Ship based training opportunities are now available for undergraduate, postgraduate and transition year students on the national research vessels.  

Up to twelve undergraduate and postgraduate students a day will be accommodated on board the national research vessels from October to December 2008 as part of ‘Science@Sea’ the Marine Institute’s new ship-based training for third-level students run by the Integrated Marine Exploration Programme (IMEP).  

Students will take to the ocean on board the R.V. Celtic Voyager and the R.V. Celtic Explorer from Cork for two days at a time to participate in a multidisciplinary survey involving a wide range of marine scientific disciplines including oceanography, marine geosciences, hydrography, benthic ecology and fisheries science.  

Ship-based training presents a unique opportunity for students to experience life onboard a research vessel and learn the practical skills necessary to conduct scientific surveys at sea including the design, planning and execution of scientific surveys, deployment and operation of equipment and instrumentation,  sample acquisition and processing as well as data acquisition, quality control and analysis.  

A similar two day training course was carried out on board the R.V. Celtic Voyager in Dublin Bay at the end of July this year. The course was organised for SFI UREKA students from Trinity College Dublin and “introduced students to the range of possibilities that exist within the marine science field” according to Professor Jim Wilson. “It is an invaluable hands-on practical field component that will benefit these students enormously”.  

The course is recognised by the UK based Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) and will give students a distinct advantage in and appreciation of the practical side of marine science and technology. The first 2 day course will take place on the 11th and 12th October. Students from third-level institutes across the island of Ireland are invited to apply for a place on these courses and can download an application form here or by emailing imep@marine.ie.   

Closing date for applications is the 26th September 2008.  

The training course is funded and assumes a basic knowledge of marine science but is aimed at both undergraduate and postgraduate students across a wide spectrum of marine related disciplines. Students from environmental sciences, zoology and geology among others, are welcome to apply for these courses.  

Successful applicants will also receive funding for certification in Personal Sea-Survival Techniques (PST STCW 95) which is a mandatory entry level safety qualification required by anyone who wishes to work at sea internationally.  Although not strictly necessary for the ship-based training programmes, safety is a high priority onboard the national research vessels and certification will enable students to participate in surveys post-training.  

This unique syllabus also incorporates elements of vessel familiarisation and onboard orientation, vessel operational activities, safety at sea, risk assessment and post survey analysis and assessment, and has been developed in consultation with third-level marine science course coordinators and postgraduate supervisors to ensure that the needs of the students are met to the highest standards possible.

Voyage of Discovery for Transition Year Students

There will also be an opportunity in October of this year for transition year students to work alongside scientists onboard the R.V. Celtic Voyager and learn more about potential careers in marine science and technology.  

The Voyage of Discovery programme will take place on the 13th and 14th of October 2008. If you are interested in discovering more about careers in marine science and technology, and would like to take part in the Voyage of Discovery, please download and complete the application form here along with the teacher’s reference form available here and send it electronically to imep@marine.ie or post the completed form to IMEP, Marine Institute, Rinville, Oranmore, Co. Galway, Ireland.  

The IMEP is an innovative strategic approach to developing Ireland’s capacity for carrying out world class multidisciplinary marine science research. The programme is funded under the Governments’ Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation (SSTI) and is part of the Marine Institute’s Sea Change plan, a marine knowledge, research and innovation strategy for Ireland.    

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