UK : PhD in Chemical Biology

University of Edinburgh - School of Chemistry

PhD Position in Microarrays

Applications are invited for a PhD project involving the design, synthesis and screening of libraries of PNA encoded compounds with interrogation taking place on DNA based microarrays. This position will involve the synthesis of the PNA encoded libraries (see ACS Chemical Biology, 2007), the development of a variety of new biological screening platforms and data handling and image analysis of the data generated from the microarray screens. Applicants for this position should have a high quality degree in synthetic chemistry/chemical biology an interest in IT but importantly must be willing to work at the biological interface with chemistry.

Funding

The starting date for this studentship is negotiable. For UK and EC citizens who have a 1st class or an upper 2nd class honours degree (or equivalent) these studentships will cover all fees and provide a stipend in line with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council's current recommended level (currently £13,290 per annum). Overseas students from areas outside the EC pay fees at a higher level than home students.

Contact Details

Email: mark.bradley@ed.ac.uk Telephone: 0131 650 4820

Webpages: http://www.combichem.co.uk/

Address: School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, Joseph Black Building, King's Buildings, West Mains Rd, Edinburgh, EH9 3JJ.

Application procedure

Please contact Professor Bradley by email (mark.bradley@ed.ac.uk), attaching a CV which clearly states your qualifications and the names and contact details of two referees. You should then complete the standard University application forms (http://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate/applications/forms.html).

If your first language is not English, you must provide evidence of competence

http://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate/international/language.html

in both written and spoken English.

UK : PhD Studentship Modelling of SiGe Heterostructures for Optoelectronic Applications

The University of Manchester - School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Closing Date: 31 December 2009

Head of School: Prof Andrew Gibson

Supervisor: Dr Max Migliorato (Microelectronics and Nanostructures Group)

The project

A 3.5 year PhD studentship is available at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (E&EE) at the University of Manchester.

The Student will develop a novel modelling approach to designing novel SiGe structures for optoelectronic applications. This work will be performed in collaboration with the University of Roma 3 in Italy, where test structures will be prepared, and a scientific software company, Accelrys Ltd, which is interested in the commercial exploitation of the software developed for this project. The work in Manchester will be predominantly simulations with some assessment work (an experimental officer will be involved in this) of the semiconductor materials and structures produced in Rome in order to test the viability of the modelling work.

The novel modelling tools developed by the applicants will provide an essential tool to solving a wide range of problems in Si optoelectronics that have so far hampered worldwide efforts to transforming what appears to be fundamentally possible into a real device. Silicon, Germanium and their alloys are well known indirect bandgap materials. Computer design of strain engineering of SiGe layers will make it possible to generate a direct bandgap in real devices and hence pave the way for Si integrated heteropolar optical devices in the near infrared. Furthermore, a detailed knowledge of the band alignment at the heterointerface will also contribute to the current global effort in generating unipolar devices such as Quantum Cascade Lasers operating in the THz region

The significance of this work is duplex: on one hand the modelling techniques developed will represent a major step towards predictive modelling of large scale simulations of Semiconductors, with implications extending to compound semiconductors and nanostructures. In view of which we have established the commercial collaboration with Accelrys Ltd. On the other hand the impact of the modelling techniques on the current experimental effort could ultimately provide the key to revolutionary SiGe based laser emitters.

This work fits in the themes of the EPSRC ICT programme "Grand challenges in Silicon Technology", in particular GC1 "Novel devices and processes using silicon-based technologies", GC2 "Modelling and simulation for silicon-based technologies" and GC3 "Characterisation for silicon-based technologies".

Entry requirements

It is anticipated that the suitable candidates will have a 2:1 degree (upper second or equivalent) in Engineering or Physics. Strong background or at least predisposition towards the Physical aspects of Semiconductor Science or Solid State Physics is highly preferable. Computational skills and aptitude towards Modelling are a requirement.

Funding

UK/EU successful applicants will receive full funding for tuition fees and a stipend in the region of £13,000 per annum, tax free.

Please note, this scholarship does not fully cover students from outside the EU, as only a stipend of about £4,000 can be offered after tuition fees are paid. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to obtain additional funding of at least £5,000 per annum to cover living costs.

For further information about the project or on how to apply please contact: Marie Davies

UK : PhD student preclinical research focused on research related to tumour acidosis

MAASTRO clinic

MAASTRO Lab is a basic and translational research laboratory embedded within the GROW research

institute of the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences at Maastricht University. Research

carried out in the past has been focused on the tumour microenvironment and EGFR signaling,

pathways of relevance to radiation oncology. MAASTRO Lab has made several important

discoveries in these fields, including demonstration that EGFR is up regulated by radiation and that

hypoxia inhibits the initiation step of mRNA translation. In addition, we have initiated translational

and clinical studies based on these results including both phase I novel treatment and molecular

imaging trials as well as a Biobank project with more than 1500 patients included.

The lab has four permanent scientists, 5 technicians, more than 5 PhD students and is fully

equipped for cell culture, molecular and cellular biology (e.g. flow cytometry, hypoxia, gene

expression, proteomics and microscopy) and working with animals (optical imager, small animal

irradiator, MRI 7 Tesla and micro-PET). MAASTRO lab has set up the necessary infrastructure for

controlled exposures to hypoxia and hypoxia/reoxygenation, including development of novel

equipment that allows rapid and controlled changes in oxygenation. Access to expertise, equipment

and resources within the much larger GROW research institute and other facilities in the University

are also readily available, including the genome centre, advanced microscopy, and the animal

facility. MAASTRO has a structural collaboration with the VU in Amsterdam on molecular PET

biomarkers, with the TU/Eindhoven on Systems Biology and a close collaboration with the

University of Toronto on research related to the Unfolded Protein Response and tumour hypoxia.

The extracellular pH of solid tumours is significantly more acidic then that of normal tissues.

Hypoxia plays an important role in tumour acidity since it allows selection of cells able to

survive a hypoxic environment with the production of acid. Hypoxia unregulated genes (CA

IX, MCT-4, NHE-1,…) are responsible for extrusion of these acids towards the extracellular

microenvironment. Acidity has been shown to have a role in resistance to chemotherapy

(impaired uptake weakly basic cytostatics), proliferation and metastatic behavior.

Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that tumour alkalinisation may represent a key target

for successful future antitumor treatments.

MAASTRO lab has a vacancy for a:

PhD student in preclinical research focused on research related to tumour

acidosis (M/F)

In this position you will carry basic and/or translational research focused on research

related to tumour acidosis. You will pursue the research program on tumour microenvironment

together with Prof. Lambin, the leader of the project group. The basic hypothesis of this

project is that tumour acidosis could be a therapeutically interesting target and manipulating

it by either genetic modification or drugs can improve therapeutic efficacy. You will participate

in research within MAASTRO, the research institute GROW and the faculty of Health, Medicine

and Life Sciences. There are also possibilities to be involved in phase 1 -2 clinical trials on the

same topic. Your work will involve development of genetic models to modify the extracellular

acidosis. Furthermore, pharmaceutical compounds inhibiting pumps and exchangers involved

in the acid-base homeostasis will be investigated for their effect on antitumor treatment.

Acidosis will be evaluated using in vitro (FACS) or in vivo non-invasive (optical, MRS,…)

imaging using several animal and tumour models.

We are looking for a candidate with a master’s degree in molecular/cell biology or

Biomedical Technology. Experience and affinity for preclinical research and in vivo work is highly

valued. Authorization to work with animals in the Netherlands (art 9 certificate, The

Netherlands) and authorization to work with radioactivity (“Stralingshygiëne Niv 5b”, The Netherlands) is a plus but is not a prerequisite. We are looking for a positively minded

scientist motivated to learn new approaches and ready to work hard to build a scientific

career.

Further information will be gladly given by ludwig.dubois@maastro.unimaas.nl or Philippe

Lambin, professor of Radiation Oncology (e-mail: philippe.lambin@maastro.nl ) or telephone

number: +31-(0)88-4455666. Please also visit www.maastro.nl and www.grow-um.nl.

