What does the EMB Young Ambassador Programme entail?
EMB Young Ambassadors can be a PhD candidate (in the first two years of PhD) or Post-Doc (with at least two years left on current contract) with experience in marine-based research (including natural and social sciences, and humanities) that are willing to use their creativity, imagination, communication and interpersonal skills to help promote marine science and EMB activities. EMB Young Ambassadors engage with EMB for a period of two years to promote various activities amongst their peers. This long-term programme helps the ambassadors to get involved in EMB projects from start to finish, and meet and liaise with European and international experts throughout. Given this longer period, we mainly engage with PhD & Post-Doc candidates who are at the beginning of their contract.
EMB Ambassadors will be invited to participate in various EMB activities, including attending and participating in one or more EMB Plenary meeting(s) and/or other events or workshops. They may also have the option to participate in other external event or activities. This might include travel within Europe for a duration of two-three days, participation in online activities, and various communication activities (e.g. preparing infographics, cartoons or short video’s) to promote the recommendations of EMB publications. The EMB will refund reasonable registration fee, travel and subsistence expenses for these events and activities, and/or reasonable expenses for agreed communication outputs up to a total amount of 3,000 EUR for the two-year programme. Furthermore, the Ambassador will receive a total grant of 2,000 EUR (paid per semester, upon delivery of demonstrable outputs).
In order to get familiar with the European marine science policy landscape, ambassadors are offered a training workshop (at the EMB offices in Ostend, Belgium where possible) to increase their knowledge on EMB activities and operations, the European marine science policy landscape and to provide insight into working at the science policy interface.
Benefits for the EMB ambassadors:
The EMB ambassador programme creates a unique opportunity to:
- Have bi-monthly meetings with the EMB Secretariat to find out about EMB’s latest activities and plan Ambassador activities;
- Network with senior European and international marine science and policy experts from EMB member organizations and wider stakeholder networks;
- Be given the opportunity to collaborate with a mentor working in marine science;
- Attend and participate in high-level marine science events;
- Put into practice your intercultural, networking, project planning and professional skills in real science communication projects;
- Receive first-hand updates on our progress and insight into our future plans and hot topics;
- Help promote Ocean literacy;
- Receive a stipend of 2,000 EUR spread over the two-year period, and a budget of 3,000 EUR for reasonable expenses within the role;
- Be listed as an Ambassador on the EMB website and gain additional exposure for their activities and work via EMB outputs; and
- Remain in contact with EMB as part of the EMB Ambassador Alumni Programme.
What is next?
The initial call for two EMB Ambassadors was launched in March 2019, and subsequent calls have been made annually in the spring. Ambassadors join the programme for a two-year term and then join the Alumni programme. In this way, EMB will establish an alumni of Young EMB Ambassadors that will carry our actions forward to the next generations.
Fun facts of the EMB Young Ambassador applications
You can find an overview of Ambassador applicants for each year here.
