International Scholarships for Everyone

Monday, June 21, 2010

UK : PhD Studentships Global Environmental Change and Earth Observation

University of Southampton - School of Geography

Title: Mapping environmental variables and disease (fully funded)

Supervisor: Professor Pete Atkinson & Prof. Sue Welburn (University of Edinburgh)

Funding Source: Fully funded by the University of Edinburgh and School of Geography, University of Southampton

Closing date: 30 June 2010

Eligibility: All are eligible but International students would need to find the difference between home and overseas fees for the full three years.

The University of Edinburgh and the University of Southampton have funding to support 'Community based interventions against Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis on the Jos Plateau, Nigeria'.

The project offers a unique opportunity to link disease establishment and the ecology of species invasion, providing a framework that may be applied to the study of other vector-borne diseases as regards our understanding of disease establishment and the spatial dynamics of animal and human trypanosomiasis. Environmental conditions in the study sites will be characterised with particular reference to disease challenge.

The student will investigate the environmental gradient from the surrounding lowlands up onto the plateau and provide an objective basis for extrapolating to other regions with similar environmental characteristics, where similar epidemiological conditions are likely to prevail. The student will compile the most detailed and recent information available relating to the distribution of human, livestock and wildlife populations, vegetation patterns, intensity of land use, climatic conditions and location of protected areas. The predictive disease risk mapping capability this will provide will facilitate the assessment and recommendation of appropriate disease control measures at later stages of the project.

High resolution remotely sensed data will be used to map seasonal land-use and land-cover patterns, and vegetation indices such as the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI, an index of vegetation health and abundance will be used to classify areas for tsetse habitat suitability, linking with the tsetse surveys, above). By quantifying the spatial and temporal effects of these ecological drivers, more effective evidence-based control approaches may be identified, leading to targeted approaches to disease control in the resource poor settings in which the disease exists. The interplay between the parasite population and the natural environment described and quantified here may form a basis for better control of other vector-borne infections.

Candidates must have or expect to gain a first or strong upper second class degree, in Geography, or an appropriate related subject. A recognised MSc would be an advantage but is not essential.

Details on how to apply are available from the Graduate School Administrator, School of Geography University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, Telephone 023 8059 2216, fax 023 8059 3295, email J.A.Drewitt@soton.ac.uk. Informal enquiries may be made to Professor Pete Atkinson (email P.M.Atkinson@soton.ac.uk).

For the latest information on funding opportunities, please visit the Geography website at http://www.geog.soton.ac.uk/.

UK : Seven PhD Bursaries University of Bath - School Of Management

Value up to £13,200 each

To help support the University of Bath's continuing development of its postgraduate research environment and to provide doctoral training for outstanding individuals seeking to pursue professional academic careers, the School of Management is offering seven 3-year bursaries against tuition fees, each with an annual value of either £4,400 (total over 3 years, £13,200) or £2,200 (total over 3 years, £6,600).

Bursaries are for an autumn 2010 start and are open to international, EU and UK candidates who have both (i) exceptional academic qualifications and (ii) a strong commitment to acquiring a professional doctoral training to be management academics.

Research interests in any field of management will be considered, from exceptional candidates from anywhere in the world, and from any prior disciplinary background.

Applications are welcomed from outstanding graduates who must:

Have, or expect to receive by September 2010, exceptionally good academic qualifications (evidenced by either high GRE or GMAT scores, or high GPAs, or high degree classifications, or similar).
Are fluent in English.
Are strongly committed to, and potentially capable of, high-quality academic research in any of the Subject Groups of the School.

Suitably qualified candidates should apply directly online https://secure.bath.ac.uk/prospectus/cgi-bin/applications.pl attaching as additional documents ALL the following:

1. A single document containing the following and in this order:-

a) A statement up to 200 words of why candidates think they should be awarded a bursary.

b) The names of at least two, but preferably three, School of Management faculty members that applicants think might be appropriate doctoral supervisors for their research interests.

c) A statement up to 200 words of which Subject Group of the School applicants wish to make a research contribution and why they think they will succeed in making such a contribution.

d) An additional statement up to 200 words of why the applicant wants to become a professional management scholar.

2. An original preliminary research proposal written by applicants themselves.

3. A full academic CV, including all schools, colleges and universities attended, along with all grades and other verifiable evidence of academic ability and achievement, plus any working experience, plus the full contact details of at least two academic referees who will be prepared to give references at possibly short notice, and a statement of willingness to be interviewed if short-listed, and proof of English fluency (for non-native English speakers only).

Applications that do not supply all of the above items in full of the three numbered points above will NOT be considered, so do please be sure to send ALL the items requested.

