Netherlands: Ph.D. Student Leiden University Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Leiden University Medical Centre the division of Drug Delivery Technolgy
Leiden, 2300 RA (The Netherlands), 38 hours per week

Job description
Function title: Ph.D. Student
For a project entitled: "Improved delivery systems for efficacious peptide-based vaccines for immunotherapy of cancer"

The project
The Division of Drug Delivery Technology of the Leiden/Amsterdam center for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden University and the Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Toxicology of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) are joined together in an ambitious project to further develop vaccine-based immunotherapy of cancer.
Vaccination with synthetic peptides covering MHC class I and MHC class II epitopes represents a promising approach to increase specific T cell immunity against cancer with clear clinical effects in patients. Without proper adjuvants peptides are poorly immunogenic. The current project focuses on the development of immmunostimulatory biodegradable (nano) particles as a delivery strategy to increase the immunogenicity of peptide antigens. These insights will be used for developing a potent particulate delivery system to improve the efficacy of peptide-based cancer vaccines which are already tested in the clinic. For this project we are looking for two PhD students, one of which will work at the LACDR, the other will be positioned at the LUMC.

Requirements
Required education/skills:University Graduate

Your profile
You hold a master degree in (bio)pharmaceutical sciences or biochemistry. You want to work at the interface of several biomedical/pharmaceutical disciplines and you have a keen interest in immunology.
You are highly motivated and you have excellent communication skills, including a good level of written and spoken English. You are flexible and able to work both independently and in a team.
Job type: Research / Advising
Workfield(s):
- Research trainees, non-tenured lecturers, researchers(Scientific discipline: Natural Sciences)
- Research trainees, non-tenured lecturers, researchers(Scientific discipline: Health)

Organization
Leiden University
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Conditions of employment
Employment basis: Temporary for specified period
Duration of the contract: 4 years
Maximum hours per week: 38
Additional conditions of employment:
What we offer
You will be employed on the basis of a 36-hour week. Appointment is for four years. Your salary will depend on your qualifications and experience, with a maximum of € 2,519 gross per month based on a full time position (scale for PhD students of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).

Additional Information
Additional information can be obtained through one of the following links:

• About the organization (http://www.leiden.edu/)
• About the department (http://www.science.leidenuniv.nl/e/)
• About the function (http://www.vacatures.leidenuniv.nl/index.php3?m=1&c=1775)

Application
You can apply for this job before 01-05-2008 (dd-mm-yyyy) by sending your application to:

Faculteit der Wiskunde en Natuurwetenschappen
Einsteinwegweg 55
J.C.M. van Gent-van Dorp
Postbus 9502
2300 RA Leiden
Nederland
E-mail: c.van.gent@lacdr.leidenuniv.nl

When applying for this job always mention the vacancynumber 8-084.

Further Details

Netherlands: CARIM/Physiology PhD student f/m

Universiteit Maastricht

Maastricht, 6200 MD (Limburg), 38 hours per week

Job description
Function title: AT2008.93 CARIM/Physiology PhD student f/m
You will study the translational aspects of tissue engineered vascular constructs. Starting with an early but already functional prototype, iterations of biomaterials, cell sources and culture conditions lead to improved insight into basic vascular biology and to an improved vascular construct.

Requirements
Required education/skills:University Graduate
For this position, we are looking for masters in Medical Biology, Health Sciences, Biomedical Engineering or Medicine.

Workfield(s):
- Research trainees, non-tenured lecturers, researchers(Scientific discipline: Health)

Organization
Universiteit Maastricht
Universiteit Maastricht (UM) the youngest university in the Netherlands, is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Currently UM has around 11500 students and 3,000 employees. Reflecting the universitys strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of law, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology.

Conditions of employment
Maximum salary amount in Euro's a month 2558
Employment basis: Temporary for specified period
Duration of the contract: 4 years
Maximum hours per week: 38
Additional conditions of employment:
Your salary would be € 2.000,- gross per month in the first year up to € 2.558,- gross per month in the fourth year according to the PhD-student salary.

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

Prof. dr. M. Post
Telephone number: 043-3881200
E-mail address: m.post@fys.unimaas.nl

Application
You can apply for this job before 21-04-2008 (dd-mm-yyyy) by sending your application to:

Universiteit Maastricht
PZ-FHML

P.O.Box 616
6200 MD Maastricht
The Netherlands
E-mail: pzfdgvacatures@facburfdg.unimaas.nl

When applying for this job always mention the vacancynumber AT2008.93.

