Astrobiology (general)

2010 Santander Summer School in Astrobiology

By Keith Cowing
March 29, 2010

Scholarship application deadlines plus new information for Canadian students and a worldwide opportunity provided by the Harvard Origin of Life Initiative

Topic: Extrasolar Planets and Habitability
Location: Palacio de Magdalena, Santander, Spain
Dates: June 21-25, 2010

The ninth annual Summer School in Astrobiology, Extrasolar Planets and Habitability, organized jointly by the Spanish Centro de Astrobiologa and the NASA Astrobiology Institute will be held at the Santander campus of Spain’s national university, Universidad Internacional Menendez Pelayo (UIMP).

The 2010 School lecturers are Dr. Jack Lissauer, NASA Ames Research Center, co-investigator on the Kepler space telescope mission; Professor Eduardo Martin, CAB and University of Central Florida, co-discoverer of the first brown dwarf; Professor Victoria Meadows, University of Washington, head of NAI’s Virtual Planetary Laboratory (VPL); and Professor Michel Mayor, University of Geneva, co-discoverer of the first hot Jupiter, 51 Peg b.

The deadline for NAI applications is March 31. Scholarships covering travel costs, school fees, accommodations, and meals are provided by NAI for students of any nationality studying at U.S. institutions. See astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/UIMP/2010 for application details. CIFAR, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research funds scholarships for 3-4 Canadian students. One or two additional scholarships sponsored by the Harvard Origin of Life Initiative are available on a worldwide basis. Applications for CIFAR, and Harvard scholarships should be made via NAI by April 14. See astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/UIMP/2010 for application details.

European students may apply for scholarship support provided by UIMP and the European Space Agency (ESA) through the UIMP website ( www.uimp.es ) at a later date.

The Summer School includes a week of lectures, round-table discussions, astronomical observations, and a half-day field trip to a site of astrobiological interest. Students completing the school receive a UIMP Diploma in Astrobiology. Accommodations and meals are provided on-site at the Palacio de la Magdalena ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_de_la_Magdalena ).’

Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