OOI Internships Announcement

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership offers Washington, DC-based internships for students at Ocean Leadership member institutions. Over the years, interns have come from a variety of backgrounds, disciplines and institutions in the academic and government sectors and have made many valuable contributions to the mission and work of Ocean Leadership.

Ocean Leadership ocean observing internships are designed to further professional development for current or recently graduated students and provide assistance to the Ocean Leadership full-time ocean observing staff.  In addition to project work relevant to each intern’s research, area of concentration, or degree, each participant will learn about the various national and international projects in ocean science that contribute to an integrated global observing system. Participants will have the opportunity to work on specific projects with ocean scientists and engineers who are directly engaged in the construction of the Ocean Observatories Initiative.
The Ocean Observatories Initiative management team is particularly interested in applicants with skills in the following areas:

  • Electrical, Mechanical, or Systems Engineering
  • Information Technology
  • Display Model Development
  • Communications and Science Outreach

Preference is given to students in good standing at an Ocean Leadership member institution therefore it is recommended that interested students seek out support for their application from their university’s Ocean Leadership representative via a sponsorship letter. Applicants should have strong written and communications skills and demonstrate an ability to take personal initiative. Interested applicants should provide a writing sample (less than 3 pages), a cover letter, a C.V. or resume, and a letter of recommendation (or sponsorship letter) from a university representative or faculty member.

Internships are available year-round and Ocean Leadership provides a base stipend of $1500 per month. Institutions are encouraged, but not required, to match stipends for a minimum of 2 months and cover intern travel costs to and from DC. The intern’s medical insurance coverage will remain with his or her individual policy or student group health insurance.

Internships typically follow the academic semester schedule, but specific start and end dates are flexible.  Individuals who gain interest after the application deadline should contact Emily Griffin (information below) to inquire about availability.

  • Spring Semester: January – May (November 15 application deadline)
  • Summer Semester:  June – August (April 15 application deadline)
  • Fall Semester:  September-December (July 30 application deadline)

For more information, contact Emily Griffin: 1201 New York Ave., N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005. (202) 787-1615, e-mail:  egriffin@oceanleadership.org