Your application letter, Curriculum Vitae and listing of publications can be sent before

the 15 of November 2009 to the attention of ludwig.dubois@maastro.unimaas.nl.

Iceland: PhD Fellowships in Systems Biology of Human Metabolism, University of Iceland

The Center of Systems Biology, University of Iceland is looking to recruit a highly motivated PhD students to join a growing effort focusing on systems biology of human metabolism. The research at the CSB UoI focuses on 1) human metabolism and 2) industrial biotechnology. The Center is an interdisciplinary center with the Schools of Medicine, Engineering and Natural Sciences participating.

The CSB UoI aims to characterize human disease using a systems biology approach. This research effort includes on 1) expanding the currently available human metabolic reconstruction, 2) discovery of new functions and pathways in human metabolism using computational and experimental techniques, 3) phenotyping of human cell lines using metabolomic techniques, 4) computational and experimental analysis of metabolic changes associated with disease, and 5) high-throughput drug screening. We use the state-of-the-art computational methods to guide and design human cell culturing experiments as well as metabolomic measurements. These technologies are embedded in a biologically driven research program that aims at systematic understanding of human metabolism, disease manifestation and drug target identification.

Job description:

• Expansion and refinement of the human metabolic reconstruction.
• Identification of missing metabolic genes using bioinformatics and modeling tools (gap filling)
• Development of cell type specific metabolic models from experimental data and the human metabolic reconstruction.
• Databases and literature mining for genomic information.
• Computational modeling of human metabolism in health and disease.
• The project will thus include key technologies used in computational systems biology and bioinformatics.

Your qualifications:

• Master´s degree (or equivalent) in Bioinformatics, (Molecular) Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology or Medicine.
• Strong interest in human biology and computational modeling.
• Basic skills/ experience in programming and statistical data analysis.
• Communication skills and team orientated work.

Our Offer:

• Working in a scientifically stimulating, innovative, dynamic, well- equipped, and international surrounding.
• In-depth training in cutting edge technologies used in systems biology.
• Numerous training opportunities in (molecular) biology, systems biology and bioinformatics.
• Initial short-term employment contract for three years.

The position is available immediately. Please send a cover letter, a brief description of research experience and interests, a curriculum vitae and contact information for three references in pdf file form to Professor Ines Thiele ( systemsbiology[ at ]hi.is ).

All applications will be answered and applicants will be informed about the appointment when a decision has been made. Salary for the positions will be according to collective wage and salary agreement.
Appointments to the University of Iceland do take into account the Equal Rights Project of the University of Iceland.

Spain: PhD Studentships in Cancer Research, the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO)

“la Caixa”/CNIO INTERNATIONAL PhD PROGRAMME, 2010 CALL

During 2010, the Fundación “la Caixa” will provide support for ten highly qualified graduate students to carry out their experimental work towards obtaining a PhD degree at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO) within an International PhD Programme.

In the context of this “la Caixa”/CNIO International PhD Programme, we are seeking exceptional and highly motivated PhD students interested in receiving ample cross-disciplinary training in state of-the-art basic and applied cancer research.

WHO CAN APPLY?
- This call is open to applicants from all nationalities.
- Students holding a university degree (BSc, MSc, Diploma, DEA, Licenciatura, Laurea or equivalent) in biomedical sciences, or who expect to be awarded with such qualification during the first half of 2010, are eligible to apply to the Programme. This university degree should qualify for the start of a PhD thesis in the student’s home country. Non-European university degrees should be equivalent to a European diploma or degree.
- Studies should have been completed no more than two years ago.
- Applicants must have an excellent academic record and previous research experience during their undergraduate period.
- Candidates must have a solid working knowledge of English.
- Co-authorship of publications in MedLine-listed journals will be positively considered.
- Participation in the CNIO Summer training programme will be positively evaluated.
- Individuals may not have worked at the CNIO, at any time, for more than three months before being hired as part of the “La Caixa”/CNIO International PhD Programme. The earliest date of incorporation into the Programme is September 1st of each year.
- The upper age limit for eligibility is 30 years.

Applicants having doubts about their eligibility should contact the Training Office (PhD[ at ]cnio.es) prior to submitting their application.

GENERAL CONDITIONS
- Students who gain a place in our PhD programme will obtain full financial support, including tuition, regardless of nationality. During the first two years, students will receive a total annual gross stipend of 18,069 Euros plus an annual allowance of 1,500 Euros to cover miscellaneous expenses, such as university fees, expenses derived from international congress attendance and/or stays in international research centres. During the third and fourth year, the graduate students will receive an employment contract with a gross annual salary of 26,700 Euros (depending on marital status, children, etc., this salary corresponds to a net income of approximately 1,700 Euros/month) plus a one time annual allowance of 1,700 Euros. This employment contract will be prepared in accordance to Spanish laws and regulations, and employees will be included in the general Spanish Social Security System.
- Monthly rates of the fellowship will be paid at the end of each month through a bank transfer to a Spanish bank account.
- The fellowships will be awarded on a competitive basis and will be renewable annually for up to four years, depending on a positive evaluation by the supervisor.
- All students will receive full health and occupational insurance coverage.
- Graduate students will also be entitled to social benefits such as holidays, subsidized meals and aids for studying Spanish or English.
- Doctoral students at CNIO usually have their doctoral degree awarded by a Madrid university. However, international PhD students may also choose to have their doctoral degree awarded by a university of their home country.
- During the duration of the fellowship the students must devote themselves entirely to research at CNIO and may not be beneficiaries of any other fellowship, grant, stipend or regular income.
- This fellowship does not imply any obligation of CNIO regarding further incorporation of the employee.
- Expenses associated with the interview: Applicants invited to CNIO for interview will be able to claim for travel expenses (including air fares) together with overnight accommodation.
- This programme will fund only one PhD student per group per year.

DEADLINES
The deadline for the receipt of complete applications (including reference letters) will be March 15th, 2010. All candidates must be selected by the end of July 2010. Fellowships must be started in September-October 2010. The PhD thesis has to be completed within 4 years, without exceptions.

HOW TO APPLY
For more information and how to apply, please visit the official announcement.

Belgium : VLIR-UOS Master Scholarship 2010 in Development Evaluation and Management, University of Antwerp

The Master’s in Development Evaluation and Management focuses on the efforts made by a wide range of public and private actors to promote development in low-income countries. It provides a solid understanding of past and present aid policies of multilateral and bilateral donors, and of the major aid modalities and instruments deployed. The institutional characteristics of the actors involved – be they governments, community-based organisations, international NGOs, bilateral or multilateral donors – are analysed so as to attain a better understanding of processes and outcomes. The theoretical perspective is that development can be understood as a set of interlocking collective action problems, on both the recipient and the donor side. The Master’s programme offers methodological and practical insights into development evaluation, its relevance and challenges.

Most of our students are engaged in development, professionally and/or as researchers. The Master’s will improve their capacity to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the prevailing aid paradigms and the changing approaches to aid. Students learn to appreciate the importance of different institutional arenas, and how they work and interact. They are familiarised with multidisciplinary analytical tools that will improve their capacity to analyse the interactions and contribute to an enhanced conceptualisation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development policies and programmes.

