Applications invited for the 2006 ESA/KARI Training course in Busan, South Korea - deadline 15 August. Selection will be complete by end of October 2006.

The focus of the IOC Capacity Building grants programme in the medium term is on coastal research issues and the methodologies of remote sensing and modelling in the area of marine sciences.

The IOC Capacity Building Programme offers yearly conference travel and study grants to marine sciences students or professionals, from developing countries, to participate in scientific/technical conferences, workshops or meetings with a clearly defined ocean-oriented nature, with priority given to subjects directly relevant to IOC programmes and approaching the medium-term TEMA focus (see above). The scheme is intended to benefit individual applicants with their current work. Funds for attendance at conferences are conditional on the applicant being accepted to present a paper or poster on original research work. Workshops/meeting attendees are required to provide details of the expected benefits to their ongoing research activities.

Applications
To apply, please download and complete the Travel Grant Application Form and return it to the IOC Secretariat. Applicants should also send confirmation of acceptance by the Conference organizers as indicated on the form.

• Deadline: 28 April 2006 (for events taking place between July 2006 and June 2007).
• Value of individual grants: up to USD 2000 maximum

* The IOC regional offices can be called upon to assist in the formulation of a proposal.

Grant Procedure
Travel and research grants are implemented through of a 'Letter of Agreement' which provides two disbursements: the first disbursement (80%) of the award is paid upon signature of the contract and submission of required documents (travel plan, acceptance of poster or presentation and signature of the contract), the second and final payment (20%) to be made upon submission of an activity report and information on how the grantees' participation in the meeting will contribute to the their further work/career.

Awardees 2005

1. Luis Manual Farfan Molina, CICESE, La Paz , Baja California Sur, Mexico, participating in the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union, Vienna, Austria, from 24 to 29 April 2005 .
2. Marites Magno, The Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, The Philippines, to participate in the 2005 International Ocean Research Conference organised by the Oceanography Society (TOS), UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France, from 6 to 10 June 2005.
3. Nguyen Van Quan, Hai Phong Institute of Oceanology, Hai Phong City, Vietnam, to participate in the 7th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference organised by the Research Center for Biodiversity, Taiwan, Howard International House, Taipei, from 16 to 20 May 2005 .
4. Jose Ignacio Martinez Rodriguez, Universidad EAFIT, Department of Geology, Marine Science Group, Medellin, Colombia, to participate in he AMADEUS Scientific Cruise, exploring the continental margins of southern Columbia and northern Ecuador on board the French research vessel Atalante, 4 February to 10 March 2005;
5. Jeremiah Lemmy, Geology Department, University of Nairobi, Kenya, to participate in the 24th Meeting of the International Association of Sedimentologists, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, from 10 to 13 January 2005.
6. Kissao Gnandi, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lome, Togo, to participate in the International Conference on environmental Science and Technology, Orleans, Louisiana, USA, from 23 to 26 January 2005.
7. Hazel Ouano Arceo, Marine Environment and Resources Foundatoin, Inc., University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines 1101, to participate in the First International Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC1) organised by the World Conservation Union, Geelong, Australia, from 23 to 27 October 2005.
8. Antonio Babu Chetalan, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, India, to participate in the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences - IAMAS 2005 Conference, Bejing, China, from 2 to 11 August 2005.
9. Mohsen Omar El-Sherbiny, Russian State Hydrometeorological University (RSHU), St Petersburg, Russia, to participate in the 9th International Conference on Copepoda, organised by the World Association of Copepodologists, Hammamet, Tunisia from 11 to 15 July 2005.
10. Susan El Hassanein Kholeif, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Alexandria, Egypt, to participate in the 4th European Global Ocean Observing System Conference (EuroGOOS) organised by IFREMER, Brest, France from 6 to 9 June.
11. Oersted David Mirera, Kwetu Training Centre for Sustainable Development, Mombasa, Kenya, to participate in the International Conference on "Extension Methods for Mariculture and Coastal Management" organised by the Western Indian Ocean Science Association, Zanzibar, Tanzania, from 4 to 9 July 2005.
12. Flower. E. Msuya, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Tanzania, to participate in the 7th International Marine Biotechnology Conference, organised by the National Research Council, Canada, St. Jones, Newfoundland, Canada, from 7 to 12 June 2005.
13. Evie Hadrijantie Sudjono, Marine Geological Institute, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, to participate in the IPSI-2005 Pescara Conference on challenges in the Internet and Interdisciplinary Research, organised by IPSI Serbia, Pescara, Italy, 27 July to 1 August 2005.