The EPEC@EPSC team is excited to bring you this year’s fun-filled and action-packed lineup of events for the upcoming EPSC 2026 conference.
Kick start your conference with our EPEC x AbGradE joint event, join us for some new and old activities throughout the week like panel discussion, pub quiz, the ever popular EPEC Social Event and many more!
As always, the EPEC stand will be your go-to spot throughout EPSC 2026, with exclusive EPEC goodies available all week just for participants. Whether you’re stopping by between sessions, meeting fellow early-career researchers, curious to learn more about EPEC, or looking for information on the activities happening throughout the week, be sure to come by and say hello.
On Monday , don’t forget to pick up your EPEC Bingo Card! Complete the bingo throughout the week by taking part in EPEC activities and visiting key events, then return your completed card to the EPEC stand to receive a special gift while supplies last. And while you’re there, don’t forget to pick up some of our free EPEC exclusive goodies. We are looking forward to seeing you in the beautiful beach town – Den Haag, the Netherlands!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at epec.epsc@gmail.com
EPEC@EPSC Programme – EPSC Conference 2026
This year, EPEC will bring you a wide range of activities throughout the week, giving you networking opportunities for early career scientists and students. We kick things off on Sunday, 6th September with the EPEC x AbGradE joint event – Speed Science-ing and Early Career Symposium and from there, each day will offer exciting chances to meet new people, share ideas, build connections, and ofcourse – dive deeper into the world of planetary science and astronomy. Find our exciting linup for 2026 below:
Mentoring at EPSC 2026
All Week
The Europlanet Early Career (EPEC) network invites you to participate in the 8th edition of the Mentoring@EPSC program. The mentoring will provide one-on-one meetings between students, PhD candidates, postdocs, and established researchers for informal conversation and exchange of experiences. All of this with the goal of offering early careers a better experience at EPSC 2026 and a unique networking opportunity!
If you are attending the conference for the first time, or would like some help navigating around during the conference, register as a mentee using the form below – This event is only available to people attending the conference in person.
Or if you have already have attended numerous international conferences, are feeling confident navigating them, and are willing to share your own knowledge, experience, and networking tips with an early career professional, register as a mentor using the form below – This event is only available to people attending the conference in person.
EPEC x AbGradE Joint Event
The joint EPEC × AbGradE event consists of two complementary parts, taking place on Sunday, 6 September 2026, 10:00-17:00 CEST. Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions, but those who are only able to join later are also welcome. A single registration grants access to both activities.
EPEC x AbGradE Joint Event – Speed Science-ing
Sunday, 6th September 2026 – Part I, 10:00 – 11:30 CEST – Room – Saturn (Jazz 3)
The event organized by EPEC and AbGradE will begin with a friendly and relaxed “speed sciencing” icebreaker, designed to help you connect with peers. Attendees will meet in small, rotating groups, offering plenty of opportunities to get to know one another while still allowing enough time for meaningful conversations.
This will be the ideal prelude to new friendships and engaging scientific discussion, before the afternoon symposium!
EPEC x AbGradE Joint Event – Early Career Symposium
Sunday, 6th September 2026 – Part II, 13:00 – 17:00 CEST – Room – Saturn (Jazz 3)
The afternoon continues with the Early Career Symposium, where attendees will have the opportunity to present their current research to their peers in an informal and friendly environment.
Each presentation will be followed by time for questions, with discussions continuing throughout the day. Contributions from researchers at all stages of their academic journey are welcome and encouraged.
Please register using the form below. You are also invited to submit an abstract for the Early Career Symposium as part of your registration.
The deadline for abstract submission has been extended until 31st July 2026, 23:59 CEST.
The registration deadline is August 6th 2026, 23:59 CEST.
EPEC General Assembly
Tuesday, 8th September 2026, 13:30 – 13:55 CEST – Room – Sun (Amare Studio)
The Europlanet Early Career (EPEC) network is the official entity representing early careers in the Europlanet Society.
During the EPEC General Assembly, we introduce EPEC network and highly how the year went by with insights on what the future planning looks like. At the assembly, we also present the different activities planned during the week with a short description. Early Careers from all over the world are encouraged to participate in the EPEC General Assembly to meet the EPEC team, the EPEC@EPSC team which made it all happen, ask questions and learn how to get involved in future activities.
We look forward to welcoming you!
EPEC x E-SPIN Joint Panel Discussion
Monday, 7th September 2026, 18:00 – 20:00 CEST – Room – Earth (Tango 1)
P.S – The Panel Discussion is available for everyone to attend – even people who are not attending EPSC.
Register for the Panel Discussion here!
This year’s panel discussion will be a joint event between EPEC and E-SPIN, bringing together the early careers and seniors of the wide planetary science and astronomy community.
We will have an interactive discussion on the Early Career researchers navigating the fast changing research landscape shaped by the shifting scientific priorities amidst evolving institutional structures and decreasing funding opportunities.
The panel “Challenges shaping Early Careers Opportunities in Science and beyond” will explore how mission redirections, budget contraints and organizational changes are reshaping opportunities in academia, industry and beyond.
