (Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy).

Register for this event by completing your registration on Zoom here.

All events for Europlanet Society Members

Europlanet Society Webinar (31 May 2022): Amateur Astronomy in Planetary Science – A Golden Age of Collaborations

May 19, 2022

Europlanet Society Webinar (31 May 2022, 14:00 CEST): Amateur Astronomy in Planetary Science – A Golden Age of Collaborations 

Astronomy is one of the few sciences where non-professional scientists equipped only with modest means can acquire data that opens new discoveries. In recent years professional astronomers have become more aware of the immense potential offered by professional and amateur collaborations, and a vast number of citizen science projects have flourished. These projects engage not only amateur astronomers, but also the general public who can actively participate in the scientific endeavour. 
 
In this webinar, Ricardo Hueso will review some success stories in professional and amateur collaborations in planetary science including the ever-expanding field of exoplanets. A look forward to new missions and large telescopes in the next decade indicates that the golden age of Pro-Am collaborations in Solar System astronomy is far from its end, and that new projects will largely benefit from collaborations with the public. The Europlanet Society and Europlanet 2024 RI promote many of these collaborations through various of their different programs including the access to the Europlanet Telescope Network. 
 
The webinar is led by Ricardo Hueso (University of the Basque Country, Europlanet Society Executive Board) 

Register for this event by completing your registration on Zoom here.

All events for Europlanet Society Members

Europlanet Society Webinar (26 April 2022): Public Engagement in the Planetary Community

April 6, 2022

Europlanet Society Webinar (26 April 2022, 14:00 CEST): Public Engagement in the Planetary Community

Are you looking for funding to kickstart an outreach or education project related to planetary science? Or have you run a successful public engagement project for which you deserve some recognition?

Europlanet awards grants of between 1 000 and 5 000 Euros to fund projects to engage the public with planetary science. Through the funding scheme, Europlanet aims to encourage new ways of sharing planetary science with different kinds of audiences across Europe (and beyond) to create socially impactful initiatives that combine research, learning, innovation and social development.

The Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement recognises achievements in engaging citizens with planetary science. The Prize of 1 500 Euros is awarded annually to individuals or groups who have developed innovative and socially impactful practices in planetary science communication and education.

In this webinar for Europlanet Society Members, Federica Duras (Chair, Europlanet Society Outreach Working Group/Edu INAF) announced details of the upcoming Calls for Europlanet Outreach Funding Scheme and Prize 2022, and two projects funded in previous rounds shared updates.

The webinar was moderated by Anita Heward (Secretary, Europlanet Society).

All events for Europlanet Society Members

Europlanet Society Webinar (29 March 2022): ESA Human and Robotic Exploration – A Strategy for the Next Decade

March 2, 2022

Europlanet Society Webinar (29 March 2022, 14:00 CET): ESA’s Science & Exploration Programme – Human and Robotic Exploration: A Strategy for the Next Decade

ESA is preparing its new strategy for the next decade. In this webinar Nigel Mason (member of the Human and Robotic Exploration science review panel), James Carpenter (Discipline Lead for Planetary Science in the Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration and Sebastien Vincent-Bonnieu (Discipline Lead for Physical Sciences in the Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration), will discuss some of the topics being proposed and outline the development of the strategy. The panel and ESA are eager to get some community feedback – so be ready to comment!

Register for this event by completing your registration on Zoom here.

All events for Europlanet Society Members

Europlanet Society Webinar (22 February 2022): Pathway to Writing Proposals with Impact

February 1, 2022

Europlanet Society Webinar (Tuesday, 22 February 2022): Pathway to Writing Proposals with Impact, 14:00 CET

The section on impact is as important as the sections on scientific excellence and management in EU funding bids, but consortia preparing proposals often struggle to know how to approach it. The template for Horizon Europe proposals is shorter and more structured than for previous funding frameworks, and requires applicants to set out a credible pathway to sustainable outcomes and impact.

This webinar introduces:

  • How to plan your impact section
  • How to make sure that it matches the requirements of the call
  • What is meant by communication, dissemination and exploitation
  • How to define an evaluation framework for outcomes and wider societal impacts.

The webinar is led by Anita Heward (Communications Manager, Europlanet 2024 RI) and Jen DeWitt (Evaluation Officer, Europlanet 2024 RI).

Watch the recording

Presentation slides

Download the slides:

Impact Evaluation – Evaluation Framework (Jen DeWitt)

Pathways to Writing Proposals with Impact (Anita Heward)

All events for Europlanet Society Members

Europlanet Society Webinar (25 January 2022): Europe and the New Space Race

January 13, 2022

Europlanet Society Webinar (Tuesday, 25 January 2022): Europe and the New Space Race

In a recent interview, Niklas Nienass, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Germany in the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, spoke to Livia Giacomini (Europlanet Society) about his vision for space science in Europe. In this webinar, Europlanet Society Members will have the opportunity to discuss the points raised and feed back opinions from the Community to Mr Nienass.

The discussion points are:
– What is your vision for European space industry in the future?
– What can politics do to regulate space, both in the 27 nations and at a European scale?
– Can space be one of the sectors to invest in to overcome the pandemic crisis?
– What can the scientific and academic community do to help the development of the space sector?
– How can Europe invest in education to support the space sector?
– How can Europe help foster curiosity-driven science?

The webinar will be moderated by Livia Giacomini (Europlanet Society Executive Board) and Nigel Mason (Europlanet Society President).

Watch the interview with Niklass Nienass

Watch the webinar discussion

A summary of comments from Europlanet Society Members are being collated for Mr Nienass. If you would like to add to this, please submit your comment by 15 February 2022.

