Vacancies

Diploma-Integrated Internship in Agriculture, Fisheries & Climate Change

Reference: INT2501
Date posted: 2025.09.25
Closing data and time: 2025.10.25, 11.59 p.m. (Sri Lankan time)
Internship duration: 03 months (December - February)

🔴 About the Position

The Institute of Sustainable Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences (ISAFE) is conducting an island-wide research and development project on climate change adaptation and mitigation in coastal fishing and farming communities in Sri Lanka.

We invite committed undergraduate students to apply for an internship that combines academic research with practical fieldwork. The intern will support the third phase of the project, carrying out survey-based studies while completing the undergraduate research requirement of their degree.

🔴 Eligibility

• Must be a registered undergraduate student at the time of application.

• Must have completed at least two years of study at a local university or at a foreign institution located in Sri Lanka.

• Preference will be given to students following a Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Commerce, or Arts, involving the fields of Agriculture, Fisheries, Environmental Science, Marine and Coastal Sciences, with subject combinations such as Coastal Zone Management, Climate Science, Natural Resource Management, Social Sciences, Rural Development, Geography, Management, or other environment- and climate-related subjects, or any other combinations suitable for the project scope.

• Applicants must demonstrate sufficient knowledge and capacity for field research. First- and second-year students who are unable to fully commit to a research project should not apply.

🔴 Required Skills and Competencies

• Ability to conduct surveys and interviews with farmers and fishermen in rural coastal communities.

• Capacity to plan, organize, and execute focus group discussions, pilot surveys, and field surveys across coastal districts.

• Skills to form and lead a supportive team for fieldwork.

• Ability to develop links with government authorities, civil society organizations, and community groups.

• Proficiency in English for documentation, reporting, and communication.

• Ability to work in both Sinhala and Tamil is a strong advantage. If fluent in only one language, the applicant must arrange support for the other (by him- or her-self).

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and deliver results within the three-month timeframe.

🔴 Responsibilities

• Design, plan, and conduct focus group discussions, pilot surveys, and field surveys (structured questionnaire-based interviews and discussions) across all coastal districts of Sri Lanka.

• Adapt and refine survey instruments (questionnaires) as needed.

• Document and report data in a timely manner, ensuring proper data entry, submission, and quality control.

• Maintain regular communication with ISAFE via email, WhatsApp, Zoom, or Teams.

• Submit daily progress updates through a logbook or diary.

• Produce a comprehensive internship report at the end of the internship for evaluation and grading.

🔴 Conditions of Appointment

• The internship must serve as the student’s official undergraduate research project, requiring full-time commitment.

• The project duration is strictly three months; extensions will not be granted. The internship will be effective from 01 December, 2025 to 28 February 2026.  

• This is a temporary research position, not permanent employment. Also, it doesn't lead to a permanent position at ISAFE.

• The intern must sign a contract with ISAFE, co-signed by the Dean of the student’s faculty, to address responsibilities and data security.

• Applicants must submit proof of studentship through a letter from the Dean of the faculty (of the student's university) confirming enrollment (the studentship and status) and providing a recommendation. 

• A separate recommendation letter may also be submitted if desired.

• No formal training for the research work will be provided. Applicants must already possess the necessary knowledge and skills for independent fieldwork. However, there will be certain agenda to cover the points needed in qualifying for a Diploma.

• The intern must use a g-mail account in order to login into Moodle or Google Classroom accounts, to participate in the events conducted by the institution. 

• By default, this internship is a non-paid position, meaning that no compensation or salary will be given to the intern (university student), as this serves as an opportunity for him/her to earn experience and qualifications. However, for an experienced candidate with relevant previous experience (at least one year), a compensation can be discussed and negotiated. 

🔴 Benefits

• Opportunity to co-author a research paper in a reputed international journal with the principal investigator.

• Freedom and institutional support to publish an additional paper, first-authored by the intern, based on a separate component of the project.

• Certificate of completion for the internship.

• Eligibility for a diploma upon satisfactory performance, subject to assessment by a professional panel.

• Official recommendation letter signed by the principal investigator and ISAFE management, highlighting contributions, skills, and achievements.

• References for future opportunities such as employment, scholarships, or studentships.

• Depending on skills and prior experience, ISAFE may consider providing limited remuneration or travel expense coverage, subject to conditions.

🔴 Application

• Applications consisting of a comprehensive CV, cover letter, a letter of proof (from the university), copies of certificates for educational and professional qualifications, and recommendation letters, must be submitted to ISAFE via the online application form. No application or document should be e-mailed or posted unless the candidate is informed by the institute to do so.

• The closing date and time of applications will be 11.59 p.m. (Sri Lankan time) on 25 October 2025.

• Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

• ISAFE is an equal opportunity organization that values diversity and is committed to gender equality. Selection will be based solely on the applicant’s qualifications, skills, knowledge, previous experience, perspectives, and attitudes. 

• Any attempt to influence the recruitment process through personal, political, or institutional means will lead to immediate disqualification of the applicant. ISAFE upholds a strict merit-based selection policy. 

• By applying, the applicant acknowledges and agrees that ISAFE reserves the exclusive right to shortlist candidates, conduct background checks, arrange and carry out interviews, and make final decisions regarding selection or non-selection, with or without prior notification.

• Applicants who require further details or clarification are encouraged to contact us through: interact@isafe.earth.

Apply for the Position ▶️