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Two leading Antarctic organisations have announced recently opportunities for early career researchers.  The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) are working together to attract talented researchers, engineers and other professionals to strengthen international capacity and cooperation.

The Fellowships are worth up to $US15 000 each and up to five (four SCAR and one COMNAP Fellowships) are on offer for 2011.  SCAR has been offering scientific fellowships to early career scientists since 2005.  Such fellowships have enabled Antarctic and Southern Ocean scientists to participate in a range of significant research.

Since 2005, 25 SCAR Fellowships have been awarded.  Up to four awards are being offered by SCAR in this round.  This year COMNAP has joined in to offer one to two additional fellowship opportunities for early career researchers.  The two schemes are being jointly promoted by both organisations.

The fellowships support the scientific goals of SCAR and the international cooperation goal of COMNAP to develop and promote best practice in managing the support to Antarctic science.  The fellowships enable early career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating research partnerships that last many years and over many Antarctic research seasons.  If successful, it is envisioned that COMNAP will continue to be able to provide Fellowships in future years along with the SCAR Fellowships.

The SCAR "Area of Interest" includes the sub-Antarctic islands where many of the ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels breed as well as the Southern Ocean where they forage.

The deadline for applications is 15 May 2011.

Go to SCAR or COMNAP for more details and for application packs.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 February 2011