Find our panelists below –
Saskia Matheussen – Dutch Research Council (NWO)
Saskia is the teamleader of Astronomy at the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and the deputy chair of ASTRONET, a strategic planning and coordination mechanism for European astronomy funding agencies.
Given her long-term involvement within the funding infrastructure, Saskia brings an insider perspective on how funding agencies work behind the scenes in structuring various projects and allocating resources. Her expertise spans research funding and international coordination, large research infrastructure development, and international scientific collaborations.
About NWO – One of the most important funding bodies within the Netherlands in the science field. NWO selects and funds research proposals based on recommendations from expert scientists and other experts in the Netherlands and abroad. In addition, NWO has ten research institutes of their own where internationally leading research is conducted.
Luca Montabone – Paneureka & Space Science Institute
Luca Montabone is a Senior Research Scientist with the Space Science Institute and founding director of Paneureka. With over 25 years in the planetary science community, he brings a dual perspective: experience as both a researcher and entrepreneur navigating funding infrastructure and project dynamics.
His career spanning academia and private enterprise offers unique insight into how challenges and opportunities shift at different career stages. Does the challenges shift when you are a senior researcher? Is there more security? And how does the conversation shift when a senior researcher talks to an early career about career and opportunities. These are the questions we are hoping to discuss with Luca as a part of our panel discussion.
Paneureka is a project integrating research, informal education and outreach, which is focused on the cooperation between nonprofessional and professional researchers.
The Space Science Institute (SSI) is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation formed in 1992. Our purpose is to create and maintain an environment where scientific research and education programs can flourish in an integrated fashion. SSI has four major branches: Research, Education (National Center for Interactive Learning), Business Operations, and Information Systems and Technology (IST). SSI’s research program encompasses the following areas: space physics, earth science, planetary science, and astrophysics.
Claudia-Corine Giese – LOFAR ERIC
Claudia-Corina Giese completed her PhD as a joint programme between Astronomical Observatory at Leiden University and the Geosciences Institute at Utrecht University in 2025, before transitioning to a Policy and Programme Officer role at LOFAR ERIC.
She previously worked at NWO, bringing experience from both the research funding side and academia. Her career trajectory—from PhD research to management-focused roles—offers insight into the challenges early-career researchers face navigating pathways within and beyond academia.
LOFAR – LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) is a European Research Infrastructure Consortium established by the European Commussion in December 2023. LOFAR is a world-leading distributed research infrastructure for radio astronomy with 52 antenna stations across 8 European countries.
Lucía Hortal Sánchez – Freie Universität
Lucía Hortal Sánchez is a 1st year Doctoral Researcher at Freie Universität, working on the Analogue Icy Moon Simulations (AIMS) project. She brings essential early-career perspective to discussions on funding restructuring and institutional shifts.
Beyond her PhD, Lucía brings a wide range of experience—chief scientist for Arctic expeditions, chief field technical for field campaigns, and research assistant. This variety has given her a unique position to experience how research differs at different levels while also providing a good overview of the challenges that early-career researchers face stepping into academia.
Freie Universität Berlin hosts a Department of Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing at the Institute of Geosciences. The university offers a Master’s program in Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration and maintains close collaborations with the Institute of Planetary Research at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Museum of Natural History (MfN).
The Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing Group at Freie Universität is involved in space missions including Mars Express (HRSC), Cassini to Saturn, and Dawn to asteroids Vesta and Ceres. The research curriculum bridges planetary geology, atmospheric physics, space mission technology, and computational earth sciences, with field trips to planetary analogue sites.
EPEC x NPP Joint event – Pub Quiz
Tuesday, 8th September 2026, 19:30 – 22:00 CEST – The Prael Brewery, Den Haag
Join EPEC and NPP for a brand-new event at EPSC 2026: the Planetary Pub Quiz! Hosted at Brewery De Prael (Esperantoplein 20, 2518 LE, The Hague The Netherlands) , this interactive and social evening combines planetary science, geography, and friendly competition in a GeoGuessr-style challenge.
Players will be dropped into mystery locations using Google Maps and must work together to identify where they are. The closer the guess, the more points the team earns! To give the game a planetary science twist, we are creating a custom map featuring locations relevant to our community across Europe and beyond.
Each round will focus on a different theme:
- Past Venues
- Observatories & Field Sites
- Space Agencies & Spaceports
- Institutes & Universities
You can join using their phones or laptops, with each game consisting of six fast-paced rounds lasting approximately 10 minutes in total. Multiple games will be played throughout the evening, with prizes awarded to the highest-scoring team.
Researchers at all career stages are warmly invited to participate. To encourage networking across career stages, each team must include at least one later-career scientist. Teams will be formed on the spot at the brewery, so there’s no need to find your teammates in advance.
PS: Don’t forget to stop by the photobooth and take home some memorable snapshots from the evening!
Schedule
19:30–20:00 – Doors open at De Prael, team formation
20:00–21:15 – Planetary Pub Quiz
21:15-21:30 – Winner announcements
21:30–22:00 – Performance by the Envision band from ESA
ESA Envision Band – Performing live after the planetary pub quiz!
A special discounted dinner menu will be available throughout the evening for any participants wishing to dine at the venue.