Admission requirements

The following candidates are eligible to apply for the Master’s programmes:

• Applicants from the South must hold a university degree (Bachelor or Master) of at least four years of study in Social Sciences (Economics, Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, or related disciplines). Applicants from the South who hold a Bachelor’s degree of only three years of study must demonstrate very strong and relevant professional experience and/or have successfully completed additional training. Applicants from the North must hold a Master’s degree in Social Sciences Only applicants with excellent academic records will be accepted.
• Our ideal participant has at least two years of professional experience in a sector relevant to the programme. Applicants from the North should have relevant field experience in the South.
• Applicants must be proficient in English. Those who have received a university education in English must provide an official certificate confirming this. Other applicants must submit one of the following test results:
  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): minimum score of 550 for paper-based test or 79 for Internet-based test. Information about this test is available at www.toefl.org.
  • IELTS (International English Language Testing System): minimum score of 6.0. Information about this test is available at www.ielts.org.
  • Special facilities are offered for students from other language backgrounds (in particular for French-speaking students). Students with paper-based TOEFL scores between 500 and 550 (or TOEFL Internet-based between 61 and 79) or IELTS scores between 5.0 and 6.0 may also be admitted provided they successfully complete a two-month intensive language course organised by the University of Antwerp before the start of the Master’s programme. For students selected for a VLIR-UOS scholarship, the cost of this language course is borne by the Institute (see below for details).
• Motivation and Matching: see description of student profile per Master and Trajectory.

For additional information, visit the following pages:

• How to apply for an international course?
• VLIR-UOS country list from where scholarships are possible

Application for this scholarship is possible from 01/10/2009 until 01/02/2010

Period: September 2010 – September 2011

Language: English

Number of VLIR-UOS Scholarships: 10

Contact:

Mrs G. Annaert
Institute of Development Policy and Management (IOB)
University of Antwerp
T +32 (0)3 265 57 70
F +32 (0)3 265 57 71
dev@ua.ac.be
http://www.ua.ac.be/iob/education

To apply for this scholarship please go to webpage below:

http://www.scholarships.vliruos.be/index.php?navid=479&scholarship_id=25&actionchoice=applyform

Further details go to:

http://www.scholarships.vliruos.be/index.php?navid=479&actionchoice=detailscholarship&scholarship_id=25&returnlink=1

USA : Postdoctoral Position in the Haswell Lab, Biology Department of Washington University in St. Louis

A postdoctoral position is open in the Haswell Lab in the Biology Department at Washington University in St. Louis. Several projects are available; each uses a combination of genetic, cell biological, biochemical, and/or electrophysiological techniques to study the structure and function of a family of mechanosensitive ion channels in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Applicants with previous plant biology or electrophysiology experience are preferred.

To apply, please submit to ehaswell@wustl.edu:

1. A cover letter explaining specifically why you are interested in joining the group, what skills and knowledge you would contribute, and what you think we could offer in terms of training. In addition, please describe your career goals.
2. A CV with three or more references and their full contact information.
3. A short proposal for a possible project in the lab. This need not be detailed, but should indicate that you have read enough of the literature to be sincerely interested in some aspect of our research, and that you can think independently and creatively about your work. This can be part of the cover letter.

Further details go to:
http://biology4.wustl.edu/faculty/haswell/available%20positions.html

USA : Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Humanities: 2010–2011 Application Call

Topic: Virtuality

Five (5) one-year Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships are available for the 2010-2011 academic year for untenured scholars in the humanities who received or will receive their Ph.D. between December 2001 and December 2009. The fellowship is open to all scholars, national and international, who meet application terms (see Guidelines below).

The programs of the Penn Humanities Forum are conceived through yearly topics that invite broad interdisciplinary collaboration. For the 2010–2011 academic year, we have set Virtuality as the theme. Humanists and those in related fields are invited to submit research proposals on any aspect of this topic, except educational curriculum building and the performing arts.

Fellows teach one undergraduate course in addition to conducting their research. The fellowship stipend is $46,500, plus health insurance. Fellows are required to be in residence during their fellowship year (September–May).

Application Deadline: Thursday, October 15, 2009
Applications will be accepted via online webform only.
Awards will be announced by the end of December 2009.

Application Guidelines

The Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Humanities at the Penn Humanities Forum, University of Pennsylvania, is open to scholars who are not yet tenured and who are no more than eight years out of their doctorate. Candidates may hold a tenure-track position but may not be tenured either before or during the fellowship year. For the 2010–2011 Fellowship, candidates must have received or will receive their Ph.D. between December 2001 and December 2009. You must have your degree in hand or have passed your defense no later than December 2009 to be eligible. Your application will not be considered unless this condition is met. The Ph.D. is the only terminal degree eligible (i.e., MFAs and other doctorates such as EdD are ineligible).

During their year in residence, Penn Humanities Forum Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows will have the opportunity to pursue their own research. That research must relate to Virtuality, the Forum’s topic of study for 2010–11. Fellows must also participate in the weekly Mellon Research Seminar of the Penn Humanities Forum (Tuesdays, 12:00–2:00), and present their research at one of those seminars.

In addition to conducting their research, Mellon Fellows are required to teach one freshman seminar in an appropriate department. In writing the course proposal for the fall freshman seminar, please consider carefully the university’s description of those seminars (click here for examples of Penn Freshmen Seminar descriptions).

Preference will be given to candidates whose proposals are interdisciplinary, who have not previously used the resources of the University of Pennsylvania, and who would particularly benefit from and contribute to Penn’s intellectual life.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

1. COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM

• Important note: if you downloaded form before 15 July 09, you will need to resubmit using updated application, which incorporates a new question 14 originally omitted in error.
• The file name should read only: your last name_first initial.doc (smith_p.doc)

2. ARRANGE FOR THREE (3) LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

• Contact each referee now. We strongly encourage you to contact each referee immediately with your request, calling his or her attention to the absolute deadline of October 15, 2009.
• Referee deadline. Referees must email their letters of recommendation no later than the October 15 deadline. Referees should email their confidential letters directly to the Penn Humanities Forum (phf[at]sas.upenn.edu), with the subject line: Postdoc Ref. for . Letters may be submitted as either a PDF or a Word document.
• Letters should not be merely testimonials, but instead should contain a substantive appraisal of your ability as it relates specifically to your field and proposed research. For this reason, we strongly advise against submitting letters forwarded by a dossier service or career placement office.
• We request three letters only. Any additional letters will not be considered.

3. PREPARE A CURRICULUM VITAE

• The file name should read only: cv_last name_first initial.doc (cv_smith_p.doc)

4. SUBMIT APPLICATION AND CV HERE

• Applications will be accepted online only. Applications sent by post or email will be considered ineligible.
• Applications must be submitted by midnight EST, Thursday, October 15, 2009.

Questions?

Email or call Jennifer Conway
Associate Director
Penn Humanities Forum
Tel: 215.898.8220
Email: conwayj@sas.upenn.edu

For further details go to:
http://humanities.sas.upenn.edu/mellon_cfa.shtml

UK : Clarendon Scholarship Scheme 2010 for Any Graduate Degrees in Oxford University

The Clarendon Fund is the University of Oxford’s flagship scholarship scheme. Awards are based on academic excellence and potential. The awards are sponsored by Oxford University Press and are only available at the University of Oxford.

Clarendon scholarships are tenable at any college of the University. However, over half of all colleges offer awards linked to the Clarendon Fund and in these cases scholars are offered a combined College linked Clarendon scholarship tenable only at the college offering the linked award. Applicants may state a preference for up to two colleges when applying to Oxford, and the availability of a College linked Clarendon scholarship in your subject area/nationality may influence your choice of colleges. If your application to the Clarendon Fund is successful, please note that we may move your application to a college offering a College linked Clarendon scholarship, even if this is not your first or alternative choice college.

College linked Clarendon scholarships are listed on the Oxford Funding Search

Nationality:
Students liable to pay the overseas fee rate

Level of study:
All full-time and part-time graduate degrees

Subject:
All subjects

Duration:
Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability, subject to an annual renewal process based on satisfactory academic progress and a review of financial circumstances

Type of student:
Students accepted to start a graduate course at Oxford in 2010/11

Value:
The majority of awards cover University and college fees and provide an annual grant for living expenses (£13,290 p/a in 2009/10, rate will increase in 2010/11) for each year of fee liability.

Some awards are partial only, covering either fees only or maintenance only. Partial funding may also be offered if scholars-elect secure external funding.

