Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 11/21/2007 - 14:49
Forums
Antarctic Undersea ROV

Hi, I have a friend who has a secret passion / longing that he's had ever since he has heard how his other passion which is technical / computer engineering (and currently his work) could contribute to the research being carried out in Antartica. He is a supremely original inventor and would love to participate alongside other equally talented folk to arrive at the answers the research teach in Antartica continues to search for. My question is simply this: what additional, if any, qualifications would he need in order to qualify as a participant in future expeditions to Antartica if his only area of expertise happens to be computer engineering? Thank you for any response you can give me.

Fri, 11/23/2007 - 06:27

Mindy Bell

For anyone interested in working in Antarctica, there are two primary ways to get there. The "easiest" and the one that actually pays you for your work is the support contractor side (Raytheon Polar Services) which has several annual job fairs for a wide variety of jobs including computer-oriented ones. A computer engineer probably wouldn't get as much pay as they are used to but, but room and board are also included, and you get to be in Antarctica. The website to check for this is: http://www.usap.gov/jobsAndOpportunities/ for links to Raytheon and other subcontractors.If someone is more focused on the research end of it, they would need to cultivate a relationship with a funded research team and see how they might fit in with them. These are generally volunteer positions, for which you get a trip to Antarctica, but very little if any pay - and you have to drill holes (or the equivalent)! The currently funded projects can be found athttp://www.usap.gov/researchersAndScienceProjects/. Also, for educators, there are the programs through PolarTREC and through ANDRILL, the Antarctic Drilling Program. No matter which route you choose, you need to complete comprehensive medical and dental exams before you are PQ'd (physically qualified) to go to Antarctica. But the reams of paperwork are worth it once you are "on the ice"!