All events for Europlanet Society Members

Horizon Europe Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in 2022/2023

December 15, 2021

Horizon Europe Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in 2022/2023

As the Horizon Europe Programme gets underway, there are many disparate calls that may be appropriate for the Europlanet community to apply for.

Prof Nigel Mason has prepared a summary for Europlanet Society Members on opportunities for the planetary community in the MSCA Programme for 2022 (2023) with details of the relevant upcoming calls.

For detailed discussion of the programme and management at the briefing last week (30 November) please see the following sites for details:

Full Work Programme

About Marie Curie Actions

See the summary of upcoming Horizon Europe Space Programme calls in 2022/2023

Upcoming Calls in the Horizon Europe Space Programme

December 8, 2021

Upcoming Calls in the Horizon Europe Space Programme

Last week, there was a briefing on the Horizon Europe Space programme. The Programme has been one of the later ones to be completed and the timelines for calls are now rather tight (mainly 16 February 2022). However, there are topics where the Europlanet community can and should engage and some consortia have already started to form.

Prof Nigel Mason has prepared a summary for Europlanet Society Members on the Horizon Europe Space Programme for 2022 (2023) with details of the relevant upcoming calls.

For detailed discussion of the programme and management at the briefing last week (30 November) please see the following sites for details:

Full Work Programme

Cluster 4 – Digital, Industry & Space Info Day Details

Full presentations and recording of the day

Widening participation in the Horizon Europe Programme

August 24, 2021

Widening participation in the Horizon Europe Programme

Schematic Diagram of programmes in the Horizon Europe: ‘Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area’ Work programme.
Schematic Diagram of programmes in the Horizon Europe: ‘Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area’ Work programme.

The European Commission has released details of the 11th Work programme, Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area, with a list of first calls that have deadlines in autumn 2021 and 2022.

While there are some calls for 2022 that have yet to be fully shaped, the overall aims and objectives are clear. The EC is aiming through the Horizon Europe call to increase the inclusion of researchers, institutions and industry in areas that have been and currently are ‘under-represented’ in the Framework and H2020 programmes. This is in response to political comments by governments of those states and the desire to fully exploit the intellectual and creative potential in these member states, which form a quarter of the total EU population. 

None of the programmes in this work programme are specific in terms of topical areas, thus they are open to all areas of science and technology, and areas that address the wider thematic themes of the Horizon Europe programme (the Mission Programmes) are particularly encouraged. 

Europlanet strongly encourages its partners to utilize the Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area work programme to grow and sustain related research in those States where the planetary/space research community is small and developing. 

Prof Nigel Mason has prepared a short overview for Europlanet Society Members on the Horizon Europe: ‘Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area’ Work programme.

Europlanet Society Webinar (8 September 2021): Applying for a Research Fellowship

Europlanet Society Webinar (8 September 2021): Applying for a Research Fellowship

The first step towards developing an independent research career is to secure your own Fellowship, in which you can develop your research ideas and even your own research team. 

There are a multitude of national and International research funding opportunities aimed at providing ‘the best early career researchers’ with personal Fellowships, including the famous Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowships and the European Research Council grants. All these schemes – national and international – have common criteria: namely that they wish to identify and support the best young talent and those with the potential to be leaders in their field. 

So how should early career researchers prepare such a proposal and show that they have the ability to be an independent researcher and future leader in the field?

In this webinar, Prof Nigel Mason (President, Europlanet Society) describes how to write a Fellowship proposal and assemble the evidence that provides the referees and selection panel with the information they need to award you a Fellowship.

Nigel is joined by Prof Ilko Bald, who successfully applied for an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2018. Ilko is currently Professor of Hybrid Nanostructures in the Department of Physical Chemistry at the University of Potsdam in Germany. His research is concerned with nanoparticles, synthesising nanostructures and using them for studying different applications and processes e.g. optical spectroscopy and the interaction of nanostructures with radiation.

Slides from the webinar

Recording of the webinar

All events for Europlanet Society Members

Events for members

July 22, 2021

Events for members

The Europlanet Society holds an ongoing webinar series for members on the last Tuesday of each month.

The hour-long sessions aim to support our community by providing opportunities to feed into policy consultations, keep informed about sources of funding, share experiences, develop skills and find out what’s going on in planetary science. Recordings of sessions and slides are available on the members’ area of the website. Topics discussed include upcoming calls in Horizon Europe, ESA strategy, pro-am collaborations, mentoring, outreach and much more. Each session includes time for discussion, and post-event feedback and follow-ups are encouraged.  

Not yet a member? Sign up now!

Europlanet Society Webinar (28 July 2021): Horizon Europe – what’s in it for me?

July 21, 2021

Europlanet Society Webinar (28 July 2021): Horizon Europe – what’s in it for me?

Members of the Europlanet community have been highly successful in being awarded grants under the European Commission’s previous Framework and Horizon 2020 programmes.

In June the EC launched Horizon Europe, its new and highly ambitious research and innovation programme that focuses on several themes. Faced by, literally, thousands of pages and PowerPoints it is easy to be overwhelmed and not spot the calls that are relevant to you and our planetary (and space) community. However, there are opportunities and calls the planetary science community should (indeed must) apply for.

In this special webinar for Europlanet Society members, our President Prof Nigel Mason will give an overview of Horizon Europe and highlight some calls for 2021-22 that are relevant to the planetary and space exploration community.

Slides from the meeting

Recording of the webinar

All events for Europlanet Society Members

Europlanet 2024 RI has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871149.
Europlanet AISBL (Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif - 0800.634.634) is hosted by the Department of Planetary Atmospheres of the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Avenue Circulaire 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.