Closing date for applications: Applications will be processed as they arrive, so early application is encouraged. To speed consideration of your application, please ensure that you supply all the above documents.

All applicants are advised to view the School's webpages: http://www.bath.ac.uk/management/

Applicants must be seeking to earn a PhD on a full-time basis. Annual continuation of bursaries will depend on satisfactory academic performance by holders.

For any queries please contact: Research Office, School of Management, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom. Email: pgradmin@management.bath.ac.uk Tel: 44 (0) 1225 386714/386162.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

UK : PhD Research Studentship Microbial contamination of contact lenses and associated clinical factors

Glasgow Caledonian University - Departments of Biological and Biomedical Sciences and Vision Sciences

School of Life Sciences

Supervisors

Dr Sue Lang (Department of Biomedical Sciences, GCU)

Dr Sven Jonuscheit (Department of Vision Sciences, GCU)

The Studentship

The studentship is for a period of three years, subject to satisfactory progress and provides payment of tuition fees at the UK/EU rate plus an annual stipend of £14, 275 (please note that students from outside the EU are required to pay the difference between International and EU fees, currently this would amount to £6,100 per annum). Successful candidates are expected to undertake up to 6 hours of academic support activity per week.

The topic

"Microbial contamination of contact lenses and associated clinical factors"

Contact lens wear is a significant risk factor for the development of acute bacterial eye infections (microbial keratitis). The healthy non-lens wearing ocular surface is frequently exposed to potentially pathogenic microorganisms, yet infections rarely arise. The presence of a foreign object however, such as a contact lens, impairs host defence mechanisms allowing relatively small bacterial inocula to initiate infections. The contact lens surface allows the bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus to form a structure known as a biofilm (a population of bacteria cells within a secreted matrix called extracellular polymeric substance). It is recognised that a bacterial population replicating within a biofilm differs greatly from a free-floating counterpart. Bacteria within a biofilm are physiologically heterogeneous, gene expression and protein synthesis are altered, and the cells become increasingly refractory to antibiotic therapy. This study will investigate the association of contact lens wear and biofilm formation with S. aureus keratitis.

The successful applicant will be able to combine lab-based in vitro studies within a well-resourced and experienced research team engaged in the investigation of staphylococcal biofilms within the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences with relevant clinical research involving in vivo assessments of contact lenses and the human cornea within the Eye Clinic at GCU.

For further details and informal enquiries please contact the supervisors or the postgraduate tutor:

Dr Lang, Lecturer in Microbiology (sue.lang@gcu.ac.uk, 0141 331 8092) or

Dr Jonuscheit, Lecturer in Vision Sciences (sven.jonuscheit@gcu.ac.uk, 0141 331 3059)

Prof Ann Graham, Postgraduate Research Tutor (ann.graham@gcu.ac.uk)

Requirements and further details

Applicants should normally hold a first or upper second class degree in an appropriate subject.

How to apply

An application form can be downloaded from the following web page:

http://www.gcu.ac.uk/graduatecentre/downloads/standard_app_form.doc

All enquiries for further information about how to apply for the above PhD posts and completed applications should be directed to Diane Dickie, Caledonian Graduate Centre, D.Dickie@gcu.ac.uk or 0141 331 8096.

Further information about the School of Life Sciences at GCU is available here:

http://www.gcu.ac.uk/sls/research/

Further information about the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences is available here:

http://www.gcu.ac.uk/sls/departments/deptofbiologicalbiomedicalsciences/

Further information about the Department of Vision Sciences is available here:

http://www.gcu.ac.uk/sls/departments/deptofvisionsciences/

Closing date for the applications is Friday 16^th July 2010

UK : Psychology PhD studentship Learning and Visual Attention Bangor University - School of Psychology

Prof Jane Raymond

Closing date: 28th June 2010

Applications are invited for a fully funded PhD studentship for 3 years full time study in the School of Psychology at Bangor University (start date Autumn 2010). The School of Psychology in Bangor was ranked 7th among Psychology departments in the UK in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, based on the quality of its research and academic environment.

The studentship includes payment of UK / EU level tuition fees, a maintenance allowance of approximately £13,290 p.a. and a research allowance of £750 p.a.

Project description

The project will explore the role of learning and motivation on visual attention and social cognition in healthy humans. Recent work from Prof Raymond's lab has shown that learned reward/punishment value associated with complex stimuli (e.g., faces) changes the way information is attended, perceived, remembered, and emotionally evaluated. The project will explore these effects in more detail with a specific emphasis on how reward and expectation modulate visual processing mechanisms in the brain. The project will involve EEG/ERP, behavioural approaches (chronometry and psychophysics) and/or fMRI, depending on the student's interests. Avenues for exploration include cognitive genetic phenotyping, addiction, and manipulation of emotional states.