Further Details

UK: University of Southampton PhD Studentship

Development Of Hydropower Converters For Very Low Head Differences

School of Civil Engineering and the Environment

We are seeking an independent and motivated graduate to fill an EU funded studentship to develop hydropower converters for very low head differences and free stream applications.

The work will involve experimental research combined with theoretical modeling in order to develop the fundamental geometry and performance characteristics of a floating free stream energy converter. The project is part of a European Research Project (HYLOW).. The successful candidate is expected to spend several periods of 3-4 weeks in other European Universities.

The project is led by Dr Gerald Muller at the University of Southampton.

Project background
Hydropower with head differences below 2.5 m, together with the energy of free streams (river or tidal) constitute a major but hitherto untapped resource. The UK alone is estimated to have a potential of 600 - 1000 MW in low head hydropower. Standard turbine technology is not cost effective, and ecologically questionable. Recently, a new type of energy converter - the hydrostatic pressure converter - was developed at Southampton University. The energy converter utilizes the hydrostatic pressure differential between up- and downstream of a barrier in e.g. a river. Theoretical investigation and initial experiments have shown this converter to have acceptable efficiencies, whilst offering the potential to be cost-effective and ecologically acceptable. A significant amount of development however still has to be done; in particular for free stream applications.

Applicants should have a 1st or 2.1 class degree (or equivalent) in an engineering subject (civil, mechanical or environmental engineering). A good background and experience in the area of physical modeling in hydraulic engineering will be considered an advantage.

Please contact Dr Gerald Müller (email g.muller@soton.ac.uk) if you wish to discuss details of the project informally.

Interviews will be held at the University of Southampton on Friday, 2 May 2008.

Application forms and notes for guidance should be completed online, from http://www.soton.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgstudy/howdoiapplypg.html or by contacting:

Jacqui Holmes
School of Civil Engineering and the Environment
University of Southampton
Highfield Campus
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
UK

(email : pgrprog@soton.ac.uk)

Application deadline: 25 April 2008

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Ireland: University College Dublin PhD Studentship

Sustainable Development

UCD Urban Institute Ireland (UII)

With support from three UCD Schools (UCD School of Architecture, Landscape and Civil Engineering, UCD School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy and UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science) is inviting applications for studentships for our new PhD in Sustainable Development.

Successful applicants will specialise in one of the following areas:

• Biodiversity & Climate Change
• Environmental Economics and Policy
• Planning and Land Use
• Transport and Infrastructure

The programme will follow the UCD Structured PhD Framework, incorporating taught modules and a research internship, followed by a programme of original research leading to the award of Doctoral (or Masters) degrees by research. It lasts for four years and commences in the academic year 2008/09.

The PhD in Sustainable Development programme is aimed at prospective postgraduate researchers, from a range of disciplines, wishing to pursue interdisciplinary research related to the challenges of Sustainable Development. This should include graduates from Human & Social Sciences, Engineering and Life Sciences. This programme will produce graduates who are trained to apply technical and policy tools from different disciplines to complex problems for which there is no known solution.

For further information please see our website http://www.ucd.ie/phdsust
Or contact us at uii.admin@ucd.ie or +353 (0)1 716 2721

Deadline for applications is 12 noon, Friday 30th May 2008

Further Details

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Netherlands: PhD position: Jamming, shear banding and microstructure

Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter

Enschede, 7500 AE (Gelderland), 40 hours per week

Job description
We will numerically probe the connections between jamming, shear banding and microstructure in numerical simulations of sheared Brownian and non-Brownian systems with various interaction potentials.
This will be done in close collaboration with experimental projects, where the micro-structure and macroscopic rheology are probed simultaneously. Reasonable simulations times can be achieved for systems up to 105 particles. The numerics then allows for full access to the system at small and large time- (1 - 106 tc) and length-scales (1-200 d), where tc and d are the typical single particle response time and the particle diameter. Long simulation runs will be performed to scan the system response as function of, e.g., the intensity of the Brownian noise, the rigidity of the particles, or their adhesivity.
The micro-macro transition will be applied to determine the constitutive relations for flow and rheology of the jamming systems.

