WHIRLSchool is a capacity sharing, shipboard training program offering an immersive, at-sea experience aboard the SA Agulhas II (26 June–27 July 2026 in the Cape Basin), where students will engage in hands-on learning through lectures by scientists, onboard sampling and experimental activities, and opportunities to contribute to ongoing WHIRLS research. Early-career researchers are invited to apply by submitting the application form with the endorsement of their supervisor by 26 April 2026. This opportunity is directed to students from South African Institutions.
Preamble
WHIRLS is a large research program focused on how ocean circulation around South Africa impacts local and large-scale climate and ecosystems [www.whirls.eu]. The program, led by investigators from South Africa, France, Sweden, and Germany, involves detailed multi-platform in situ observations and a hierarchy of state-of-the-art numerical simulations, aided by artificial intelligence. The overarching goal of WHIRLS is to improve our understanding of ocean fine-scale dynamics, from the submesoscale (1-10 km) to the mesoscale (10-100 km), and their role in ocean-atmosphere interactions. The major WHIRLS field campaign will be conducted from 26 June to 27 July 2026 in the Cape Basin. It will involve a fleet of autonomous platforms and two research vessels – the French Marion Dufresne and the South African SA Agulhas II.
Invitation:
Early-career researchers (ECRs; including M.Sc. and Ph.D. students, and Postdoctoral Researchers) are invited to apply to participate in a capacity sharing program (“WHIRLSchool”) aboard the SA Agulhas II during the WHIRLS field campaign. WHIRLSchool participants will engage in an immersive, at-sea training experience that integrates cutting-edge science with hands-on learning. The program includes lectures delivered by national and international WHIRLS researchers and collaborators, to provide an understanding of the Agulhas Current System and its role in regional and global ocean circulation and climate processes, as well as insight into ongoing WHIRLS research. Participants will gain practical skills by joining onboard research teams in their sampling and experimental activities. Where feasible, participants may be able to collect their own samples to further their postgraduate research (see Eligibility below). During and after the cruise, participants will also be expected to deliver presentations about their research, fostering scientific exchange and collaboration within the WHIRLS program.
Eligibility:
ECRs currently registered/appointed at a South African higher education institution are eligible to apply. Successful applicants must have a valid passport, with an expiration date of no earlier than 1 November 2026, and will be required to pass a sea-going medical examination to allow cruise participation. For successful applicants, the WHIRLS program will cover the costs of this medical examination and fund a return airline ticket between any South African airport and Cape Town (as well as one to two nights of accommodation in Cape Town, if required, before and/or after the cruise).
Two categories of applicants will be considered (supervisor endorsement is required in both cases):
Category 1: ECRs whose ongoing research would directly benefit from the opportunity to collect samples in the Cape Basin, provided these can be accommodated within the core WHIRLS sampling campaign, and are not already included as core WHIRLS data- and sample sets. Appendix A lists the data- and sample sets that will be collected during the field campaign, including those that will be made available to all cruise participants, and WHIRLS researchers and collaborators once quality controlled and archived online. Any other research expenses (consumables, sample analysis costs, equipment requirements, sample and equipment shipping, etc.) must be covered by the applicant’s supervisor.
Category 2: ECRs whose research is not directly aligned with sampling activities of the WHIRLS field campaign, but who would nonetheless benefit from the opportunities offered by WHIRLSchool. These applicants are not required to be enrolled in a marine or environmental science program (although they must be enrolled in a postgraduate degree program), provided they can strongly motivate for how their participation in WHIRLSchool will support their development as researchers.
How to Apply
- Complete this application form, with the endorsement of your supervisor, by typing in your details and motivational text below; no handwritten applications will be accepted.
- In addition to this form, applicants must provide:
- Proof of registration/appointment at a South African higher education/research institute
- Recent academic transcript
- Electronic copies of valid passport and ID
- Email your application as a single pdf file to Dr Sheveenah Sunnassee-Taukoor by 26 April 2026 [sunnasseetaukoor@uct.ac.za]; no late applications will be considered.
- Successful applicants will be notified by 5 May 2026.
For questions, contact Dr Sunnassee-Taukoor or A/Prof Sarah Fawcett [sarah.fawcett@uct.ac.za].
Find out more information about this opportunity and apply here.