ESO and Irish Research Council sign studentship programme agreement

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Irish Research Council (IRC) have signed an agreement to augment the existing ESO studentship programme for Ireland-based PhD students, designed to enhance Ireland’s involvement in ESO.

The agreement was signed on 5 June 2019 by Peter Brown, Director of the IRC, and Xavier Barcons, Director General of ESO, at a ceremony in Dublin, Ireland.

The programme offers students the opportunity to apply for a one- or two-year studentship at ESO’s facilities, either in Garching, Germany or in Chile. Eligible students must be enrolled in a PhD programme in astronomy or a related field at an eligible higher education institution in the Republic of Ireland. The IRC will fund the studentships of the successful applicants, during which they will carry out research under the co-supervision of an ESO staff astronomer and their supervisor from their home institution.

Ireland is the newest of ESO’s 16 member states, with the accession agreement having been signed on 26 September 2018. While Ireland-based students may still apply for a studentship under ESO’s existing scheme, this new programme serves to further promote Ireland’s participation in ESO. This is in alignment with the mission of the IRC, which is to support excellence in research and thus promote a vibrant research community in Ireland.

The programme will also help to fulfil ESO’s goal of fostering international collaboration in astronomy and astrophysics.

Courtesy of European Southern Observatory