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Current voyage opportunities

CAPSTAN CALL OPEN - APPLY NOW

Applications are now invited for 2026 CAPSTAN voyage opportunities. This is a combined application round and offers two voyage opportunities in 2026: CAPSTAN 05 and CAPSTAN 06. Details for each voyage are provided below.

Applications are invited from interested university students and trainers, including a voyage Chief Scientist.

CAPSTAN 05 and CAPSTAN 06 APPLICATION CALL

OPEN: Tuesday 1 July 2025 at 12:01 AM AEST

CLOSE: Monday 1 September 2025 at 11:59 PM AEST

CAPSTAN 05

  • Fremantle to Hobart - 12 days
  • Departs: 23 April 2026 (Fremantle)*
  • Arrives: 4 May 2026 (Hobart)

* Participants will be required to be in Fremantle by 19 April 2026.

CAPSTAN 06

  • Brisbane to Fiji - 10 days
  • Departs: 17 September 2026 (Brisbane)*
  • Arrives: 26 September 2026 (Fiji)

* Participants will be required to be in Brisbane by 13 September 2026.

For more details about CAPSTAN and to apply, please visit Information for Students or Information for Chief Scientists and Trainers.

Past voyages

The CAPSTAN pilot program ran for three years from 2017 to 2020. The program was administered by Macquarie University and supported by a commitment of sea time on RV Investigator from the CSIRO Marine National Facility.

The CAPSTAN program was officially launched in 2024 with an initial commitment to support a voyage in each voyage schedule from 2024-25 to 2026-27. The program is being administered by University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) in partnership with CSIRO and the Australian and New Zealand International Scientific Drilling Consortium (ANZIC).

Watch the video below to follow the journey of students and trainers on the fourth voyage in the CAPSTAN program to see their experience living and working on the high seas to apply their knowledge, develop new skills and create new networks.

Your video or audio is here! ID: {5F6874C2-EC25-49DB-9A29-0CBF319733A8}

CAPSTAN pilot program

Your video or audio is here! ID: {5D403A57-0BFB-4D04-B4C2-696078419C5C}

Current voyage opportunities

CAPSTAN CALL OPEN - APPLY NOW

Applications are now invited for 2026 CAPSTAN voyage opportunities. This is a combined application round and offers two voyage opportunities in 2026: CAPSTAN 05 and CAPSTAN 06. Details for each voyage are provided below.

Applications are invited from interested university students and trainers, including a voyage Chief Scientist.

CAPSTAN 05 and CAPSTAN 06 APPLICATION CALL

OPEN: Tuesday 1 July 2025 at 12:01 AM AEST

CLOSE: Monday 1 September 2025 at 11:59 PM AEST

CAPSTAN 05

  • Fremantle to Hobart - 12 days
  • Departs: 23 April 2026 (Fremantle)*
  • Arrives: 4 May 2026 (Hobart)

* Participants will be required to be in Fremantle by 19 April 2026.

CAPSTAN 06

  • Brisbane to Fiji - 10 days
  • Departs: 17 September 2026 (Brisbane)*
  • Arrives: 26 September 2026 (Fiji)

* Participants will be required to be in Brisbane by 13 September 2026.

For more details about CAPSTAN and to apply, please visit Information for Students or Information for Chief Scientists and Trainers.

Past voyages

The CAPSTAN pilot program ran for three years from 2017 to 2020. The program was administered by Macquarie University and supported by a commitment of sea time on RV Investigator from the CSIRO Marine National Facility.

The CAPSTAN program was officially launched in 2024 with an initial commitment to support a voyage in each voyage schedule from 2024-25 to 2026-27. The program is being administered by University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) in partnership with CSIRO and the Australian and New Zealand International Scientific Drilling Consortium (ANZIC).

Watch the video below to follow the journey of students and trainers on the fourth voyage in the CAPSTAN program to see their experience living and working on the high seas to apply their knowledge, develop new skills and create new networks.

CAPSTAN Call 2025 Promo Video_CSIRO

[Music plays and an image appears of a long line of students walking up a gangway onto the ship RV Investigator]

[Image changes to show a smiling male on the left turning to look over the ship’s bow as a male and female are looking over the bow on the right, the female turns around briefly laughing at the camera]

[Camera pans left to show a female talking to a male as she’s looking out over the ship’s bow]

[Image changes to show the coastline in the background, the ship’s radar mast in the centre and in the foreground a female is taking a photo on the left]

[Image changes to show a male crew member giving a presentation to voyage participants in a breakroom]

[Image changes to show a male crew member talking to listening participants]

[Image changes to show a line of participants standing on a deck below the bridge looking out to sea]

[Image changes to show a rear view of the participants looking out to sea]

[Image changes to show the Investigator sailing towards the camera on the choppy sea]

[Images move through to show crew members lowering a winch with a sediment sample collected and then emptying the sample into a tray at the ship’s stern]

[Image changes to show participants sifting the sample and recording data]

[Image changes to show a male talking and holding an open research book as three males are looking at the book]

[Image changes to show a female using binoculars to look out of a ship’s window]

[Image changes to show a female using a computer and then turning and talking to the participants flipping through a research book in the foreground]

[Image changes to show participants looking at a bank of computers of various collected data, and a male talking and pointing to the left screen]

[Image changes to show a female talking to two listening participants]

[Images move through to show the female talking a colleague through collecting a sample of clear liquid into a conical flask from a multi corer, and the camera zooms in on the liquid in the flask]

[Image changes to show a male talking with participants, a male places a bottled sample on the bench]

[Image changes to show a close view of the clear liquid being poured into filtration funnels]

[Image changes to show participants playing a card game in the breakroom]

[Image changes to show a female collecting a sample from a multi corer, and then the image changes to show another female collecting a sample from the multi corer]

