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Wednesday, September 3, 2008

UK : University of Oxford Two fully funded D.Phil positions

euHeart: Personalised & Integrated Cardiac Care

Oxford University Computing Laboratory

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Germany : RWTH Aachen University Doctoral Positions

Aachen Institute for Advanced Study in Computational Engineering Science

Further Details

UK : De Montfort University Full-Time PhD Studentship

School of Applied Social Sciences

Faculty of Health & Life Sciences

Applications are invited for a fully funded three-year PhD studentship starting in October 2008. The studentship includes a bursary of £12,600 per annum (tax-free) for three years and all tuition fees.

Candidates should hold a good first degree (at least an Upper-Second Class or equivalent) in a relevant subject area.

The Faculty of Health and Life Sciences has made available a number of post graduate bursaries, one of which has been allocated to the social sciences. The bursary provides tuition fees and generous subsistence funding to support your PhD study. Bursaries are offered on a competitive basis and it is anticipated that the successful candidate would commence study as early as possible in the autumn of 2008.

Any area of social science study will be considered, however the strengthening of current strategic areas of importance and critical mass in research suggests the following are most likely to meet with support:

- Social science and Disability Policy
- Social science, criminal/youth justice
- Social science and health (particularly health consumer diversity)
- Social science and youth/childhood

Any combination of underpinning social science disciplines would be acceptable, however we have the strongest supervisory standing in sociology, social policy, psychology and philosophy. We are an applied social science faculty and attention to the social outcomes of primary research would be welcomed. We do however value theoretical, epistemological and conceptual approaches to social and human science issues.

Applications are welcome from citizens from the EU and those with overseas status as well as those from UK. Candidates for whom English is not their first language should hold an English qualification at least equivalent to IELTS 6.5.

Enquiries should in the first instance go to the Research Office, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH Telephone: 0116 2506309. Web: http://www.dmu.ac.uk/research/index.jsp

Closing Date: 26th September 2008

An application form may be downloaded from:
http://www.dmu.ac.uk/research/degrees/procedure.jsp

Applicants are requested to contact the office to receive a hardcopy admission pack and will need to provide a full CV with two supporting references. Please e-mail: researchstudents@dmu.ac.uk or call (0116) 2506309 to receive further details.

Ireland : University College Dublin PhD Studentship Advertisement 1

Model Validation By Fault Injection in Enterprise Systems

The Systems Research Group

Further Details

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Ireland : University College Dublin PhD Studentship Advertisement 2

Automatic Model Design of Enterprise Systems

The Systems Research Group

Further Details

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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

UK : University of Nottingham PhD Studentship (Environmental Scientist/Engineer)

Nottingham Transportation Engineering Centre

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Scotland : University of Edinburgh Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Required to work in a team led by Professor Alistair Aitken in the School of Biological Sciences on a project funded by the Parkinson's Disease Society; to study how members of the 14-3-3 protein family and other proteins are involved in the protein aggregates that accumulate in the specific areas of the brain in Parkinson's disease, as well as other neurodegenerative disorders. You must have a PhD in relevant biological or biochemical discipline with a background in molecular cloning and with some experience in protein chemistry. Experience should also include manipulation of our expression clones into suitable vectors for protein production; liaison with the production facility and for affinity purification and co-purification of the protein complexes. Post is funded for up to 17 months.

Fixed Term: 17 months

Salary Scale: £28,290 - £33,780 pa

Vacancy reference: 3009718jw

Closing date: 16 September 2008

For further particulars https://www.jobs.ed.ac.uk/jobs/index.cfm?action=jobdet&jobid=3009718 and an application pack visit our website (www.jobs.ed.ac.uk) or telephone the recruitment line on 0131 650 2511.

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Monday, August 25, 2008

UK : Newcastle University PhD Studentship

Influence of Telomere Length and Statins on Lymphocyte Growth Kinetics in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Institute of Human Genetics

Supervisor(s): Professor Ioakim Spyridopoulos, Professor of Cardiovascular Gerontology
Institute: Institute of Human Genetics
Duration: 3 years, full time
Sponsor: Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University

Reference Code: IHG70

Background

Telomerase is a DNA polymerase that elongates the ends of chromosomes, which are formed by TTAGGG DNA repeats called telomeres. Telomeres are widely regarded as the internal biological clock of a living organism, and shorten by a few base pairs with every cell division. In addition, they are also crucial to maintaining chromosomal integrity. Overexpression or endogenously active telomerase in stem cells can counteract replicative telomere shortening. In vitro, telomere shortening can be accelerated by either loss of telomere capping proteins (i.e. TRF2), oxidative stress, or DNA damage, each leading to premature senescence. Age-related pathologies with short telomeres include infertility, impaired wound-healing and liver cirrhosis. Individuals with agecorrected shortage of leukocyte telomeres have a significantly higher risk of developing coronary heart disease or of dying from cardiovascular and infectious disease. Male individuals with shorter telomere length have an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD). This telomere-attributed risk is completely attenuated by treatment with pravastatin, an inhibitor of the HMG-CoA reductase.

