Chevening UNEP-WCMC Scholarships bring students from all regions of the world to work for one year at the World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge. Scholars are expected to work with the Centre’s staff on programmes ranging from managing data about ecosystems and biodiversity, to interpreting and analysing that data to provide assessment and policy analysis. The work will contribute to and help to shape national and international decision–making processes and help to place authoritative biodiversity knowledge at the centre of decision–making.

Aims:

This scheme aims to help young professionals prepare for a role in national and regional policy development and decision–making to resolve biodiversity–related challenges. Successful candidates work alongside UNEP-WCMC staff, helping to enhance the Centre's knowledge base on biodiversity and its conservation, and supporting preparation of information products and services to decision makers ranging from UNEP to the private sector, and from governments to the international environmental agreements.

Eligibility:

Applications will be considered from candidates from any country other than those in the European Union (except for the 2004 Accession States), North America and Canada. Priority will be given to candidates from developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

Successful candidates will be:

• Graduates with proven academic skills.
• Committed to return to their country and contribute to the socio-economic development of their country through implementing new skills and knowledge acquired in the UK.
• Able to show at interview that they possess the personal qualities to benefit from their scholarship and use it to succeed in their chosen career.
• Clear about how their scholarship will benefit their country on their return.
• Able to demonstrate good English Language skills (with an IELTS of 6.5 where applicable).

Funding:  

Each scholarship is currently worth approx. £9,754 per annum, including all allowances. In addition, one economy class air fare to and from the UK will be paid.

Subject areas:

In order to maximise opportunities for building experience, candidates are particularly sought to work on the following areas of the Centre's activities:

• Policy-relevant research on climate change and biodiversity issues
• Enhancing the World Database on Protected Areas
• Delivering indicators for assessing progress in achieving the 2010 global biodiversity target.
• Providing information services related to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
• Research, synthesis, analysis and mapping of marine and coastal biodiversity issues
• Biodiversity informatics ,

Candidates may propose other areas of work based on their own areas of interest and experience provided that this is consistent with the Centre's aims and objectives. A review of the Centre's website (www.unep-wcmc.org) will help to identify relevant areas.

How to apply:

For further information and application form please visit

http://www.unep-wcmc.org/latenews/jobs/chevening/index.htm