[Image changes to show a rear view of female looking over the shoulder of a female looking into a microscope]

[Image changes to show a female squinting down through a microscope]

[Image changes to show the RV Investigator sailing towards the camera on a choppy sea as the camera pans up to the masts of the ship and then pans down towards the ship’s bow]

[Images move through to show participants sitting and standing in a dark room watching a monitor screen showing the sea floor, the camera zooms in on a male and female sitting at the front laughing]

[Image changes to show a close view of the monitor screen zooming in on the sea]

[Images move through to show participants watching and listening to a female talking while using lab equipment]

[Image changes to show a room full of participants sitting and interacting together]

[Images move through to show crew members winching up a sample collector as participants watch on at the ship’s stern ready to collect the sample]

[Image changes to show a female hosing the contents of a metal bowl sieve and then another female appearing beside her to watch, and then the camera zooms in on the sample in the sieve]

[Images move through to show a hand balancing a small tray with a sample on a container under a microscope, and then the camera zooms out showing participants looking through the microscope]

[Image changes to show a close view of ship windows showing the reflection of the sea ripping below with the coastline in the background]

[Image changes to show a small island]

[Image changes to show a rear view of three participants looking over the ship’s rail at an island, and then the camera zooms in between two of the participants looking at the island]

[Image changes to show a rear view of a female and a male  looking out to sea from beside a lifeboat]

[Image changes to show birds swarming the top of an island]

[Image changes to show a view of the island looking from the ship]

[Image changes to show a side view of participants at the ship’s bow looking out to sea]

[Image changes to show a female giving a presentation as she is pointing at a screen showing the “Sea level anomaly”]

[Image changes to show an engine room with participants walking past in the background]

[Image changes to show the RV Investigator sailing as the camera rotates left around the ship]

[Image changes to show a close side view from the bow of the ship looking up to the bridge]

[Image changes to show participants playing table tennis]

[Image changes to show a laughing female giving a presentation]

[Image changes to show a male crew member talking to participants]

[Image changes to show a female on the right taking a photo of the diesel generator as a male looks on from the right]

[Image changes to show a long line of participants waving from the ship’s bow]

[Image changes to show a white screen with the logos of CSIRO, University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and the Australian and New Zealand International Scientific Drilling Consortium between text: CAPSTAN, Seas the opportunity!, www.csiro.au/capstan]

CAPSTAN pilot program

CAPSTAN 2017 - Overview_Credit Marine National Facility

 

 

[Music plays and an underwater image of the ocean appears]

 

[Camera pans through the water and the image shows a piece of marine science equipment moving from the top of the screen to the bottom and text appears, Aye! Aye! CAPSTAN!]

 

[Camera zooms out until the marine science equipment disappears into the background]

 

[Image changes to show the piece of marine science equipment plunging down through the water from the top of the screen to the bottom and text appears: Collaborative Australian Post-graduate Sea Training Alliance Network]

 

[Image changes to show the Investigator moving through the ocean and the camera zooms in on the ship and text appears:  CAPSTAN is a breakthrough training program for postgrad students]

 

[Image changes to show the crew in conversation on the deck of the Investigator and text appears: …that seeks to transform how marine science education is delivered in Australia]

 

[Image changes to show a side view of the Investigator and text appears: The program gives students the opportunity to train at sea on board Investigator]

 

[Image changes to show crew members watching from the deck of the Investigator while a piece of marine science equipment is hauled back on board and text appears: an advanced research vessel that provides a platform for multidisciplinary science]

 

[Image changes to show a multi-corer plunging down through the water and text appears: Oceanographic]

 

[Image changes to show a piece of marine science equipment with rotating tubes and text appears: Atmospheric]

 

[Image changes to show a view looking into a microscope type piece of equipment and text appears: Biological]

 

[Image changes to show crew members gathered on the deck of the Investigator working with a piece of marine science equipment and text appears: Geoscience]

 

[Image changes to show crew members in conversation on the deck of the Investigator and text appears: The inaugural CAPSTAN voyaged from Fremantle to Hobart in November 2017]

 

[Image changes to show a group of students working in a room and looking through a microscope and text appears: Twenty-nine postgraduate students and trainers from 12 Australian universities participated]

 

[Image changes to show students working on the deck of the Investigator and text appears: Student received research-based training with a wide range of marine research equipment]

 

[Image changes to show a group of students donning inflatable bodysuits and text appears: and learned about living and working at sea]

 

[Image changes to show a group of students laughing and taking photographs on the deck of the ship and text appears: The voyage was described as a “once in a lifetime experience”.]

 

[Image changes to show a group of students inside the boat looking through the window with binoculars and text appears: and collected data that will contribute towards real world research.]

 

[Image changes to show a group watching through a window as a piece of marine science equipment is brought back down on to the deck by two males and text appears: CAPSTAN is supported by a network of leading university and industry partners]

 

[Image changes to show a male standing and talking on the right-hand side of a large screen and text appears: The program seeks to provide platform for institutional, industrial and generational knowledge transfer]

 

[Image changes to show water from an underwater camera and text appears: to support our nation’s growing blue economy]

 

[Image changes to show students on the deck of the Investigator and text appears: and deliver Australia’s next-gen marine scientists]

 

[Image changes to show a blue screen and Macquarie University, CSIRO and Marine National Facility logos and text appears: Individually we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean, CAPSTAN is led by Macquarie University, supported by the Marine National Facility and governed by a network of leading industry and university partners]

 

[Marine National Facility and CSIRO logos and text appears: Supporting, enabling and inspiring marine science, Owned and operated by CSIRO on behalf of Australia]

 

 

 

 

CAPSTAN is a science education initiative between CSIRO in partnership with: