2019 NF-POGO Open Call for Shipboard Training Fellowships

General Information

1 Jan 2019 to 13 Nov 2019

Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO) will be offering a number of shipboard fellowship opportunities onboard research vessels during 2019. This programme is designed to promote training and capacity building leading towards a global observation scheme for the oceans.

Normally, specific calls are made a minimum of six months before the cruise begins, in order to allow time for large numbers of applications to be reviewed, shortlisted candidates to be interviewed, and for the the successful applicant to put the necessary paperwork in order, eg visas, travel documents, and essential medical/training certifications.

However, sometimes the POGO shipboard training programme is offered an available berth at shorter notice.

In order to make best use of these opportunities, the POGO Secretariat is issuing an Open Call for applications from any early career scientists, technicians, postgraduate students (PhD or MSc) and Post-doctoral Fellows involved in oceanographic work at centres in developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

The application form asks about the candidate's specific training interests, including geographical areas and research/training topics. It also asks about availability to travel during 2019. The secretariat will maintain a database of all qualified, interested candidates and, as training opportunities become available, will create shortlists by evaulating suitability for the particular project on offer.

Priority areas

Dependent on each particular fellowship opportunity. Suitable candidates will be contacted with further details.

What is offered

The selected candidate will usually have the opportunity to visit the host institution for one month prior to the start of the cruise to participate in cruise preparation and planning; and to go on the cruise.

In some cases the fellowship will include one additional month back at the host institution after the cruise for further training in sample and data analysis and interpretation.

Application

Who can apply

This fellowship program is open to early career scientists, technicians, postgraduate students (PhD or MSc) and Post-doctoral Fellows involved in oceanographic work at centres in developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

For a list of currently eligible countries, visit this page on the OECD website.

How to apply

Fellowship applicants should complete and submit the electronic application form (click on the APPLY HERE link at bottom of this section) together with a recommendation letter from the parent supervisor. Additionally, the parent supervisor recommendation letter needs to be submitted as a hard copy.

Please note that the application form includes sections on the applicant's background and training requirements, capacity building intentions, a summary CV, and a fellowship proposal. In case of unstable internet connections, we recommend preparing this text in an offline document, then copy-pasting into the online form.

If short-listed, the candidate may be asked to undergo an informal telephone/video conferencing interview.

Applications and recommendation letters should be written in English and letters submitted/uploaded in pdf format. It is recommended that descriptive sections be limited to about 100 - 150 words. Please use font sizes of 10 pt or larger. Only applications that are complete in all respects will be considered for the Fellowship.

Mail signed original parent supervisor recommendation letter to:

POGO Secretariat

Plymouth Marine Laboratory

Prospect Place, The Hoe

Plymouth

Devon PL1 3DH

United Kingdom

Deadline: This is an open-ended call, and we will review applications as they come in. Candidates will be contacted if they are considered to be suitable matches for shipboard fellowships as they become available.

Review process

Representatives from POGO and the host institution will review the applications. In their decision-making, the Selection Committee will consider the following points:

Quality of the application;
Curriculum of the applicant;
Evidence that the training will lead to capacity-building with potential lasting impact on regional observations.

Terms

The fellowship will provide the costs of a round-trip ticket between the home institute of the trainee and the host institution; subsistence allowance for up to 2 month’s stay in the host country depending on the particulars of the proposed training (estimated at a rate of 1035 EUR per month); the flight to and from the departure port; accommodation in the host institution country; accommodation in the ship departure port; ship messing fee; seafaring medical and sea survival course.
The trainee’s institute will bear all expenses incurred by the fellow in his/her own nation (domestic travel, visa costs, personal insurance etc.), and the host institute will waive any bench fees that they may normally charge trainees.
POGO assumes no responsibility for compensation in the event of sickness, accident, death or disability of a Fellowship holder, nor does it arrange for insurance of a trainee or reimburse premiums paid therefore. It is the responsibility of the trainee to arrange travel insurance to cover the time taken to travel to the ship and for the subsequent return home, as well as to ensure suitable insurance cover is provided by the parent institute for the duration of the cruise.
The trainees are not considered agents or members of the staff of POGO, and shall not be entitled to any privileges, immunities, compensation or reimbursements, except as otherwise provided herein, nor are the trainees authorised to commit POGO to any expenditure or other obligation.
The trainee and the supervisors at the parent and host institutes are required to provide a short progress report at the end of the training period, to evaluate the success of the fellowship programme.