Plan

Unexpected results from animal experiments have shown that critically short telomeres in the absence of telomerase activity lead to restricted atheroma progression, most likely due to impaired proliferation of both, lymphocytes and macrophages, an important step in atherosclerosis development. Statins have also been shown to inhibit lymphocyte proliferation in vitro via modification of the mevalonate pathway and hereby increase of isoprenoid intermediates. We have found previously in patients with CHD telomere shortening in the lymphocyte population to be far more pronounced than in myeloid cells. We have also generated pilot data showing that atorvastatin inhibits the enzyme telomerase in human lymphocytes. The goal of this study is to a) retrieve evidence from patients with CHD whether statin therapy attenuates telomerase activity in peripheral blood lymphocytes in vivo, b) influences in vitro growth kinetics of these cells, c) investigate a potential link between growth kinetics, oxidative stress and telomere length, and d) analyse the mechanism of telomerase-inhibition by statins in vitro.

Experimental Approach

A. In vivo study
1. Longitudinal study of 50 statin-naïve patients with stable coronary heart disease.
2. Isolation of lymphocyte subpopulations by FACS sorting.
3. Surface staining.
4. Measurement of telomere length by Flow-FISH.
5. Measurement of telomerase activity and oxidative stress in lymphocytes.
6. Determination of growth-kinetics in cultured lymphocytes.

B. In vitro experiments
1. Modulation of telomerase activity by statins.
2. Akt/Foxo3a pathway and telomerase inhibition
3. Dependence of statin-effect on interferon-γ.
4. Measurement of telomere length in long-term cultures.

Person Specification

Applicants should have a Master’s degree (MSc or MRes), or equivalent in a relevant subject. Applicants whose first language is not English must have IELTS 6.5, or equivalent.

Value of the Award and Eligibility
This studentship covers fees at the UK/EU rate and an annual stipend of £12,940. International students may apply but will be required to source additional funding to cover the cost of their fees.

How to Apply

To apply for the studentship please complete the University’s online postgraduate application form, quoting the reference number IHG70. You should select ‘PhD in the Faculty of Medical Sciences (full time) – Human Genetics’ and attach a CV and covering letter.

Early application is advised as this position will only be available until a suitable candidate is found.

Further Information

Please contact Professor Ioakim Spyridopoulos, ioakim.spyridopoulos@ncl.ac.uk, for further details.

Ireland : National University of Ireland, Galway PhD Studentship

Social Capital and Marine Resource Governance

Department of Economics

Further Details

UK : University of Surrey Joint PhD Studentship

Development of a Microbolometer for Microdosimetry of Ionisation Radiation

NPL-Surrey University Strategic Partnership

Further Details

Wales : Cardiff University PhD Studentship: Discovery of New Metal Oxide Catalysts for Clean Energy

Cardiff School of Chemistry

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Thursday, August 21, 2008

UK : Kingston University Graduate Teaching Assistant

Criminal Justice

School of Law

Salary Up to £20,000 per annum plus a waver of tuition fees

Hours Up to 6 hours per week

Closing Date 12 noon on 4th September 2008

Interviews Week Commencing 8th September 2008

Applications are invited for PhD research projects in Criminal Justice. You will have the ability to support the Law School in the delivery of at least one foundation law subject on the LLB.

For informal enquiries please contact Dr Philip Harris, PhD Programme Leader, School of Law: p.a.harris@kingston.ac.uk.

For further information or to apply, with a research proposal, your CV and a covering letter please contact Claire Gaskin c.gaskin@kingston.ac.uk.

Australia : University of Queensland PhD Scholarships

Powder Metal Processing and Design of Novel Materials

School of Engineering

Applications are sought for two fully-funded PhD studentships from qualified applicants wishing to pursue research leading to PhD status under the supervision of Prof. Graham Schaffer and A/Prof. Ma Qian at the School of Engineering, The University of Queensland, Australia, in powder metal processing and design of novel materials.

This is an opportunity to join an exciting Powder Metal Science Group at the University of Queensland. Started in 1991, the group currently consists of ten people, including four research fellows, a research assistant and three postgraduate students. We work on the development of innovative approaches to the design of light alloys and composites suited to powder metal processing and to the manufacturing of intricate light alloy or composite parts from powders for automotive, aerospace and biomedical applications. In particular, we have both pioneered the development of innovative aluminium alloys that have been designed to be sintered and developed a unique rapid prototyping system for aluminium alloys.

The Candidates: Highly motivated candidates with a strong academic background and/or professional experience in materials engineering, physical metallurgy, physics, chemistry, or material sciences in general are invited to apply for the scholarships.

Both domestic and international applicants are welcome to apply. International applicants whose first language is not English must have achieved at least 6.5 overall and 6.0 in the writing test of the International English Language Testing System IELTS (or equivalent) to meet the University's minimum English language proficiency requirements.

Remuneration: The full-time PhD Scholarships will include fees for successful international candidates (currently A$27,000 p.a.) and a tax-free maintenance bursary in the range between A$25,000 and A$30,000 p.a. for three years, depending on satisfactory progress.

Contact: Please send applications and enquires to A/Prof. Ma Qian (e-mail: ma.qian@uq.edu.au; telephone: +61 (0) 7 3365 4185), Division of Materials, School of Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.

Closing Date for Applications: Applications are welcome at any time with a first assessment being made before 20 September 2008.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Netherlands : PhD position Animal Nutrition

Wageningen University and Researchcentre, Animal Sciences Group Division of Animal Production, Lelystad

Further Details

Netherlands : 2 PhD positions on Automotive Human-Machine Interface

Technische Universiteit Eindhoven Department of Industrial Design

Further Details

Netherlands : PhD Design and decision support systems - recreation and space

Technische Universiteit Eindhoven Department of Architecture, Building and Planning

Further Details

Netherlands : PhD Student in Molecular Neurobiology

NIN - KNAW

Further Details

UK : University of Teesside Research Doctoral Scholarships

Sustainable technologies

The University of Teesside is offering 4 full-time Research Doctoral Scholarships across a broad range of subject areas including: computing, psychology, science and engineering. The scholarships are aligned to key areas of research strength within the Digital Futures Institute, the Social Futures Institute and the Technology Futures Institute. The awards will be for a period of three years and include fees (home/EU or international rate) and an annual stipend of £12,600. Successful applicants should be in a position to take up the scholarships in November 2008 or shortly thereafter.

