Internship - Isotope Applications in Glacierized catchments

Duration

12 months

Internships

The IAEA accepts a limited number of interns each year. The internships are awarded to persons studying towards a university degree or who have recently received a degree (see Internship web pages for further details).

The purpose of the programme is:

• To provide interns with the opportunity to gain practical work experience in line with their studies or interests, and expose them to the work of the IAEA and the United Nations as a whole;
• To benefit the IAEA's programmes through the assistance of qualified students specialized in various professional fields.
• The duration of an internship is normally not less than three months and not more than one year.

Organizational Setting

The Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications implements the IAEA's Major Programme 2, "Nuclear Techniques for Development and Environmental Protection". This Major Programme comprises individual programmes on food and agriculture, human health, water resources, environment and radiation technologies. These programmes are supported by laboratories in Seibersdorf, Monaco and Vienna. The Major Programme's objective is to enhance the capacity of Member States to meet basic human needs and to assess and manage the marine and terrestrial environments through the use of nuclear and isotopic techniques in sustainable development programmes.

The Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences is responsible for assisting and advising Member States in research and development for the nuclear sciences, especially the physical and chemical sciences. Specifically, the Division provides support to Member States in the following fields\: production of radioisotopes and radiolabelled products for applications in health care and industry; radiation source applications; research reactor utilization; applications of accelerators and nuclear instrumentation; nuclear and atomic data for applications; controlled nuclear fusion and isotope hydrology and geochemistry.

The Isotope Hydrology Section is responsible for planning and implementing the IAEA's water resources programme. The programme assists Member States in the sustainable management of all aspects of their water resources, but with a particular focus on isotope hydrology. Major activities include internationally coordinated research, global isotope monitoring, capacity building, and technical assistance to Member States to help them with the assessment, development and use of water resources. The Section also operates a well-equipped laboratory for the analysis of stable and radioactive isotopes. The laboratory trains counterparts in using analytical techniques for high-quality measurements of isotopes in water samples.

Main Purpose

The aim of this internship is to support ongoing research in glacierized catchment hydrology as a part of the Coordinated Research Project CRPF33031 focused on understanding surface and groundwater dynamics in glacierized regions through isotopic analysis of melting glaciers and meltwater.

The primary goal of this internship is to gain knowledge and training in using water isotopes to study the impact of glacier melt on surface and groundwater, as well as for groundwater dating. The intern will support data management, interpretation, and statistical analysis, and will also work on data visualization using geospatial software, primarily ArcGIS and QGIS. This role provides hands-on training in hydrological isotope applications and data-driven insights for environmental research.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Participate in the first RCM on Glacierized catchments.
• Contribute to team brainstorming sessions for innovative approaches to glacierized catchment research.
• Document all procedures, methods, and findings systematically for use in project reports and publications.
• Perform statistical analysis on isotopic data.
• Use statistical tools and software (e.g., R or Python) for data modeling and analysis.
• Summarize findings in reports and visual representations.
• Use ArcGIS and QGIS to create maps and visual representations of surface and groundwater flow patterns.
• Develop visual tools to illustrate isotopic data distribution across the study area.
• Generate dynamic and interactive visualizations for presentations and publications.

Qualifications and Experience

• University Degree in Hydrology, Environmental Science, Earth Science, Geology or a related field.
• Strong research and analytical skills with the ability to synthesize complex information.

Applicant Eligibility

• Candidates must be a minimum of 20 years of age and have completed at least three years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution towards the completion of a first degree.
• Candidates may apply up to one year after the completion of a bachelor's, master's or doctorate degree.
• Candidates must not have previously participated in the IAEA's internship programme.
• Good written and spoken English essential; fluency in any other IAEA official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish or Russian) an asset.
• Candidates must attach two signed letters of recommendation to their application.