Number:
Approximately 100 scholarships will be available

Application procedure:
Apply at the same time as you apply to Oxford by ticking the Clarendon Fund box in the University of Oxford Scholarships section of the graduate application form

Closing date:
Application Deadline 2 (8 January 2010 for Medical Sciences and Philosophy students; 22 January 2010 for all other subjects)

Results:
The four academic divisions make decisions about the Clarendon Fund and it is anticipated that results for 2010/11 entry will be published on or after the following date:

• Humanities: end March 2010
• Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences: mid-March 2010
• Medical Sciences: late February 2010
• Social Sciences: end March 2010

College linked Clarendon scholarships will be allocated as soon as possible after results are published. We will aim to fill all College linked Clarendon scholarships by May 2010.

This webpage will be updated regularly as and when updated information is available.

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to contact unsuccessful applicants individually or provide feedback on their applications.

Other information:

More information about the application process, including the timing of admissions offers and college offers, can be found at www.ox.ac.uk/graduate

A special website for the Clarendon Fund will be launched later in 2009 and will replace this webpage. Further details will be added as they become available.

New scholars are invited to a Freshers’ Event in late September 2010, where you will have the opportunity to meet fellow scholars as well as the student-run Clarendon Scholars’ Council.

There is an annual reception in November each year for all current Clarendon scholars, as well as representatives from the University and Oxford University Press. Invitations are sent out once Michaelmas term has started.

We are very proud of the achievements of our Clarendon scholars, both past and present. Scholars have gone on to work in a variety of environments and often excel in their fields. Our current scholars, who number almost 250 and come from 43 different countries, also continue to impress us with their achievements. In March 2009, Clarendon/ORS scholar Xiaoqi Feng won the prestigious Mendel Medal for Excellence in Science at the 2009 SET for Britain competition. The competition makes awards to the very best early stage/early career researchers and Xiaoqi beat over 600 participants to take first prize in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences area. Also in March 2009, Clarendon scholar Phoebe Williams has been awarded the title of Idea Idol at the Said Business School. The prize was in recognition of her idea for an anti-aids/STD gel. Phoebe, who is studying for a MSc in Global Health Science, won the main prize from a group of eight finalists.

About the donor:

Oxford University Press (OUP) is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

Oxford University Press had its origins in the information technology revolution of the late fifteenth century, which began with the invention of printing from movable type. The first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, only two years after Caxton set up the first printing press in England. OUP is now one of the largest publishers in the UK, and the largest university press in the world. For more information, please go to www.oup.com

Source:
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/studentfunding/scholarship_profiles/clarendon.shtml

Erasmus Mundus Master Scholarship 2010 in Biomedical Engineering at CEMACUBE

In September 2010 an Erasmus Mundus Master’s course, called CEMACUBE (Common European MAster’s CoUrse in Biomedical Engineering) will start. Recently the grant application, submitted by RuG and UMCG, is accepted. Goal of this course is to prepare students from Europe and outside Europe for professions in Biomedical Engineering.

For a single university it is difficult to have enough knowledge of all sub-specialisations in Biomedical Engineering to teach their students on an adequate level. Also the required European scope is difficult to gain when students stick to a single university. Therefore a consortium of 6 universities has joined their knowledge and specific expertise into a 2-year European Master’s in Biomedical Engineering.

During the first year (semester 1 and 2), a student will follow lectures on all biomedical engineering subjects at one of the six universities, the 3rd semester (s)he will move to one of the participating universities to follow lectures on a specific topic, like medical imaging, tissue engineering or artificial organs. The fourth and last semester, a Master’s project will be performed on this specialisation at one of the 6 participating universities: the Universities of Groningen (The Netherlands), Aachen (Germany), Dublin (Ireland), Ghent and Brussels (Belgium) and Prague (Czech Republic). Each student will receive a double degree. Admission criteria are: a Bachelor in engineering and good knowledge of English (all teaching will be given in English), a convincing motivation letter and letters of reference.

Students that followed this European Master’s course in Biomedical Engineering are trained with a Europan view, experienced in intercultural and interdisciplinary teamwork. They will have a broad overview of the entire field of BME.

If you have any questions about this course, please contact G.J. Verkerke

Admission Procedure

Submission to the Master’s course of Biomedical Engineering

For submission for the Erasmus Mundus Master’s course of Biomedical Engineering, an application form has to be filled in and sended to the University of groningen. The final deadline for this submission is the 1st of May for EU-Students and the 1st of January for non-EU-students. On the application form, the three Universities of preference need to be filled out. Also the preference of the University for the third and fourth semester can be filled out. This can be changed until the first of june, the year the third semester is starting. After submission a confirmation of receipt is received by e-mail.

After studying the application forms, the management committee will make a distribution of applicants among the consortium universities based on their capacity. There will be a notification about the outcome of the selection procedure, within 2 months after the deadline for application. This decision is a final decision. The course starts September 1st each year.

If accepted, a letter of acceptance will be received with information on where to start the course. The international offices provide the non-EU students and scholars with all necessary information and materials (brochures especially designed as a guide for foreign students / scholars) on structure of the university, its academic courses and extra-curricular offerings. Subsequently, arrangements will be made with the international offices of the participating universities for visa, housing, etc.

All accepted candidates must reply within 3 weeks to confirm their attendance to the course.
Non-EU students will in principle be equally distributed among the partner universities. Of course, in the distribution process the consortium will take into consideration the preferences of the selected non-EU students as much as possible. The principles of equal opportunities without any form of discrimination will be applied.

Soon there will be the possibility to download the application form at http://www.biomedicaltechnology.eu . For now, please contact Dhr. Verkerke.

Submission for semester 3 and 4

Ultimately, in June of the 2nd semester the three specialisations of the 3rd semester in the preference of choice must be submitted.

After one year the studying progress will be judged. If the first year is not finished, the student has to leave the EMMC. In this way we will increase the level of our Master’s.

Selection procedure

To ensure quality of the course, the enrolment in CEMACUBE is limited to 20 students per consortium university. The consortium reserves at least 15 places for non-EU students.

For the first year that the EMMC is running the course is limited to 35 European students and 15 non-EU students, so in general 10 per consortium university.

For admission with a scholarship, you need to meet the following criteria:

• A Bachelor in Engineering or equivalent. In detail the Bachelor program must demonstrate that the following criteria are attained:
  • Basic knowledge and understanding of mathematics, physics, chemistry
  • Applying, integrating knowledge and understanding of mathematics, physics, chemistry
  • The capability to communicate effectively in English, both in written and in verbal form.
  • An ability to conduct scientific research individually on a distinct, well described topic.
  • An ability to design products that can solve problems in a systematic way.
• The applicant needs to send in the original of the transcript of records (or certified copy) or degree certificate. Applicants in the final year of their Bachelor’s study may also apply. They should send in an updated version of their transcript of records. They will be accepted on the condition that they will have met with all requirements by the start of the CEMACUBE-course in September.
• Degree certificates, originating from other than the consortium universities, will be judged by the consortium secretariat that use lists of universities with a sufficient level of quality.
• The language requirements include an IELTS test score of 6.5 or a TOEFL test score of 580 (paper-based), 237 (computer-based) or 92 (internet-based iBT). Since language competence is an important element, all universities of the consortium offer during this program English language courses to the CEMACUBE students.
• Academic excellence as is evident from the awarding institution of the first degree, the grades obtained and the content of two letters of reference.
• Well-written and well-considered motivation letter to follow the CEMACUBE-course.
• Relevant work experience to follow the CEMACUBE-course successfully as is made evident in a curriculum vitae.
• A completed application form received, which includes besides the above mentioned documents, two passport-sized photos and a copy of the passport.

All other students should follow a repair programme priior to this Master’s course

To ensure a geographical balance of the selected non-EU students no more than 2 of the selected non-EU students should come from the same country and no more than one student should come from the same institution that awarded the first degree.

Are you a non-EU student? Click here.

Due to the high tuition fees in Dublin, we will limit the number of students for Dublin to 14%. The other students will go to the other 4 universities (a mean of 21% per university)

Scholarship

For non-EU students full scholarships are available. These scholarships cover all costs for a period of two year up to a maximum of € 48.000. A Scholarship-A application form can soon be downloaded here.

