Intern in the Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department - Forest Applications

ESA - European Space Agency; Frascati; In loco; EUR 10.000 - 15.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

ESA's Forest Applications internship in the Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department, based in Frascati, offers hands-on experience with BIOMASS and Sentinel data to support forest conservation and policy development.

You will help develop forest carbon and biodiversity indicators, map land cover within protected areas, and evaluate ecosystem condition while gaining exposure to international teams and projects.

Competenze

• Must be a university student in your final or penultimate year (Master's).
• You must be enrolled at your university for the entire duration of the internship.
• Working languages are English and French; knowledge of another ESA language is a plus.

Mansioni

• Conduct research using BIOMASS and Sentinel data to develop forest carbon and biodiversity indicators.
• Map land cover and land cover change within protected areas using long-term EO time series.
• Evaluate ecosystem condition by tracking vegetation health, fragmentation, or recovery after disturbance.
• Assist in preparing conference materials; participate in project meetings and inter-section discussions.

Descrizione del lavoro

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Intern in the Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department - Forest Applications

Job Requisition ID: 21174

Date Posted: 1 November 2026

Closing Date: 30 November 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Directorate: Earth Observation Programmes

Workplace: Frascati, IT

Our team and mission

The Applications Section is primarily engaged in research and development (R&D) for Earth observation-based solutions that address both European and global environmental and development agendas.

The typical projects of the EOP-SGA Section involve key stakeholders throughout the co-design, development, and validation phases to ensure that the innovative EO-based solutions are effectively integrated into end-users’ operational systems and practices.

The Applications Section, based at the ESRIN site of ESA, comprises several EO experts, each overseeing specific domains where EO data is utilised, including marine, carbon, and agriculture, among others.

Topic of the internship: Forest Applications

1) Your first core task will involve a research-based exercise:

About 21% of the world’s forest area is currently designated under legal protection. These forests are highly valuable for carbon storage and sustaining biodiversity. However, high annual rates of tree cover loss continue to this day, with impacts both on forest carbon stocks and their biodiversity. It therefore remains difficult to assess how effective protected area designation is as a forest conservation tool. The legal status of a protected area does not automatically mean that active protection is being implemented, particularly in regions with limited financial resources for conservation.

ESA’s Sentinel missions are widely used to monitor forests by providing frequent, consistent, and freely available satellite data on forests. In April 2025, ESA also launched the BIOMASS mission with a novel P-band synthetic aperture radar designed to deliver crucial information about forest conditions, changes, and their role in the carbon cycle.

You will utilise BIOMASS mission data in synergy with several other EO missions (particularly the Sentinels) to achieve the following:

• develop forest (a) carbon and (b) structural/functional biodiversity indicators for protected areas;
• map land cover and land cover change within protected boundaries using long-term EO time series, comparing trends inside protected areas with surrounding unprotected lands;
• evaluate ecosystem condition, for example by tracking vegetation health, fragmentation, or recovery after disturbance;
• summarise key findings that will concisely and accurately inform international/national policies aimed at forest conservation.

2) Your second task will involve support activities to the Applications Section of EOP, Green Solutions Division. These tasks are aimed at developing management skills and soft skills, supporting the overall career development of the candidate. Some activities include:

• design and preparation of materials for conferences/meetings held at ESRIN;
• participation in project meetings, assisting in review of ESA project reports;
• participation in inter-section meetings (e.g. with ESA PhiLab), co-development of research ideas and agendas.

You will utilise ESA-supported cloud computing platforms for conducting your research. By the end of the internship, you will demonstrate practical experience in scalable Earth Observation processing, applied analytical methods for land monitoring, product validation and uncertainty assessment, and stakeholder-driven development in an international setting. You will also develop a broader understanding of how EO-derived forest information supports international policy and reporting frameworks.

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking

You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of university course at Master's level. In addition, you must be able to prove that you will be enrolled at your university for the entire duration of the internship.

Additional requirements

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another ESA Member State language is an asset.

During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored.

In addition to the standard requirements in the form, the following would be considered an asset:

• experience with Earth Observation for land cover mapping and multi temporal satellite data processing; familiarity with forest ecosystems is an asset;
• knowledge of machine learning and deep learning for image and time series analysis;
• experience with cloud or high performance computing environments;
• ability to communicate results clearly in writing and presentations and to collaborate effectively with international partners.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness
ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics.

At the Agency we value diversity, and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us via email at [e-mail] .

Important Information and Disclaimer
During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undertake selection tests.

The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding internship conditions is correct at the time of publication. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have.

Nationality

Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Applicants from Canada as a Cooperating State can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).