Research
The flow properties of a simple Newtonian liquid are set by its viscosity, whereas the mechanical properties of a crystalline solid are given by its elastic moduli. Many complex fluids show both solid and liquid-like behavior: Slurries, colloids, suspensions, pastes and foams can jam in solid-like, disordered states in which they respond essentially elastically to small applied shear stresses, but also easily yield and flow when the shear stress (i.e. tangential force per unit area) overcomes a critical yielding value.

Requirements
Required education/skills:University Graduate
We are looking for an enthusiastic, science-driven, outstanding young Master of theoretical mechanics, applied mathematics, or physics. Experience in granular or fluid dynamics, rheology, or statistical physics are required. The candidate should be theoretically strong, but also be able to perform numerical simulations and find answers to research questions with the computer.
Job type: Research / Advising
Workfield(s):
- Teaching & Research(Scientific discipline: Natural Sciences)

Organization
Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter
The position is situated at the University of Twente, in the faculty of Engineering Technology, CTW, which has been established in 2001 as a merger of Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering. The faculty has approximately 320 employees including about 50 PhD students and there are about 1500 bachelor- and masterstudents, which participate in interdisciplinary research projects and programmes.
The group of Prof. Luding, Multi Scale Mechanics, deals with granular and particle systems, micro-fluidics, self-healing, sound-propagation using mostly numerical and theoretical methods. Experiments are performed in collaboration with many groups worldwide.

Conditions of employment
Estimated maximum salary per month: eur 2000 - 2500

Maximum salary amount in Euro's a month 2457
Employment basis: Temporary for specified period
Duration of the contract: four years
Maximum hours per week: 40
Additional conditions of employment:
When fulfilling a PhD position at the FOM foundation, you will get the status of junior scientist.
You will have an employee status and can participate in all the employee benefits FOM offers. You will get a contract for 4 years. Your salary will be up to a maximum of 2,457 euro gross per month. You are supposed to have a thesis finished at the end of your four year term with FOM.
A training programme is part of the agreement. You and your supervisor will make up a plan for the additional education and supervising that you specifically need. This plan also defines which teaching activities you will be responsible (up to a maximum of 10% of your time). The conditions of employment of the FOM-foundation are laid down in the Collective Labour Agreement for Research Centres (CAO-Onderzoekinstellingen), more exclusive information is available at this website under Personeelsinformatie (in Dutch) or under Personnel (in English).
General information about working at FOM can be .....

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

Prof.dr. S. Luding
Telephone number: 31 (0)53 489 42 12
E-mail address: s.luding@utwente.nl

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

• About the organization (http://www.msm.ctw.utwente.nl)
• About the function (http://www.fom.nl/live/vacatures/vacature.pag?objectnumber=74597)

Application
You can apply for this job before 30-06-2008 (dd-mm-yyyy) by sending your application to:

University of Twente
Multi Scale Mechanics, TS, CTW
Prof.dr. S. Luding
PO Box 217
7500 AE Enschede
The Netherlands
E-mail: s.luding@utwente.nl

When applying for this job always mention the vacancynumber AT-74597.

Further Details

UK: University of Birmingham PhD Position School of Psychology

Applications are invited for a PhD position in the field of Sensory Motor Neuroscience. The successful applicant will join a thriving research environment to study human perception, action production and cognitive neuroscience. The appointed researcher will work as part of a training network that brings together leading researchers in industry and academia from across Europe (France, Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, UK). This offers exciting opportunities for advanced training, collaboration with international centres of excellence, travel, interdisciplinary exchange and industrial secondments. More information about the network can be found here: www.optimaldecisions.org

The successful candidate will be based in the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham that has a state-of-the-art Imaging Centre (3T MRI scanner), EEG systems, TMS systems, access to screened neuropsychological patients, virtual reality systems for haptic research and movement recording systems.

Candidates should hold (or expect) a good undergraduate degree (equivalent of at least a 2.1 in UK system) or Masters degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. Psychology, Neuroscience, Physiology, Bioengineering, Computer Science, Mathematics or Physics). Candidates should be numerate and comfortable learning computer programming and the use of advanced software for behavioural and brain imaging data analysis. Above all, candidates should be enthusiastic to learn new techniques and to contribute to new experiments.

Salaries will be paid at rates set by the European Commission. Applications are welcome from overseas students as well as EU nationals. Positions start on 1st October 2008.

