The Europlanet Society is an international non-governmental organisation dedicated to the promotion of planetary sciences and exploration in Europe. The society has about 1200 members, from 36 countries, representing a wide range of disciplines involved in planetary research, including astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology, biology and engineering. The society also has a growing network of over 100 associated organisations across Europe.
The Europlanet Society was founded in 2004 as the European Planetology Network (EPN), with the aim of providing a focus for planetary science in Europe and promoting cooperation between European scientists working in this field. In 2007, the EPN was renamed the Europlanet Society to reflect its broader scope and activities.
The society’s objectives are:
* To promote and advance planetary sciences and their exploration in Europe;
* To provide a focal point for information exchange and networking between European planetologists;
* To represent European planetologists at the international level;
* To encourage young people to enter careers in planetology and space science;
* To increase public awareness of planetary sciences.
In order to achieve these objectives, the society undertakes a variety of activities including:
* Organising conferences, workshops and other events;
* Supporting research programmes and projects;
* Promoting education & training initiatives;
* Providing grants & awards for early career researchers;
* Publishing scientific papers & books.