There are a number of opportunities for students and postdocs to work on a joint research project at ESO Garching. ESO offers regular studentships and independent research fellowships. If you are a Bachelor, Masters or PhD student interested in spending a research period at ESO, review the information on this page and feel free to get in touch by email or fill in this form to share your interest. Advanced inquiries (up to one year in advance) are most welcome. At this time, I do not supervise students on research projects on a fully remote basis.

Opportunities for Master Students


If you are currently studying for a Master degree in Astronomy, Physics or related fields at one of the Universities in the Munich area (TUM and LMU) you can carry out your Master thesis project at ESO Garching. Master thesis projects are usually 6 months long and can be carried out in the context of one of the research projects led by the team.

If you are a Bachelor or Master student from another University, you can still apply for a Master thesis project at ESO Garching, but you will need to secure funding for your stay in Germany. If you are studying in an ESO member state, the ESO internship program may cover your expenses. The internship program has deadlines in October (for a start in January) and in March (for a start in July).

If you are interested in these opportunities feel free to reach out by email or fill in this form .

ESO also runs a summer internship program for students from ESO member states, which has a deadline in January (and runs generally in June-July). Projects are offered by the ESO research fellows and the opportunites are advertised on the ESO website.

Opportunities for PhD students


The ESO studentship is the flagship program for PhD students. It allows students to spend between one and two years at ESO Garching. Applicants are required to have alread secured a PhD position at their home University. The application deadlines are in October and in March every year.

If you are a PhD student and want to collaborate on a shorter research project, you may apply for the early career visitor program . The program allows students to spend between one to four months at ESO Garching. There are regular deadlines throughout the year, and the application process is less formal than for the ESO studentship program.

If you are interested in applying for these schmes or are considering spending some time at ESO supported by a third-party funding source please contact me directly well in advance of the deadline or in any case at least four months in advance of the intended starting date to discuss the project and the application process or fill in this form .

Opportunities for Postdocs


There are currently no specific postdoc openings in the team. However a number of independent research fellowships are available at ESO Garching.

The ESO fellowship program is a 3-year independent research position with a time-honoured track record of excellence. Fellows are expected to contribute to and shape the scientific life of the institute and spend part of their time (25%) on projects related to the ESO mission. Inquiries about the fellowship are welcome from perspective applicants whose research interst aligns with the team or whose ambition is to contribute through the functional work to the Instrumentation Program.

ESO Garching can act as host for the Marie Curie and the Alexander von Humboldt fellowships. These are prestigious fellowships that allow postdocs to spend up to 2 years at ESO Garching.

  • For the Marie Curie fellowship, the applicant must have defended their PhD by the date of submission of the application, which is generally in early September, and have a maximum of eight years of post-PhD experience. Moreover, EU mobility rules apply, which means that the applicant must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Germany for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the application deadline. ESO has an internal deadline for the Marie Curie fellowship, which is up to two months in advance of the EU deadline. Please contact me at least three months in advance if you are interested in applying for this fellowship.
  • For the Alexander von Humboldt fellowship, the applicant must have been awarded their PhD within the last 4 years, and must not have resided in Germany for more than 90 days in the last 18 months. The scheme currently advertises three deadlines per year, but please ensure to reach out at least 3 months in advance of the deadline to discuss the project and the application process.