For EU-students scholarships are available to contribute to the costs made during their stay at the second university up to a maximum of € 5.000 per semester. A Scholarship-B application form can soon be downloaded here to compensate for the costs that are made when part of the course is followed at another university

UK : PhD Studentships in Foundations of Molecular Nanospintronics

Imperial College London - London Centre for Nanotechnology, Imperial College London and UCL

Applications are invited for three PhD studentships in projects studying the foundations of molecular nanospintronics. The positions will be held at the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN), a joint venture between Imperial College London and University College London. The successful applicants will be part of a multidisciplinary team with expertise in experimental physics, engineering, chemistry, materials, biology and theoretical modelling and will benefit from state-of-the art fabrication and characterisation tools available in both institutions. The grant is funded by the EPSRC through a programme focusing on collaborative UK-China research projects in nanospintronics. This will give students the opportunity to participate in short-term exchanges with Tsinghua University, one of the most renowned institutions in China and our partner institution in Beijing.

Specific sub-projects are available in the following areas:

1. Scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy studies of the electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of individual magnetic molecules and multilayers.
   (PhD Studentship based at UCL)
2. Molecular thin film growth using sublimation methods; ex-situ study of structural, magnetic, and electronic properties; spintronic device characterisation.
   (PhD Studentship based at Imperial)
3. Theory of molecular magnetic interactions and their dependence on molecular geometry; theory of coupling of magnetic excitations to currents in the STM. The work will have both computational and analytical components.
   (PhD Studentship based at UCL)

All projects are closely coupled and you will work on the project with new Research Associates.

Prospective students should have a strong interest in working in an interdisciplinary environment and have an appropriate undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in physics, chemistry, engineering, or materials science, with at least a 2:1 grade (or equivalent).

Funding is for 36 months and covers stipend and UK/EU registration fees. Additional funding covering supplementary fees may be available for exceptional students from other countries.

Applications should be addressed to the institution where the specific project will be held.

Imperial College
For more information on project 2, please contact Dr Sandrine Heutz at s.heutz@imperial.ac.uk.
For assistance with application details please contact Norma Hikel (n.hikel@ic.ac.uk).
The prospectus, entry requirements and application form (under ‘how to apply’) are available at: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/pgprospectus.

UCL
For more information, please contact Dr Cyrus Hirjibehedin at c.hirjibehedin@ucl.ac.uk regarding project 1 and Prof Andrew Fisher at andrew.fisher@ucl.ac.uk regarding project 3. For assistance with application details, please contact Ms Denise Ottley (d.ottley@ucl.ac.uk). PhD application forms can be downloaded or completed online at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate-study under “How to Apply”.

Applicants will be processed when received, with the expectation that all posts will be filled by October 2009.

Committed to equality and valuing diversity. We are also an Athena Silver SWAN Award winner and a Stonewall Diversity Champion

UK : Erasmus-Mundus Studentships

Computer Vision and Robotics

Heriot-Watt University - VIBOT

16 Erasmus-Mundus Studentships in Computer Vision and RoboticsApplications are currently being considered for 16 fully funded scholarships (fees and stipend for 8 EU and 8 non-EU students) on the prestigious 2-year Erasmus-Mundus European Masters programme on Computer Vision and Robotics (VIBOT) between Heriot Watt University (UK), the Universite de Bourgogne (France) and the Universitat de Girona (Spain).

VIBOT is one of the European Union`s flagship Erasmus-Mundus courses. The key aim of VIBOT is to produce the next generation of leading engineering researchers to solve important future challenges in a broad range of engineering applications. Starting from a comprehensive coverage of the prerequisites in the field of digital imagery and basic image processing, the students will cover at specialized level all subjects of artificial vision applied to robotics, medical imagery and 3D vision.

This Masters programme will provide an unrivalled knowledge in computer vision and robotics applied to industrial problems and medical imagery. Moreover, the students will have also acquired a mobility, a broadmindedness and the language skills which constitute, in an age of globalization, a major asset for finding research work either in a public laboratory or in a private company.

VIBOT encompasses a broad spectrum of scientific and engineering research from fundamental theoretical results to applied engineering solutions that have strong industrial relevance. Individuals within the VIBOT research network are leading authorities on areas ranging from computer vision, autonomous vehicles, statistical signal processing, robotics and image processing.

The Masters candidates will experience research cultures in three different European countries and will be able to draw on the expertise from leading experts in different disciplines and different nationalities. The students spend the first semester in Scotland, the second in Spain and the third in France. The fourth semester is reserved for the 5-month Masters research project at one of the host universities or in industry.

Selection CriteriaAdmission to VIBOT is highly competitive and based on academic excellence. Applicants should have a minimum of a BSc degree in computer science, electrical engineering, physics or mathematics. The VIBOT research programme is intended for top level non-EU and EU students with a fluent knowledge in spoken and written English (TOEFL 550). Applicants are expected to provide a statement of their research interests and motivation.

Further information and application procedure can be found at: http://vibot.org Closing date: 15th January 2010

Further Details

Click here for Employer Profile

UK : PhD Studentship

Advanced Mid-infrared Spectroscopy of Narrow-Gap Semiconductor Structures Under Application of Uniax

University of Surrey - Dept. of Physics, University of Surrey and School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Southampton

Project Supervisors: Dr J. Hosea (Surrey) and Prof. P. Lagoudakis (Southampton)

The Universities of Surrey and Southampton have won PhD studentship funding from SEPnet. This will be enhanced by an additional grant from industrial collaborator QinetiQ. Applications are now invited (ideally commencing Oct. 2009 but available until Jan. 2010.)

This experimental project will investigate fundamental aspects of the narrow-gap, quantum well semiconductor material systems used to make a variety of novel devices including: (1) lasers operating in the 3-4 mm range, which are important for applications such as biomedical imaging, monitoring trace atmospheric gases and secure free space communication; (2) ultra-fast low power-dissipation transistors, which are being intensively researched to keep Moore's Law on track; (3) quantum components for long-term radical changes to computation for the solution of key types of problem.

In order to make progress in designing more efficient lasers or faster transistors, we need to fully understand the detailed electronic band-structure of the narrow-gap semiconductor structures concerned. This key objective will be achieved by a unique combination of advanced optical spectroscopic characterisation techniques and the application of uniaxial strain. The measurements will be compared with predictions by theoreticians, at Surrey, as a function of strain, which will then yield the required band-structure parameters.

The student will be registered at Surrey and supervised by Dr. Hosea using Surrey's extensive spectroscopic facilities, with co-supervision by Prof. Lagoudakis at Southampton regarding their novel strain-application techniques. The samples will be grown and fabricated at QinetiQ's Malvern Technology Centre, with industrial supervision by Prof. T. Ashley. The student will make regular trips to both Southampton and Malvern. Surrey's device studies facilities will also be available to measure the performance and loss mechanisms of any resulting new devices.

Funding Notes

The SEPnet (www.sepnet.ac.uk) studentship funding is equivalent to that of the EPSRC (Home/EU fees, plus stipend of £12,940 p.a. and research training support grant of £1200 p.a.) The additional funds from QinetiQ (www.qinetiq.com) are approx. £22k spread over three years, a substantial fraction of which will be used to enhance the student's stipend.

Conditions
Applicants should have a minimum of an upper second class (2.1) degree in Physics (or equivalent) and be able to demonstrate good experimental abilities. Evidence of experience in optical spectroscopy would also be an advantage. Home/UK applicants (with a relevant connection to the UK, usually established by residence) are eligible to apply. Applicants with a relevant connection to other EU countries may be eligible for tuition fees and maintenance grant, subject to status and the usual formalities.

