Where do fellows stand within the organisation

The Fellowship Programme is one of the main Programmes of the Directorate for Science, recruiting more than 12 new Fellows every year. It is managed by the Offices for Science in Garching and Santiago, with the Office Heads and/or their Deputies as the direct line managers of all ESO Fellows. Most activities (seminars, workshops, discussions) within this Programme are conducted together with other scientists within the Directorate for Science, including the ESO Students, Interns and Visitors, and more broadly all astronomers within ESO and the neighbouring universities and institutes. There are therefore natural and close links between the Fellowship Programme and the Visitor, Workshop, Internship, and Studentship Programmes, as well as the Garching and Santiago research environment.

The Fellowships are first and foremost independent research fellowships and Fellows have ample opportunities to develop new collaborations and projects, and present the result of their work to their peers. ESO Fellows also spend a significant fraction of their working hours contributing to an ESO project or activitiy. As emphasised above, this is a unique opportunity for them to apply their expertise on state-of-the-art developments at an observatory. It is also a way for them to connect to other sub-groups at ESO, including engineers, technicians, outreach specialists or project
managers.

How we support you

ESO supports the research, skills and career development of Fellows in many different ways:

• An Induction Programme is provided to all new Fellows to help their smooth integration into the organisation.
• The Offices for Science foster friendly and scientifically stimulating environments in both Garching and Santiago where innovation and creativity are valued ingredients of everyday work. Fellows are encouraged to take ownership of their fellowship as an aid in their career development, to openly express their ideas and to participate fully in their implementation. Both Heads of the Offices for Science maintain ‘open door’ policies and take a genuine interest in the well-being of Fellows. Fellows can also channel their concerns and opinions more formally through the Fellows contacts who serves as a liaison between the Fellows and management.
• Fellows receive mentoring from ESO Astronomers concerning their research, development of their technical skills, and their career development.
• ESO has a Development Programme for Fellows to help them prepare for the next steps in their careers. The programme includes trainings such as: communication and presentation skills, project management, basic people management skills, writing skills etc. Specific training and advice are also offered on crafting effective job applications and interview skills.
• ESO also offers opportunities to Fellows to participate in or lead teams in different projects and serve as mentors or (co-)supervisors for Students. This gives ESO Fellows an advantage in an increasingly competitive job market.
• Fellows are encouraged to trigger, lead or contribute to the organisation of ESO workshops and conferences, which are funded by specific budget lines and supported locally. Additionally, Fellows have opportunities to work in, or lead the creation of, science groups, organise lunch talks and Astronomy colloquium, science coffees, etc. and have access to the Science Support Discretionary Funds.
• Observing and science trips are well supported, allowing Fellows to obtain new data to advance their research, disseminate their results, network with other astronomers around the world, and serve as ambassadors for the organisation - winning arrangement for both the Fellows and for ESO.
• The Offices for Science strongly encourage ESO Fellows to visit the other ESO sites (Garching for the Chile-based Fellows, Vitacura for the German-based Fellows). This should be done, when possible, within the first year of the fellowship to make sure the benefit comes at an early stage in this process.
  

What we expect

Fellows at ESO are expected to fully engage in, and contribute to, ESO’s scientific and social environment while developing their own profiles as researchers. They should be key actors in shaping ESO’s culture and the organisation’s development and participate actively in the projects that further ESO’s mission.

Fellows are expected to foster collaborations with ESO faculty and students and to actively contribute to the science-driven nature of the organisation.

ESO Fellows are ambassadors for the organisation when attending conferences, workshops, meetings and other professional or public events. They are encouraged to behave ethically, to promote ESO externally and to provide feedback internally to help improve ESO’s programmes.

Last but not least, our Fellows serve as a role model for younger scientists (especially Students) and support their development.