Internship on supporting IAEA outreach in climate change mitigation

Duration

6 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 Division of Energy Planning and Nuclear Information and Knowledge comprises the Planning and Economic Studies Section, Nuclear Knowledge Management Section and the Nuclear Information Section. The Division is responsible for strengthening capacities in energy and nuclear power planning, building capacities to manage nuclear knowledge and provide knowledge management services to interested member states, and to procure and provide printed and electronic information in the area of nuclear science and technology.

The Planning and Economic Studies Section has two objectives. One objective is to enhance the capacity of Member States to perform their own analyses related to electricity and energy system development, energy investment planning and energy–environment policy formulation and to understand the associated economic implications. The other objective is to improve understanding of the potential role of nuclear energy in the context of mitigating climate change and contributing to sustainable energy development.

Main Purpose

The main purpose of the internship is to support the IAEA's outreach activities on the role of nuclear energy in mitigating climate change. This work will contribute to the IAEA participation in the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference (COP29), which will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan in November 2024, and for the organization of the IAEA Research Coordination Meeting on Economic Appraisal of Small Modular Reactor Projects\: Methodologies and Applications, to be held at the IAEA Headquarters from 19-23 August 2024. The underlying objective is to effectively communicate the role of nuclear energy in climate change mitigation and adaptation, and aid in promoting the IAEA activities in this area.

Functions / Key Results Expected

Depending on the profile of the selected intern(s), the tasks could include inter alia\:

• Support in the process to renew and update presentation materials on 1) Economics of Nuclear Power and 2) The Role of Nuclear Energy for Sustainable Development, to be used as training material for nuclear energy programmes in IAEA Member States.
• Assist in the preparation and management of webinars on topics such as sustainable finance instruments for nuclear investment and climate resilience of energy infrastructure.
• Support preparation activities on climate change mitigation for the UN COP29 climate conference in Baku in November 2024.
• Facilitate the organization and subsequent follow-ups of technical meetings and workshops focused on the economic modelling of energy systems.
• Support the Research Coordination Meeting on Economic Appraisal of Small Modular Reactor Projects\: Methodologies and Applications, held at IAEA Headquarters, 19 23 August 2024, and preparation of the TECDOC publication in connection with Coordinated Research Project #2241.
• Support activities in coordinating research aimed at providing Member States with an economic evaluation basis and informing the design of policies and strategies enabling the development and deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs).
• Assist in drafting reports on economic evaluation of development and deployment of SMRs and assessment of macroeconomic impacts of nuclear power plant projects.

Qualifications and Experience

• University degree in the field of social sciences, international relations or economics
• Experience in creating presentation materials, organizing seminars, symposia, conferences or similar events.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and affinity with energy policy making.
• Familiarity with nuclear energy technology is a plus.

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.