ESPI-ESA Roy Gibson Fellowship on Space Policy

BACKGROUND

This 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 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.

• The duration of the Fellowship is one year, with a tentative starting date in March 2027.
• The position is full-time (40 hours a week) with flexible working conditions.
• Take place at ESPI’s premises in Vienna, with optional shorter research visits to ESA and other ESPI members’ locations.
• Provide a salary of €50,000 – €53,000 gross per year, which will be exempt from income tax in Austria and paid in 12 monthly instalments, including two additional payments (13th and 14th salaries).
• The Fellow will also be entitled to 25 days of annual leave, as well as ESPI benefits, including an annual retreat, a lunch voucher card and up to 10 days of mobile working.

2027/28 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 2027 edition will build on the work of the 2026 Roy Gibson Fellow with a focus on:

“A New Era for Space: Analysing, Understanding, and Responding to China’s Space Activities”

Specific research questions to be investigated include but are not limited to:

• How can European space actors understand China’s space strategy and strategic ambitions in the light of China’s broader technological priorities including the development of AI, cyber, nuclear, robotic and quantum capabilities?
• In what domains is China actively undertaking space diplomacy and cooperation both on Earth and in space in third-partner countries, and how should European and global space actors respond to these new initiatives?
• What are the short-, medium- and long-term priorities of China’s space agenda that Europe needs to understand in order to respond to and act on? Who are the current and future Chinese key actors that should be known and studied?
• How will China’s commercial space industry affect European and global space sectors? In what terms will China’s (mega) constellations, development of reusable rockets, and new space applications shape European participation in these markets?
• What opportunities and threats do China’s approach to space diplomacy and international cooperation entail for Europe?
• What are the rationales for different approaches Europe that in turn may develop towards China at the policy, programmatic, and industrial levels? What are the inhibiting factors and drawbacks that different approaches would entail?

REQUIREMENTS

The Fellowship is open to researchers and young-to-senior professionals of all nationalities possessing:

• A master’s degree (e.g. Economics, Banking & Finance, Law, Political Science, Business, Engineering, Physics, Data Science, Technology & Innovation).
• At least three 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. Proficiency in Chinese (intermediate to advanced) is preferred but not required.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the European space sector and the global space policy landscape.

APPLY

We accept applications from EU/EEA citizens as well as non-EU citizens.

Applicants are expected to submit their application to [email protected] with the subject “ESPI Roy Gibson Fellow” before 27 November 2026, 23:59 CET. Applications must include:

• Curriculum vitae (CV) and motivation letter in .pdf format,
• a research abstract and a table of contents explaining how they will develop the research question and produce the report in the available time (.pdf format), and
• a writing sample, such as a research report, brief, article, or op-ed in .pdf format

The results of the selection process will be communicated to the successful candidates by 20 December 2026.