MOBILITY: Exchanges & Internships

A high degree of research and training mobility is designed into iMAGE-CREATE. Exchanges between academic and non-academic institutions are significantly advancing the training experience, exposing students to the research landscape beyond their home universities, including different systems of graduate education and a range of world-class infrastructure and researchers. Canadian PIs in iMAGE-CREATE participate in numerous projects with overseas partners, creating additional pathways for exchange.

Mobility scholarships and travel stipends are being offered to each qualified student. Graduate students are also encouraged to apply for stipends to work overseas (e.g., through Mitacs Globalinks), which can be supplemented by iMAGE-CREATE. The co-PIs have hosted more than 50 international students from 17 countries. Canadian students are able to pursue credit in institutions overseas through cotutelle agreements, and undergraduate trainees also can apply for international summer internships, for example through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and its RISE program. 8 PhD students and postdoctoral fellows from Ottawa have had research stays in Germany lasting from one month up to 3 years, and 5 German students have had stays in Ottawa (3 now pursuing PhDs in Canada).

Exchanges & Internships

Trainees are being hosted by partner institutions for specific aspects of their projects. GEOMAR is hosting the Seafloor Mapping Summer School that has been designed specifically for iMAGE-CREATE trainees (see TECHNICAL TRAINING). Canadian university partners are also hosting German students in their world-class field schools, modular courses, and professional training events.

Where appropriate to their programs, students are able to substitute different types of mobility, e.g., sea-going training may be substituted with 3-4 week internships in industry or other non-academic settings. Placements are arranged by the PIs and credited to students’ programs following submission of a performance appraisal and report. The hosts include exploration companies, geoscience service companies, marine technology companies, and government labs, which also participate in the supervisory committees. Students are encouraged to access internships through Mitacs Accelerate and Globalinks (already successful for Canadian interns at GEOMAR).

Recent Non-Academic Exchanges:

Sofia Panasiuk (MSc UofT), September 2019, Internship at GEOMAR Kiel, MBES data processing techniques and software to create maps of the sea-floor.

Rebecca Mensing (PhD Ottawa), June 2019, Metal Earth-CREATE-GEOMAR partnership seafloor mapping workshop for the Metal Oceans team, including Mark Hannington, Meg Stewart, Alan Baxter, and PhD student Rebecca Mensing.

Metal Oceans team. L-R: Dr. Sven Petersen, GEOMAR-Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research; Meike Klischies, Ph.D. student, University of Kiel-GEOMAR; Dr. Alan T. Baxter, RA,University of Ottawa; Asst. Prof. Margaret Stewart, Mount Royal University, Justin Emberley, GIS Technician, University of Ottawa; Dr. Philipp A. Brandl, PDF, GEOMAR; Prof. Mark Hannington (Lead Researcher), University of Ottawa; Asst. Prof. Melissa Anderson, University of Toronto; Dr. Anna Krätschell, GIS Technician, GEOMAR; and Rebecca Mensing, Ph.D. student, University of Ottawa-GEOMAR.

Marc Fassbender (PhD Ottawa) and Rebecca Mensing (PhD Ottawa), March -December 2020, Research internships at GEOMAR during COVID-19 restrictions. Including Visiting Fellowship for Marc Fassbender and a paid internship for Rebecca Mensing working on North Fiji geological data compilation.

Ryley Penner (BSc Mount Royal), September-December 2020, BSc Research project with uOttawa and Mount Royal.

Katherine Power (BSc Ottawa, NRCan Co-Op), September-December 2020, BSc Research project with uOttawa.

Sandra Wind (PhD Ottawa), December 2020-February 2021, Research internship at GEOMAR during COVID-19 restrictions, including Visiting Fellowship working on Cyclades geological data compilation.

Mary Besaw (MSc Ottawa), June-August 2019, Research internship at GEOMAR Seafloor Mapping Summer School dry-run.

Alexandra Gray (MSc Ottawa), June-August 2019, Research internship at GEOMAR Seafloor Mapping Summer School dry-run.

David Summer (MSc Toronto), 2021 as travel permits, Research workshop at University of Ottawa on Solomon-New Hebrides mapping (UO mobility)

Numerous internships are also offered by professional societies and non-profit research organizations, and these are being tracked by iMAGE-CREATE. Examples include:

InterRidge − The International InterRidge Consortium hosted by China, France, Norway, Canada, Germany, Italy, India, Japan, Korea and the UK offer student cruise bursaries, InterRidge Fellowships, and training events.

https://www.interridge.org/

Ocean Exploration Trust − The OET offers undergraduate and graduate students training at sea as part of their Nautilus Science and Engineering Internship Program in ocean sciences and technology, typically involving 2-5 week missions aboard their research vessel Nautilus.

https://nautiluslive.org/join/internship-program

GEOMAR and GFZ − Partners at GEOMAR and GFZ Potsdam continuously recruit for internships and training opportunities in marine science and technology and solid earth geophysics at their respective institutions.

https://www.geomar.de/en/karriere
https://career-center.gfz-potsdam.de/

Schmidt Ocean Science Communication Internship − Schmidt Ocean Institute hosts Science Communications Interns to gain educational and practical support in marine science communications, journalism, or related fields. Interns work with the Schmidt Communications team supporting outreach programs, engaging, influencing, and generating public support for ocean science through advanced scientific research, technology innovation, and open sharing of information.

https://schmidtocean.org/apply/student-opportunities/

American Geophysical Union − AGU offers Geoscience Policy Internships and Fellowships as pathways to science policy, advocacy and journalism careers. Interns develop necessary professional skills in research, writing, and project management.

https://www.agu.org/Learn-and-Develop/Learn