Early Career Event: AbGradEPEC’26 – 6th September 2026
The Europlanet Early-Career (EPEC) Network and Astrobiology Graduates in Europe (AbGradE) are thrilled to announce the latest event in our long-standing series of collaborations.
This year, we invite you to join the AbGradEPEC’26 joint meeting, which will take place before EPSC2026 on Sunday 6th September in The Hague, Netherlands!
AbGradEPEC’26 will kick off with a relaxed “speed science-ing” icebreaker, where attendees meet in small, rotating groups, giving everyone the chance to connect and engage with a variety of participants in an informal setting.
At the heart of AbGradEPEC’26 is an early-career symposium, offering participants a welcoming and informal space to share their current research and exchange ideas with fellow attendees.
A group of early career researchers from The Open University (OU) became analogue astronauts for a week in December 2025 as a crew mission to the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), Utah. The mission was supported by €5,000 in Europlanet funding, marking the first MDRS crew mission led by OU research students.
MDRS is a renowned analogue research facility operated by the Mars Society, designed to simulate the conditions and operational challenges of living and working on Mars. The station hosts relays of international teams conducting cutting-edge research and testing technologies that could support future human exploration of Mars.
The Open University Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) crew. Left to right: Adam Losekoot, Dr Mara Leite, Nisha Gor, and Daniel Loy.
A multidisciplinary team
The crew comprised three OU PhD students: Nisha Gor (project lead and mission XO [Executive Officer]), a planetary scientist studying lake geomorphology on Mars; Daniel Loy, a microbiologist investigating microbial communities in Martian analogue environments and a returning MDRS crew member who this time was mission Commander; and Adam Losekoot, a planetary scientist researching inverted channels on Mars. The team also included Dr Mara Leite, a former project officer specialising in planetary protection and resource cultivations
The crew was supported by Professor David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Science at the Open University, who acted as faculty advisor during the mission.
Reflecting on the mission, project lead Nisha Gor said:
“The Open University has researchers working on Mars-related science across multiple disciplines, so I wanted to build a multidisciplinary team across OU’s Schools of Physical Sciences, Engineering & Innovation, and Environment, Earth & Ecosystem Sciences.
We were awarded the Europlanet grant because our proposal demonstrated strong multidisciplinary collaboration and diverse representation. The aim of Europlanet is to build an inclusive research community and this project highlighted this. Our team represented a diverse range of nationalities from across Britain, the U.S., Portugal, and India, highlighting the importance of international collaboration in future human exploration of Mars.”
The mission was supported by Europlanet – the team demonstrated strong multidisciplinary collaboration and diverse representation.
Originally, the mission included six crew members, including OU PhD alumnus Ihor Sebatian (engineering) and OU laboratory technician Wewerly Fernandes (biology), who were unable to make the rotation but still participated in organising and crew meeting pre-mission.
Life inside and outside the analogue habitat
During EVAs, teams maintained constant telecommunications via the station’s radio network, logging rover battery levels and distances travelled, with mandatory check-ins every 15 minutes for safety. While the external team conducted fieldwork, crew inside the Hab processed samples, prepared laboratory work such as DNA extractions, and documented methods. After the morning EVA and a brief lunch, the second EVA followed a similar preparation cycle, returning before sunset.
During EVA’s crew members used roving vehicles, logging rover battery levels and distances travelled.Two analogue astronauts returning to the habitat after the last EVA of the mission.
Daniel Loy, mission Crew Commander said,
“A typical day at MDRS began at 7:00am with breakfast and a planning meeting before preparations for the first EVA of day. Suit operations were a critical part of the routine: EVA suits were tested for battery charge and telecommunications systems and radios were checked before entering the airlock. We had a depressurisation countdown ahead of stepping onto the “Martian surface.”
Daniel Loy conducting an extravehicular activity (EVA) in a simulated spacesuit, collecting data in the terrain surrounding the MDRS.
Evenings were dedicated to writing detailed EVA reports, GreenHab updates, media summaries, and the Commander’s report, all submitted during the station’s designated communications window (19:00–21:00), when Mission Support opened and closed internet access. The day typically concluded around 22:00, ready to repeat the simulation the following morning.”
Crew 304 in the Science Dome working on EVA planning and science with the ‘Martian’ sunset visible through the window.Teams maintained constant telecommunications via the station’s radio network with mandatory check-ins.
MDRS habitat under a cold, starry night, isolated in the Utah desert.