Research Theme: Sustainable technologies

3. Advanced catalysis for the conversion of biomass-derived "syngas" to fuels and chemicals.

The overall process that will be investigated is:
Biogas (methane + carbon dioxide) to Syngas ( hydrogen + carbon monoxide), using catalyst 1

Syngas ( hydrogen + carbon monoxide) to Useful stuff (fuel for fuel cells, diesel + gasoline + olefins), using catalyst 2

The study will be focused on the following particular aspects:
• preparation of catalyst 1 and catalyst 2 using sol-gel method;
• physical characterization of those catalysts using ICP, XPS, XRD, SEM, TPR, TPO, and XAFS;
• chemical characterization of the prepared catalysts: activity and selectivity;
• TAP (Temporal analysis of Products) reactor transient kinetic study: mechanism, kinetic parameter estimation;
• the most suitable reactor design.

Research Doctoral Scholarships applicants should have at least an upper second class honours degree or equivalent qualification and ideally a postgraduate qualification. The minimum English language entry level is IELTS 6.5 with no grade below 6.0 or equivalent.

To apply for a scholarship you must contact the Graduate Research School for an application form:

University of Teesside Research Doctoral Scholarships
Graduate Research School
University of Teesside
Middlesbrough
Tees Valley
TS1 3BA
UK
E-mail: graduateresearchschool@tees.ac.uk or tel: +44(0)1642 738033

Closing date: 15 September 2008

Germany : Fully Funded PhD Scholarships in Germany: Technical University Darmstadt

The Graduate school, URBAN-Grad, at the Technical University Darmstadt offers ten fully funded PhD-scholarships on "International and Comparative Urban Research". The successful applicants should hold a diploma or master degree in the fields of social sciences, economics, or humanities, science, or applied sciences, architecture or urban planning. It is sought after Phd projects related to the following topics.

  • Theories and Methods of comparative urban research
  • The Intrinsic Logic of Cities
  • Urban Environments and Sustainability
  • Local Knowledge and Urban Planning

The Graduate School of Urban Studies is part of the Darmstadt research unit ?Urban Research?, aiming at investigating the intrinsic logic of cities and focussing on comparative research designs ( for detailed information see: www.raumsoziologie.de). Disserations can be in English or German; working language will be German.

Please send applications (CV, degrees received, outline of Phd-project) to:
URBAN-Grad
Graduate School of Urban Studies
Technische Universitat Darmstadt
Prof. Dr. H. Berking
Institut fur Soziologie
Residenzschloss
D-64283 Darmstadt

Deadline: September 1st, 2008

Australia : Postgraduate Research Scholarships Centre for Intelligent Mechatronic Systems (CIMS)

Building on 15 years of strong cross-disciplinary research in electrical machines and power electronics at UTS, the Centre for Intelligent Mechatronic Systems (CIMS) integrates the disciplines of mechanical, electrical and electronics engineering and computer systems.

Its four main research directions are: autonomous robots (operating in unstructured environments and for infrastructure maintenance, search and rescue, health care and road vehicles); electrical machines (new materials and topologies, system optimisation, variable speed control and compact, low temperature fuel cells); automotive systems (performance, comfort, fuel efficiency, road safety and emission control); and Human Factors (physiological and psychological aspects of human-machine and human-environment interaction).

Project

Mathematical model for chatter prediction in multi-stand cold flat rolling mills The Australian steel manufacturing industry is an international leader in advancing technologies and improving quality and productivity. Annual steel exports generate about two billion dollars in national income and are still growing.

The market for rolled strip products is intensely competitive, and continued success is critically dependent on productivity and quality. This project aims to develop comprehensive dynamic models for stability and transient analysis of self-excited chatter of multi-stand flat cold rolling mills under a wide range of operating conditions. It will assist Australian steel manufacturers in understanding and controlling chatter of rolling mills, and improving quality and preventing production from breakdowns.

Applicants:
The Australian Postgraduate Awards Industry (APAI) are available to outstanding candidates seeking to commence full-time study towards a doctoral or masters honours degree. Each scholarship has duration of three years and provides a stipend of approximately $25,000 (tax-free) per year but this amount can be supplemented. Travel funding to attend international conferences is also available. Applicants must hold a first class honours undergraduate degree, or equivalent, and be an Australian citizen/resident. Awards are generally for full-time study only.

