The Center for International Forestry Research advances human wellbeing, environmental conservation and equity by conducting research to inform policies and practices that affect forests in developing countries. We are one of 15 centres within the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Our headquarters are in Bogor, Indonesia, and we have offices in Asia, Africa and South America.
CIFOR is looking for an Intern to join the REDD-ALERT project
Description of the work
The Intern will be a doctoral student researching changes in soil N2O, NO, CO2 and CH4 fluxes from the conversion of tropical peat swamp forests. She or he will conduct year-round sampling of soil N2O, NO, CH4 and CO2 fluxes from three land cover systems on deep peat in Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia. The land covers are a virgin peat swamp forest, a logged peat swamp forest, and a 5-year-old industrial oil palm plantation on peat. Some intensive measurement periods will be conducted following N application in the oil palm plantation. Apart from trace gases, additional parameters will be measured during sampling: soil temperature and moisture, water table depth, extractable mineral N and litterfall. Mineralization and nitrification potentials will be analysed in the laboratory. Data will be analysed using the HIP model as a guide and simple predictors of annual greenhouse gas fluxes will be identified.
The Intern will be under the supervision of the Research Domain Leader and the Research Fellow in the Forests & Environments Programme.
Requirements
Education, experience and technical skills
- A Doctoral candidate at the research phase of their studies
- Fluency in English; for non-native English speaker, have a high TOEFL score of 550
- Fluency in Indonesian is an advantage
- Good writing skills
- Good knowledge of statistics
Personal attributes and competencies
- Willingness to do challenging fieldwork in areas with limited facilities
- Have initiative and capable of working independently
- Good interpersonal and communication skills
- Have organizational skills and could multitasker
- Be knowledgeable and sensitive to local cultures and customs
Terms and conditions
- The internship program will be for three years.
Application process
- The application deadline is 1 March 2011.
- We will acknowledge all applications, but we will contact only short-listed candidates.
Please send your letter of interest and CV to:
Human Resources Department, CIFOR
cifor-hr@cgiar.org
Please indicate the position in the email subject line.