Faculty advisor Professor of planetary geosciences David Rothery said,
“I’m old enough to remember watching the Apollo astronauts’ moonwalks, and it was a pleasure to read the daily reports from Crew 304 and to see their stunning (and very Mars-like) field photos. Humans are likely to be back on the Moon soon (Mars will take a little longer). Experience gained at MDRS helps to plan the real missions better, as well as training a new generation. To see this crew working as a team and re-distributing responsibilities due to an enforced last-minute drop-out having coped with a later reduction in their number, made me proud of the OU’s planetary and astrobiology portfolio.”
Mara Leite during an EVA overlooking Factory Butte, Utah.The MDRS habitat in Utah, where analogue astronauts live and conduct research, with rover vehicles used for EVAs parked outside the station..
Crew 304 with EVA space suits inside the Hab.
The mission highlights the Open University’s strength in interdisciplinary planetary science and the growing role scientists will have in analogue astronaut research.
Call for Applications for Europlanet Early Career (EPEC) Committee Co-Chair
The EPEC network is organised by early career researchers, for early career researchers, and includes volunteers from across the global Europlanet community. EPEC strives to form a strong network of early careers by organising events and creating a platform for early careers to engage with the wider scientific community.
The EPEC Committee, composed of chairs responsible for leading our activities and events, is led and coordinated by two Co-Chairs, whose duty is to make sure all the active events and activities are functioning nominally, fill periodic reports on ongoing activities, and liaise with the Europlanet Society Executive Board. You will be the primary point of call for EPEC queries about joining, membership, activities and events for both committee and members. EPEC’s Co-Chairs play a crucial role in coordinating the community and its activities, making key decisions that benefit the EPEC network as a whole, encouraging new and innovative ideas and actively expanding the community.
EPEC’s Co-Chairs are responsible for:
Communications:
Acting as a central contact node within EPEC and directing people through the network
Managing and posting consistently on social media
Liaising with other EPEC members and Europlanet representatives via email
Creating and updating EPEC sections of the Europlanet website
Building relationships with other early career networks, like AbGradE
Operating a shared email inbox and participating proactively in email exchanges relating to EPEC
Consistent presence on social media, particularly on Discord
Coordinating with other EPEC members to stay up-to-date with new and existing EPEC activities
Reporting to the Europlanet Executive Board and providing input for Europlanet’s annual report
Representing EPEC at events: academic conferences, webinars, outreach presentations etc.
Gathering feedback from participants after events like EPEC Annual Week and EPEC @ EPSC.
EPEC is looking for one elected Committee Co-Chair for the next term to help sustain the Committee activities. The term of the elected EPEC Committee Co-Chair will be two years with an option to extend for an additional year. Theexpected time commitment of the elected EPEC Chair is approximately two hours per week, with increased commitment expected during EPEC Annual Week and around EPSC.
This is a great opportunity to join a vibrant community of early career researchers, learn valuable leadership skills and work closely with another experienced Co-Chair to help each other make the most of the experience. Europlanet is passionate about providing a supportive environment and a great platform for raising the profile of its early career members.
Eligibility to apply:
To be eligible for this position, you must meet the following requirements:
You must be a member of the Europlanet Society;
Leadership: In working with our diverse community, you must ensure that all points of view are heard and respected. If needed, both Co-Chairs must be able to facilitate discussions and make decisions in the best interests of the community;
Availability on Discord: Europlanet and EPEC use Discord as our main platform for brainstorming, community-building and exchange. Please ensure that you engage as consistently and proactively as possible;
You must be an early-career planetary scientist and/or space professional whose last degree (e.g. MSc or PhD) was obtained a maximum of 7 years ago (excluding parental leave, serious illness and similar delays).
We encourage applications from a diverse early career community (undergraduates, graduates, doctoral researchers and postdocs).
Early Career Event: AbGradEPEC’24 – 8th September 2024
We are back! EPEC will once again team up with AbGradE for EPSC 2024, expanding network opportunities for early career scientists and students.
This year we invite you on Sunday, September 8th for a symposium at the Freie Universität comprising of science presentations and a workshop on professional development given by an ESA fellow and a former ESA intern. For a chance to meet your fellow early careers on the first day of EPSC for a career-focused workshop, and make those all important connections from day one, this is an event you don’t want to miss!
The deadline for registration is June 30th and can be accomplished with the following form. The event fee is 10 euros (including snacks, coffee and lunch provided), details on payment will be sent to you after the registration closes.
The extended deadline for abstracts is June 15th. For contributed talks, please send a short abstract (max. 200 words) using the template to abgrade@eana-net.eu. We invite early careers to present the work that they either present as a poster at EPSC2024 or any other project not presented at EPSC2024. Letters of acceptance will be sent out by mid-June.