To apply for these scholarships, send your CV, a cover letter detailing your research interests and a completed Application Form by 29 August 2008 (for round 3) to:

Ms Gunasmin Lye
Research Office
UTS:Engineering
PO Box 123
Broadway NSW 2007
Ph: 9514 2663

For further information contact:
Professor Hung Nguyen at hung.nguyen@uts.edu.au or 02 9514 2663 / 02 9514 2451

Saturday, August 16, 2008

UK : National Institute For Medical Research InterMalTraining: 14 Fellowships For Research Training Leading To A PhD

Intervention Strategies Against Malaria

Malaria exacts a devastating social and economic cost across the globe. "Intervention strategies against malaria" (InterMalTraining) is an EU FP7 Marie Curie-funded Initial Training Network coordinated by Michael J Blackman, National Institute for Medical Research, London UK. Its objective is to support advanced research training through an interdisciplinary collaborative PhD programme that emphasises the path from fundamental research to translation into malaria control strategies. The fourteen PhD studentships offer a unique opportunity for students to become engaged in malaria research in world-leading malaria research institutions. Studentships will be funded for a maximum of 3 years with the possibility of spending part of the studentship at a partner institution. Applicants should hold the necessary qualifications entitling them to undertake PhD study in their chosen country, and should possess a high standard of written and spoken English. Further information on each of the projects can be found at http://www.biomalpar.org/ or http://www.nimr.mrc.ac.uk/phd/intermaltraining/. Applications will only be accepted via the online application system, a link to which can be found below and on the same websites. Applications should be submitted before 1st September 2008. Candidates may apply for up to three different projects. Short-listed candidates will be invited to EMBL, Heidelberg, on 13-15 October 2008 for interviews. Successful candidates should be available to start in January 2009.

1. Complementation methodologies to study PfATP6, a proposed target for artemisinins. Supervisors: S Krishna (St Georges, University of London) and C Doerig (University of Glasgow) 8. Functional analysis of two P. falciparum aspartic proteases exported into the host cell. Supervisors: D Soldati (University of Geneva) and C Braun-Breton (University of Montpellier 2)
2. Potential of methotrexate in the treatment of malaria. Supervisors: S Ward (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine) and A Nzila (KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Centre for Geographic Medicine Research) 9. Chromatin modifications controlling differential expression of gene families coding for variant surface antigens of P. falciparum. Supervisors: A Scherf (Institut Pasteur) and C Doerig (University of Glasgow)
3. The Mechanism of PfCRT-mediated chloroquine transport in P. falciparum. Supervisors: M Lanzer (University of Heidelberg) and P Bray (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine). 10. Identification of biomarkers of the innate immune response associated with protective immunity induced by malaria vaccines. Supervisors: J Langhorne (National Institute for Medical Research) and E Riley (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
4. Characterisation of the key enzymes of P. falciparum phospholipid metabolism. Biochemical and structural approaches to rational drug design. Supervisors: H Vial (University of Montpellier 2) and C Kocken (Biomedical Primate Research Centre) 11. Understanding the mechanisms of malaria resistance in children with genetic polymorphisms of the red blood cell. Supervisors: P Arese (University of TorinoT) and T Williams (University of Oxford).
5. Development of anti-cytoadherence adjunct therapies. Supervisors: G Campiani (University of Siena) and A Craig (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine) 12. Study of the clumping adhesive phenotypes: their association with severe malaria and underlying molecular specificities. Supervisors: D Roberts (University of Oxford), C Chitnis (ICGEB) and P Bull (KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Centre for Geographic Medicine Research)
6. Gametocyte-infected erythrocyte adhesion in P. falciparum. Supervisors: P Alano (Istituto Superiore di Sanità) and R Sauerwein (Radboud University) 13. The role of the host cytoskeleton in Plasmodium sporozoite infection. Supervisors: M Mota (Institute of Molecular Medicine) and F Frischknecht (University of Heidelberg)
7. Function and regulation of a serine protease implicated in malaria parasite remodelling and egress. Supervisors: M Blackman (National Institute for Medical Research) and O Billker (Imperial College) 14. The role of actin filament binding proteins in ookinete gliding motility. Supervisors: I Siden-Kiamos (Foundation for Research and Technology) and K Matuschewski (University of Heidelberg)

Further information on projects and eligibility at http://www.biomalpar.org/ or http://www.nimr.mrc.ac.uk/phd/intermaltraining/

Apply online at: https://www.w1system08.de/intermaltraining/intern/registrieren_registrieren_for.php

Thursday, August 14, 2008

UK : University of Teesside Research Doctoral Scholarships

Organisational learning; the impact of HE employer engagement in the north east of England

The University of Teesside is offering full-time Research Doctoral Scholarships across the broad theme of work based learning and employer engagement. The scholarships are aligned to key areas of research strength within Teesside Business School (TBS) working closely with the University's Department for Academic Enterprise. The award/s will be for a period of three years and include fees (home/EU or international rate) and an annual stipend of £12,940. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will, through their research, also contribute to the development and delivery of Work Based Learning programmes within TBS for a maximum of 6 hours a week. Successful applicants should be in a position to take up the scholarship by November 2008.

Research theme: "Organisational learning; the impact of HE employer engagement in the north east of England."

The University of Teesside has been awarded a significant Higher Education Funding Council Strategic Development Project (http://www.hefce.ac.uk/econsoc/employer/projects/show.asp?id=23) to deliver a major change programme, building on existing practice and areas of expertise, to create an employer-facing institution providing a distinctive and responsive service that meets the high-level skills needs of employers.

A full programme of research and evaluation will be a major feature of this exciting and challenging project and we wish to appoint at least one doctoral scholarship within Teesside Business School to work with and alongside the project activity. Research since the early-1990's (eg Naish, 1995) has explored the rich potential for Work Based Learning to make a difference to higher education and employer partnerships and more recently (KSA, 2007) is becoming better understood in terms of the systemic issues HE has to confront and the step changes needed to implement them. A significant contribution to these debates has been empirical research amply demonstrating how individual work based learners benefit and gain from their experiences in terms of professional development (Garnett, 2006) and how this might relate to the intellectual capital of organisations. However, in-depth research into the reality of how, why and with what consequences whole organisations benefit remains far less tangible, and some useful case study material (Naish, 2004) has highlighted a range of important characteristics for successful HE/employer partnerships.