Requirements

Applicants must have a first or upper second-class honours degree in Psychology or equivalent and we would normally expect applicants to have completed an appropriate Masters degree. International students are welcome to apply. However, our studentships only cover fees at the UK / EU level. The School offers a fee bursary of up to £4500 per annum for exceptional international students.

Informal enquiries should be directed to Prof Raymond j.raymond@bangor.ac.uk

For details on how to apply please visit our website http://www.bangor.ac.uk/psychology/postgraduate/studentships. The closing date for applications is the 28th June 2010. Short-listed candidates will be interviewed.

Committed to Equal Opportunities

UK : Research Studentship UK Airspace Regulation In an Era of Privatisation and Commercialisation

Loughborough University - Department of Civil and Building Engineering

The Transport Studies Group within the Department of Civil and Building Engineering at Loughborough University invites applications from highly capable and enthusiastic individuals who wish to study for a PhD in the area of UK airspace regulation. The unprecedented and recurrent closure of UK and much of northern European airspace, in the spring of 2010 following the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland, demonstrated the economic importance of airspace and highlighted the legal and geopolitical complexities involved in its regulation. The UK was particularly affected by the closure. Hundreds of flights were grounded or delayed, thousands of passengers had their travel plans disrupted, and airlines, airport operators, and tourist authorities reported multi-million pound losses.

The recriminations that followed the decision to close UK airspace brought issues of (inter)national airspace governance into sharp relief and indicated the scale of disruption any future airspace closures might cause. Though an in-depth empirical investigation into the political, legal, and commercial decisions that informed the UK's response to the volcanic eruption, this research project will investigate the complex interactions that exist between aviation regulators, airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, and air transport consumer groups in the UK and explore the extent to which the progressive privatisation and commercialisation of the UK's aviation infrastructure has changed practices of airspace regulation and governance. Working with Dr Lucy Budd and Professor Stephen Ison, the successful applicant will explore the implications of the current regulatory regime and will seek to help safeguard the future resilience of the UK airspace network by enabling stakeholders to better prepare for, and respond to, future disruption.

Funding and Eligibility

The studentship is for three years and cover fees and a tax-exempt stipend (£13,590 for the 20010/11 academic year with cost of living adjustments in years 2 and 3). Tuition fees will be paid at the UK/EU rate. Candidates from countries outside of the EU will be liable for the difference between ‘home student fees' and international student fees. Applicants will need to complete the Loughborough University on-line application form (http://www.lboro.ac.uk/prospectus/pg/essential/apply/index.htm).

Applicants should preferably have a Masters degree in air transport management, human geography, economics, or a cognate discipline or a minimum of a 2.1 honours degree (or equivalent) at Bachelor level. Applicants will be judged on their academic experience, their understanding of the proposed research area, and their references. On the application form, please state under ‘additional information' that the application relates to the ‘UK airspace' research studentship.

Closing Date for Applications: Friday 16th July 2010

Additional Information: For informal enquiries contact Dr. Lucy Budd (L.C.S.Budd@lboro.ac.uk) or Professor Stephen Ison (S.G.Ison@lboro.ac.uk).

Further information about the studentship can be obtained by contacting:

Ms Helen Newbold,
Research Administrator,
Department of Civil and Building Engineering,
Loughborough University

E-mail: H.Newbold@lboro.ac.uk

UK : PhD Studentship Oxford Brookes University - Department of Computing and Electronics

UK : PhD Studentship: Nonlinear Signal Processing And Modelling In Diabetes And The Metabolic Syndrome

University of Southampton - School of Engineering Sciences

Ref: SES-74-141

A PhD studentship is available in the Computational Engineering & Design research group, School of Engineering Sciences (SES), which fully covers University tuition fees (at EU/UK level**) and provides a tax-free bursary of £13,600 per year, rising annually in line with the UK Government (EPSRC) recommended rate, for a 3-year duration. **EU/UK fees £3500 p.a., Overseas fee 15,500 p.a. (figures to be confirmed, and subject to annual increase).

UK applicants and EU-eligible applicants are eligible for full funding

Eligible overseas applicants will be expected to pay the fees difference of £12,000 from other sources.

