POGO-SCOR Fellowships Application Period to Open Shortly

Funding is available for scientists from developing countries or economies in transition to visit other oceanographic centres located anywhere in the world for a short period of training on oceanographic observation.

The POGO-SCOR Fellowships are jointly funded by the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO) and the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR). POGO is a forum set up by leaders of major oceanographic institutions around the world to promote global ocean observing. SCOR is a non-profit organisation that seeks to address interdisciplinary science questions relating to the ocean.

Support is given for a one to three month visit to another oceanographic institute anywhere in the world in order to undergo short-term professional training on any aspect of oceanographic observation, analysis and interpretation. There should be evidence that the training will lead to capacity-building with potential lasting impact on regional observations.

Priority will be given to applications that address one or more of the following topics:

  • Emerging and low-cost technologies for ocean observations.
  • Physical, biological and biogeochemical sensors on floats and gliders.
  • Floating litter observations and modelling.
  • Open and coastal ocean observation, modelling and management.
  • Data management and time series analysis.
  • Underwater sound, acoustic observations and modelling.
  • Optical measurements of living and non-living particles.
  • Fixed-point time-series observations (eg contributing to OceanSITES, OBIS, IODE Ocean Data Portal, WOD and/or other shared data systems).
  • Large-scale, operational biological observations including biomolecular and biodiversity (eg biological EOVs, CPR, OBON and other programmes).

The scheme is open to scientists, technicians, postgraduate students (preferably of PhD level) and postdoctoral fellows who are involved in oceanographic work. Fellowships are aimed at early to mid-career scientists who will benefit from learning new skills and making new contacts. Priority is given to applicants in the early stages of their career (generally, a candidate having held a PhD for less than seven years would fall into the early career category).

Applicants must be citizens of developing countries or economies in transition, as listed on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipients. The oceanographic institute that the fellow is visiting can be based anywhere in the world. There is no obligation to choose a host institution in a developed country.

A contribution is made towards travelling costs (international airfare and transport from the airport to the host institution) and living expenses. The fellowship period is between one and three months. Training should begin between September 2022 and March 2023.

The online application portal will open on 30 April 2022; applications must be submitted by the deadline of 8 May 2022. There are application templates available on the fellowship webpage to help candidates plan their proposal in advance.

(This report was the subject of a RESEARCHconnect Newsflash.)