We wish to take this research into its important next phase to identity the range of different impacts HEIs may have when working directly with employers for their workforce development and the different relationship models (eg Work Based Learning) that might contribute to this. Central to these objectives will be for the research to explore any relationship between the HE/ employer partnership and the organisations' own development and learning.

For an informal discussion about this scholarship please contact Dr Jenny Naish, Assistant Dean, (Partnerships), Teesside Business School, who will lead the research team. Email: J.Naish@tees.ac.uk. Phone: +44 (0)1642 342905.

Research Doctoral Scholarships applicants should have at least an upper second class honours degree or equivalent qualification and ideally a postgraduate qualification. For this research theme we are also looking for applicants to be able to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the Work Based Learning and Workforce Development agendas and issues in UK higher education. The minimum English language entry level is IELTS 6.5 with no grade below 6.0 or equivalent.

To apply for a scholarship you must contact the Graduate Research School for an application form:
University of Teesside Research Doctoral Scholarships
Graduate Research School, University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, Tees Valley, TS1 3BA, UK
Email: graduateresearchschool@tees.ac.uk or tel: +44 (0)1642 73803

Closing date: 15 September 2008

UK : University of Teesside Research Doctoral Scholarships

Digital Innovation

The University of Teesside is offering 4 full-time Research Doctoral Scholarships across a broad range of subject areas including: computing, psychology, science and engineering. The scholarships are aligned to key areas of research strength within the Digital Futures Institute, the Social Futures Institute and the Technology Futures Institute. The awards will be for a period of three years and include fees (home/EU or international rate) and an annual stipend of £12,600. Successful applicants should be in a position to take up the scholarships in November 2008 or shortly thereafter.

Research Theme: Digital Innovation

4. Developing a psychological model of users' experience of human-computer interaction in web-based systems. Interaction experience of Web 2.0 sites.

Based on existing work and empirical studies, this project builds and tests a psychological model of users' experience in an exciting application domain. Previous experience in doing psychological experiments is important for doing and completing the project successfully. Therefore, in particular - but not only - applications from graduates of BPS-accredited psychology programmes are welcome.

The newspaper industry has had a ‘web presence' in recent years. Nevertheless, the research team is aware - from existing research literature and through contacts with industry - that there is a lack of knowledge on how users respond to online news media and how these media can be designed to promote a positive interaction experience in users. In addition, in January 2008 the BBC, in competition with existing local newspapers, announced its plans to provide local news online. It is therefore anticipated that this studentship will focus on online new media and whoever publishes online news media will benefit from the guidelines produced by this research scholarship. The team has well established contacts with the media sector (through Price and the IDI) that will enhance the credibility of the research. Recent work has been critical of Web 2.0 sites in terms of their support for a positive interaction experience (Nielsen, 2007) and has suggested that public-sector sites may underperform in terms of their interaction experience, compared to commercial sites (Nielsen, 2005).

Informal enquiries to Professor Paul van Schaik, email: p.van-schaik@tees.ac.uk

Research Doctoral Scholarships applicants should have at least an upper second class honours degree or equivalent qualification and ideally a postgraduate qualification. The minimum English language entry level is IELTS 6.5 with no grade below 6.0 or equivalent.

To apply for a scholarship you must contact the Graduate Research School for an application form:

University of Teesside Research Doctoral Scholarships
Graduate Research School
University of Teesside
Middlesbrough
Tees Valley
TS1 3BA
UK
E-mail: graduateresearchschool@tees.ac.uk or tel: +44(0)1642 738033

Closing date: 15 September 2008

UK : University of Teesside Research Doctoral Scholarships

Creative digital technologies and sustainability applications to built environment

The University of Teesside is offering 4 full-time Research Doctoral Scholarships across a broad range of subject areas including: computing, psychology, science and engineering. The scholarships are aligned to key areas of research strength within the Digital Futures Institute, the Social Futures Institute and the Technology Futures Institute. The awards will be for a period of three years and include fees (home/EU or international rate) and an annual stipend of £12,600. Successful applicants should be in a position to take up the scholarships in November 2008 or shortly thereafter.

Research Theme: Creative digital technologies and sustainability applications to built environment

1. Environmental impact assessment models of built environment and urban development using intelligent visual simulation and GIS.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) tools have been available for some years now and their function is predominantly to predict and identify the environmental impact of building projects. However EIA analysis is often done after the completion of the project or building and when it is too late to influence the design, materials or components to be used. Also, more than 80% of the design decisions that influence the whole life cycle of a building are made at the initial design phase.

A new approach is suggested in this research to ensure that designers, clients and stakeholders have all of the relevant information needed at the outline design stage for the assessment of cost, environmental impact and brown-fields. The idea is that building owners and users will have the opportunity to minimise their operating costs from ‘cradle to grave'. As energy resources reduce over the next few decades, the value of this research will increase and it is possible to foresee government legislation which drives building construction and remediation of Brown-fields in this direction. By making environmental impact analysis readily linked to 3D products at the very early stage of the design process, the value of 3D technology will be enhanced significantly and it will likely result in more use of the technology in the construction process.