Call for Applications for Europlanet Early Career (EPEC) Committee Co-Chair
The EPEC network is organised by early-career researchers, for early-career researchers, and includes volunteers from across the Europlanet international community, with the support of the Europlanet Society. The focus of EPEC is to form a strong network among young professionals by organizing early-career-relevant events and by engaging in different projects through Working Groups (WGs).
The EPEC Committee, composed of all the WG Co-Chairs, is led and coordinated by two Chairs whose duty is to make sure all the working groups are working nominally, fill periodic reports on ongoing activities, and liaise with the Europlanet Society Executive Board.
The Chair of the EPEC Committee plays a key role in bringing the WGs and their activities together, making key decisions that benefit the EPEC network as a whole, encouraging new and innovative ideas, and expanding the Early Career Network.
The EPEC Committee is looking for one elected Committee Co-Chair for the next term to help sustain the Committee activities. The term of the elected EPEC Committee Co-Chairs will be two years with an option to extend for an additional year. The expected time commitment of the elected EPEC Chair is approximately two hours per week averaged over one year. However, an increased commitment is expected during the EPEC Annual Week and the run-up to EPSC.
This is a great opportunity to join a vibrant community of early career researchers and learn leadership and managing skills alongside an experienced Co-Chair who can help you make the most of this experience. The Europlanet Society is a developing community that values its early career members and can help raise their profile in a supportive environment.
Key responsibilities of the elected EPEC Chair:
Liaising with WG Chairs and keeping up-to-date with EPEC WG activities
Engaging in the EPEC forums on WG activities and discussions
The EPEC Committee Chair acts as the main contact person with the Europlanet Society Executive Board
Represeningt EPEC at EPSC (General Assembly) and at the EPEC Annual week
Writing twice yearly reports on EPEC Committee activities (with help of WG Chairs)
Guaranteeing smooth transition with the next EPEC Committee Chair*
*In case the Co-Chairs need to leave EPEC, they should give enough notice to organise the transition
Eligibility to apply:
The candidates for the EPEC Chair position must fulfil the following requirements:
The candidate must be a member of the Europlanet Society
Leadership: You will work with a diverse community and need to make sure all points of view are heard and respected, but if needed you and the other Co-Chair are expected to move the needle towards the best decision for the network;
Weekly availability on Slack: EPEC uses Slack as the main platform for brainstorming and exchange. You should check new messages at least twice per week;
The candidate must be an early-career planetary scientist and/or space professional whose last degree (e.g. MSc or PhD) was obtained a maximum of 7 years ago (excluding parental leave, serious illness, and similar delays).
We encourage applications from a diverse early career community (undergraduates, graduates, doctoral researchers, and postdocs)!
How to apply: If you are interested to become EPEC Co-Chair, please submit your application via the form below by 8th September 2023.
After the deadline, the EPEC committee will meet for a discussion, and will then proceed with a formal vote among the candidates.
The new Co-Chairs will be announced at the joint EPSC-DPS meeting, taking place in San Antonio (TX) between the 1st and 6th of October 2023.
We are talking about Postdoc life. The aim is to help PhD students interested in starting their career in academia have a clear vision of a Postdoc position. You will listen to some of our personal experiences as postdocs in different parts of the world.
The EPEC network is organized by early-career researchers, for early-career researchers, and includes volunteers from across the Europlanet international community, with the support of the Europlanet Society. The focus of EPEC is to form a strong network among young professionals by organizing early-career-relevant events and by engaging in different projects through the different Working Groups (WGs) such as EPEC annual week, EPEC@EPSC, Future Research, Early Career Support, Outreach, Diversity, and Communications.
The EPEC Committee, composed of all the WG Co-Chairs, is led and coordinated by two Chairs whose duty is to make sure all the working groups are working nominally, fill periodic reports on ongoing activities, and liaise with the Europlanet Society board.
The Chair of the EPEC Committee plays a key role in bringing the WGs and their activities together, making key decisions that benefit the EPEC network as a whole, expanding the EPEC Committee by encouraging new and innovative ideas from the EPEC Committee, facilitating progress across the whole Early Career Network.
With the exponential growth in EPEC activities across EPEC working groups since its launch and with the term of our current EPEC committee Co-Chairs ending, the EPEC Committee is looking for one elected Committee Co-Chair for the next term to help sustain the Committee activities. The term of the elected EPEC Committee Co-Chairs will be two years with an option to extend for an additional year. The expected time commitment of the elected EPEC Chair is approximately two hours per week averaged over one year. However, an increased commitment is expected during the EPEC Annual Week and EPSC organizing weeks.
