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Ocean Mineral Singapore Pte. Ltd. (OMS), in accordance with its contract for exploration for polymetallic nodules with the International Seabed Authority, is offering ten (10) three-month internships to candidates from developing States under its 2019 Training Programme. OMS will partner with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to provide trainees with a wide range of knowledge and hands-on experience related to deep sea mining.
The background and requirements for the first three (3) placements, which will take place from January to March 2019, is as follows:
1. One (1) intern will work on assessing the distribution and abundance of polymetallic nodules from seafloor photographs in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ). Distribution characteristics of mineral resources such as polymetallic nodules are often influenced by local seafloor features such as the topographic undulations and sediment thickness. Photographic data allows quantifying polymetallic nodule abundance at spatial scales from centimetres to square kilometres. Deep tow systems and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) can acquire high-resolution imagery that allow detecting individual nodules and measure their sizes. Detecting nodules requires segmentation of nodule pixels from pixels showing sediment background. A nodule detection engine has been developed to automate this task and the aim of this project will be to improve the performance of the engine by employing advanced computer vision tools on the photographic data captured from the CCZ.
Candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Education: Master’s (Good) or at least a Bachelor’s (Upper Second Class Hons) degree or equivalent in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering;
- A strong interest in doing research on this topic;
- Language: Proficiency in English for daily conversation and training;
- Other: preference will be given to persons with knowledge of Python, Matlab and OpenCV.
2. Two (2) internships focused on deep sea biological material handling and assessment.
The trainees, under the supervision of scientists involved in the exploration cruises, will benefit from first-hand transfer of knowledge, hands-on learning and experience in the handling and analysis of samples. They will be involved in the sorting and identification process for selected groups of deep-sea macrofauna and meiofauna. The principal objective of the training module is to allow the participants to become familiar with the deep-sea environment in the CCZ, with particular reference to its biological components, and their assessment in relation to impacts of nodule harvesting.
Candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Education: Master’s (Good) or at least a Bachelor’s (Upper Second Class Hons) degree in biological science or equivalent educational background;
- strong interest and enthusiasm about learning more about microscopic deep sea organisms
- Language: Proficiency in English for daily conversation and training;
Trainees will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement with OMS. Additionally, the trainees, together with an appointed supervisor, will work to complete an On-the-Job Training Logbook to ensure the programme structure aligns itself as best as possible towards the training and capacity developmental needs of the participants’ countries of origin.
Upon completion of the training, the trainees, assisted by their supervisors, are expected to submit a report on the outcomes of their training to OMS and then to the Authority.
Cost Detail
OMS will cover all relevant costs associated with the training such as tuition fees, round-trip airline ticket (economy class), local ground transportation, and accommodation for the period of the training programme.
One of the Voluntary Commitments made by the ISA at the UN Ocean Conference 2017 was “Enhancing the role of women in marine scientific research through capacity building”(#OceanAction15467). We therefore strongly encourage suitably qualified women to apply for these training opportunities.
Applications should be submitted by email, in one of the official languages of the International Seabed Authority to training@isa.org.jm by the 22 September 2018 deadline either through:
- the online training portal. Users applying through the online portal (see above), must remember to upload a copy of a passport photo, the signed nomination form indicating the programme of preference, degree/certificate and résumé; OR
- via email, in one of the official languages of the Authority, to training@isa.org.jm using the forms below.
Applications must be accompanied by:
a) Application form (docx | pdf) to be completed by the applicant;
b) Nomination form (docx | pdf) to be completed by the institution or governmental department;
c) Copy of certificate of degree;
d) Proof of sufficient knowledge of English
e) Copy of CV or Résumé
