SUMMER INTERNSHIP & TRAINING PROGRAMS AT BSIP


1. BIRBAL SAHNI SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany (BSIP) has a mandate towards human resource development and capacity building in the country. Towards this goal, BSIP offers summer/winter internship to undergraduate engineering and postgraduate science students. At present, about one hundred scientists and research scholars are engaged in research activities in the field of plant and earth sciences, both on pure and applied aspects. Research in fossil plant taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, evolutionary aspects of plant life through the geological ages, biodiversity, vegetation dynamics, palynology, evolution, marine and continental ecosystems, biostratigraphy, geochemistry, geochronology, coal petrology, polar research, glaciology, dendrochronology, climate change, archaeobotany and allied aspects, is pursued in Institute.

Eligibility:

The Internship Program is open to the postgraduate science students pursuing M.Sc./M.Tech. in earth or life sciences or in any other related discipline relevant to the research programmes of BSIP, preferably from government-supported academic institutions/universities across the country.

PROGRAM DURATION AND NUMBER OF INTERNSHIPS

Intensive theory and practical courses are designed for the Internship Program with durations of up to eight weeks during May-July every year. Applications received in regard to this program will be short-listed by a committee designated by the Director. Candidates will be selected upon the recommendations of the committee and approval by the Director. The selected students will be informed by the BSIP about the actual date of commencement of the Internship Program and the Mentor to whom the student is assigned. The Mentor will be responsible for providing the required training materials and for guiding the trainee during the internship. A maximum of ten (10) students will be selected for the internship every year; however, not more than two students will be accommodated from the same institute in a year. A maximum of two (02) students will be assigned to a mentor from BSIP. However, the Director BSIP has the authority not to select any student or to increase or decrease the number of internships in a year depending on the merit of the application.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Interested candidates need to apply for the Internship Program through their university/college with the following information: a CV with recent passport size photograph, photocopies of academic records, a letter of support from the competent authority of the Institute/University stating the relevance of the BSIP Internship Program in respect of the applicant being sponsored. Institute/University should also indicate whether the students are charged for such training. A write up on the field of interest and the nature of work/training proposed to be undertaken during the internship should also be included in the application (visit the website http://www.bsip.res.in/AimsAndObjective.html for aims and objectives of the BSIP). The application along with the necessary documents should be emailed to the Director BSIP (E-mail: director@bsip.res.in). The E-mail should have the subject as candidate’s name followed by the word internship (e.g. Rajiv Singh-Internship).
Applications can be submitted with the required documents throughout the year; there is no deadline. Documents submitted by the selected candidates will be verified with the originals at the time of his/her reporting for the internship program.

COST OF THE PROGRAM

A fee of Rs. 2,000/- will be charged per research scholar for the training. However, Director, BSIP can waive fully or partially the cost of training based on merit or need.

ACCOMMODATION, MEDICAL AND CANTEEN FACILITIES

Interns are expected to make their own arrangement for stay and transportation during their training period. Accommodation in the Institute’s Guest House, if available, may be provided to interns for a very limited period. Services of the subsidized canteen will be available to the trainees during the office hours on working days. Institute has no Medical Insurance Policy for interns. Interns or their sponsoring institutions are expected to make their own arrangement for medical treatment of the sponsored student during their traning period. BSIP is not responsible for any injury caused or inflicted during the training.

DISCIPLINE

Interns must follow the rules and regulations of the Institute and those prescribed by their mentors. Any indiscipline on part of the intern will be treated sternly and may lead to termination of the internship. Any loss or damage caused to the Institute’s property by an Intern will be compensated by him/her.

PROJECT REPORT

All interns are expected to submit a report of not more than 10 pages on the completion of their training, which should include the summary of the project undertaken, key outcome from the training, methodology learnt and any additional activities including participation in seminars and visits to local institutes, if any. In addition, the report should also comment on the program in general and the bottlenecks faced, if any. Samples, analyses and data generated during the training period will be the property of the Institute. Training program should have no conflict of interest with the ongoing projects of the Five Year Plan of the Institute and sponsored projects being implemented in the Institute. On receipt of the project report, the candidates will be issued a certificate by the Mentor of the candidate, countersigned by the Director. Results obtained during the Internship may be published jointly by the concerned mentor and the candidate.

