Internship – Emergency Response (NS/IEC)

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 Safety and Security (NS) formulates and implements the IAEA’s nuclear safety and security programme, which encompasses the IAEA’s activities to protect people and the environment from radiation exposure, and responds to the needs of its Member States related to nuclear safety and nuclear security.

The Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) is part of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security and reports to the Deputy Director General, Head of the Department. The IEC serves as the IAEA’s focal point for preparedness and response to nuclear and radiological incidents and emergencies regardless of their cause, and for strengthening Member States’ preparedness for response.

Main Purpose

The main purpose of the internship is to support the IAEA Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) staff in the improvements of the IAEA Incident and Emergency System (IES) preparedness.

The IEC serves as the IAEA’s focal point for preparedness and response to nuclear and radiological incidents and emergencies regardless of their cause, and for strengthening Member States’ preparedness for response.

The IEC also acts as the custodian of the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency System (IES), the system through which the IAEA maintains a 24/7 capability to respond to a nuclear or radiological emergency, anywhere in the world. The IES brings together trained staff members from various fields, such as management, technical support, liaison, communication and logistics, to respond swiftly to nuclear or radiological incidents or emergencies. The IEC Response Group is responsible for the training and qualification of the staff participating in the IES as well as for the development and militainment of the tools utilised during the response to an incident or emergency.

Functions / Key Results Expected

The intern will:

• Support IEC staff in coordinating and implementing emergency response exercises by researching and compiling technical information on selected nuclear power plants and radioactive materials and developing related scenario and inject products.
• Assist IEC staff in revising the screening system, tools, and collected results (e.g., IES questionnaire) for the inclusion of IAEA staff members in the Incident and Emergency System (IES).
• Assist IEC staff in the revision and enhancement of training materials for various Emergency Response roles within the IES, with a specific focus on the training of the Technical Team responsible for Assessment and Prognosis during a nuclear power plant emergency. This includes aligning with guidelines provided in the recent publication Classification, Assessment and Prognosis During Nuclear Power Plant Emergencies – EPR-NPP-CAP (2024)
• Assist IEC staff in drafting statistical reports on the participation of IAEA staff in the Incident and Emergency System.

Qualifications and Experience

• University degree in nuclear engineering, natural sciences (i.e., chemistry, physics), engineering or a related field.
• A Master’s Degree in nuclear engineering, natural sciences (i.e., chemistry, physics), engineering or a related field is an asset.
• Experience in developing and/or delivering training 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.