LEAPS is an opportunity for students with an interest in astronomy and astrophysics to perform a 10 week summer research project in collaboration with a research scientist from Leiden Observatory or ESA/ESTEC. The program is open to all students not currently engaged in a Ph.D. program (please see the full eligibility criteria) We would like to use LEAPS as an opportunity to increase the diversity of researchers in Astronomy as we understand that successful science is supported by this. Students are selected for the program based on their academic achievements and research potential. Each applicant has the opportunity to choose up to two projects of interest, and they are selected by project advisors based on what they indicate their scientific interests and experience to be. Research at Leiden Observatory and ESA/ESTEC takes place on a diverse array of topics (see below for LEAPS 2026 projects), and student projects will likely consist of anything from the analysis of data from world-class telescopes, to large computer simulations, to hands-on work in the astrochemistry laboratories.

Fully-funded PhD opportunities to join the Solar and Space Physics Research Group at Northumbria University

Researchers feel that pressures to publish are increasing, but the time and resources available to do research are decreasing, according to a survey by Elsevier.