ESA Graduate Trainee in Computational Neuroscience

Our team and mission

This traineeship will take place within ESA's Advanced Concepts Team (ACT), part of the Technology Department (Technology, Engineering and Quality Directorate).

ESA’s Advanced Concepts Team (ACT) monitors, performs, and promotes cutting-edge multidisciplinary research for space. It explores innovative approaches to space-related R&D, including competitions, prizes, and games, as well as research aimed at fostering disruptive innovation. The team develops an expert network within academia and provides rapid first-look analyses of challenges, opportunities, and problems.

The ACT collaborates with universities and research centers, focusing on advanced topics of strategic relevance to the space sector while experimenting with novel teamwork methods. To achieve its objectives, the ACT fosters a dynamic, multidisciplinary research environment where early-career researchers—spanning postdoctoral and postgraduate levels in science and engineering—contribute to the development of emerging technologies and innovative concepts.

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

Your primary work will focus on computational neuroscience and bio-inspired machine learning. The ACT has an established research line in biomimetics for space applications, including work in neuromorphic computing, retinomorphic vision, spiking neural networks for onboard processing, and vision-based scene modeling, on top of the ELOPE challenge and Ariadna collaborations, including biologically inspired continuous onboard learning and low energy spiking neural networks for scene classification.

These efforts highlight the interplay between biological and artificial systems. Neural networks, originally inspired by biology, are the basis of modern AI, while computational tools increasingly deepen our understanding of real neural circuits at both cellular and network levels. Despite progress, current neural networks still only loosely resemble their biological counterparts: they use firing-rate approximations rather than spiking dynamics, rely on feedforward architectures instead of recurrent circuits, and exclude key non-neuronal elements such as astrocytes.

While you are encouraged to propose your own projects, the following topics have been identified as potential areas of research:

• fundamental spiking neural network research: conduct fundamental research on spiking neural network computation, focusing on efficient encoding and training in the spiking domain.
• bio-inspired neuromorphic computing: develop bio-inspired neuromorphic computing solutions, such as neural plasticity and novel neuron models, and retina-inspired neuromorphic sensors.
• biomimetic architectures and models: following ACT recent work on connectomics, investigate examples of biological neural networks and their properties. Extract what characteristics of biological brain can be reproduced in artificial environments and how such characteristics can be used for soft computational challenges such as online learning and resilience to damage.
• beyond neurons: brain and connectomes are so much more than just neurons. Investigate the field of computational glioscience for alternative ways of implement and train neural networks.

As a member of the Advanced Concepts Team (ACT), you will contribute to the development and evaluation of innovative space technologies and concepts. You will collaborate with experts across various disciplines, including biomimetics, artificial intelligence, computer science, fundamental physics, and mission analysis. Depending on your background and interests, you will engage in diverse initiatives, such as studies conducted under ESA’s Ariadna scheme, and assist in communicating research findings both within ESA and to external audiences.

Finally, you will monitor—and if feasible, contribute to—ESA's Discovery and Preparation campaigns by refining early study definitions and possibly participating in select activities.

Technical competencies

• Knowledge of relevant technical/functional domains
• Relevant experience gained during internships, project work and/or extracurricular or other activities
• General knowledge of the space sector and relevant activities
• Knowledge of ESA and its programmes/projects

Behavioural competencies

• Result Orientation
• Operational Efficiency
• Fostering Cooperation
• Relationship Management
• Continuous Improvement
• Forward Thinking

Education

You should have recently completed or be in the final year of your master’s degree in Computational Neuroscience, Computer Science, Biophysics, Biomedical Engineering or related subject.

Additional requirements

You should have good interpersonal and communication skills and should be able to work in a multicultural environment, both independently and as part of a team. Previous experience of working in international teams can be considered an asset.

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

Important Information and Disclaimer

Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations & eligible to acquire the security clearance by their national security administrations.

Nationality and Languages

Please note that applications can only be considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia as Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).