COMNAP Antarctic Fellowship
SCAR has been working for many years with the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to support talented early-career researchers, engineers, environmental managers, and other professionals to strengthen international capacity and cooperation in fields such as science support and facilitation, environmental management implementation, and climate, biodiversity, conservation, humanities and astrophysics research by way of an annual funding opportunity.
The Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP), the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) work together to support talented early-career researchers, scientists, engineers, environmental managers, and other professionals. The purpose is to strengthen international capacity and cooperation in fields such as climate, biodiversity, conservation, humanities and astrophysics research by providing annual funding opportunities. Read
The COMNAP Antarctic Fellowship was offered for the first time in 2011. It is designed to encourage the active involvement of early career Antarctic persons and to strengthen international capacity and cooperation in the spirit of the Antarctic Treaty. It is intended to allow people from a COMNAP Member National Antarctic Program country to undertake short-term visits to major international laboratories, field facilities, and/or home institutions in or operated by other COMNAP Member National Antarctic Programs.
Applications are welcome from a range of disciplines and fields, including but not limited to, those with Engineering, Environmental Management, Data Management, Technology, Social Sciences, Humanities, Education, Communication and Outreach, Law, Operations and Logistics, Search and Rescue, Medical and Science backgrounds.
Recipients must visit a facility in or run by a COMNAP Member or Observer country, which is different from their (a) country of citizenship (which should be a COMNAP Member or Observer country) and (b) country of current residence.
Applications must be for one of the COMNAP projects. Priority topics for 2021 are:
- Alternative non-fossil fuel energy systems in cold climate and any cold climate engineering: including, but not limited to buildings, mechanical, systems, remote autonomous systems
- Understanding the environmental issues from direct human impacts arising from Antarctic science and operations including cumulative impacts; Understanding plastic waste introduction and removal options so as to eliminate introduction of plastics including micro-plastics from the Antarctic environment; Understanding management implications of environmental change to National Antarctic Program activities; Development of best practice related to risk reduction from non-native species intra-regionally in the Antarctic
- Operation and management of Antarctic aviation capabilities, including, but not limited to application of remotely piloted aircraft for scientific, operational or conservation purposes
- Best collaborative use of new marine research vessels in support of science, including advanced exchange of science voyage information
- Human safety, including, but not limited to equipment, clothing, operating procedures and search and rescue.
1 year
Upper $15,000USD
Up to one award of up to US$15,000 is available for 2021.
Home institute or applicant must bear in-home-country costs (e.g. travel visa application, salary/wages, domestic travel).
Host institute must waive any fees that relate to lab/office space, field expenses, library or archive access, if any, or other as agreed in advance with host institute.
Any “early career” person, where here, “early career” person is defined as someone who is within the first five years after completion of the highest level of university award/certificate/degree obtained; or any person, regardless of university completion, that is under the age of 40 years old on the day of the deadline for the application submission, is eligible to apply. So, as examples:
- Those who have a doctorate, with not more than 5 years since your doctoral award.
- Those who hold a master’s degree, with not more than 5 years since your master’s degree was awarded to you.
- Those who hold an undergraduate degree, with not more than 5 years since your bachelor’s degree or baccalaureate was awarded to you.
- Those under the age of 40 on 31 May 2021.