The 2015 International Summer School in Astrobiology will be held at the summer campus of the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP), Palacio de la Magdalena, Santander, Spain on June 29 – July 3, 2015.

This year’s theme will be The Origin of Life: From Monomers to Cells. The school will provide an interdisciplinary examination of the chemical, physical and geological processes that are required to develop cellular life, and discuss the different environmental settings that would support these processes. Topics covered will include an introductory overview of origin of life research and future directions, planetary environments for life’s origin, abiological synthesis of small molecules relevant to life, the synthesis of biopolymers, the RNA world, and the development of protocells and the first cells.

Confirmed Lecturers:

Dr. George Cody (Carnegie Institution of Washington)
Dr. Pierre-Alain Monnard (University of Southern Denmark)
Dr. Juli Peretó (Universitat de València)
Additional lecturers are being confirmed

Application Deadline: Tuesday, March 31th.

Applications are open to graduate students studying at US Institutions. CLICKHERE to apply.

Students not studying at US institutions may apply for fellowships to attend the school from UIMP. Applications for the UIMP international fellowships will be due in May. More details will be provided closer to the application deadline.

Sponsoring Organizations

NAI – NASA Astrobiology Institute
CAB – Spanish Centro de Astrobiología
ESA – European Space Agency
UIMP – Universidad Internacional Menendez Pelayo