This new initiative was announced as part of the “50 Years of ESA/100 year Roy Gibson, Session – Roy Gibson – The Golden Age of EO” session moderated by Volker Liebig, at the ESA Living Planet Symposium in June 2025, and in the presence of ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, with impressive participation from international leaders who shaped space and the golden age of Earth observation.
The Fellowship, in honour of Roy Gibson—the first Director General of ESA, serving from 1975 until 1980—recognises the critical importance of space policy and diplomacy in times of unprecedented geo-political and geo-economic shifts, which also affect space. Its purpose is to harness excellence in research and policy analysis that will contribute to ESPI’s overall vision of building a strong Europe as a Trusted Partner to the World.
A joint ESPI-ESA-UK Space Agency initiative, the Fellowship will:
- Focus on:
- International cooperation and space diplomacy to strengthen synergies between stakeholders in Europe and to support Europe’s role as partner to the world for prosperity, peace, and future generations.
- Actionable proposals and recommendations for consideration by ESPI across the domains defined in ESPI2040 policy vision.
- Be awarded each year for a duration of 12 months.
- Run its first edition from Q3 2025, with applications opening on 28 July 2025.
- Take place at ESPI’s premises in Vienna, with optional shorter research visits to ESA and other ESPI members’ locations.
- Provide a gross salary of € 50,000 per year, which will be tax exempted and paid in 12 monthly instalments.
2025/2026 Edition Research Focus
Recalling Roy Gibson’s commitment to the crafting of a strong European space actorness and his proactive engagement in building bridges in a polarised world, including his pioneering role in the crafting of the very first European space policy towards China, the research focus of the 2025/2026 edition will be:
“Space for Diplomacy and Diplomacy for Space in Europe-China Relations”
Specific research questions to be investigated include but are not limited to:
- What is the state of play in Europe’s space relations with China and how have dynamics between these two actors been changing in recent years? How are different stakeholders at national, European, and international levels approaching China?
- What opportunities and threats do China’s approach to space diplomacy and international cooperation entail for Europe?
- What are rationales for different approaches Europe in turn may develop towards China at the policy, programmatic, and industrial levels? What are the inhibiting factors and drawbacks different approaches would entail?
- In what domain(s) of the ESPI2040 space policy vision and in what concrete form could such approaches be conducive to fulfilling European space objectives as well as to advancing Europe’s broader foreign policy objectives, to engage as strong partner globally?
- How can ESPI and other stakeholders contribute to increased consistency of Europe-China approaches in the European village?
Requirements:
The Fellowship is open to researchers and young-to-senior professionals holding citizenship from ESA and EU Member States possessing:
- A Master’s degree (e.g., Economics, Banking & Finance, Law, Political Science, Business, Engineering, Physics, Data Science, Technology & Innovation).
- At least 3 years of professional work experience (Think Tank, Academia, Consultancy, Industry, Public Sector, NGO).
- Excellent analytical or writing skills and excellent command of English, written and oral.
- Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the European space sector and the global space policy landscape.
Applications are now closed and results will be communicated to the candidates shortly.
