Call For Applications: Citizen Science & Environmental Action Network In Iraq

The Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS) at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) is currently accepting applications from university students in the provinces of Baghdad, Basra and Sulaymaniyah to join the “Citizen Science & Environmental Action Network in Iraq.” The Network will kick off its activities in August with a training workshop (3 days) on citizen science and community-led environmental monitoring.

Based on the belief that citizens and communities should have the data they need to ensure a healthy and safe environment, this workshop aims to teach the fundamentals of “citizen science”. Students will learn how to apply citizen science in the following:

• Water and air quality testing
• Assessing impacts of environmental pollution on health
• Leveraging data to build effective environmental campaigns

Over the course of one residential session (August 2-4) in Sulaimaniyah, 30 students from these provinces will gain knowledge on community-led environmental monitoring and citizen science and how to use citizen science tools for water and air quality monitoring to develop evidence-based advocacy campaigns and bottom-up accountability mechanisms. The training workshop is delivered with the help of environmental monitoring and citizen science experts and is part of a new program that IRIS is developing in collaboration with Pax for Peace. After the workshop, students will participate in additional field visits for environmental monitoring in Baghdad, Basra, and Sulaimaniyah.

Interested applicants can fill this application form by July 7, 2024 9:00 AM BGD time. Applications sent after the deadline or missing the required documents will not be considered. If you have any questions about the training workshop or the application process, please get in touch via email iris@auis.edu.krd.

Qualifications:

• Applicants must currently be enrolled in a bachelors or masters degree program at a university in Sulaymaniyah, Basrah or Baghdad. All fields are accepted. (Applicants from students enrolled in universities outside these 3 provinces will not be accepted.)
• Applicants must demonstrate a track record of involvement in environmental action and advocacy.
• Applicants must be between 18 and 28 years old.