Informal Enquiries can be made to:
Dr. Jeff Hosea
Department of Physics,
T: +44 (0)1483 689412
E: j.hosea@surrey.ac.uk

Application by CV to:
Ms Cristobel Soares-Smith
Department of Physics
Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences
University of Surrey
Guildford,
GU2 7XH, UK
T: +44 (0)1483 686800
F: +44 (0)1483 686781
E: c.soares-smith@surrey.ac.uk

Application deadline: January 2010

Further Details

USA : Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)

The program recruits primarily undergraduates in their sophomore and
junior years, but outstanding freshmen and seniors are also
considered. All qualified students are encouraged to apply, and
minority and female students are particularly encouraged. SURE Fellows
are expected to reapply for a second year of research (and out years)
with their mentors when possible after successful completion of their
SURE appointments.

The approximately ten-week SURE program generally begins in early June
through mid-August. Fellows attend a one-week orientation and focus
session that includes a series of lectures to provide a detailed
overview of all research areas within the BER global change mission.
Fellows also receive more focused information on the specific areas in
which they expect to conduct research. Following the orientation and
focus sessions, SURE fellows travel to their nine-week research
assignments at national laboratories or universities (or other
participating DOE funded contractors) to conduct BER-supported global
change research. Each Fellow has a mentor who directs and monitors his/
her summer research experience.

Fellows’ receive the following benefits:

* A weekly stipend of $475.00, which is paid every two weeks.
* Travel expenses (including airfare, ground transportation,
lodging, and adjusted Per Diem) to attend the Orientation and End-of-
Summer Workshop.
* Travel expenses (including airfare and ground transportation)
from the Orientation to the research facility.
* Travel expenses (including airfare and ground transportation)
from the research facility to the End-of-Summer Workshop, and then to
their homes.

Deadline : December 31, 2009

http://www.atmos.anl.gov/GCEP/SURE/index.html

USA : Graduate Research Environmental Fellowships (GREF)

GREF makes three-year appointments that are renewable annually based
on evidence of the Fellow’s satisfactory academic and research
direction and progress. The fellowship pays an annual stipend of
$19,200 ($1,500 monthly plus a $600 Research Education Supplement in
March and October), and tuition and fees. GREF Fellows are encouraged
to participate in the annual Orientation and research focus sessions,
and the End-of-Summer Workshop. If the Fellow decides to participate
in these activities, GREF pays travel costs, per diem and lodging to
the events.

GREF Eligibility Requirements:

* U.S. citizenship required.
* Applicants must have completed at least one year of graduate school
unless they have participated previously in the SURE program.
* Minority and female students are encouraged to apply.

Deadline : December 31, 2009

http://www.atmos.anl.gov/GCEP/GREF/index.html

https://www2.orau.gov/gcep/login.aspx?Type=Gref

Switzerland : PhD Position in Epidemiology at the Human-Animal Interface, Swiss Tropical Institute

Neglected Tropical Diseases and integrated demographic surveillance in mobile pastoralists and their animals in Chad

In the frame work of a project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation ProDoc scheme, a PhD position in Epidemiology is open at earliest convenience.

PhD Position in Epidemiology at the human-animal interface

• Working places: Basel, Switzerland and N’Djaména, Chad
• Remuneration: According to the salary scheme of the Swiss National Science Foundation
• Duration 3 years.

Conditions:

• Master of Science degree
• Registration at the University of Basel
• Experience with field work in Africa
• Fluency in French, written and spoken
• Notions in Arabic are an asset
• Suitable candidates have preferably a background in biology, public health, animal health, population biology or health geography.

Applicants are invited to send:

1. Letter of motivation
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Copies of their diplomas
4. Letters of recommendation
5. Names and addresses of two reference persons

To:

PD Dr. Jakob Zinsstag, Swiss Tropical Institute, PO Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland,
or by email to jakob.zinsstag@ unibas.ch, Tel. +41 61 284 81 39

Background and Aims of the Project

Substantial gains have been made in global health, including reductions in overall and child mortality in developing countries. However, progress remains uneven and there are growing differences in mortality, morbidity and disease burden rates according to geographical region. For example, communicable diseases, maternal and perinatal conditions, and micronutrient deficiencies cluster in the tropics and subtropics, and contribute to delay the social and economic development. Improving the health and livelihoods of the global poor could save millions of healthy life years, enhance equity and alleviate poverty, and hence contribute to achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs). Certain MDGs are addressed by global alliances and partnerships; e.g. the control of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Fewer efforts are placed on the so-called neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), e.g. helminth infections and zoonoses. The focus of this project is on the epidemiology and control of NTDs in semi-arid and humid contexts in Central and West Africa.

The goal of this proposal is to deepen our understanding of morbidity patterns and transmission dynamics of NTDs in two eco-epidemiological settings of Africa, and to study the effects of control interventions aiming at reducing the burden due to NTDs. This will entail the development of methods and analytical tools for demographic surveillance of a highly mobile population in Chad, and a rural sedentary population in south-central Côte d’Ivoire. These demographic surveillance system (DSS) sites will serve as platforms to monitor changes in morbidity patterns following locally-adapted interventions.

UK : The Gates Cambridge Scholarships 2010 for PhD, Master, MBA, and Second Bachelor Degree

In October 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation of Seattle, Washington, USA announced a donation to the University of Cambridge of $210 million to establish the Gates Cambridge Trust.

This benefaction creates in perpetuity an international scholarship programme to enable outstanding graduate students from outside the United Kingdom to study at the University of Cambridge. The Trustees are required to award scholarships on the basis of a person’s intellectual ability, leadership capacity and desire to use their knowledge to contribute to society throughout the world by providing service to their communities and applying their talents and knowledge to improve the lives of others

Who is eligible

Candidates for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship:

• may be citizens of any country outside the United Kingdom.
• may apply to study any subject available at the University of Cambridge.
• must apply to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study:
  • Research leading to the PhD degree
  • One-year post-graduate courses (e.g. MPhil, LLM, Diploma, CASM or Part III Maths, MBA etc.)
  • 2 year MSc degree
  • Second Bachelor degree as an Affiliated Student
  • MBBChir Clinical Studies

  (see How to Apply for further information)

• must be admitted to Cambridge through the University’s normal academic procedures. The Trust cannot admit students.
• must have a first class or high second class honours degree, or its equivalent, from a recognised university. For universities which work according to the North American pattern, candidates will be expected to have excellent transcripts with high GPA scores showing evidence of sustained achievement in study, together with the type of academic references which speak of the candidate’s leadership potential, social commitment, intellectual ability and why further study at Cambridge is particularly appropriate. The Gates Cambridge Trust does not require candidates to take a GRE test, although some Departments in Cambridge may do so; candidates should check the relevant section of the Graduate Studies Prospectus.
• must be well prepared for the Cambridge course for which they are applying and must meet the academic criteria for admission specified by the University. Some courses may have particular requirements for admission, and details of these can be found in the relevant sections of the Graduate Studies Prospectus for graduate applicants, or the Undergraduate Prospectus for affiliated applicants.
• who are not native speakers of English are required by the University to provide proof of their proficiency in the English language to meet the minimum standard required for admission to Cambridge. For further information see English language requirements for graduate applicants or English language requirements for affiliated applicants.
• from countries of the European Union who intend to pursue graduate study or research must, where eligible, apply for public fees awards offered by the Research Councils by the relevant deadlines.
• who are already studying at Cambridge are only eligible to apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if they are applying for a new course of study (e.g. a one year ‘MPhil only’ student may apply for funding to continue on to the PhD). Candidates already studying at Cambridge who are not applying for a new course of study (e.g. have already started their PhD) are not eligible to be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship.

How to apply

Graduate application information for October 2010

Below are details of the graduate application deadlines for the October 2010 entry.

• US citizens: the GRADSAF form and supporting documents must arrive at the University by 15 October 2009.
• Non-US citizens: the GRADSAF form and supporting documents must arrive at the University by 15 December 2009.

Full details about graduate studies in Cambridge will be available in the 2010-11 Graduate Studies Prospectus from mid-September 2009. However, applicants may apply for admission for October 2010 from 1 September 2009 from the 2010-11 application page.