Pulled mushroom shoarma €15
Made with oyster mushrooms, served with pita bread, salad and garlic sauce.
Fish and Chips €15
White fish fried in a special Prael batter, served with remoulade sauce.
Chicken satay €15
Served with peanut sauce, atjar, fried onions and chips.
No registration is required to participate in the Pub Quiz.
Venue information:
Discover De Prael The Hague
At De Prael Brewery, it’s all about people, as well as good food and drink. Since 2018, we have been working with people who, for a variety of reasons, struggle to find their place in the labour market. People who want to work, but who aren’t automatically given the opportunity to do so. At De Prael, they do get that opportunity. In our brewery and restaurant, you can enjoy craft-brewed beer, delicious dishes and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
EPEC Science Roulette
Wednesday, 9th September 2026, 17:30 – 18:30 CEST – Saturn (Jazz 3)
We are rebranding Science Flash this year as Science Roulette while keeping the enthusiasm of the event, the same! More fun, more talks and definitely more networking!
Science Roulette is going to be a fun science communication challenge where participants create 2 slides teasing their research using anything from non-serious figures to memes and absurd visuals. The Twist??? You won’t present your own slides, but instead you’ll improvise a live 3-minute talk on someone else’s slides with no prior context.
Presentations are judged on both scientific content and entertainment value by a jury and the audience. Prizes are awarded to the best author-presenter pairs, judging creativity, quick thinking, and the ability to make science engaging and entertaining.
Prizes will be awarded to the best author–presenter pairs, celebrating creativity, quick thinking, and outstanding science communication. And, of course, the top prize is hard to beat: a free registration to EPSC 2027!
EPEC x ESA Workshop
Thursday, 10th September 2026, 17:30 – 18:30 CEST – Moon (Tango 2)
The EPEC × ESA Workshop “How to Contribute to Future ESA Missions from the Earliest Stages” offers a unique opportunity to explore how future space missions and scientific instruments are conceived long before any technical development begins.
Joern Helbert – European Space Agency
The session will be lead by Jörn Helbert, Head of the Solar System Section in ESA’s Science Engagement and Oversight Office.
Joern Helbert has previously been one of the main figures in missions like BepiColombo, Envision etc and now working closely on the upcoming large scale mission from ESA – the L4 Mission to Enceladus.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Through this condensed session, early-career researchers will gain practical insights into the earliest stages of ESA mission and instrument proposal development, as well as an overview of the different phases of mission development and selection. The workshop will provide a behind-the-scenes look at how new scientific ideas can evolve into future space exploration projects, while highlighting the many ways early-career researchers can contribute to mission proposals, instrument concepts, and science teams.
In addition to learning about the proposal process, participants will have the opportunity to discuss how early-career scientists can become involved in future ESA missions and contribute fresh perspectives. The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A with an ESA representative, followed by a take-home guide containing practical tips and useful resources to help participants take their first steps towards future mission involvement.
EPEC Social Event
Thursday, 10th September 2026, 20:00 – 23:00 CEST – The Fat Mermaid, Den Haag
EPSC 2026 is not only about the science, it is also an opportunity to connect, network, and socialize with fellow early-career researchers. After the intense week of science and sessions, EPEC Social Event is the best way to wind down and relax (Food and drinks not provided by EPEC).
Join us for a relaxed evening on the beach for the EPEC Social event, where you can connect, chat or simply discuss science in a relaxed setting while enjoying drinks and snacks at the Fat Mermaid beach bar (Strandweg 19, 2586 JK Den Haag, Netherlands).
To make the journey part of the experience, we will also provide an optional cycling route from the conference venue to the social event. Along the way, participants will explore the city while travelling through a scaled model of the Solar System: the conference center will represent the Sun, with planetary milestones positioned at realistic relative distances along the route, ending with Pluto near the Fat Mermaid. Bikes can be rented at Haagsche Stadsfiets (Bierkade 19, 2512 AB den Haag, Netherlands)
Follow the cycling route – https://denhaag.com/en/walking/the-hague-planet-trail
The event is free and open to all early-career participants. Inside and outside space is available for us. No registration is required, simply come along, meet new colleagues, exchange ideas, and expand your professional network within the community. Card and Tabletop games will be provided at the beach bar for breaking the ice with your fellow early careers.
Lets wrap up the week on Thursday, just the way the Dutch do!
EPEC@EPSC Organizing team
- Jules Bourdelle de Micas (Co-Chair)
- Aurélie Van den Neucker (Co-Chair)
- Thomas O’Sullivan
- Nimisha Verma
- Najma Nujumudeen
- Vidhya Rangarajan
- Michele Lissoni
- Lakshika Palamakumbure
- Gabriel Maynard
- Azar Arghavanian
- Henry Manelski
- Bianca Renieri
- Alexandra Monarrez
- Maximilian Vovk
- Lois Brun
- Nina Kopacz
- Orr Rose Bezaly
- Pablo L. Finkel
- Ella Henson
- Moritz Tenthoff
- Aobakwe Motlhasedi
- Priyanka Biju Sindhu
Modified by Nimisha Verma
