Internships

Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI): Internship Programme 2025

Job Highlights

The Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) invites applications for the Internship Programme 2025.

Closing Date: 27 September 2024

The DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Plant Health Biotechnology (CPHB) is coordinating this internship programme.

The CPHB would contribute to the protection of food and plant resources in South Africa (and to some extent Africa), as well as develop human capacity in this important field.

Stiipend

This is a one-year full-time internship with a monthly stipend of at least R9000, depending on the applicant’s academic qualifications.

Job Purpose

The FABI Internship Programme provides interns with a period of experiential learning during which previously acquired knowledge and theory are integrated with practical application and skills development in the plant health research environment or professional setting.

It thus provide interns with the opportunity to gain applied experience, while affording their mentors/supervisors the opportunity to guide their development. Our vision is that the initiative prepare interns for careers in the forestry and agricultural sectors.

About the Internship

The internship draws from the expertise of multiple stakeholders and the training is coordinated with the needs of relevant industries, organizations and government.

The outcomes of the training will provide additional technical support to improve the updating of outdated import requirements; assist with a higher turnover of completed pest risk information packages and pest risk assessments.

This all will contribute positively to increased market access of SA commodities, and help with a positive trade balance. Interns will also contribute to pest and disease diagnostic and extension, surveillance and biological control programs.

Key Performance Areas

By the end of this one-year internship, successful candidates will be acquainted with and able to practically apply the knowledge gained on all of the following:

Plant health and pest/disease threats
Global trade; Pathways of introduction and spread; Examples and case studies; Biosecurity; Quarantine and exclusion

Phytosanitary concepts
International Plant Protection Convention; International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures; Pest and disease risk analysis; Phytosanitary certification; Phytosanitary import/export regulatory systems

Pest and disease diagnostics
Identification of insects, fungi, bacteria and viruses; Field- and laboratory-based identifications; Pest and disease reporting and communication

Disease and pest surveillance
Importance of surveillance; How and why surveillance is implemented; Strategies and methodologies

Pest and disease risk analysis and management
Assessing risk; Commodity-specific management options; Pre- and postharvest practices; Integrated management systems; Biological Control; Systems approaches

Agricultural/Forestry extension
Concept and practice of extension; Target groups and their needs; Stakeholder engagement and awareness; Communication media

Qualifications

South African graduates with a minimum of a BSc Hons degree or a four-year BSc Agric degree. These may include specialization in a range of fields in the biological and agricultural sciences (e.g., genetics, entomology, microbiology, plant pathology, plant breeding, plant production, agricultural extension, etc.).

  • Preferred applicants are those whose appointment would contribute towards achieving demographic representation in FABI.
  • The Internship Programme typically runs from February to February every year.

How to Apply

Applicants should use the online application system: APPLY HERE.

Only applications received by 27 September 2024 will be considered.

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