Call for ExoExplorer Applications

The ExoExplorers program, sponsored by NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program Office and the ExoPAG Executive Committee, will focus on the professional development of 10 “ExoExplorers” (early career researchers who are either PhD candidates or postdoc researchers within 2 years of completing their PhD) at US and international¹ institutions. Each member of the cohort will be featured in a webinar that will be live-streamed to the exoplanet community and posted to the ExoExplorer’s presentation archive, helping to increase their visibility within the field. The cohort will also learn from the experiences of established exoplanet researchers and engineers in the field (“ExoGuides”) via a combination of tailored presentations and small group discussions.

Members of this cohort, which will run from January to June 2027, will each give one 30-minute presentation on their research to the broader exoplanet community. Each of the ExoExplorers will receive $1,200 for the purchase of one presentation of their research results, presented as a part of the Science Series.

In addition, the ExoExplorers will be invited to participate in:

1. Bi-weekly interactions between members of the cohort
2. Monthly informal group discussions with prominent scientists (“ExoGuides”) in the fields of exoplanet science and engineering
3. One-on-one meetings with two to five researchers requested by the ExoExplorer, facilitated by the Organizing Committee
4. Two to four professional development events on topics to be decided by the cohort, such as proposal writing, establishing collaborations, career building, and public speaking
5. The development and/or execution of cohort-driven activities pertaining to exoplanet science and engineering
6. Mentorship opportunities with the organizers of the ExoExplorers program.

The activities described above will largely be shaped by the unique interests and needs of the cohort. Therefore, we seek applicants who are actively seeking to enrich and enhance their exoplanet science in the broader exoplanet community via engaging with each other, as well as with the ExoGuides and the ExoExplorer program organizers.

The application will consist of the candidate’s CV and three separate text prompts that address the following three selection criteria:

1. [≤400 words] A description of your research, addressing both its relevance to the broad themes in the ExEP Science Gap List (and related exoplanet topics), and the level of maturity of the science results you would plan to present in your seminar.
2. [≤300 words] Cohort activities you wish to lead / engage in, and goals related to the activities described above, with specific examples;
3. [≤300 words] How you would leverage your ExoExplorers experience to become a leader in the broader exoplanet community.

Applications are due Thursday, October 15th, 2026 at 6 PM Pacific and should be submitted using this Google Form.

¹ NASA places restrictions on interactions with several countries: Iran, Syria, North Korea, and China. If you are a citizen of one of these countries or are currently affiliated with an institution in one of these countries, please see our FAQ page for additional details/restrictions on applying.

Questions

Please see our FAQ page to view answers to previously submitted questions or to submit a question. If your question isn’t answered, please email exoexplorers_questions@jpl.nasa.gov. To ensure that all potential applicants have access to the same information, we will post answers to received questions on that webpage. The last day to submit substantive questions about the ExoExplorers program, call, or application content is Thursday, October 1st, 2026. After this date, we will only answer procedural questions about the application process.

Code of Conduct

All participants in the Exoplanet Explorers program will be required to adhere to the Code of Conduct.