Informal enquiries and requests for further details should be addressed to Dr Andrew Welchman: eyesee@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

To apply you will need to send the following by 30 April 2008:
(1) A copy of your CV
(2) A sample of some recent written work (1000 words or so)
(3) A couple of paragraphs outlining:
- Your research interests
- What you are looking for in a PhD position
- Why you would like to study in Birmingham and be part of the CODDE network
- Your longer term career goals
(4) A completed equal opportunities questionnaire

All applicants will be accorded equal opportunities irrespective of ethnicity or gender.

Further Details

UK: University of Warwick PhD Studentship

Spin polarisation in magnetic materials

Department of Physics

This EPSRC funded PhD studentship is available from October 2008 and is suitable for both UK, EU and overseas applicants.

The aim of this EPSRC-funded project is to investigate magnetic materials using spin-polarised x-ray scattering experiments at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in France, and to develop new models to interpret the data in order to investigate the spin polarisation in magnetic materials. The research will exploit recent developments in experimental techniques, including the research group’s new 9 Tesla cryomagnet based at the ESRF, in order to extend our studies of spin densities to materials that require high magnetic fields.

The position will be based at Warwick, with the x-ray experiments being performed at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. We will also make trips to Japan to use the SPring-8 synchrotron near Osaka. There will also be opportunity to perform further related x-ray, muon and neutron experiments during the course of the PhD. The project will also involve making some of the samples to be studied, and their characterisation at Warwick to investigate the magnetisation, heat capacity and other related properties.

For informal inquiries about this position, please contact Dr. Jonathan Duffy (j.a.duffy@warwick.ac.uk)

The Physics Department at Warwick is a top rated research department in the UK offering research programmes leading to PhD or MSc in the following fields:

• Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Theoretical and Computational Physics
• Astrophysics, Astronomy, Plasmas and Fusion
• Elementary Particle Physics
• Medical and Biological Physics

Interested applicants should consult our web pages: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/physics/research and http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/physics/postgraduate

For further information about postgraduate opportunities contact:

Dr. Ben Parkinson
Postgraduate Admissions Secretary
PhysicsPG@warwick.ac.uk
tel; +44 (0) 24 76523966

Dr. Geetha Balakrishnan
Postgraduate Admissions Tutor
Department of Physics
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 7AL, UK

Netherlands: PhD Student - Work & Organizational Psychology

Technische Universiteit Eindhoven Department of Technology Management

Eindhoven, (Noord-Brabant), 40 hours per week

Job description

The PhD student will conduct his/her research in the project: ‘Match-making and match-breaking: Self-regulating teams and job performance in nursing homes’. The primary aim of the proposed research is to test the principles of the Demand-Induced Strain Compensation (DISC) Model in nursing practice using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The DISC Model is a recently developed job stress model, and predicts in general that specific job resources should match specific job demands to reduce specific stress-reactions or to enhance specific performance outcomes. The proposed research is badly needed as there is a fairly small body of well-performed, theory-based, research on job stress interventions.

The current research will also focus on the role of day-specific unwinding from work. The core question is how different types of recovery opportunities at/after work (e.g., cognitive, emotional, or physical detachment) correspond to (the interplay of) job demands and job resources over different time courses to predict employee health and performance.

The core assumption is that job stress interventions targeted primarily at specific job demands and matching job resources/recovery opportunities will reduce detrimental effects and enhance beneficial effects.

Finally, as most nurses and nurses’ aides are working in teams, the research will also focus on intervention effects at the team level (e.g., the function of resource-pooling in self-regulating teams).

Requirements
Required education/skills:University Graduate

We are looking for a candidate who meets the following requirements: a university degree (MA, MSc) in psychology (preferably in the field of Work & Organizational Psychology) or health sciences (e.g., Work and Health stream or Health Services Innovation), and affinity for business engineering. A strong interest and/or expertise in the application of statistical techniques in social sciences is highly recommended. The PhD candidate should be proficient in English (speaking and writing) as well as a good communicator. The candidate should have a strong interest in pursuing both fundamental and applied research, and in applying the proposed research in field experiments. Finally, the PhD candidate is expected to deliver a PhD thesis and a number of scientific publications within a period of 4 years.

Job type: Research / Advising
Workfield(s):
- Research trainees, non-tenured lecturers, researchers

Organization
Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
Department of Technology Management

The Department of Technology Management (TM) is a leading school in the area of industrial engineering and management science as well as innovation sciences. TM"s mission is closely tied to its pioneering work in developing an engineering perspective on business processes as well as its interdisciplinary research on transitions in societies in relation to technical changes. At the heart of our academic philosophy is the synergy between research and teaching. Moreover, TM is a decidedly small-scale department in which scholars and students together with practitioners work on critical problems at the interface of engineering, management, innovation, and human behavior. TM offers two BSc and four MSc programmes and contributes to several other educational programmes of the TU/e.

