Introduction

To offset the costs of attending the 5th Symposium on Space Educational Activities (SSEA), which will be held in Munich on April 2026 (8th – 10th), the organization offers scholarships supported by the symposium’s sponsors and partner space agencies.

SSEA scholarships are awarded in partnership with the SSEA sponsors, and are aimed at conference attendees (undergraduate, graduate, or early professionals) facing high travel expenses.

The ESA Education Office will sponsor scholarships, intended for undergraduate and graduate students who hold the nationality of an ESA Member State and are currently residing in an ESA Member State. These scholarships are designed to support eligible students in participating in the Symposium and furthering their engagement in space-related educational activities.

These Scholarships will cover travel expenses, accommodation, and a ticket for the symposium for one person each.

Finally, in partnership with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), a travel grant for Canadian citizens will be awarded by the CSA. Eligible applicants must be enrolled in a degree program. 

Applicants who are receiving, or expect to receive, financial or logistical support from other sources will not be disadvantaged in the evaluation process, and such support will not negatively influence their scholarship application assessment. Nonetheless, it is mandatory for applicants to disclose any support or pending application for external funding as part of their application submission. Failure to disclose accurate and complete information will result in disqualification from the scholarship programme.

Specific details, terms, and conditions of each scholarship programme are further elaborated in the subsections below.

The Symposium is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive community. We strongly encourage applications from individuals belonging to underrepresented or marginalized communities, including those who have experienced social or economic barriers or who may benefit from additional support. Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion is a core value of the conference (see Code of Conduct), and all considerations related to equity and representation will be thoughtfully considered during the selection process.

About the SSEA Scholarships

About the European Space Agency (ESA) Scholarships

To be eligible for an ESA Academy Student Sponsorship, students must fulfil the following criteria at the time of application:

• individually present an accepted contribution at the conference (oral presentation, poster, other).
• be minimum 18 years old at the time of the conference;
• be a citizen of an ESA Member State, Associate Member, or Canada;
• be enrolled as a student (Bsc, Msc, or Ph.D.) in a tertiary education academic programme (not graduating before the Conference);
• not benefit from an overlapping financial support to attend this conference, unless duly justified;
• agree with the conditions of the ESA Academy’s Privacy Policy

Priority will be given to students who have less than 2 years of professional experience and have never taken part in an activity sponsored by the ESA Education Office.

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.

More details about the application to the ESA scholarships are found below.

About the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Travel Grant

To be eligible for a grant under this AO, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

1. be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
2. be enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary institution at the college, undergraduate, master’s or doctoral levels at the time of the event.
3. have not received a European Space Agency (ESA) or Technical University of Munich (TUM) scholarship to attend SSEA.

Although not an eligibility requirement, priority may be given to students who have been selected by the SSEA organizing committee to give a presentation (oral or poster) during the event. Priority may also 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.

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 February 3^rd, 2026 at 1:00 PM (EST).

Application to the SSEA and/or ESA Scholarships

For the application process, online forms will be available here from the 22^nd of December 2025 and must be filled and submitted by the 22^nd of January 2026 (00:00 UTC+1). You can find the application form here.

No additional or separate submissions are necessary. Based on the information provided, applications will be allocated to the ESA or SSEA scholarship programmes based on eligibility.

The SSEA Organising Committee will be responsible for managing the distribution and review of submitted applications in accordance with the eligibility criteria of each scholarship provider.

The Applicant will be asked to provide the following information/answer the following questions in forms, with max. ~500 words per question:

• Personal information (Name, current occupation, country of residence).
• Title of accepted symposium contribution
• Information on other support they might already receive/applied for
• Curriculum Vitae (Form):
  • Academic Institution, aspired degree/employer/equivalent
  • Degrees
  • Extracurriculars
  • Past Publications (if any) 
• Letter of Motivation (Form):
  • What is your Academic field of Interest, Study or Research and how does it relate to Space Education? Describe your Extracurricular Activities and how they are relevant to Space Education. Briefly describe a suggestion for a project in Space Education that you would want to see implemented (or develop yourself given the opportunity). Consider how it compares to current approaches. 
  • (Voluntary Question) Have you had hardships in the past which hindered your Education, Employment or stopped you from realizing projects like suggested above? Due to family background, Socioeconomic status, Geopolitical events or other factors outside your control?
• Letter of Recommendation (Form):
  • Provide the E-mail address of one Person to fill out the Letter of Recommendation form. Eligible people are for example: educators, employers, supervisors, teammates, etc.
  • An email with a link will be sent to the selected person, who will need to fill in a recommendation form online.
  • If the chosen person cannot fill in the Letter of Recommendation form and a new person needs to be assigned, contact us immediately.

Scholarship eligibility and awarding will be determined by:

• Requirements by the Scholarship Provider: Eligibility for scholarships offered by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Symposium on Space Educational Activities (SSEA) is contingent upon the applicant having an abstract formally accepted for presentation at the Symposium. Only applicants with accepted abstracts will be considered for these scholarship programs.
• Professional Development Opportunities for the Applicant: Participation offers valuable exposure to current developments in the field, opportunities for networking and collaboration, and the potential to enhance the applicant’s career trajectory and professional growth. Preference will be given to applicants who have not attended professional conferences to broaden access to developmental opportunities and support emerging professionals in gaining initial exposure to the field.
• Existing academic record and experience in the field: Applicants should demonstrate a clear interest in the conference topics through prior academic work, relevant coursework, research projects, or engagement in related activities such as clubs, organizations, or professional initiatives.