Motivation

This Astrochemistry Training School is organized by the COST Action NanoSpace (CA21126) in collaboration with the Dutch Astrochemistry Network (DAN) . The COST Action NanoSpace (CA21126) brings together researchers and innovators from more than 47 countries and several industrial partners. NanoSpace  proposes a highly interdisciplinary approach in order to understand the physics and chemistry of carbon molecular nanostructures in space, taking advantage of the successful operation of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) , new ground-based facilities to simulate the interstellar medium (ISM), as well as recent developments in computational facilities and laboratory techniques. 
The main goal of the COST/DAN Astrochemistry Training School is to provide PhD students and young researchers, specialised knowledge and training in the field of astrochemistry (e.g., theoretical and experimental tools). The programme will include several sessions on astrophysical context, chemical processes in space, laboratory techniques, numerical models and theory, and the future of astrochemistry, as well as series of practical exercises and a participant poster session. 

The school will be in person with attendance limited to 50-60 trainees and with priority given to PhD students and Young Researchers, who are strongly encouraged to participate. There is no registration fee and the NanoSpace COST Action will provide financial support (i.e. reimbursement after the event; scholarship) for a significant number of participants (at least ~20-30), with high priority to those with a primary affiliation in an institution located in an Inclusiveness Target Country (ITC) / Near Neighbour Country (NNC) participating in the Action. The information requested in the registration form will be used to select the final list of registered participants as well as those eligible for financial support, which will be notified in advance of the Training School (i.e., by the end of May 2024). The attendees are expected to arrange their own travel and accommodation ( see Venue & Accomodation for more information ).

ITC (Inclusiveness Target Countries) – Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, and Ukraine*.

NNC (Near Neighbour Countries) – Algeria, Azerbaijan, [Belarus]*, Egypt, the Faroe Islands, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, [Russia]*, Syria, and Tunisia.

About the NanoSpace COST Action

The main aim and objective of the COST Action NanoSpace (“Carbon molecular nanostructures in space”; CA21126) is to advance the fundamental understanding of the physics and chemistry of cosmic carbon nanomaterials (nanocarbons; nC) and their relevance in non-terrestrial environments by promoting the interdisciplinary combination of state-of-the-art astronomical, laboratory, and theoretical studies, among others.
 
The main Action scientific challenges are the following:

In order to attack the scientific challenge, NanoSpace proposes an interdisciplinary approach, combining the expertise from a wide range of disciplines like observational astronomy, laboratory astrophysics, astrobiology, theoretical chemistry, synthetic chemistry, molecular reaction dynamics, material science, spectroscopy, graph theory, and data science (AI, big data). Researchers and innovators from all these fields are thus welcome to participate in the Action as Working Group members, applying here .  
Read more about NanoSpace
 

About the Dutch Astrochemistry Network (DAN)

The Dutch Astrochemistry Network (DAN) is an interdisciplinary network and a  cohesive research programme funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO)  since 2010. The DAN takes a cohesive approach to address fundamental astronomical questions by  bridging diverse areas of expertise, including astronomical  observations, astrochemical modelling, experiments in astrochemistry and  astrophysics, quantum chemical calculations, and laboratory  spectroscopy. The primary goal of DAN is to understand the origin and evolution of molecules in space and their role in the universe. The current research programme (DAN-III) aims to generate new experimental and theoretical data that will aid the interpretation of astronomical observations performed by JWST.
Read more about DAN
 

NOTE: The applicants eligible for financial support (i.e. reimbursement after the event) are requested to consult the COST Annotated Rules (Annex 2) for information about COST rules and procedures for Training Schools. The financial support does not necessarily cover all expenses related to participating in the Training School and they are contributions to the overall travel, accommodation and meal expenses of the trainee.
*:  Please consult the specific COST measures taken regarding the participation of researchers/innovators from these countries (Russia, Belarus and non-government controlled territories of Ukraine) in the Annex I of Level A Country and Organisations .