The objective of this proposal is to introduce and explore approaches for developing integrated 3D-EIA, LCA (Life Cycle Analysis) and LCCA (Life Cycle Cost Analysis), VR (Virtual Reality) and GIS tools and develop trade-off analysis to assist in the decision making process. The developed methodologies and tools will be applicable to both new built and urban development and more emphasis will be given to case studies in the north east of England.

Research Doctoral Scholarships applicants should have at least an upper second class honours degree or equivalent qualification and ideally a postgraduate qualification. The minimum English language entry level is IELTS 6.5 with no grade below 6.0 or equivalent.

To apply for a scholarship you must contact the Graduate Research School for an application form:

University of Teesside Research Doctoral Scholarships
Graduate Research School
University of Teesside
Middlesbrough
Tees Valley
TS1 3BA
UK
E-mail: graduateresearchschool@tees.ac.uk or tel: +44(0)1642 738033

Closing date: 15 September 2008

UK : Newcastle University PhD Studentship

Influence of Telomere Length and Statins on Lymphocyte Growth Kinetics in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Institute of Human Genetics

Reference Code: IHG70

Supervisor (s): Professor Ioakim Spyridopoulos, Professor of Cardiovascular Gerontology
Institute: Institute of Human Genetics
Duration: 3 years, full time
Sponsor: Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University

Background
Telomerase is a DNA polymerase that elongates the ends of chromosomes, which are formed by TTAGGG DNA repeats called telomeres. Telomeres are widely regarded as the internal biological clock of a living organism, and shorten by a few base pairs with every cell division. In addition, they are also crucial to maintaining chromosomal integrity. Overexpression or endogenously active telomerase in stem cells can counteract replicative telomere shortening. In vitro, telomere shortening can be accelerated by either loss of telomere capping proteins (i.e. TRF2), oxidative stress, or DNA damage, each leading to premature senescence. Age-related pathologies with short telomeres include infertility, impaired wound-healing and liver cirrhosis. Individuals with agecorrected shortage of leukocyte telomeres have a significantly higher risk of developing coronary heart disease or of dying from cardiovascular and infectious disease. Male individuals with shorter telomere length have an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD). This telomere-attributed risk is completely attenuated by treatment with pravastatin, an inhibitor of the HMG-CoA reductase.

Plan
Unexpected results from animal experiments have shown that critically short telomeres in the absence of telomerase activity lead to restricted atheroma progression, most likely due to impaired proliferation of both, lymphocytes and macrophages, an important step in atherosclerosis development. Statins have also been shown to inhibit lymphocyte proliferation in vitro via modification of the mevalonate pathway and hereby increase of isoprenoid intermediates. We have found previously in patients with CHD telomere shortening in the lymphocyte population to be far more pronounced than in myeloid cells. We have also generated pilot data showing that atorvastatin inhibits the enzyme telomerase in human lymphocytes. The goal of this study is to a) retrieve evidence from patients with CHD whether statin therapy attenuates telomerase activity in peripheral blood lymphocytes in vivo, b) influences in vitro growth kinetics of these cells, c) investigate a potential link between growth kinetics, oxidative stress and telomere length, and d) analyse the mechanism of telomerase-inhibition by statins in vitro.

Experimental Approach
A. In vivo study

  1. Longitudinal study of 50 statin-naïve patients with stable coronary heart disease.
  2. Isolation of lymphocyte subpopulations by FACS sorting.
  3. Surface staining.
  4. Measurement of telomere length by Flow-FISH.
  5. Measurement of telomerase activity and oxidative stress in lymphocytes.
  6. Determination of growth-kinetics in cultured lymphocytes.

B. In vitro experiments

  1. Modulation of telomerase activity by statins.
  2. Akt/Foxo3a pathway and telomerase inhibition
  3. Dependence of statin-effect on interferon-γ.
  4. Measurement of telomere length in long-term cultures.

Person Specification
Applicants should have a Master’s degree (MSc or MRes), or equivalent in a relevant subject. Applicants whose first language is not English must have IELTS 6.5, or equivalent.

Value of the Award and Eligibility
This studentship covers fees at the UK/EU rate and an annual stipend of £12,940. International students may apply but will be required to source additional funding to cover the cost of their fees.

How to Apply
To apply for the studentship please complete the University’s online postgraduate application form, quoting the reference number IHG70. You should select ‘PhD in the Faculty of Medical Sciences (full time) – Human Genetics’ and attach a CV and covering letter.

Early application is advised as this position will only be available until a suitable candidate is found.

Further Information
Please contact Professor Ioakim Spyridopoulos, ioakim.spyridopoulos@ncl.ac.uk, for further details.

Nertherlands : PhD student, Parasitology/Proteomics

The Department of Parasitology is looking for a PhD student to work on a project aimed at developing novel algorithms for analysis of liquid chromoatography and mass spectrometry data in proteomics. You will work with experienced clinical and biological researchers, bioinformaticians and computer scientists in developing and applying novel algorithms for the analysis of liquid chromatography mass spectrometry data in proteomics applied in studies of micro-organisms, parasites, vertebrate and mammalian model systems as well as clinical samples from large patient cohorts.

Requirements
University Graduate. We are seeking a candidate with a Master´s degree in Bioinformatics and a strong theoretical background in bioinformatics, algorithm development and mathematical statistics. You have a keen interest in working in a biological and clinical research environment and enjoy the challenge of developing new techniques. Flexibility and ambition are essential as is the ability to work independently and in a team. You also possess excellent communication skills in both written and spoken English.