How to Apply

Before submitting an application, please read the Overview and Who is eligible sections.

Please click on the link below that applies to the course for which you intend to apply:

• Graduate Study or Research
• Second undergraduate degree as an affiliated student

If you would like to contact a past Gates Scholar to discuss any aspect of the scholarship programme, please go to the web page of the Gates Ambassadors to find an alumnus in your country or region.

For further details please go to:

http://www.gatesscholar.org

UK : Engineering Doctorate (EngD) in Holistic Situation Awareness

University of Bristol - Industrial Doctorate Centre in Systems - Managing Systems for Enhanced Performance

Summary: BAE Systems is a global company engaged in the development, delivery and support of advanced defence, security and aerospace systems in the air, on land and at sea. The effectiveness of systems depends on the ability to understand and relate to the context in which they are used. Success depends on integrating information from that context to generate ‘situation awareness'. Research is needed to improve the holistic interpretation of situation awareness and enhance ‘capability'. Working at the Advanced Technology Centre at Filton in Bristol, you would be at the heart of capability development in one of the most technically advanced companies in the world.

The research challenge is to characterise and quantify the whole systems issues associated with building a multi platform, multi-sensor situational awareness system. The research will apply systems thinking approaches to available state of the art technologies; to design, build and evaluate a situational awareness system. The proposed area of focus is the Urban ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) domain. The research will seek to parameterise and analyse issues associated with centralised versus distributed systems:

• What are the requirements for such a system?
• What are the sub components or component of the system?
• How do the component systems fit together?
• What are the implications for the subsystems when contextual and wider issues need to be considered?
• How do human and autonomous agents interact in these type of systems?
• How are issues of trust handled?
• How do we design such a system and what are the metrics that might be applied to evaluate performance?
• What are the system links to Decision making - human and/or autonomous agent?

The EngD in Systems is a full-time, four-year programme, offering the experience of rigorous, leading-edge research within a business context. The EngD researcher will spend approximately 75% of his/her time on the research project, with the remaining time spent on taught courses covering systems and business-related topics. The researcher will be registered at the University of Bristol.

Candidate requirements: Candidates should have a minimum of an upper second (2.1) class honours degree (or equivalent) in a discipline relevant to the research. They should have strong interest in the project and be able to demonstrate an aptitude for undertaking this type of research.

Funding: A tax-free EPSRC stipend (£14,790 for 2009/2010) will be available for the successful (and eligible) candidate, and will be enhanced by a minimum of £3,500 p.a. from BAE Systems. Tuition fees will also be covered. Standard EPSRC studentship eligibility applies but non-eligible individuals are welcome to apply but must be able to find alternative funding arrangements.

Please apply to Postgraduate Admissions at the University of Bristol. Information on how to apply, and where to obtain application forms, is available on the EngD Centre's web site:

www.bristol.ac.uk/engineering/systemsengd

For further details regarding the research project, please contact Dr Mike Yearworth (mike.yearworth@bristol.ac.uk) or Mr Hecotr Figueiredo (Hector.Figueiredo@baesystems.com)

For further details regarding the EngD programme, please contact Rebecca Rose (systems-eng@bristol.ac.uk)

Closing Date for Applications: Position open until filled

Click here for Employer Profile

Sweden : PhD Studentship in General Linguistics and Phoenetics at Stockholm University, Start Date January 2010

The Department of Linguistics at Stockholm University invites applications for three four-year studentships within its PhD programme in Linguistics with a specialization in General Linguistics and/or Phonetics, with start date January 1, 2010. The thesis project should involve one or both of the profile areas of the department, namely, language typology

(see http://www.ling.su.se/ASV/engelska/eng-text.html) or early language acquisition in children.

The deadline for applications is October 29th, 2009.

Applications should be sent by ordinary mail to Stockholms universitet, Registrator/PA, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden, and should include the following:

1. CV with information about earlier studies, jobs and publications;
2. a copy of written works that are referred to in the application;
3. contact information for two reference persons;
4. a sketch of up to 6,000 words describing a possible thesis project.

Please indicate the reference number Ref.nr SU 617-2167-09 on your application!
Further inquiries should be directed to Professor Maria Koptjevskaja Tamm (tamm@ling.su.se) for General Linguistics, and Professor Francisco Lacerda frasse@ling.su.se) for Phonetics.

General information

Applicants must have an undergraduate degree including at least an equivalent of the Swedish “magister” programme in General Linguistics. This programme focuses on linguistic theory and comprises four years of study including the writing of two research papers. Applicants from all countries are welcome. Knowledge of Swedish is not a formal requirement but students are strongly advised to acquire a working knowledge of Swedish as soon as possible (language courses are offered by the university). Additional details on the general admission requirements for postgraduate studies at Stockholm University can be found at http://www.su.se/english/study/postgraduate-studies

During the period of the studentship, the student is a regular employee of the University. The beginning salary is 21,600 SEK a month (approximately 2,100 Euros or 3,100 USD).

The first period of employment is for one year. The employment contract can then be renewed for at most two years at a time, up to a total of four years, or, if the student accepts teaching or administrative duties at the department (not exceeding 20% of full time), maximally five years.

The Department of Linguistics at Stockholm University (http://www.ling.su.se) has about 60 employees, which makes it one of the larger departments at the Faculty of Humanities. The department is organized into six sections, namely, General Linguistics, Computational Linguistics, Phonetics, Sign Language for the Deaf, Swedish for the Deaf, and Modern Greek. The research at the Department of Linguistics belongs to one of fifteen areas at Stockholm University which have been graded as “leading research” in the sense of being nationally leading and having a high international status (see http://www.su.se/english/research/leading-research-areas/humanities-law-and-social-sciences).
The department is a member of the Human Language Technology Center in the Stockholm-Uppsala University Network (http://www.uu.se/suun/eng/hltcenter.php), and participates in the Swedish National Graduate School of Language Technology (GSLT, http://www.gslt.hum.gu.se/).

Application Web Address:
http://www.su.se/english/study/postgraduate-studies

Contact Information:

• Professor Maria Koptjevskaja Tamm (for General Linguistics) tamm@ling.su.se
• Professor Francisco Lacerda (for Phonetics) frasse@ling.su.se

Erasmus Mundus Scholarship 2010: AtoSiM Master in Atomic Scale Modelling of Physical, Chemical and Biomolecular Systems

AtoSim is a one year Physics or Chemistry Masters degree focused on computer modelling of physical, chemical and biomolecular systems.

AtoSim is operated jointly by:

• University of Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
• Ecole normale supérieure in Lyon, FRANCE
• University la Sapienza in Rome, ITALY.

Students choose two of the three organization for their courses and a research project respectively and obtain a double diploma.

This one-year degree provides a high-level qualification in the rapidly expanding field of computer modeling in physical, chemical and bio-molecular sciences. This highly integrated Course covers a full range of techniques: from quantum mechanical atomistic descriptions to coarse-grained mesoscopic models. Particular fields of application include condensed matter and statistical physics, chemistry, physical chemistry, materials science and theoretical bio-molecular science.

The study program is divided into three parts. During the first semester, the students are enrolled in a specialized curriculum in one of the three partner institutions. The Course includes selected modules in physics, chemistry and computer science. Next, they participate in a compulsory “winter school” for a fortnight, organized by the University of Amsterdam. In the second semester they will carry out a research project in a second partner institution. The research project and the first semester courses involve mobility between two different institutions.

Students obtain a double degree from the two institutions in which they are enrolled. Admission into the master degree is decided on the basis of academic excellence by a selection committee composed of representatives from each partner institution. Applicants should have at least four years of prior studies majoring in physics, chemistry, engineering, applied mathematics or bio-informatics. Proof of English proficiency is also required.

