The International Astrobiology School ‘Josep Comas i Solà‘ is co-directed by the United States NASA Astrobiology Program and the Spanish Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, at the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP), sponsored by the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA), European Space Agency (ESA) Academy, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Held annually at the Palacio de la Magdalena in Santander, Spain, it is a well-established school for the astrobiology community. A week-long program for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows provides lectures from international experts, round-table discussions, student projects and presentations, a whole-day field excursion to a nearby site of astrobiological interest, and cultural activities provided by the hosting university. This program forges new relationships and helps build international collaboration in astrobiology.
Dates: 29 June-3 July 2026
Venue: Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP), Palacio de la Magdalena, Santander, Spain
Download the last version of the program here
Summary:
Some of the essential questions in astrobiology include: What is life? How and why did life arise? Is life a necessary consequence of the physical and chemical evolution of planets? Does life exist or has it existed in places beyond Earth? The 22nd edition of the Josep Comas i Solà International Astrobiology Summer School will address different aspects of the search for life beyond Earth in our Solar System, the methods and instruments used in current and future missions, as well as the many scientific and external challenges facing the scientific and technological community. The school is also a forum for meeting and promoting the ever-necessary transatlantic dialogue.
For one week four outstanding experts in the field –two American and two European– will lecture and guide discussion with 40 graduate students on key aspects on space missions to Mars and the icy moons of the Solar System, the challenges and future of their exploration, how extraterrestrial material from meteorites, asteroids, sample return, curation, etc. can help in searching for life, and many more.
The Josep Comas i Solà Astrobiology School is a unique forum to foster and consolidate transatlantic relationships through science and culture. We hope you will join us!
Key people:
- Directors:
Víctor Parro (Centro de Astrobiología CSIC-INTA, Spain)
Britney E. Schmidt (Cornell University, USA) - Secretary:
José A. Caballero (Centro de Astrobiología CSIC-INTA, Spain) - Lecturers:
Vinciane Debaille (Laboratoire G-Time, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium)
Melissa G. Trainer (Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, Greenbelt MD, USA)
Jorge Vago (Science and Robotic Exploration Directorate, European Space Research and Technology Centre, ESA, The Netherlands)
Amy J. Williams (Astraeus Space Institute & Department of Geolocical Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville FL, USA) - Excursion guide:
Koenraad Van den Driessche (Paseando en el tiempo, Beasaín, Spain)
For students:
The deadlines for NASA, ESA and CSA sponsor grants already passed, but you can still apply for an UIMP grant (see below). If you do not meet the requirements to apply for the UIMP scholarship (e.g. non-EU citizen studying outside Spain) but are still interested in registering and paying the tuition fee (157.50 EUR), apart from your own trip, accommodation and living expenses, please click on Matrícula online in the UIMP school web (667H). If you need help, contact Carmen Suárez (csuarez@uimp.es) so she can send you the necessary information and instructions. There are only about 5 free seats reamining: first come, first served!
Eligibility of sponsor grants:
- NASA (you can no longer request a NASA sponsor grant). Only students affiliated with US institutions may submit via this form. The NASA Astrobiology Program will provide funding for selected students for registration and room and board as well as airfare up to $2K per student. Other expenses are the responsibility of the student/advisor.
– NASA’s website on the International Summer School in Astrobiology
– Application form
– Letter or recommendation
– Deadline: 10 April 2026, 09:00 PM PDT
Further information and contact: Melissa Kirven-Brooks (melissa.kirven-brooks@nasa.gov)
- ESA (you can no longer request an ESA sponsor grant). ESA Academy Office is pleased to sponsor up to 5 tertiary education students to attend the XXII International School of Astrobiology in the frame of the ESA Academy Short Course Scholarship programme. The scholarship will cover:
– the registration fees (including academic fee, accommodation and full board – directly paid by ESA Education Office);
– up to 350 EUR for travel.
Reimbursements will be made via a single bank transfer after the course, upon submission of receipts.
