SRON offers a very rich environment for inquisitive people. Because it takes many disciplines to do groundbreaking research and to develop the instrumentation or software needed to do so. We like to transfer knowledge and expertise to PhD students, students and other talented people inside and outside SRON. We do this actively, gladly and with passion.
Several colleagues within SRON teach at educational institutions about their special area of expertise. They are professors, assistant professors or lecturers at universities, or lecturers or practitioners at universities of applied sciences. They teach at TU Delft, Groningen University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, Radboud University Nijmegen, Leiden University and Leidse Instrumentmakersschool, among others. They teach their specialisms such as in astrophysics, astronomy, physics, earth observation, technology or optics.
SRON offers in-house positions for PhD students, graduates and trainees in astrophysics, Earth observation, technology and various instrumentation areas of expertise, as well as in our support teams such as human resources. PhD students apply for vacancies at werkenbijsron.nl, trainees and graduates apply using the application form at werkenbijsron.nl.
Several colleagues are involved in specialist shorter courses, exchanges or intensive summer courses. Examples include the Alpbach Summerschool where system engineering talents learn to design a space instrument in one week, exchanges for astrophysicists to master our analysis software for X-ray data, or an optomechanics course for the Dutch Society of Precision Engingeering (DSPE).
SRON opens the doors of both sites to the public during the SRON Open Days in October. Colleagues then passionately demonstrate and explain what they discover and what they make to a wider audience.
The mobile SRON Planetarium is always deployed on these days too. Through the year, this planetarium travels to schools in districts where we hope to minimize opportunity gaps, for a future in space research. The Weekend School, with the same aim, comes to SRON in Groningen every year for inspiring lessons.
With the yearly Girls Day, we show girls that they can and should become space researchers if they want to, should they doubt it. Furthermore, many colleagues talk about their space research work and space, with lectures, at observatories, or with their children at school, throughout the year.
