The UK Space Agency is making funding available to support the preparation of experiments that use microgravity and other space environment research platforms.
The purpose of this grant is to support UK based researchers who have already secured facility access to microgravity and space environments research platforms, primarily through the ESA SciSpacE Programme.
This scheme is open to academics from the UK or overseas, working at UK Research Organisations, who have already been selected by ESA or other bodies for access to microgravity or space environments facilities.
The UK Space Agency welcomes proposals for resources and related costs to support experiment preparation and implementation. This could take the form of (but are not limited to):
- Support for academics including promising early career researchers, Post Doctorate Research Assistants and lead academics
- Support for PhD Students (please contact us for further details)
- Travel costs to facilitate data collection
- Equipment costs (to support experiment preparation)
Exploitation of experiment data is no within the scope of this call and is generally within the remit of UKRI.
PLEASE NOTE: This call is in preparation for financial year 2022/2023 – 2024/25. The UK Space Agency as yet, does not know how much it will be able to allocate to this activity.
Aims and objectives
This aim of the call is to continue to develop the UK’s microgravity community and their research outcomes, and maximise the return on the UK’s investment in Microgravity Facilities, through the ESA Exploration programmes.
This call will fund UK based academic researchers who have already secured facility access to microgravity and space environments research platforms, with priority awarded to those who have secure access through the ESA SciSpace Programme, of which the UK is a member state.
This call aims to provide UK national support to selected experiments in preparation and execution. Prioritisation will be given to experiments scheduled to be executed in 2022 – 2024 (with an understanding that delays can occur).
How to Apply:
Please read the call guidance carefully. Contact the UK Space Agency ([email protected]) if you have any questions on any aspect.
