ASTRON and JIVE announce 2025 Summer Research Programme with up to six grants available. Applications must be submitted through the registration form available on this website.
The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) and the Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC (JIVE) offer up to six grants for students to participate in their 2025 Summer Research Programme.
This programme provides a unique opportunity for graduate and advanced undergraduate students with backgrounds in astronomy, physics, computer science, or related fields to spend 10-12 weeks at these renowned research institutes. Participants will engage in cutting-edge astronomical research under the guidance of expert staff from ASTRON and JIVE. This year, five positions are available for astronomy projects, with one additional position focused on an engineering or electronics project.
Possible research topics
The 2025 Summer Research Programme offers a wide array of potential research topics, spanning areas such as: radio galaxies and quasars, observational cosmology, continuum and line emission/absorption in normal and starburst galaxies, stellar maser astrometry, faint radio sources, pulsar timing and searching, synchrotron transients, fast radio bursts, molecular clouds, cosmic magnetism, space science, algorithm development.
These projects are drawn from active, ongoing research projects. Final research plans will be tailored in collaboration with the selected candidates.
ASTRON operates the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR), a state-of-the-art, low-frequency aperture array telescope leveraging innovative technology and software to explore the Universe at frequencies between 10–240 MHz.
JIVE is a research infrastructure providing central support to the European VLBI Network. JIVE aims to promote and implement the use of Very Long Baseline Interferometry and other radio astronomical techniques and leads the development of real-time e-VLBI capabilities across Europe.
Successful candidates will receive:
- Accommodation near the Observatory in Dwingeloo.
- A modest stipend of €190 per week for up to three months.
- Full travel reimbursement.
- Liability and medical insurance for the duration of their stay.
The programme is expected to begin in the first week of June 2025 to foster collaboration among participants and allow them to fully benefit from scheduled lectures and social activities.
Life at the Observatory
The Observatory and guest house are located in a serene setting on the edge of a national park. Local amenities, including public transport, supermarkets, and cafes, are within cycling distance. Bicycles will be provided to participants for the entire duration of the programme.
Further Information
Details of previous summer research programmes can be found here. In the event of changes or cancellation of the 2025 programme, selected participants will be notified well in advance.
Application process
The application deadline for the 2025 Summer Research Programme is 31 January 2025, 23:59:59 CET (Central European Time).
Applications must be submitted through the registration form available on this website.
Important Notes:
- Two letters of reference are required. Ensure that you provide the names and contact information of your referees in the application form before submitting your application.
- After completing your application, confirm with your referees that they have received an email from the application committee. This email may occasionally be filtered into spam folders, so it’s worth verifying.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about the programme, please feel free to reach out to us at: summerprogramme@astron.nl