APPLICATIONS FOR EARTH OBSERVATION ADVISORY GROUPS

Welcome to the Earth Observation Advisory Group Application homepage, where new calls for group membership are announced. When a call is open the website allows scientists or technical experts from the relevant communities to register and apply for membership of ESA’s Research, Earth Watch or Copernicus Mission Advisory Groups; or Inter-Agency, cooperative Mission Advisory Groups or Task Forces.

Applicants to calls for Advisory Groups must comply with restrictions requiring both nationality and residence in one of the Member States identified in the call. Unless otherwise specified (i.e. with exceptions for Inter-Agency calls), applicants must be of the nationality of one of the ESA Member-States* or Canada, Slovenia, Lithuania and Slovakia, and reside in one of these states. Please refer to the specific call pages for further details.

Research Mission Advisory Groups

As part of ESA’s FutureEO Programme, Earth Explorer (EE) missions and Missions of Opportunity (MoO) are designed to address key scientific challenges identified by the science community. These missions may also demonstrate breakthrough technology or innovative new observing techniques. In general, the role of the Mission Advisory Group is to provide advice during development and implementation on the detailed scientific objectives of a mission, data product definitions, instrument design and calibration, data validation and data exploitation. As the research mission progresses through each phase of implementation, the emphasis of the role of the Advisory Group, and its membership terms, are adjusted accordingly.

Earth Watch Mission Advisory Groups

As part of ESA’s Earth Watch Programme, Earth Watch (EW) missions are proposed by participating Member States for implementation. The overall objective of the Earth Watch missions is to secure for Europe an independent sustainable capability in operational Earth Observation. This capability must satisfy operational user needs and address objectives of broad strategic interest, by delivering Earth Observation data for use in EO-based operational services in Europe. The role of the Mission Advisory Group is to provide scientific and technical advice and guidance throughout the design consolidation and development, and on study activities that support increasing the maturity and Science Readiness Level (SRL) of the mission. The membership needs of the group is expected to evolve together with the lifecycle of the mission. Membership applications are open to all, though emphasis will be given to applications from experts from institutions in contributing states.

Copernicus Mission Advisory Groups

As part of Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring Programme, ESA is responsible for coordinating the space component and for the development of specific space infrastructure to meet user needs, according to the terms of the EU-ESA Copernicus Agreement. In general, the role of the Mission Advisory Group is to provide expert scientific and technical advice solicited by the implementing teams throughout design and development of the mission, such that the mission meets the mission requirements and delivers products that fulfil the user needs. In this capacity, members are requested to advise on: compatibility between detailed objectives of a mission defined by European Commission User Needs and the system specifications, priorities amongst observational requirements, retrieval algorithms and retrieval performance, product specifications, calibration and validation, and operational requirements. As the Copernicus mission progresses through each phase of implementation, the emphasis of the role of the Advisory Group, and its membership terms, are adjusted accordingly..

Cooperative Mission Advisory Groups and Task Forces

As part of the FutureEO and Copernicus environmental monitoring Programmes, ESA may, in cooperation with other Space Agency partners or the EU, host Inter-Agency calls for Advisory Group, Task Force or Working Group membership. Please note that the link to Inter-Agency Membership calls will only be activated during these calls.

If you wish to apply to an open call: first register your details and click on the currently active mission call tab to select the open call, or use the links from the left-hand menu (for which access to the pages is granted after registration and login). Keep note of your registered username as you will need it to log in. From there, you can download the Group’s full description, and upload your call-specific supporting application document: a single file with a short (2 page limit) CV and a one-page explanation of your research background, expected contributions to the Group’s description, and statement of availability during the initial 12-24 month period of the Group’s activities. Note that your application is not completed until you upload this file. By uploading this file you agree to accept the Group’s description.

All calls will run from noon on the opening day to noon on the closing day (CET/CEST, i.e. Amsterdam local time).

MISSION CALLS

Mission Call Opens Closes Status
Harmony Earth Explorer 10 Mission 19-01-2024 16-02-2024 Closed
Earth Explorer 11 Candidate Missions CAIRT & WIVERN 19-01-2024 01-03-2024 Closed
Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR)** 26-09-2023 05-11-2023 Closed
Next Generation Gravity Mission (NGGM) Mission of Opportunity** 16-06-2023 16-07-2023 Closed

* ESA’s 22 Member States are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

** Membership applications are open to all ESA Member States, Canada, Lithuania, Slovenia or Slovakia.

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