2. BIRBAL SAHNI SHORT-TERM TRAINING PROGRAM FOR RESEARCH SCHOLARS

This specialized program is open for research scholars pursuing their doctorate degree and interested in the current trends in palaeobotany and allied subjects. We have a large number of experts in palaeobotany who work on the megafossils representing all plant groups from different geological ages. Our museum hosts an excellent collection of fossils, both from India and abroad. Another discipline in which a large number of scientists are involved is palynology - the study of microscopic fossil remains (palynomorphs) of plant origin, both from the continental and marine sediments. These micro- and megafossil studies have been variedly applied in understanding the origin, evolution and extinction of biota, dynamics of ecosystems, climate change, age determination of sedimentary strata, sequence stratigraphy, etc. The Coal Petrology laboratory is also well established and we have been characterizing coal for its origin, composition and properties of the inorganic and organic components for industrial utilization. The 14C laboratory is well recognized both in India and abroad for providing absolute dates of sediments. The candidates will have to choose from one of the fields and a mentor will be assigned by the Institute. The mentor will provide the required materials and training. However, in case the samples for study are brought by the candidates themselves, the training will be imparted in a collaborative framework and the results, if any, be published jointly by the candidate and the concerned mentor.

ELIGIBILITY

The training program is open for bonafide research (Ph.D.) scholars preferably from any government –supported academic institutions/universities across the country.

PROGRAM DURATION AND NUMBER OF TRAINEES

Up to two weeks during any time of the year. A maximum of two trainees will be assigned to a mentor from BSIP every year. However, the Director BSIP has the authority not to select any student or to increase or decrease the number of trainees depending on the merit of his/her application.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Before submitting the application for the training program, the candidate will need to discuss the exact timing and duration of training in consultation with his/her mentor. The submitted application shoud include the following documents: CV with recent passport size photograph, a transcript of academic record, a letter of support from the competent authority of the Institute/University. The application along with the above documents should be emailed to the Director, BSIP (e-mail: director@bsip.res.in). The e-mail should have the subject as candidate’s name followed by the word training (e.g. Rajiv Singh training). The applications will be put up for consideration of a committee designated by the Director. Upon approval by the Director, BSIP, confirmation regarding the training program will be communicated to the selected candidates by the Institute.
Applications can be submitted with the required documents throughout the year; there is no deadline. Documents submitted by the selected candidates will be verified with the originals at the time of his/her reporting for the internship program.

COST OF THE PROGRAM

A fee of Rs. 2,000/- will be charged per research scholar for the training. However, Director, BSIP can waive fully or partially the cost of training based on merit or need.

ACCOMMODATION, MEDICAL AND CANTEEN FACILITIES

Interns are expected to make their own arrangement for stay and transportation during their training period. Accommodation in the Institute’s Guest House, if available, may be provided to interns for a very limited period. Services of the subsidized canteen will be available to the trainees during the office hours on working days. Institute has no Medical Insurance Policy for interns. Interns or their sponsoring institutions are expected to make their own arrangement for medical treatment of the sponsored student during their traning period. BSIP is not responsible for any injury caused or inflicted during the training.

DISCIPLINE

Interns must follow the rules and regulations of the Institute and those prescribed by their mentors. Any indiscipline on part of the intern will be treated sternly and may lead to termination of the internship. Any loss or damage caused to the Institute’s property by an Intern will be compensated by him/her.

PROJECT REPORT

All trainees are expected to submit a report of not more than five (05) pages on completion of their training, which should include the summary of the project undertaken, key outcome from the training, methodology learnt and any additional activities including participation in seminars and visits to local institutes, if any. In addition, the report should also comment on the program in general and the bottlenecks faced, if any. Samples, analyses and data generated during the training period will be the property of the Institute. Training program should have no conflict of interest with the ongoing projects of the Five Year Plan of the Institute and sponsored projects being implemented in the Institute. On receipt of the project report, the candidates will be issued a certificate by the mentor of the candidate, countersigned by the Director. Results obtained during the tarinees may be published jointly by the concerned mentor and the candidate.