Project description:

There are currently over 200 million people worldwide, and 2 million people in the UK alone, affected by diabetes. Overall, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes and related diseases, such as obesity and cardiovascular disease is rising at an alarming rate, worldwide, prompting the WHO to refer to this as an epidemic. Model systems that can be manipulated and studied at a functional and/or physiological level will help to develop a better understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of these conditions. The aim of this research is therefore to investigate the application of a range of nonlinear systems modelling techniques to a variety of physiological data sets from a number of clinical and other studies. This will include such data as blood-glucose, lipid and cholesterol levels, vascular flow measurements, insulin/glucose sensitivity tests, age, gender and lifestyle profiling along with the identification of candidate modelling strategies together with analysis of their predictive capabilities. This project, in conjunction with the School of Medicine, would suit a talented numerate graduate able to work alongside clinicians, scientists and engineers in all stages of the study.

The School of Engineering Sciences has an international reputation for research excellence, and is a diverse community, committed to creating an inclusive working and learning environment in which all individuals are equally treated and valued, and can achieve their potential. The School considers all studentship applications in relation to academic criteria and regardless of the individual's race, nationality, gender, or belief.

Entry requirements: Candidates will have a first class or upper second class degree in relevant disciplines, Engineering, Mathematics or Analytical Sciences.

Commencing 1 October 2010

Closing date for applications: a rolling deadline applies.

If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dr Andrew Chipperfield , Computational Engineering/Biomedical Engineering research group, Email: A.J.Chipperfield@Soton.ac.uk , Tel: +44 (0) 2380 59 8344.

How to apply: http://www.soton.ac.uk/ses/courses/pg/pgapply.html

Please read the notes carefully before applying. Applications will only be considered on receipt of a completed application form.

You can attach your supporting documents to the on-line application. If you are unable to do this, please send by email to Julia Zimbler jfz@soton.ac.uk (or send by fax or post if you are unable to send them electronically):

Julia Zimbler, Postgraduate Admissions, Graduate School Office, School of Engineering Sciences, Room 4009, Lanchester Building, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.

Fax: +44 (0) 2380 59 5167.

Please ensure you include a personal statement in your application, stating why you particularly want to do a PhD, why you think you are suited to a research degree and what particularly attracts you to this project.

Please also visit www.soton.ac.uk/ses for further information about the School and its research activities.

UK : PhD Studentship in Physical Objects as Intermediary Objects in Design

Open University - Faculty of Mathematics, Computing and Technology, Department of Design, Development, Environment and Materials

UK : 2 Full-Time PhD Studentships University of Surrey - The School of Law

UK : PhD Studentship Medical Physics and Medical Engineering Applications of Electrocardiography and Imaging to the Assessment of Heart Dynamics

Newcastle University - Institute of Cellular Medicine

Reference Code: CL034

Closing Date: 30th June 2010

Supervisors: Dr A Sims, Dr P Langley, Professor A Murray

Institute: Institute of Cellular Medicine

Sponsor: Regional Medical Physics and Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University

Duration of the award: 3 years

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the UK. Physics and engineering are key skills required for solving many of the problems associated with cardiovascular disease. From greater understanding of disease processes through data analysis and computer modelling, to the development of diagnostic and therapeutic devices and assistive technologies, physics and engineering play a major role.

The Cardiovascular Physics and Engineering Group has a significant international reputation in this area. With expertise ranging from advanced biomedical signal processing and image analysis to device development, we offer along with our collaborators in Medical Physics and Cardiology a stimulating environment in which important clinical cardiovascular problems can be addressed.

For this PhD studentship we are looking for an outstanding candidate with good physics/engineering background who is highly motivated to undertake a challenging research project linking electrocardiography and imaging to provide diagnostic information on heart dynamics. The PhD studentship will provide training in a broad range of research skills and is the ideal launchpad for a career in the biomedical engineering industry or academic research.

Value of the Award and Eligibility

The studentship is available to UK, EU or international students. The award covers EU/UK tuition fees (£4,325, which can be used as a contribution to international fees) and an annual stipend of £13,489.

Person Specification

You should have, or expect to achieve, a minimum of an upper-second-class Honours degree in physics, engineering or related discipline. We also welcome applications from candidates with a relevant Master's award.

How to Apply

You must complete the University's postgraduate application form. Select "Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Sciences) - Cellular Medicine" as the programme of study. Only mandatory fields need to be completed (no personal statement required) but you must attach a copy of your CV and a covering letter, quoting the title of the studentship and reference number CL034.

Closing date for applications: 30 June 2010

Further Information

For more details, please contact Dr A Sims andrew.sims@nuth.nhs.uk, Dr P Langley, philip.langley@ncl.ac.uk, Professor A Murray alan.murray@ncl.ac.uk

Details of the research undertaken at Newcastle into Cardiovascular Physics and Engineering are available online at http://research.ncl.ac.uk/cardio_phys_eng/