Grants / Stipends

The European Commission will finance 15 Erasmus Mundus stipends for applicants coming from any third country. Additional funds coming from the Community’s external relations budget allow paying for Erasmus Mundus scholarships to additional students coming from specific countries.
The European Commission also imposes the following additional selection criteria, which aims at ensuring a geographical balance across the sponsored third-country students:

• no more than 25% of the selected third-country students should come from the same country
• no more than 10% of the selected third-country students should come from the same institution.

Further information on the specific windows: http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/mundus/univ/country_en.html

Scholar opportunities

The European Commission will provide 3 grants for scholars coming from any third country. Without prejudice to the respect of high academic standards, in order to ensure a geographical balance across third-country scholars, each selected third-country scholar should come from a different country (but they can come from the same countries as students). The amount of the scholarship is 4000 € per month + an fixed amount of 1000 €.

The duration of the visit of the scholar is maximum 3 months. Scholars invited in one institution will be expected to visit informally the two other institutions during their stay in Europe.

Invitation of third country scholars will be made upon proposition of researchers from the three institutions of the ATOSIM consortium. We will be very pleased to receive unsolicited applications, too.

Interested applicants may send us via email

• an extensive Curriculum Vitae
• a letter of intent describing their plan of activities for their stay at the ATOSIM consortium.

All applications will be evaluated by the ATOSIM steering committee, and the applicants will be informed of the preliminary assessment outcome. The applicants will be contacted once again after the final confirmation and approval of the European Commission.

Registration: General Information

How To Apply

To apply to the AtoSiM MSc course, you must:

1. Download and fill the online application form
2. Send an electronic version of the filled form to atosim[at]ens-lyon.fr
3. Send by post a signed version of the filled form and the required documents (see list) to:

Erasmus Mundus AtoSiM Program
Office for International relations
Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon
46, allée d’Italie
69007 LYON
FRANCE

Deadlines

The application deadline for the Erasmus Mundus Master is:

• December 30th for non-EEA citizens applying for Erasmus-Mundus funding
• June 1st for EEA citizens or students not applying for Erasmus-Mundus funding.

Only COMPLETE APPLICATIONS will be considered

Official announcement can be obtained at:
http://www.erasmusmundus-atosim.cecam.org/index.php/home_atosim.html

USA : Postdoc Position on Biomedical Data Mining at the Department of Computer Science, The University of North Carolina

We have a full time postdoc position sponsored by an NIH ARRA project starting immediately. Qualified candidates should have a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science and have extensive experience in data management, data mining, machine learning, bioinformatics and computational biology. The position is of two year term and may be extended subject to satisfactory progress and funding availability.

Salary and benefit are competitive. Interested applicants please email your resume to Prof. Wei Wang (weiwang@cs.unc.edu)

Netherlands : PhD Positions 2009 in Bone Regeneration at the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente

09/193 – 2 PhD positions in bone regeneration
The Faculty of Science and Technology (700 faculty members, 1100 students) offers a range of bachelor and master courses (NanoTechnology, Applied Physics, Chemical Engineering and Technical Medicine). The faculty’s research is organized in three of the university’s interdisciplinary research institutes: MESA+, MIRA, and IMPACT. These institutes increase the vitality of research by enabling collaboration between programs and disciplines, by providing shared facilities, and by attracting funding for joint projects. They also provide a conduit to industrial and other external partners.

2 Ph.D positions (4 years) in bone regeneration: development of novel materials and high-throughput screening of their biological performance

Job description

The department of Tissue Regeneration at the MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente (http://tr.tnw.utwente.nl/) is dedicated to develop new strategies for the treatment of bone and cartilage defects. Recently, our lab developed synthetic osteo-inductive ceramics, materials which are able to actively stimulate bone regeneration and which are now clinically evaluated as alternative for autologous bone grafting. Fueled by this, we are currently developing a new generation of inductive ceramics by further improving the inductive potential as well as the handling and mechanical properties.

In this project we are looking for two PhD students. One student will engage in development of a family of novel biomaterials, by modifying their physico-chemical properties and by the preparation of composites of ceramics and polymers. The other student will set up a high throughput screening system to evaluate the bone forming capacity of ceramics in vitro. Micro-array technology will be used to assess the biological response of stem cells to ceramics and be correlated to their ability to induce bone formation in animal models using bio-informatic analysis.

Requirements

We are now recruiting two PhD students. One candidate should have a Master’s degree in chemistry or engineering and affinity with biomaterials and orthopaedics. The other candidate, with a biomedical background should be keen to apply molecular biology to solve a medical problem. Expertise in bio-informatics is recommended.

Outstanding knowledge of scientific English both in speaking and in reading is required.

Terms of employment

The Tissue Regeneration Group, led by Prof. Clemens van Blitterswijk is a part of the MIRA – Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine at the University of Twente (http://tr.tnw.utwente.nl). We offer a top level research and academic environment with excellent opportunities for personal development. The assignment is for 4 years, with a go/no-go assessment at the end of the first year. The candidates are expected to finish the project with a PhD thesis and disseminate the results through publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international conferences. The starting salary will be € 2042, – in the first year and up to € 2612, – gross per month in the last year.

Applications

Questions about the project on biomaterials development should be directed to Dr. Pamela Habibovic (p.habibovic@tnw.utwente.nl). For information about the high-throughput screening project, please contact Dr. Jan de Boer (j.deboer@tnw.utwente.nl).

Applications should consist of an application/motivation letter and a detailed CV. Please mention vacancy number 09/193.

Official announcement can be obtained at:
http://www.utwente.nl/vacatures/en/Academic%20Staff/09-193-eng.doc/

Netherlands : PhD Position on Membrane-based Olefin/Paraffin Separation, University of Twente

Within the Membrane Technology Group of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Twente, we have a PhD positions for a project entitled: “Membrane-based olefin/paraffin separation: A route to energy efficient separation technology”.

Membrane technology is an attractive, energy efficient alternative for molecular separations because of its high energy efficiency, reliability, and small foot print. The separation of olefins and paraffins, traditionally performed in large distillation columns, is one of the currently most energy intensive separation processes in the petrochemical industry and the energy savings obtainable with membrane technology are significant. In the present project we develop membranes for the energy efficient separation of especially lower olefins and paraffins.

The focus of this project is on the development of new carbon membranes for gas separation and on the determination of the structure properties relationship. The project integrates and combines the practical experience and the more, but far from complete fundamental understanding on polymeric olefin/paraffin separation membranes with the more explorative knowledge on carbon membranes. The combination of these aspects offers new ways towards the development of highly selective and permeable membranes for the separation of olefins and paraffins at higher feed pressures and temperatures.

The project is a collaboration between 7 partners ranging from research institutes (University of Twente, ECN, University of Düsseldorf) to industrial membrane developers (Hyflux CEPAration BV, SolSep BV) and the chemical industry (Shell Global Solutions and Dow Benelux BV).

Profile

We are looking for highly motivated and enthusiastic researchers with an MSc degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, material science or a related topic, with adequate experimental and theoretical skills.

We prefer candidates with a good team spirit, who like to work in an internationally oriented environment. Fluency in English is a requirement. An interview and a scientific presentation will be part of the selection procedure.

Offer

We offer a scientific education on a multidisciplinary subject. The assignment is for 4 years, with a go/no-go assessment at the end of the first year. The candidates are expected to finish the project with a PhD thesis and disseminate the results through patents (if applicable), publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international conferences. Your starting salary will be € 2042, – in the first year and up to € 2612, – gross per month in the last year.

Information and application

For more information, please contact Dr. ir. Kitty Nijmeijer (+31 53 4894185 or d.c.nijmeijer@utwente.nl). To apply, please send your application letter plus CV before October 15, 2009, to the University of Twente, Faculty of Science and Technology, attn. to Dr. ir. Kitty Nijmeijer, Faculty of Science and Technology, ME327, PO Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands, or per e-mail d.c.nijmeijer@utwente.nl.

Vacancy number 09/195.

Further details go to:
http://www.utwente.nl/vacatures/en/Academic%20Staff/09-195-eng.doc/