Task 6.2 Training and Education through Access and Exchange

Lead: OGS

A series of training and education programmes will be implemented through access and exchange mechanisms. This will facilitate broader access to Eurofleets+ research vessels and funded cruises. Programmes will run in collaboration with WP2 and WP4. Four different programmes are planned: Co-Chief Scientist programme; Marine Internship programme; Teacher at Sea programme; and Personnel Exchange programme.
Co-Chief Scientist Programme: This is a mentoring programme aimed at early stage researchers who wish to carry out and execute their own research programme at sea. Applicants will write a TA proposal for shiptime and if successful, will be coupled with experienced Principal Investigators (PIs) within Eurofleets+ TA cruises, giving a valuable opportunity for emerging researchers to carry out their own research at sea. This experience will help them gain the experience, confidence and skills to act as Chief Scientists in their future careers. This task will support TA WP4 in managing calls, and evaluation of the applicants, collaborating in establishing selection criteria that will prioritise emerging scientists from less equipped countries and female researchers.

Marine Internship Programme: This will offer seagoing placements for students of marine related sciences and technologies on the research vessels, utilising spare berths. Placements can take place on dedicated research surveys being undertaken by vessels or during funded research cruises with PIs. The internships are intended primarily for marine oriented graduates, postgraduate students and early stage researchers. The programme will provide a great opportunity to gain offshore experience, develop new skills and learn on the job with established research scientists and research leaders. Interns will not conduct their own research but will have the possibility to learn how an international cruise works and about operations onboard. This will stimulate the participation of new talent in seagoing scientific research during Eurofleets+ TA research surveys. It will contribute to training and inspiring the next generation of ocean scientists and technology developers, using “real hands on experience” at sea.

Interest in hosting an intern will be assessed in incoming TA cruise applications.
Ship-time is assigned (WP2, WP4), and spare berth capacity determined on the planned research cruise.
The lead PI confirms that they will offer spare berths and host interns
A Call is issued for interns through the Call process (WP4)
Interns are selected (WP6 Panel with PI) after evaluation of applications
An intern training programme is developed ensuring a good match between the intern and cruise projects. The participants will be evaluated on the basis of excellence of their CV, and coherency between their studies and the scientific topics of the selected Eurofleets+ TA cruise. Priority will be given to participation of people from less equipped countries and women. This process worked very well in previous Eurofleets2 cruises (then called TTRS programme); there was a high demand and excellent outcomes.

Teacher at Sea Program: Aimed at providing opportunities for primary and secondary school teachers to participate in Eurofleets+ TA cruises and to communicate their experiences to pupils, thereby engaging and attracting young people to careers in marine science. The teachers will immerge themselves in the experience of life at sea and research with the guidance of onboard scientists. Their students will get involved in the cruise activities by sending emails, participating in blogs, and journaling about the daily exploits of those onboard. Teachers will disseminate their experience in ocean science research and exploration to their students through a series of blogs, online interactions and classroom-based teaching to contribute to the formation of future generation of marine scientists. Teacher at Sea will further develop a similar program initiated by Eurofleets2, in cooperation with the European Geosciences Union (EGU). In Eurofleets 2 it was possible to establish almost daily reports of the scientific progress of the cruise and to send regular logs to the participating land-based teachers in different schools mainly in Europe and the USA, taking advantage of a database of teachers having participated to the Geosciences Information for teachers (GIFT) workshops of the European Geosciences Union11. This brought science into the classroom, and indeed we received enthusiastic responses from many teachers. This task will be in collaboration with Carlo Laj, Chairman of the Committee on Education of EGU (see Letter of Support, Section 6).

Personnel Exchange Programme: Aimed at stimulating the transfer of knowledge, technology and the sharing of research infrastructures by facilitating the exchange and mobility of personnel and targeted training utilizing specific equipment and technologies on board Eurofleets+ vessels.
This task will organize opportunities for exchange by:

Verifying which Eurofleets+ ship operators will host external staff and the type of training on offer
Promoting training opportunities to professional staff members of research vessels on the Eurofleets+ website and across social media.
Manage the Call for Applications and implement the staff exchange programme in collaboration with research vessel operators. An e-market will be created to enable staff personnel to review and apply for training opportunities of this type