Summer Student - Environmental Engineer - Scion

Scion specialises in research, science and technology development for the forestry industry, wood products and wood-derived materials. We lead new technology development for renewables, bioproducts and energy and the establishment of a broader-based circular bioeconomy.
Scion hosts a number of summer students, each with differing specialities, from tertiary institutes across New Zealand at both our Rotorua and Christchurch Campus. The programme involves a student completing a 12-week, full-time, research project under the direction of Scion and AgResearch supervisors (allowing time for holidays over the Christmas and New Year). Students are able to gain hands on, paid, work experience in the field of which they are studying, where they get to work shoulder to shoulder with Scion's internationally recognised staff.
The student will be employed by Scion, jointly supervised by Scion and AgResearch and located at AgResearch Ruakura, Hamilton.
We are seeking a motivated student to work on "Agricultural Organic Farm Waste Stream Databank Deployment - Optimisation Research Effort by Sharing".
The primary objective of the work/project:
This project focusses on how to improve and deploy an existing databank into the public domain in a responsible way and fit-for-purpose. The primary objective is to facilitate access to the livestock manure database for research and technology development purposes and possible deployment of the database.
The strategic intent of the work package is to optimise research outcomes by:

Enabling the tool for other researchers and emerging waste valorization companies to have access to livestock farm waste streams volumes and characteristics (reduced effort by others to find the existing available data, improved data use efficiency).
Possibly lead to improved waste reuse and minimization solutions by understanding the location, volumes and characteristics of livestock organics waste streams available on farms.

Sharing of knowledge reduces re-work of finding data, which can rather be spent on building on the known dataset and finding solutions.
Research Abstract:
One of the key deliverables during the previous Bioresource Processing Alliance (BPA) funded project, "Reducing NZ's primary industry's carbon footprint through advanced waste-to-renewables technologies" was to undertake a literature review to investigate and identify sources and characteristics of organic wastes potentially available from the New Zealand agricultural sector. AgResearch developed a comprehensive database from the agricultural farm waste, for example dairy cow industry and piggery solids and poultry solids (broiler litter). After completion of the project, the potential benefit of the data for research in New Zealand was identified. It was agreed to investigate the best possible ways of making the data available for others to use in research and technology development. However, there are risks when making the data available, for example if the data is used in any monitoring systems.
This project aims to understand how to best improve and deploy the databank for the benefit of others doing research and technology development on farming system effluents. This will ensure that the effort during the project is not duplicated but used to the benefit of New Zealand. In addition, any relevant new data from research would be added to the databank.
What you will do:
This project focusses on how to improve and deploy the databank into the public domain in a responsible way and fit-for-purpose. The primary objective is to facilitate public access to the livestock manure feedstock database for research and technology development purposes. The internship will focus on several key outcomes to achieve this goal. Firstly, it will define user requirements, determining the optimal data formats such as PowerBI, Excel, or gamification. It will also identify potential users and assess the database's suitability for their needs.
Improvements to the databank will be a major focus, including identifying key missing datasets through gap analysis, determining methods for data collection, and outlining the required efforts and estimated costs for these methods. Based on user feedback and identified needs, the project will propose enhancements to the databank system and content. Where datasets can easily be updated in the time and budget of the project, it will be pursued.
Additionally, the project will explore options for maintaining the databank for New Zealand's benefit, including identifying responsible entities to host the database and identifying funding sources for the team which can maintain it. It will also assess the risks of making the database publicly available, any IP considerations and suggested mitigation strategies of the risks. The project will propose methods to control database usage if necessary and identify ways for others to contribute to data gathering.
Deliverables include:

Project plan on how the databank can be improved and made available in New Zealand. This will include:

Identification of stakeholders and requirements
Resources required for making the dataset available
Identification of the platform where it will be hosted
Risk register and mitigation actions of deployment

Technical report on the user requirements and improvement ideas in the dataset.

Goal would be to enable appropriate deployment of the database at the end of the internship.
The skills which will be gained in this internship include:

Deployment of Databank:

How to responsibly and effectively deploy a livestock manure database into the public domain.
Methods to facilitate public access for research and technology development purposes.

User Requirements:

How to define user requirements and determine optimal data formats (e.g., PowerBI, Excel, gamification).
Identification of potential users and assessment of the database's suitability for their needs.

Improvements and Enhancements:

Conducting gap analysis to identify missing datasets.
Methods for data collection and outlining efforts and estimated costs.
Proposing enhancements based on user feedback and identified needs.

Maintenance and Sustainability:

Exploring options for maintaining the databank for New Zealand's benefit.
Identifying responsible entities to host the database and potential funding sources.
Assessing risks, IP considerations, and proposing mitigation strategies.

Control and Contribution:

Methods to control database usage if necessary.
Identifying ways for others to contribute to data gathering.

Deliverables:

Creating a project plan including stakeholder identification, platform identification, and risk mitigation.
Producing a technical report on user requirements and improvement ideas.

Qualifications, skills and attributes needed:
Studying towards a degree in Data Science, Information Technology, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Agricultural Science or a related field.
Beneficial skills required for the role are:

Project planning and execution
Collaboration and stakeholder management
Experience in data analysis tools
Technical writing skills

Application Close Date: 18 November 2024.
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