The Changing Earth Science Network

Looking at the future, in 2006, the European Space Agency published  "The Changing Earth"as the main driver of the new ESA’s EO science strategy. The document outlines 25 major scientific challenges covering all the different aspects of the Earth System, where EO technology and ESA missions may provide a key contribution.

Achieving the challenges will require a significant scientific effort involving the development of novel observations, new products, data assimilation and improved models. In this context, the Agency has developed the Changing Earth Science Network initiative as a dedicated mechanism to support the new generation of scientist in ESA’s Member States to advance towards the achievement of this major scientific goal.

The main objective of The Changing Earth Science Network initiative is to provide support to young researchers (in possession of a doctoral degree) in ESA Member States (including Canada and the Czech Republic), initiating a scientific career in the context of Earth Science, to undertake leading edge research contributing to advance towards the achievement of the new scientific challenges of the Living Planet Program maximising the use of ESA data and EO assets.

In this context, the initiative aims at:

• Contributing to the scientific advancement in Member States towards the achievement of the new 25 strategic challenges of the Living Planet Programme;

• Fostering the use of ESA EO data by the Earth science community maximising the scientific return (in terms of scientific results and publications) of ESA EO missions;

• Contributing to consolidate a critical mass of young scientists in Europe with a good scientific and operative knowledge of ESA EO missions, assets and programs;

• Preparing for the future by fostering the development of a dynamic research network in ESA Member States addressing key areas of relevance for ESA missions and the ESA science strategy;

• Enhancing interactions, exchanging know-how and allowing cross fertilisation between ESA and Earth science laboratories, research centres and universities.

The initiative is implemented through a number of dedicated research projects proposed and carried out by young Earth scientists, at post-doctoral level, hosted by universities, laboratories and technical centres in ESA Member States.

With this call for proposals, ESA will select and co-finance up to 10 projects proposed by scientists at post-doctoral level through their Host Institutions responding to the principles contained in the Call for Proposals documentation (see links below). The CESN brochure, available from the related links, provides a further overview of the initiative and the projects selected as a result of the first CESN call at the end of 2008.

Summary of Conditions:
For selected Project proposals, ESA will place a contract (see Appendix 2 of this call for proposals) with the Host Institution with a ceiling price of 40KEuro per year as a co-funding contribution to a standard post-doctoral position. ESA funding shall contribute to cover the cost associated to the salary of the candidate.

The Host Institution shall co-finance and provide a post-doctoral contract to the candidate to undertake the proposed research activity. The University shall contribute with, as a minimum, the 30% of the overall cost.

As part of the contract with the Host Institution, ESA will also support with an additional maximum amount up to 3K Euro the participation of the selected Candidate to international conferences in order to present the research work.

Selected candidates will be granted free access to the required ESA data. Product quotas will be set up by mission managers for those products having generation constraints (e.g. SAR products), following the same approach as for regular Category-1 projects.

Optional Visiting Scientist Period:
The initiative incorporates as an option the possibility to carry out a research period (of duration from 6 to 12 months) in ESA establishments as visiting scientists. During this period, selected candidates will work in close collaboration with ESA staff (in quality of mentor) to complete part of the proposed work.

Candidates shall point out in their proposals the preference (or not) for this option as well as the possible dates for the visiting period. A short description of the proposed work to be carried out during these stages shall also be included in the proposal.

Proposal Submission and Selection Process:
Proposals shall be submitted before the 29th March 2010 via e-mail to EOScience@esa.int, including:

• The research proposal (Annex B of the present call);

• A letter of support from the Host Institution supporting the candidate, the project proposal and accepting the conditions of the draft partnership agreement (Appendix 2 of the present call);

• Two additional letters of support from key scientists in the relevant field, supporting the candidate and the scientific proposal;

• A CV of the candidate including a list of publications;

• The financial information in the PSS form provided (Annex C)

The call documentation (call for proposals package) can be downloaded in a zip file from the link at the bottom of this page or from the STSE Documents web page. The zip file contains the following:

1. A Cover Letter

2. The text of the call for proposals ( Appendix 1) including:

2.1 Annex A: The Challenges of the Living Planet

2.2 Annex B: Proposal Template

2.3 Annex C: PSS Form

3. Appendix 2: Draft partnership agreement

Proposals will be selected on the basis of a peer review process by a Scientific Committee. The selection process will be carried out on the basis of the following criteria:

1. Scientific background and experience of the candidate as well as the host institution, including the adequacy of the proposed laboratory facilities, data sets availability and required EO data.

2. Relevance of the proposed work responding to the specific challenges of the Living Planet Program maximising the use of ESA EO assets;

3. Excellence of scientific proposal demonstrating a contribution to science beyond the state of the art and providing a significant advancement towards the achievement of the scientific challenges of the Living Planet program;

4. Adequacy of the proposed methodology, work plan, scientific approach, proposed EO data procurement and available data sets;

5. Impacts of concrete project outputs in terms of scientific results, data sets, products, models and target publications and potential further developments;

After the selection process ESA will send an e-mail only to the selected candidates informing them about the positive result of their application.

Tentative Scheduling

Description	Date
Open call	29th January 2010
Submission of Proposals	29th March 2010
Communication of results and Initiation of Activities	2nd Quarter 2010