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 Department of Nuclear Safety and Security (NS) formulates and implements the IAEA’s nuclear safety and security programme, which encompasses the IAEA’s activities to protect people and the environment from radiation exposure, and responds to the needs of its Member States related to nuclear safety and nuclear security.
The Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety develops and maintains standards for radiation protection, radioactive waste safety, and safety in the transport of radioactive material that enable the beneficial uses of radiation to be exploited while ensuring appropriate protection of workers, the public, patients and the environment. It also assists Member States in the implementation of these standards and provides related services.
The Radiation Safety and Monitoring Section is responsible for the delineation of an international programme to protect workers, patients and the public from all types of exposure to natural or artificial radiation, in line with the most recent scientific knowledge and information. The Section is also responsible for the provision of radiation safety technical services to staff members and experts who may be exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of activities conducted by the IAEA.

Main Purpose

The main purpose of the internship is to provide support in the area of radiation protection of patients and medical staff, and in this way to develop own skills and abilities. To develop competences in the field of radiation protection for the medical use of ionizing radiation and learn how to implement the radiation protection principles, as well as to understand the importance of teamwork as a strategy to strengthen the radiation protection safety culture in a medical imaging and radiotherapy department. The scope of the work will include development of online surveys, analysis of collected data and preparation of reports and scientific publications. The intern should also develop tools for improving knowledge and awareness among medical professionals, patients and public, such as posters, leaflets, videos and e-learning materials.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Support in the development of new tools for education and training and for improving knowledge and awareness in radiation protection in medicine available to Member States;
• Assist with development of new e-learning material on specialized topics pertaining to radiation protection in medical uses of radiation;
• Contribute to analysis of medical radiation protection data to support drafting of reports and scientific papers for publication.

Qualifications and Experience

• University Degree – Medical Physics, Physics, or other relevant field
• Knowledge of types of ionizing radiation, radiation interaction and biological effects (Required)
• Skills in using software for statistical analyses, publications and presentations (Asset)
• Knowledge of medical uses of ionizing radiation (Asset)
• Experience in the compilation, processing and reporting of information;
• Experience working with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint);
• Excellent oral and written command of English. Knowledge of other official IAEA languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.

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.