Date of issue: 16 January 2024

 

UPDATE (03 June 2024) The following candidates have been selected:

Rank Candidate Sex Country Country Class.
First-ranked candidates
1 Samuel Kakra Boamah Male Ghana
2 Tojo Harilanto Mbolanirina Male Madagascar LDC
3 Abubakar Muhammad Tahir Male Nigeria
4 Fahima Bellabad Female Algeria
5 Oluwadunsin Samuel Olabode Male Nigeria
Reserve or Alternate Candidate
R1 Giovonni P. Brown Male Jamaica SIDS

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) of the Government of India, in accordance with its contract for the exploration for polymetallic sulphides signed with ISA on 26 September 2016, is offering five (5) on-land training opportunities to candidates from developing States, in the field of deep-sea mineral exploration during the year 2024.

OUTLINE

The training will be organised by India’s premier R&D institution responsible for the country’s research activities in the polar and Southern Ocean realms, the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, in partnership with various government institutions.

The training comprises theoretical (classroom) and practical (laboratory) components and will focus on the following areas:

  • Marine survey and exploration techniques
    • Processing, analysis and interpretation of various Geophysical exploration techniques for marine mineral deposits.
    • Basics of marine biology and environmental baseline studies.
  • Acquisition and processing of marine geoscientific and oceanographic data
    • Processing, analysis and interpretation of various oceanographic data sets conductivity, temperature, density (CTD), acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) etc. and training in oceanographic data administration using state of the art tools.
  • Hands on experience in various state-of-the-art analytical facilities
    • Hands on training in Sample Preparation techniques for thin section, microscopic identification of minerals, DNA Extraction, PCR amplification of the 16S rDNA, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of bacterial isolates, state of-art analytical facilities like on EPMA, XRF
    • Operation of various biological tools viz. compound microscope, fluorescence microscope HPLC, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), gel electrophoresis, gel documentation unit etc.
  • Analysis, interpretation and integration of oceanographic, environmental, geological and geophysical data
    • Basics of various ocean technologies and their applications for sustainable utilization of ocean resources.

DURATION

The training will be conducted in Goa, India between August and September 2024 for two (2) months.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be considered for this programme, candidates must meet the following requirements:

  • Education: Applicants must hold a master’s degree in science (marine geology, marine geophysics, marine biology, marine geochemistry or oceanography) or a graduate degree in engineering (marine, mechanical, mechatronics, mining, electrical) or an equivalent educational qualification in deep sea research and development.
  • Work Experience: Candidate should have at least two (2) years’ work experience in the relevant field
  • Language: Sound knowledge of English (spoken and written), attested by a certificate.
  • Health: Be in good mental and physical health
  • Age: preferably in the range of 30 years old
  • Nationality: Applicant must be a national of a developing country that is a Member State of the International Seabed Authority.
  • Other: Hold a passport with sufficient validity

FINANCIAL COMMITMENT

MoES (India) will cover all relevant costs for the training, including visa fee, travel (including international economy class round trip tickets), accommodation and medical insurance during the candidates’ stay in India. MoES also commits to paying an allowance to the candidates in Indian currency, during their stay, in accordance with the prevailing regulations.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Trainees will be required to sign the ISA Contractors’ Training Programme General Guidance and Code of Conduct for Trainees prior to the start of the training, as well as a confidentiality agreement with MoES (India).

At the end of the training, trainees must submit a report to MoES and ISA outlining the training completed; the benefits of the training opportunity; the knowledge gained; and how the training will advance their career and/or educational pursuits. Additionally, each trainee shall submit to ISA a second report five years after completion of the training, to enable assessment of long-term benefits of the training conducted.

Upon successful completion of the programme, trainees will receive a certificate from ISA.

HOW TO APPLY:

All interested applicants are invited to register and submit their applications on the ISA CTP Application Portal, along with their supporting documents, including:

  • A coloured passport sized photo
  • A copy of their passport biographical page or national identification card.
  • Signed nomination form [doc/pdf] by the nominating entity.
  • Copy of degree and/or certificate
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV) or résumé
  • Proof of sufficient knowledge of English

Applicants must select the following options when applying for this training opportunity on the Application Portal:

Contractor Name:    Government of India (MOES, India)/PMS

Year:                          2024

Programme Name: On-land

 

Application Deadline: 19 April 2024. Late or incomplete applications will not be processed.

 

One of the Voluntary Commitments registered by ISA at the 2017 UN Ocean Conference (#OceanAction 40768) and reiterated in 2022 was ‘Enhancing the role of Women in Marine Scientific Research through Capacity Building’ – As partner of the Women in Deep-Sea Research project (WIDSR), MOES (India) has pledged to allocate 50% of its training opportunities to qualified women applicants.