JOB DESCRIPTION

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 Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences is responsible for assisting and advising Member States in research and development for the nuclear sciences, especially the physical and chemical sciences. Specifically, the Division provides support to Member States in the following fields: production of radioisotopes and radiolabelled products for applications in health care and industry; radiation source applications; research reactor utilization; applications of accelerators and nuclear instrumentation; nuclear and atomic data for applications; controlled nuclear fusion and isotope hydrology and geochemistry.

Additionally, the nuclear science activities carried out by the Nuclear Data Section and Physics Section in the Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications fall under Major Programme 1.

The Physics Section is responsible for planning and implementing activities in the areas of (i) effective utilization of research reactors and and accelerator-based neutron sources, (ii) fostering relevant research and development and applications using particle accelerators and related instrumentation, and (iii) nuclear fusion science and plasma physics, in order to enable Member States to avail themselves of the benefits of nuclear sciences and technologies. It operates the Nuclear Science and Instrumentation Laboratory, located at the Agency”s Laboratories in Seibersdorf, which assists laboratories in Member States to improve the effective utilization of nuclear spectrometry and related instrumentation by providing technical advice, training, calibration services, assistance with the modification and development of nuclear instruments and with new applications of nuclear spectrometry techniques in various fields, including energy related applications, environmental monitoring, industry, and the study of cultural heritage objects.

Main Purpose

The main purpose of the internship is to conduct experimental work to evaluate elemental composition of materials using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technique. The work will focus mainly on environmental and agriculture-related samples and will be potentially implemented in collaboration with other NA Laboratories in Seibersdorf. The characterization will primarily target the identification and quantification of toxic elements (e.g. As, Pb, Cd and Cr) and elements that play an important role in crop nutrition value (as Fe and Zn). The work will be performed using different instrumentation available at NSIL, i.e. two different energy-dispersive XRF spectrometers. A substantial part of the work will involve sample preparation with different approaches.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• To prepare samples in form of pressed pellets for analysis with energy-dispersive XRF with secondary-targets.
• To prepare samples in the form of suspension and solution after microwave acid digestion for analysis with total-reflection XRF.
• To perform calibration and method validation of the energy-dispersive XRF with secondary targets and the total-reflection XRF spectrometers of NSIL for environmental and agriculture-related samples.
• To perform method validation of the total-reflection XRF spectrometer of NSIL.
• To document the protocols and results achieved.

Qualifications and Experience

• University degree or studies in chemistry, physics or related disciplines.
• Knowledge on chemistry, physics, nuclear spectrometry principles;
• Ability to work independently under supervised guidance.
• Previous experience in laboratory analysis.
• Knowledge of XRF principles is an asset.
• Excellent written and spoken English is essential; fluency in any other IAEA official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian) is an asset.

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.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements