Intern in the Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department, WorldCereal System
Internship Opportunity in the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes.
Location
| Frascati |
Our team and mission
This position is based at the ESA Centre for Earth Observation (ESRIN) - Frascati, Italy
The Applications Section (EOP-SGA) is primarily engaged in research and development (R&D) for Earth observation-based solutions that address both European and global environmental and development agendas. Our projects typically involve key stakeholders throughout the design, development, and validation phases to ensure that the innovative EO-based solutions are effectively integrated into end-users’ operational systems and practices. The EOP-SGA team, based at the ESRIN site of ESA, comprises nine EO experts, each overseeing specific domains where EO data is utilized, including marine, carbon, and agriculture, among others.
Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int
Field(s) of activity for the internship
Topic of the internship: Exploring the efficient utilization of ground truth data to enhance image classification in agriculture
You will identify, evaluate, and prioritize potential in situ datasets for the data-poor regions identified by the WorldCereal project (https://esa-worldcereal.org/en). Harvesting geotagged photos and using AI for automatic classification will also be explored.
The WorldCereal system has an automated upload and harmonization procedure that you will use to add the most promising datasets to the reference database. Since this procedure is new, you will advise on the further development of the module based on your experiences to improve and automate its various steps. A key element is mapping the original crop labels to the WorldCereal crop-type classification. An AI-assisted mapping is currently being developed, and you can also contribute to this effort.
Within the WorldCereal project, we are also developing rules to assess the quality of datasets, and you will assist us in refining these rules, such as extending them to location-specific assessments.
Behavioural competencies
Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking
For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook
Education
You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of a university course at Master’s level and you need to remain enrolled at your University for the entire duration of the internship.
Additional requirements
The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.
Knowledge and background in Earth observation, image analysis, and data processing are assets.
Other information
ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.
At the Agency we value diversity, and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us via email at contact.human.resources@esa.int.
Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia, as Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus as European Cooperating States (ECS).