Programme on exchange/placement of students in R&D

PROMARC: General description

Attracting young, new researchers and innovators to the Marine Technology sector is a key issue if the EU wants to maintain and expand its capabilities in advanced maritime technologies research, development and innovation.

In order to achieve this, PROMARC will cater for two separated groups:

  • School aged children looking to decide on a degree program
  • University students and recent graduates deciding on a career path.

Work Package 6 of the Project is in charge of the second group. To stimulate and attract university graduates to careers in research and innovation it is necessary to demonstrate them that exciting challenging careers are available in this sector. This task will be tackled through appropriate communication and education campaigns, which include these four specific activities:

  • Summer schools based on the latest research in the key subject areas.
  • Academic competitions on selected topics.
  • Thematic Workshops which will act as a platform for exchange of ideas, knowledge and experience on the latest R&D with both undergraduates and researchers.
  • Exchange/placement scheme for students to help young students gain experience of working in research and innovative product development.

The present action is related to the last of these four points. Its objective is to establish schemes of exchange/placement according to the results from WP2, 3 and 4, which have identified hydrodynamics as a potential field. Thus, a group of well-known European hydrodynamics institutions were consulted for the possibility of taking students for a stage. Also, “Hydro Testing Alliance” has been contacted. One of this network’s objectives is “Excellence in skills and performance and expanding the benefits to industry and academic education”. This fits perfectly with PROMARC objectives and there is a great chance for collaboration between projects.

Conditions

This programme is prepared for undergraduate or postgraduate students in naval architecture or marine engineering[1]. Each exchange program will last at least three months (in the period May- September). Although, there are some economic resourcesfrom the project itself, some financial support from the student/graduates institution would be necessary. However, these conditions might differ from one host institution to other.

Application

Applicants must deliver:

  1. Application form.
  2. Curriculum Vitae (no more than two pages)[2].

This should be delivered during March in the student institution, so all the appliances must be in the Committee’s hands by the last week of March.

Selection process and criteria

Thisselection will be made by the Organiser Committee.

The selection process will follow this phases:

  • Each application will be checked if it suits with the requirements. If not, the applicant will be requested to change it via e-mail. Since this moment he will have one week to send it correctly.
  • Once the Committee have all the definite appliances in his hands, the decision will be based on:
  • Languages: A good level in the host language will be well valorised. If it is not possible, a good level of English will be required.
  • Curriculum Vitae.
  • Period for exchange and duration (longer periods will be better valorised).

Schedule

Every appliance must have been delivered to the committee before the 30th of March.

During the last week of April results will be published.

After this moment, it is the university (or the student himself) which has to contact the host institution in orderto agree on all the conditions of the exchange (always starting from the conditions abovementioned).

Exchange possibilities

CEHIPAR

CEHIPAR (Canal de Experiencias Hidrodinámicas de El Pardo, known also as El Pardo Model Basin) was founded in 1928 by the Spanish Navy. Now, it is an independent public centre for research, technological development and technical services. It studies and makes model tests and does R+D into hydrodynamic aspects involved in the construction of military, merchant, fishing and recreational seagoing vessels.

Its facilities include a Calm Water Towing Tank, a Cavitation Tunnel, a Ship Dynamics Laboratory, and two workshops.

CEHINAV

CEHINAV is the model basin in the School of Naval Architecture of Technical University of Madrid (UPM). Its facilities comprises a calm water basin, with a wave generator and a towing carriage; a workshop with a CNC 5-axis Machining Centre, a bench for testing anti-roll tanks, and a computer network were CFD, seakeeping calculations and the analysis of the various experimental measures are performed.

The calm water basin was inaugurated in 1967 in order that students of naval architecture would be put in contact with the methods of experimentation in hydrodynamics. Now, it is also used for the optimization of ship hull design and forward resistance assessment, in addition to its important academic labour.

University of Southampton: Ship science school

The University of Southampton is already one of the top 15 research universities in the UK and has achieved consistently high scores for its teaching and learning activities.

The School of Engineering Sciences has extensive resources for research, these include:

  • A world-class wind tunnel complex (from low speed to hypersonic)
  • A towing test tank
  • Transportation Systems Research Laboratory (TSRL)
  • Bioengineering Laboratory (cell culture, tissue characterisation, microscopy and fabrication of lab-on-chip devices)
  • Autonomous Vehicle Control Systems Laboratory
  • Science and Engineering Electron Microscopy Centre (scanning and transmission electron microscopes)
  • Thick film unit
  • Tribology Laboratory
  • Six design studios containing specialist equipment, including Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM)
  • The Engineering Development and Manufacturing Centre (EDMC) which provides a professional engineering design service for staff (as well as students and industry)

The NationalTechnicalUniversity of Athens (NTUA):School of Naval Architecture and MarineEngineeringSchool

The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) is the oldest and most prestigious educational institution of Greece in the field of technology.

It’s Naval Architecture and MarineEngineeringSchool aim has always been to provide education and carry out research in all fields related to Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

Also, since its inception the School has been heavily involved in research activities. One important milestone in this area was the commencement of the activities of the Experimental Towing Tank in 1979.

MARIN

The Maritime Research Institute Netherlands was founded in 1929 as the Netherlands Ship Model Basin (NSMB) by the Dutch government and industry. Work was started in 1932, following completion of the deep water towing tank.At present, approximately 300 people work at MARIN; together they are responsible for a turnover of € 33 million. 85% is earned on the commercial worldwide maritime market.

To fulfil its design and verification services, MARIN has an exceptional range of model testing, computationtools, simulation tools, full-scale measurement and training facilities; between which are included:

  • Seakeeping and manoeuvring basin
  • Offshore basin
  • Deepwater towing tank
  • Depressurised towing tank
  • High speed basin
  • Shallow water basin
  • Cavitation Tunnel
  • Simulators as: Fast-time simulators, full mission bridge simulators and VTS simulators.
  • Three computer clusters targeted for computational tools with a total of 1500 processors.

INSEAN

The Italian Ship Model Basin (INSEAN) is a research institution with expertise in the field of naval and marine hydrodynamics. It was founded in 1927, sponsored by the Italian Government. Nowadays, it is under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport.

Its facilities include: two towing tanks, a circulating water channel, a hydraulic channel, a manoeuvring basin and technichal support labs.

Since 1990, theoretical and numerical research has further developed, leading INSEAN to be acknowledged worldwide as a prominent research institution in the field of naval hydrodynamics.

University of Strathclyde: Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME)

With an illustrious 125 year history, the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering is a key provider of marine technology expertise in the UK and beyond.

Between its research facilities are included two test tanks for research and learning related to the design, construction, operation and maintenance of ships, offshore structures and other marine vehicles:

  • The 75m-long tank at Kelvin Hydrodynamics laboratory
  • Henry Dyer Wave/Towing tank

They are used for research, student’s projects and also commercial testing.

An Excel page with a resume of the different institutions and their particular conditions is attached

[1]Participants must be, at least, at their thirdyear of study. It’s required a good level at English.

[2]any certificate referred on it must be accredited by a photocopy of the appropriate document.