Partners
Background
The European Space Agency (ESA) is organising an Advanced Training Course on Land Remote Sensing with focus on the Water Cycle in collaboration with the University of Perugia. This course is dedicated to training the next generation of Earth Observation (EO) scientists and experts, working with water cycle related topics, in using data from Copernicus Sentinels and other satellite missions for science and applications development. The course is part of the Earth Action element of ESA’s FutureEO programme.
Objectives
The course aims at:
- Training the next generation of scientists and professionals in remote sensing for water cycle
- Explaining the theoretical principles, processing algorithms and data products from multiple sources including optical, thermal and microwave (including altimetry).
Topics
The training will include theory and hands-on sessions on the following topics:
- Precipitation
- Soil moisture
- Anthropogenic water use
- Snow
- Runoff and river discharge
- Evaporation
- Terrestrial water storage
- Water budget closure
The course will cover the use of SAR, multispectral, hyperspectral, thermal and satellite altimetry data. An overview of the status of relevant EO missions in operation and under development will also be provided.
A field excursion is foreseen (more details will follow).
Participation
The 5-day course will be held from 7 to 11 September 2026 at the University of Perugia, Italy. Postgraduate, PhD students, post-doctoral research scientists and professionals interested in the applications of Earth Observation for water cycle related topics are welcome to apply for the course. Most of the students will be selected among candidates from institutions/companies in Europe and Canada, but also a few from other countries may be selected.
Application
- Create a user account in the ConfTool portal and fill in the online application form
- Enter a title and short abstract (mandatory) presenting your current work/research topic, possibly related to the theme
- Upload a reference letter from an academic referee or employer (mandatory). The reference letter should be on the official University/Company letter head paper
- The application will be considered complete once the abstract and reference letter have been submitted
- Your academic referee will be notified once the application has been submitted
- Participants will have the opportunity to present their work/research (short presentation) during the event. Additional guidelines will be provided in due course
- The application submission will close on 11 June 2026
- Notification of acceptance will be sent by 26 June 2026
Important Notes
- The number of participants is limited to a maximum of 50 students and is subject to a selection procedure by the reviewers from the organisers and lecturers
- No participation fee is foreseen. Participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses (financial support is not available)
- Participants are expected to bring their own laptop
- The official language of the training course is English
- At the end of the course, all participants will be given a certificate of attendance.
Programme
The overview programme is available below.
Venue
The training course will be held at the University of Perugia, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Italy.
University of Perugia
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
via G. Duranti 93, 06125 Perugia
Italy
Schedule and Deadlines
| Application submission opening | 12 May 2026 |
| Application submission closure | 11 June 2026 |
| Notification of acceptance | 26 June 2026 |
| Training Course | 7-11 September 2026 |
Organising Committee
Jacopo Dari
University of Perugia
Magdalena Fitrzyk
RSAC c/o ESA
Francesco Leopardi
University of Perugia
Irene Renis
Serco c/o ESA
Angelica Tarpanelli
CNR-IRPI
Espen Volden
ESA
Lecturers
The course will be taught by leading European senior scientists and specialists in remote sensing for water cycle related topics.
Contacts
For information regarding the application procedure and the programme, please contact eotraining@esa.int
For logistics and practical information related to the course, please contact jacopo.dari@unipg.it