International ocean scholars will soon have a new opportunity for interdisciplinary and hands-on learning in Canada.
The fourth phase of the Nippon Foundation (NF) - Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO) Centre of Excellence in Observational Oceanography will be hosted by the Ocean Frontier Institute led by Dalhousie University.
Up to 10 scholars will be fully supported financially (subject to confirmation of funding) – helping to build global capacity for ocean observation.
Course material will cover:
- Field training
- Data management
- Modelling and coding
- English for oceanography
- Innovation and entrepreneurship
- Leadership
- Science communication
Scholars will also pursue an independent learning project spanning the topics of ocean carbon, eDNA, or coastal resilience, while gaining exposure to industry, local tech companies, and Canadian Indigenous history and ways of knowing.
The Centre is being developed and administered in partnership with:
- Fisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University
St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador - Hakai Institute
Quadra Island, British Columbia - Faculty of Open Learning and Career Development, Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Scholars will have the opportunity to learn and train in all three unique Canadian locations, which have complementary strengths to provide students with diverse experiences.
Applications will be accepted until February 21, 2024. Applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree in science. Priority will be given to applicants from developing and emerging nations of the global south.
“As the host of the fourth Centre of Excellence in Observational Oceanography, we have the remarkable opportunity to bring outstanding diverse scholars from around the world to Canada, to share knowledge, build meaningful connections, and improve capacity for ocean observation globally.”
- Dr. Anya Waite, chief executive officer and scientific director, Ocean Frontier Institute, Dalhousie University
“We are excited to partner on this educational opportunity to train next generation operational oceanographic professionals. The Marine Institute, Dalhousie and the Hakai Institute will undoubtedly provide a strong theoretical and experiential program that will equip participants to tackle some of the challenges present in our quest to better understand the world’s oceans.”
- Dr. Paul Brett, vice-president of Memorial University for the Marine Institute
“The Tula Foundation is thrilled to be part of the Centre of Excellence in Observational Oceanography, and to work with all the extraordinary organizations collaborating through this program. We look forward to supporting the multidisciplinary training of the Centre’s scholars, introducing them to our broad network of partners, and welcoming them to our ecological observatory on Quadra Island, British Columbia, for immersive, hands-on learning experiences.”
- Dr. Eric Peterson, founder and president, Tula Foundation (Hakai Institute)
"With our expertise in implementing and credentialing non-traditional learning experiences, we are excited about the operational support we can offer to the program and ultimately, to the learning opportunities we can provide the program participants. We look forward to seeing how this learning experience will change how participants think about and engage with the world and how it will change and empower them as individuals.”
- Dr. Dianne Tyers, dean, Faculty of Open Learning & Career Development, Dalhousie University
“The NF-POGO Centre of Excellence, which has provided training to 140 early-career scientists since 2008, has been the flagship of POGO’s capacity development portfolio. We are thrilled to embark on the next phase of the CofE, generously supported by the Nippon Foundation, with our new partners OFI, Memorial University, Tula Foundation, and Dalhousie University. This collaboration will build on the extraordinary work of the previous host, the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany.”
- Dr. Sophie Seeyave, chief executive officer, Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean
“We are thrilled to be working together with the Ocean Frontier Institute as the new host of The Nippon Foundation- Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean Centre of Excellence in Observational Oceanography (NF-POGO) Centre of Excellence. The Nippon Foundation has long been committed to building global capacity to observe, understand and protect our greatest asset: the ocean. It is our hope that the Centre of Excellence will provide a world-class training experience that will ensure the next generation of oceanographers who will further expand our understanding of the ocean.”
- Dr. Yohei Sasakawa, chairman, The Nippon Foundation