Additional information about the job:
You will be employed on the basis of a 36-hour week. Appointment is for four years. Your salary will depend on your qualifications and experience, with a maximum of € 2,007 gross per month in the first year, increasing to a maximum of € 2,572 gross per month in the fourth year based on a full time position (scale for trainee researchers of the Collective Labour Agreement for University Hospitals).

Further information
If you have any questions, or if you want more information about this position, please contact Magnus Palmblad, Department of Parasitology, telephone +31 (0)71 526 95 26, e-mail n.m.palmblad@lumc.nl.

How to apply
If you are interested in the position listed above, and you meet the profile requirements, we welcome your application before 15 September 2008. You may apply by letter or by e-mail. Clearly state the job number of the position you are applying for; E.08.GJ.34/AT29. Please send your application, including your motivation and CV, to LUMC Personnel and Organisation Department, Division 5 (T7-P), PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. Please send your e-mail, including your motivation and CV to div5secretariaat@lumc.nl. Please ensure attachments to your e-mail, e.g. your CV, are in Microsoft Word.

Organization
Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum. At the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), we are continually seeking to improve the quality of healthcare. The LUMC aims for excellence in patient care, research, teaching, training and continuing education. The Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry Unit of the Department of Parasitology researches such topics as how to optimally identify peptides and proteins from tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and sequence databases, and how to best quantify them. It partners with clinical groups within the LUMC as well as other universities, hospitals and commercial companies applying proteomic and metabolomic technologies at the research frontier.

Conditions of employment
Estimated maximum salary per month: eur 2500 - 3000

Maximum salary amount in Euro's a month 2572
Employment basis: Temporary for specified period
Duration of the contract: 4 years
Maximum hours per week: 36

Additional Information
Or additional information can be obtained through one of the following links.

Application
You can apply for this job by sending your application to:

LUMC
E-mail address: div5secretariaat@lumc.nl

When applying for this job always mention the vacancy number E.08.GJ.34/AT29.

Denmark : Vacant PhD scholarships at CBS

If you are among the top students in your field, and you are interested in acquiring research skills at a very high level, the three-year PhD programme at CBS may be for to you. The programme allows you to conduct research within a topic of your own choice under the supervision of CBS professors, and supported by research training courses. The programme is highly international, and you are expected to participate in international research conferences and spend time abroad as a visiting PhD student.

See the CBS homepage for more information about the PhD programme.

CBS PhD graduates are held in high esteem not only in academia and research institutions but also in government and business where their research qualifications are increasingly demanded. Two thirds of CBS PhD graduates go on to employment outside universities and public research institutions. CBS now invites applications for PhD scholarships. The scholarships are fully salaried positions, according to the national Danish collective agreement.

The scholarship includes the tuition fees, office space, travel grants plus a salary, currently starting with per month app. DKK 22.345 up to DKK 27.280 depending on seniority plus a pension contribution totalling 17,1 % on 80 per cent of the base salary (further details below).

Your application should include a research proposal that addresses a topic within the CBS research profile. CBS covers all of the classic fields within business economics and business languages connected with the management and operation of public and private organizations - for example, marketing, finance, accounting, organization and translation. In addition, research is carried out in a number of subjects important for the understanding of the challenges firms face in the global knowledge society. These include not only business law, informatics, innovation, international economics, inter-cultural understanding and media research, but also business oriented research in such fields as philosophy, political science, design, art, anthropology, and history. Please consult the CBS homepage for further information about the research topics of CBS.

Closing date: Monday 1 September 2008 at 12.00 noon

Further information can be obtained from Vice Dean for PhD Education Mr. Peter Lotz, e-mail pl.ino@cbs.dk or administrative officer Afrodita Jeftic, aj.research@cbs.dk. Potential applicants are encouraged to contact a relevant Department/Center well in advance of the closing date in order to develop a project proposal. (Please note that Danish holidays are genereally taken in July).

General information: To be awarded the scholarship, you must be enrolled as a PhD student. To be considered for enrolment, the candidate should have a basic training at the Masters level (according to the 3 + 2 Bologna process). Fur- thermore the applicant must have successfully completed the Masters degree before commencing PhD at CBS. The applicants must also be fluent in Danish and/or English. Enrolment in the PhD programme fur- thermore depends on the acceptance of the application (see link below), which must include a short project description, usually prepared in co-operation with the relevant Department/Center. This research proposal should contain a presentation of the intended research question, including the theory and methodology ex- pected to be used.

In addition to the research proposal, the application must include a completed compulsory form, copies of a Master's degree certificate or other certificates of a corresponding level, brief curriculum vitae (CV), a list of papers and publications, and one copy of a selected written work (e.g. Master's thesis).

All parts of the application must be submitted in four copies, except the selected written work, which may be submitted in only one copy. Electronic submissions are not accepted.

A PhD scholarship runs for a period of 3 years, and includes teaching obligations equivalent to ½ year's work (840 work hours).

The salary level and appointment is determined by the Ministry of Finance's collective agreement with the Central Academic Organisation.

A committee of experts will assess the applications. The assessment of the applicants will be based on the quality and relevance of the project, including an evaluation of the applicant's ability to accomplish it. Follow- ing this assessment, the Dean will select the winners of the scholarships.

Please find the guidelines and compulsory application form at http://uk.cbs.dk/forskning_viden/forskeruddannelser/ans_gning

The application must be submitted to:
Copenhagen Business School
The Dean's Office
Solbjerg Plads 3
DK-2000 Frederiksberg
Denmark
Marked PhD - 33-3204

Applications received by e-mail or discs will not be taken into consideration. All interested researchers irrespective of age, sex, race, religion, or nationality are invited to apply for the position.

