News

We are looking for a postdoctoral research associate (PDRA) in astronomy/physics to develop crowdsourcing experiments (citizen science) and machine learning.

The role is based in the School of Physical Sciences at the Open University (OU). The research fellowship is to facilitate the design of new crowdsourcing experiments for major international astronomy, astroparticle physics and physics facilities, and act as project manager for these experiments.

The School of Physical Sciences, Dr Mahesh Anand, led another successful Moon Night on Friday 7^th December, very ably assisted by thirty volunteers from the School of Physical Sciences and STEM. Thank you to you all. The evening was enjoyed by a sell-out audience, including many school-age children. Particular highlights were an inspirational talk from Dr Ioannis Baziotis and two performances of ‘The Earth’s Reflection’ by Yazz Ahmed. Moon Night will return next year.

Manish Patel (STEM) and Leslie Budd (FBL) have been awarded a grant of €350,000 by the European Space Agency (ESA) - in the face of fierce competition from a number of international management consultants - for the project 'Benefits of the European Space Agency Exploration Roadmap in Socioeconomics' (BEERS). 

The project investigates and evaluates the socio-economic benefits of ESA space missions with respect to economic competitiveness and growth; new means to address global challenges/sustainable development goals and inspiration. 

SPS astronomers Professor Carole Haswell, Postdoctoral Researcher Dr John Barnes and former SPS PhD student Dr Daniel Staab are among an international team which has discovered a new planet orbiting the closest single star to the Earth:

https://ounews.co/science-mct/space/ou-scientists-among-international-team-to-uncover-new-planet/

Former OU staff member and honorary graduate Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell will give away her $3m Breakthrough prize to support under represented groups in physics.

Professor David Rothery spoke at TEDxLondon in July about the upcoming BepiColombo mission, Europe’s first to Mercury.

Huge congratulations to the OU Rosetta Team who won the Outstanding Research Project Award at the inaugural OU Research Excellence Awards. Launched earlier this year, the Awards are designed to recognise excellence and celebrate achievement in research at The Open University. For further information please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duy-bksxGFo&list=PL9tlzHAsB0s-wXZ9ZYFFL0D4ELfLCZzQI&index=7

The School of Physical Sciences and The Ogden Trust hosted the annual School Physicist of the Year (SPOTY) awards evening on 27 June.  

This event celebrated Year 10 student winners chosen by their teachers from schools in Milton Keynes and neighbouring counties.  The students, their families and teachers all had fun engaging with interactive stands and heard inspiring talks on campus.

The Open University (OU) is part of a consortium of UK universities and organisations to be awarded almost £5 million to support small businesses in enhancing innovation and research in the UK space industry.