Research Leaders

We are seeking projects related to the Twinkle Space Mission (links can be broad) to be delivered by PhD student tutors to groups of sixth-form pupils.

For more information or if you are interested in being part of ORBYTS, please contact orbyts@twinkle-spacemission.co.uk

Key Benefits for Research Leads

  1. Publicise your research
  2. Advertise your university department and research to exceptional school students who may be interested in applying.
  3. Demonstrate public engagement, outreach and community ties, relevant for the REF case studies.
  4. Develop the research, leadership and communication skills of your PhD students
  5. Obtain assistance in performing low priority research, e.g. follow-up studies, cataloging, database construction, data analysis etc.
  6. Help address diversity issues in the sciences
  7. Foster a mentality of creative problem solving, innovation and entrepreneurship within schools and the local community.

What we can provide

  • Support in developing an ORBYTS project, based on our extensive experience in the area
  • Support in finding tutors, funding, schools and forging successful partnerships
  • Collaborations with and connections to the Twinkle Space Mission
  • Support in conducting related research into science education

Current projects include

  • Collation of assigned rotationally-resolved spectroscopic data for astrophysically important molecules, then use of computer program to extract energy levels from transitions.
  • Collation of molecular constants for diatomic molecules.

Potential topics of interest include

  • Exoplanetary science
  • Stellar astrophysics
  • Atmospheric science
  • Planetary science
  • Astrobiology
  • Atomic and molecular physics
  • Engineering for space missions
  • Big data, including collation, analysis and visualisation
  • Public engagement and citizen science