Internship - Fourth FAO/IAEA International Symposium on Area-wide Management of Insect Pests

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 Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture assists Member States of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the IAEA in using nuclear techniques and related technologies to improve food security, alleviate poverty and promote sustainable agriculture. The Joint Centre consists of five Sections, each with an associated laboratory (located in Seibersdorf, 45 km south-east of Vienna), in the areas of: animal production and health; plant breeding and genetics; insect pest control; soil and water management and crop nutrition; and food safety and control. 

The Insect Pest Control Section and Laboratory assist Member States with the development, dissemination and transfer of sterile insect and related environmentally friendly technologies for the area-wide integrated suppression, containment or eradication of major insect pests affecting crops, livestock and human health.

Main Purpose

The intern will assist the Insect Pest Control Section in the preparation of the Fourth FAO/IAEA International Symposium on Area-wide Management of Insect Pests: Sterile Insect Technique in the Era of Climate Change, Insect Invasions and New Technologies, taking place at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna, Austria, from 24-28 May 2027. The intern will review abstracts received and maintain an abstract database in INDICO, the IAEA system for organising conferences. The intern will assist in the formatting and organization of the book of abstracts and liaise with authors, internal editors and external reviewers Additionally, the intern will assist in the preparation of a text book resulting from the Fourth FAO/IAEA International Symposium, by corresponding with authors, internal editors and external reviewers of chapters, and formatting all completed chapters, following the precise guidelines of the external publisher. The intern may assist with other (editing) tasks at the Insect Pest Control Section in the Vienna International Centre and the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratories in Seibersdorf.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Communicate with symposium participants related to abstract submissions and acceptance, grant applications, poster and oral presentations, and any symposium-related queries

• Assist in the review of abstracts received, establish and maintain an abstract database (INDICO) and assist in the formatting and organization of the book of abstracts

• Assist the Programme Committee with the organization of symposium sessions

• Assist in the compilation, editing and formatting of contributed papers

• Format all chapters of the symposium book in accordance with the guidelines of the external publisher and with great attention to detail

• Coordinate the editing/review process, by liaising with authors, internal editors and external reviewers

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree - University Degree in Business Administration, Information Management, Communications or related field

• Experience in using data management systems.

• Excellent computer skills in standard applications required for word processing, data analysis etc.

• Excellent written and oral language skills in English.

• Knowledge of correspondence and written communication.

• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.

• Experience in editing and formatting of technical documents.

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.