The AIR Centre announces the exciting opportunity for two (2) Early Career Ocean Professional (ECOP) to attend the Intergenerational Dialogue Session at the 2025 All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) Forum. This forum will take place during the week of 22 – 26 September 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. Find more information about the event here.
Event: Intergenerational Dialogue Session
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Dates: 22-26 September 2025
Application Deadline: 15 June 2025 23:59 (CET)
Eligibility Criteria
- Affiliation: Must be affiliated with an organisation based in an AIR Centre’s country member that contributes to AAORIA principles and initiatives (check countries here).
- Career Stage: Must be an early career ocean professional (ECOP), following the UN definition: “An ECOP is a person that self-identifies as being early in their career, within 10 years or less of professional experience in any field related to the ocean. This definition includes post-secondary students and any volunteer roles, so not only employed/paid positions. The term ‘professional’ is used in order to be inclusive of professionals from various sectors of society.”
- Age limit: under the age of 35 years of age.
- Interest: Demonstrated interest in ocean-related research, innovation, and policy
development. - Diversity: Encouraged participation from diverse backgrounds, including
underrepresented groups in ocean sciences.
Application and Submission Process
- Expression of Interest (EOI): Complete the EOI form detailing your background, motivation, and expected contribution to the session. Please note that you may need to apply for a visa to be eligible to travel for this event (see guidance information here).
- Provide a Support Letter: Include a letter of support from your home organization explaining how your participation in the dialogue session will benefit your organisation as well as the AIR Centre’s and the AAORIA’s network.
- Make a single PDF with all documents: completed EIO form, Support Letter and any relevant documents (e.g. short CV) and email it to tania.chen@aircentre.org.
- Submission Deadline: 15 June 2025 23:59 (CET).
Selection Process
Selected candidates will be notified by 30 June 2025. Upon selection, ECOPs must confirm their participation by 7 July 2024, 23:59 (CET) and should immediately apply for a visa if applicable.
Funding Considerations
The AIR Centre will fund travel, accommodation, visa, visa-related costs, meals and local transportation.
Travel and accommodation will be booked directly by the AIR Centre. Travel arrangements will be made as soon as we receive your participation confirmation or as soon as your visa is granted (if applicable).
Visa, visa-related fees, meals and local transportation will be paid via reimbursement by bank transfer upon submission of the following documentation:
- Participation report: summarizing and analyze the outcomes of your participation;
- Original physical boarding pass;
- Original invoice for the visa;
- All original paper documents (receipt or invoices).
If all receipt or invoices are in digital format (PDF), these can be submitted via email to Tânia Li Chen at tania.chen@aircentre.org. However, if receipt or invoices are only available as physical documentation / printed in paper, these need to be sent via mail to the AIR Centre’s Lisbon Office at Avenida Professor Gama Pinto 2, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal.
Contact Information
For more information about the call for Expression of Interest, please contact Tânia Li Chen at tania.chen@aircentre.org.