CBS focuses on innovation, partnership with the business community and internationalisation. As a Learning University CBS demands high quality in teaching, research and staff. CBS has around 15.000 students dis- tributed among a wide range of degrees in social science and humanities including a very dynamic environ- ment for executive programmes. CBS has around 400 full-time researchers and around 500 administrative employees.

UK : PhD-researcher on the project Effects of an innovative bereavement intervention

For an innovative and challenging project, entitled 'Effects of an innovative bereavement intervention programme at Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland', we are looking for a highly qualified and motivated colleague to join Prof Margaret Stroebe and Dr Henk Schut, the main researchers of this project.

The project deals with a state of the art intervention model developed in close collaboration between Utrecht University and Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland (CBCS). Research thus far has shown that to be effective, bereavement intervention must focus either on risk groups or on cases of complicated grief. Surprisingly, though, it is common practice in bereavement care to offer help irrespectively of complications, for no other reason than that a person has become bereaved. Interventions also need to be tailored to the complexity of clients' problems. Yet, nowhere in the world have routine referral and care procedures taken the specific needs of individual clients into account. An exception is a new program created by CBCS. In this research project, this new service model is to be put to the test. A quasi-experimental effect study will be conducted with baseline assessment of level of grief symptoms and risk factors, as determinants of allocation to specific modes of intervention. Two fundamental questions are addressed: whether these interventions are efficacious, and whether the interventions are more effective for specific categories of clients.

The new colleague will be responsible for further developments of the research plans, he or she will conduct the study and report on the findings.

Part of the challenge of the project is that the PhD-researcher will have to live in Scotland for almost four years during the project. The project will be coordinated from the national office of CBCS in Perth, central Scotland. Supervision and postgraduate research education will mainly take place in the Netherlands.

Requirements
University Graduate. We seek an outstanding academic with a recent MSc or equivalent degree, who can demonstrate an excellent background in social scientific quantitative research and statistics and who has excellent social skills. She/he must be able to communicate easily in English, both verbally and in writing. Demonstrable knowledge of the area of grief and bereavement is an advantage.

Organization
Utrecht University. The Faculty of Social Sciences provides academic training for more than 5000 undergraduate students. There are five departments, of which Psychology is the largest. Within Psychology the Division of Clinical and Health Psychology has the largest number of students and staff members. Research projects at Clinical and Health Psychology cover a wide range of theoretical, clinical and societal topics, such as experimental psychopathology, stress, coping, eating disorders and grief and trauma Staff members who have specialized in the area of grief and bereavement collaborate under the umbrella of the Centre for Bereavement Research and Intervention (CBRI).

Centre for Bereavement Research and Intervention

Within the CBRI, a number of internationally renowned bereavement researchers and a number of PhD-researchers collaborate across a wide range of research projects dealing with theoretical, clinical and societal aspects of death, grief and loss. Senior members of CBRI are Prof Margaret Stroebe, Prof Wolfgang Stroebe, Prof Jan van den Bout, Dr Henk Schut and Dr Paul Boelen. Research projects cover, for instance, the effects of grief therapy and grief counselling, the phenomenology and role of continuing bonds in bereavement, interdependent coping of partners confronted with the loss of their child, the role of cognitions in the development of complicated grief, the role of ruminations in the grief process, and differential determinants of grief by different causes of death.

CBRI is embedded in two research institutes, namely, Psychology & Health and the Linschoten Institute. Psychology & Health is a research institute in which Dutch and Belgian universities and research centres participate and which coordinates the postgraduate training of large numbers of PhD-researchers. Psychology & Health offers PhD-researchers a wealth of post-graduate, top quality training possibilities in research techniques and theoretical orientations. The development of a tailor-made training plan for PhD-researchers is standard procedure.

To strengthen our team, the CBRI is looking for a PhD-researcher on the project 'Effects of an innovative bereavement intervention programme at Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland'

Conditions of employment
Estimated maximum salary per month: eur 2500 - 3000
Salaryscale 10.
Maximum salary amount in Euro's a month 2612
Employment basis: Temporary for specified period
Duration of the contract: 5 years
Maximum hours per week: 32

Additional conditions of employment:
The future colleague will be offered a PhD-position for a period of five years (from 1-1-2009 till 31-12-2013), with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate. Conditions are based on the Collective Employment Agreement of the Dutch Universities (2007-2012). The gross monthly salary starts at € 2,042.- in the first year and increases to € 2,612.- (at 1,0 ftu) in the fourth year and is supplemented by a holiday allowance of 8% per year and a year-end bonus of 8,3%. Also offered is a royal pension scheme and flexible employment conditions.

Additional Information
Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from:

Prof Maggie Stroebe
E-mail address: m.s.stroebe@uu.nl

Dr Henk Schut
E-mail address: h.schut@uu.nl

Or additional information can be obtained through one of the following links.

Application
You can apply for this job before 01-09-2008 by sending your application to:

Faculty of Social Sciences, Personnel Department
Postbus 80140
3508TC Utrecht
the Netherlands
E-mail address: peno-fez-fsw@uu.nl

Applications, including a Curriculum Vitae and the names of two references (with e-mail contact addresses), should be sent to Faculty of Social Sciences, Personnel Department, e-mail: peno-fez-fsw@uu.nl or P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands.

When applying for this job always mention the vacancy number 69829.