To be eligible for an ESA Academy Short Course Scholarship, students must fulfil the following criteria at the time of application:
– be minimum 18 years old at the time of the short course;
– be a citizen of an ESA Member State, Associate Member, or Canada;
– be enrolled as a student (Bachelor, Master, Doctorate) in a tertiary education academic programme (not graduating before the short course);
– not be able to attend the course through their academic programme;
– not benefit from an overlapping financial support to attend this short course, unless duly justified;
– attend the entire short course;
– agree with the conditions of the ESA Academy’s Privacy Policy.
Priority will be given to students who have less than two years of professional experience and that have never taken part in an activity sponsored by the ESA Education Office. For applications, contact José A. Caballero (caballero@cab.inta-csic.es), who will guide you through the process. The deadline for applications is 17 April 2026. The decision by the Selection Committee will be communicated in early May.
ESA is committed to achieving diversity and creating an inclusive environment. To this end, applications from all eligible candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability, social origin, or other characteristics are welcome.
- UIMP. Students from European Union (EU) countries and non-EU nationals with legal residence in Spain are eligible for the scholarships through the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo sponsored program. See the information and instructions for applications (in Spanish only). To apply for the UIMP’s general call for scholarship applications, applicants must meet the following three requirements:
(i) Nationality: Applicants must be nationals of any European Union member state, including Spain, or non-EU nationals with legal residence in Spain.
(ii) Academic qualifications: Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: Be formally enrolled in an official Bachelor’s degree program (or equivalent) for the 2025-26 academic year at a university in a EU member state and have completed at least 60 ECTS credits by the time of publication of this call for applications, or have completed an official Bachelor’s degree program (or equivalent) after 31 December 2019 at a university in a EU member state.
(iii) Grade point average (GPA): Applicants must have a GPA of 6.0 or higher on a 10-point scale in their Bachelor’s degree academic transcript. Those students who meet these requirements can apply for the UIMP’s scholarship and ACCESS THE PLATFORM, supplying them with the required information and documents:
(1) Indicate your identity card, click on “Acceder”, and fill out the application form.
(2) Along with the scholarship application form, the applicant must provide a Personal academic certification, with expression of the average grade in base 10 obtained in the official Bachelor’s studies (or equivalent) that have been completed.
(3) If the applicant has not yet completed their undergraduate (or equivalent) studies, they must also submit: a proof of enrollment for the 2025-26 academic year, and an official academic transcript showing the GPA on a 10-point scale for all courses taken up to the date of the application.
Those applicants who do not belong to the Spanish university system and have got the Bachelor’s degree at a university based in a country member of the EU need to present a “declaration of average grade equivalence”, which can be obtained at the electronic office from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, through the link.
The deadline for UIMP scholarships is 4 May 2026. If you have any doubt, please contact Carmen Suárez (csuarez@uimp.es).
- CSA (you can no longer request a CSA sponsor grant). . The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is pleased to offer grants to Canadian postsecondary students to attend the 22nd International Summer School of Astrobiology under their Announcement of Opportunity (AO) to support Canadian Student Participation in Space Conferences and Training Events. Successful applicants will be awarded a grant to cover their accommodations and meal allowances, registration fees, and travel expenses.
To be eligible for a grant under this AO, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
– be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
– be enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary institution at the master’s or doctoral levels at the time of the event;
– be selected to participate in the event.
Priority may be given to applicants from underrepresented populations. The CSA therefore encourages applicants to indicate, on a voluntary basis, if they belong to one or more of the four following groups: women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities.
Please note that students who have received an ESA Academy scholarship to attend this event are not eligible for a CSA grant.
Instructions on how to submit an application can be found in Section 4 of the AO. Please read these instructions carefully and submit your application to the CSA no later than 21 April 2026, 01:00 PM EDT. Further information and contact: Natasha Isloor (natasha.isloor@asc-csa.gc.ca).
To apply to attend the summer school, please contact José A. Caballero (caballero@cab.inta-csic.es), who will guide you through the process. The deadline for applications is 17 April 2026. The decision by the Selection Committee will be communicated in early May.
