The AAE is offering the exciting opportunity for four postgraduate (PhD) students to join us as volunteers on the expedition.

To be eligible you must be a registered postgraduate student and be able to place your studies on hold for a minimum of 3 weeks between the 23 November 2013 and the 6 January 2014. The successful applicants will support the scientific team and the communication of their results on the expedition.

To apply we are looking for a two-minute YouTube movie clip explaining why you want to join the expedition and how you feel this will help you in your future career. Submissions must be uploaded using a YouTube account and the URL sent to us via the ‘Contact AAE’ page along with the title of your PhD and the name and contact details of your two supervisors. Make sure your submission is set to ‘Privacy Settings: Unlisted’ or you will be sharing your application with the world!

This will be a challenging but rewarding role, operating in a hostile environment, and working closely between the expedition and public. We must emphasize this should not be considered a holiday or supporting your current research programme; instead joining the AAE will provide valuable training in science communication and add significantly to your c.v. We welcome applications from all disciplines. While on the expedition all costs will be covered but you must be able to fund your travel to and from Hobart and/or southern New Zealand.

Deadline for submissions is 5 pm Australian Eastern Seaboard Time, 13 September 2013. We anticipate contacting shortlisted candidates for an online interview sometime during October.

Details on the expedition can be found at www.spiritofmawson.com.

A recent interview on ABC 24 outlining the expedition can be seen at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-08/antarctic-expedition-to-walk-in-mawsons-footsteps/4741798

You can also get regular updates on the AAE by subscribing to one of the following:

1. +Intrepid Science (with Google+),

2. Chris Turney-Intrepid Science YouTube Channel

3. @ProfChrisTurney (Twitter)