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About

AstrobiologyOU is a multidisciplinary research group that is working collaboratively to address the scientific, governance and ethical challenges associated with the advancement of astrobiology and related space exploration missions; whilst ensuring societal benefits and sustainability. Our work is supported by commercial application.

We are a new research group based at The Open University in Milton Keynes, UK. We have traditionally drawn our expertise from two schools (the School of Earth, Environment and Ecosystem Sciences and the School of Physical Sciences) within the faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

Recent investment from Research England has allowed us to grow the capacity of the group and by bringing in new members from the Faculty of Business and Law and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, expanding our capabilities in the areas of space governance and application of techniques to international development.  

We work across three of the Open University's Strategic Research Areas: Space, International Development and Citizenship and Governance.

Currently, we have 23 academic and research staff and 14 research students based at the Open University's campus in Milton Keynes, plus administrative and laboratory support. We also have academic staff affiliated to us based at other institutions in the UK.

We are committed to principles of Equality and Diversity and try to be inclusive in all aspects of our work.


Waiting To Get The Call: Dr Susanne Schwenzer, Dr Vic Pearson and Dr Karen Olsson-Francis talk
about what it was like to wait for the call that they had successfully been award a £6.7m Expanding Excellence
in England grant from Research England.

 

View our 2022-2023 annual report:

View all our Annual Reports