This is a great opportunity to join a vibrant community of early career researchers and learn leadership and managing skills alongside an experienced Co-Chair who can help you make the most of this experience. The Europlanet Society is a developing community that values its early career members and can help raise their profile in a supportive environment.
Key responsibilities of the elected EPEC Chair:
Liaising with WG Chairs and keeping up-to-date with EPEC WG activities
Engage in the EPEC forums on WG activities and discussions
EPEC Committee Chair acts as the main contact person with the Europlanet Society Executive Board
Represent EPEC at EPSC (General Assembly) and at the EPEC Annual week
Writing bi-yearly reports on EPEC Committee activities (with help of WG Chairs)
Guaranteeing smooth transition with the next EPEC Committee Chair*
*In case the Co-Chairs need to leave EPEC, they should give enough notice to organize the transition
Eligibility to apply:
The candidates for the EPEC Chair position must fulfil the following requirements:
The candidate must be a member of the Europlanet Society
Leadership: You will work with a diverse community and need to make sure all points of view are heard and respected, but if needed you and the other Co-Chair are expected to move the needle towards the best decision for the network;
Weekly availability on Slack: EPEC uses Slack as the main platform for brainstorming and exchange. You should check new messages at least twice per week;
The candidate must be an early-career planetary scientist and/or space professional whose last degree (e.g. MSc or PhD) was obtained a maximum of 7 years ago (excluding parental leave, serious illness, and similar delays).
We encourage applications from a diverse early career community (undergraduates, graduates, doctoral researchers, and postdocs)!
How to apply: If you are interested to become EPEC Co-Chair, please submit your application via this link by 31st of May 2023 at 7 PM CEST.
After the deadline, the EPEC committee will meet for a discussion, and will then proceed with a formal vote among the candidates.
The new Co-Chairs will be announced at the joint EPSC-DPS meeting, taking place in San Antonio (TX) between the 1st and 6th of October 2023.
We wish you all the best with the applications! If you have any questions, please write us via epec.network@gmail.com
On the second episode of “Stairway to Space”, we talk with Noah Jäggi, chair of the EPEC at EPSC Working Group. We present the activities of our network at the imminent Europlanet Science Congress.
Welcome to the first episode of “Stairway to Space”, the EPEC Podcast. We introduce our network’s activities and we present our new communication effort. Do you want to participate in one of those great projects? Join us now!
The Europlanet Early Career (EPEC) network invites you to participate in the third edition of Mentoring@EPSC at the EPSC2021 virtual meeting. Mentoring@EPSC* is an activity organised by EPEC during the EPSC conference which pairs scientists in more advanced stages of their careers with early career scientists to offer the early careers a networking opportunity and a better EPSC experience.
Given the digital nature of the EPSC 2021 and that most of us are still struggling with the effects of the current pandemic, we believe that receiving guidance has become increasingly desired during these difficult times. Mentoring@EPSC aims to fulfill this need by enabling one-to-one meetings between master students, PhD candidates, postdocs and established researchers for informal conversation and exchange of experiences.
Sign up as a MENTEE: if this is your first EPSC conference and you are looking for guidance during the virtual EPSC 2021, if you are a student and are looking for an opportunity to get support in networking and career development, or if you are keen to meet an experienced researcher from a similar scientific field. We will put you in contact with a suitable Mentor to guide you during the conference.
Sign up as a MENTOR: if you are an experienced scientist who has been to numerous international conferences, feel confident navigating them and are willing to share your own experience and networking tips with an early career. You will be requested to meet virtually at least once with your Mentee during the conference.
If you are interested in a long-term mentoring program, please have a look at the Europlanet Mentorship Platform**. For more information on other resources to aid early careers, please check out the Europlanet Early Careers Training and Education Portal using the links below.
Looking forward to welcoming you to the Mentoring@EPSC,
EPEC-EPSC working group
*Mentoring@EPSC is complementary to both the Education Portal and the Europlanet Mentorship program. Mentoring@EPSC provides a short term mentoring opportunity to support early career professionals in navigating the annual EPSC conference and provides a stepping stone into the long term Europlanet Mentorship program.
**The Early Careers Training and Education Portal provides information on PhD positions, job opportunities, summer schools, and meetings relevant to early career professionals working in planetary science and related fields.
The Europlanet Mentorship program aims to help early career scientists to develop expertise, ask questions and discuss career plans with the support of more established members of the planetary community.
Europlanet 2024 RI has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871149.
Europlanet AISBL (Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif – 0800.634.634) is hosted by the Department of Planetary Atmospheres of the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Avenue Circulaire 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.