Conditions of employment
Estimated maximum salary per month: eur 2000 - 2500
Employment basis: Temporary for specified period
Duration of the contract: 4 jaar
Maximum hours per week: 40

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

prof.dr. J. de Jonge
Telephone number: 31(0)402472493

Or Mrs. C.J.M. van Overdijk
Telephone number: 31(0)402474409
E-mail address: pz@tue.nl

Or additional information can be obtained through the following link:

• About the organization (http://www.tue.nl)

Application
You can apply for this job before 02-05-2008 (dd-mm-yyyy) by sending your application to:

Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
Paviljoen R 1.23
Personnel Department
Postbus 513
5600 MB Eindhoven
Nederland
E-mail: pz@tue.nl

When applying for this job always mention the vacancynumber V39.449.

Further Details

UK: University of Brighton Research Student Modelling of small droplet heating and evaporation

Stipend £13,110 per annum (tax free)

You will be part of a specialist research team working on the collaborative project entitled: ‘Modelling of small droplet heating and evaporation’ between the Universities of Brighton (UK), Nancy (France) and Rouen (France). This project is focused on the development of analytical and numerical models for fluid dynamics and heat and mass transfer processes in droplets and sprays. The implementation of the models into the computational fluid dynamics code KIVA and the comparison of the predictions of the models with experimental data provided by the partners form a key part of the work. You should have a relevant degree or equivalent in Mathematics, Engineering or Physics. Competence in analytical and numerical modelling of fluid and thermal dynamics and related processes, together with experience in developing CFD codes are essential. This post is fixed term for 3 years in accordance with the period of funding. The proposed starting date is 1 October. Informal enquiries should be addressed to Professor S Sazhin: S.Sazhin@brighton.ac.uk.

Enquiries and applications, including an updated CV, full contact details (including e-mail addresses), details of 2 referees (at least one of whom must be from your last academic institution) and a one page personal statement should be sent to:

Sharon Gunde
Senior Research Administrator
University of Brighton
School of Environment and Technology
C202, Cockcroft Building
Lewes Road
Brighton
BN2 4GJ

Tel: +44 (0) 1273 642443
Fax: +44 (0) 1273 642285/642330
Email: S.Gunde@brighton.ac.uk

Closing date: 10 May 2008

Italy: University of Trento PhD Studentships

Doctoral Programme in Economics and Management

CIFREM, Interdepartmental Centre for Research Training in Economics and Management

CIFREM, Interdepartmental Centre for Research Training in Economics and Management, University of Trento (Italy)
The University of Trento is now inviting applications from qualified candidates for the following three-year doctoral programme:

Doctoral Programme in Economics and Management

The Doctoral School in Economics and Management offers research training in the fields of decision sciences, organizational behaviour, human and natural resource management and behavioural and experimental economics. The school is organized through CIFREM, the Interdepartmental Centre for Research Training in Economics and Management, which coordinates the research activities of the Departments of Economics and Management. The programme is built around four fields of specialization: Behavioural Economics, Behavioural Studies in Management and Organisations, Environmental Economics and International Economics.

The initial coursework year consists of 15 compulsory courses. Students follow a common core curriculum in the first two terms and specialised courses in the third term. The second and third years involve seminar participation, tutorials and a dissertation. It is possible to spend up to one year working in a research centre in Italy and/or abroad.

The doctoral programme is conducted entirely in English and will be taught by members of the university’s multi-national faculty. No tuition fees are charged and a number of fully funded three-year scholarships will be awarded to the top-ranked applicants.

Two special scholarships are offered in the following research areas:
- Co-operative and social enterprise
- The role of the “private equity” in the economy of the small and medium enterprises

For further details concerning the doctoral programme and the application procedures, please visit the following website http://portale.unitn.it/drem/ and/or contact our office cifrem@economia.unitn.it

Closing Date for Applications: 30 MAY 2008

CIFREM
Interdepartmental Centre for Research Training in Economics and Management
Faculty of Economics
Via Rosmini, 70
38100 Trento – Italy
Phone: + 39 0461 882290
Fax: + 39 0461 882335