Fieldwork Opportunities
last edited: November 3, 2023
Below you can find a list of fieldwork opportunities that we collected for students and PhD candidates for a webinar in March 2021.
Do you have more resources that you would like to share with your fellow students? Contact us and we will update this list!
University excursions
Study programs in Geology, Environmental Sciences, Physical Geography and others may offer a wide range of excursions and field trips to gain practical knowledge and experiences in the field.
💡 Click yourself through the webpages of the universities to see whether excursions are an integral part of your desired degree program.
Fieldwork during your PhD project
Finding a PhD project can be hard and one which may involve taking part in an expedition even harder. Of course, having fieldwork in your PhD should not be the only reason to choose it in the first place, but knowing where to look for these opportunities is key. Institutions that have a long history or known involvements in fieldwork projects could be here your first address.
Summer schools
During a semester abroad, in your semester break or during your PhD – there are some polar/ice related summer schools out there to network, learn and be out in the field with fellow students or colleagues.
💡 Some courses are for PhD students only and others may have only run for some years
- University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)
- Karthaus summer school , Italian Alps
- International Summer School in Glaciology, Alaska, USA
- Snow School in the French Alps
- Courses in Greenland
- Juneau Icefield Research Program in the US
- ACDC summer school (organised by UiB Bergen, Norway); Link to 2023 summer school: here.
- GRISO (Greenland Ice Sheet Ocean Science Network) Summer schools or workshops (not all may have fieldwork)
- ECORD Summer Schools (European Consortium for ocean drilling research)
Check also the overview on the UArctic webpage!
A note on equipment
Polar fieldwork normally requires special equipment starting with warm clothes or good and sturdy boots. For these, own funds may be needed. But: do also make sure to ask your project or student organizations. Most often they have or know places to borrow needed clothing.
... and as always: Stay informed!
For what is granted, you have to create fieldwork opportunities yourself, get informed and stay connected. For this, mailinglists and young researcher networks, such as APECS Germany, are a good place to not miss any project proposals, advertisments, PhD offers etc.
- APECS – Association of Polar Early Career Scientists
- PYRN – Permafrost Young Researchers Network
- YES – Young Earth Scientists Network
- Royal Geographical Society
- International Glaciological Society (IGS)
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Polarforschung (DGP)
- Sign up for mailing lists like Cryolist or Met-Jobs
On Arctic fieldwork with TACTiC-A
Apply for a research plan with RV Mirai during an Arctic Cruise from August to October 2023!
Let’s Talk Fieldwork: Workshop summary
Let’s talk Fieldwork
