Switzerland : The University of Geneva PhD Student Position in Computational Evolutionary Genomics

We are looking for a highly motivated and innovative PhD student candidate (~4 years) to explore the wealth of genomic data from evolutionary perspective using bioinformatics approaches. Our group has a broad range of interests related to the functional evolution of genomes and actively contributes to international genome analysis consortiums. The specific project will be developed together with the candidate.

The ideal candidate should have a strong background in bioinformatics, including programming skills (or the willingness and drive to acquire them), and a good understanding of molecular biology (preferably with some experience/background in molecular evolution). A Diploma or MSc degree in Biology or Bioinformatics, practical experience in the Unix environment, and fluency in English are required.

The project will be supervised by Prof. E. Zdobnov at the Department of Genetic Medicine and Development of the University of Geneva Medical School. We are also part of the renowned Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and offer a stimulating research environment with excellent facilities.

The international city of Geneva, described as “the smallest of the large capitals”, offers a vibrant city life within easy reach of the picturesque lake and stunning Alps.

Closing date for applications: November 15th, 2009

To apply: send your CV, statement of research interest, and names and contact details of at least two referees by e-mail to:

Evgeny.Zdobnov@isb-sib.ch
CMU / 9022
Rue Michel-Servet 1
CH-1211 Geneva 4
Switzerland

USA : Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship 2010 in Humanities at Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, John Hopkins University

The Krieger School of Arts and Sciences is currently accepting applications for the Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Humanities for three fellows, who will be appointed to a one-year term beginning July 1, 2010, renewable for a second.

The Mellon Postdoctoral Program encourages innovative teaching, enriches educational and research opportunities in the humanities, and fosters the career development of a select group of promising young scholars. Fully one-third of the Krieger School’s faculty is engaged in humanities departments, where scholarly and pedagogical excellence has been the standard since the university’s founding in 1876.

Each fellowship carries a departmental affiliation and the responsibility of teaching one course per semester. The initial stipend is $48,000, with an additional $1,000 available for research and travel expenses. Health insurance and a one-time moving allowance of $1,500 are also provided. Appointments are for one year, renewable for a second year.

Humanities departments and an interdisciplinary committee of Krieger school faculty members will review applications and select fellows for 2010-2011. Fellows will be selected based primarily on applicants’ scholarship and promise, as well as their abilities to fill research and teaching needs within the university’s humanities departments.

Requirements

Applicants should have completed their Ph.D. in one of the following fields:
History, English, History of Art, Musicology, Classics, Anthropology, German and Romance Languages and Literatures, Comparative Literature, History of Science and Technology, Near Eastern Studies, no earlier than June 30, 2005 and no later than June 30th, 2010.

To apply, please send the following items:

• Letter of interest
• Full curriculum vitae
• Three (3) letters of recommendation
• Academic statement that includes research and teaching proposal
• A completed checklist

For more information, please contact Claude Poux: (410) 516-6385.

Please mail completed application to:

Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship Committee
c/o Center for Africana Studies
Johns Hopkins University
Greenhouse 118
3400 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD. 21218

Deadline

Applications must be postmarked by Thursday, November 12, 2009. Incomplete applications are not considered for the fellowship. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure their application is received in full.

Women and underrepresented minorities are especially encouraged to apply. The Johns Hopkins University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

For further details please open the following link:

http://krieger.jhu.edu/research/mellon

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do I have to contact a specific department? Do I send my recommendations to a specific department?
No, please do not send your applications to specific academic departments. Please send all materials to this address only:

Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship Committee
c/o Center for Africana Studies
Johns Hopkins University
Greenhouse 118
3400 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD. 21218

*We cannot guarantee receipt of materials sent to any other address.

Q. Do you have to be a U.S. citizen to apply? Can international candidates apply?
International candidates can apply. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen but if you are not, you will need to obtain the appropriate visas before you teach in the U.S., if you have not already done so.

Q. What academic areas can apply? I am a (anthropologist, sociologist, etc.). Am I excluded from applying?
This year, the fellowship is themed oriented, on the “Concepts of Diaspora”. Applications should have this theme. Applications with other themes will not be considered.

Q. Is there an age limit? When do I have to have my Ph.D.? Do I have to have received my Ph.D. before I apply?
There is no age limit. We only ask that you not have gotten your Ph.D. before June 30, 2005, but that you must have received it before you begin teaching for the fellowship on June 30, 2010. You do not need your Ph.D. in hand at the time of application.

Q. What kinds of courses can be taught? What does an acceptable academic statement of research and teaching proposals consist of?
Courses may be upper or lower level undergraduate courses that are both unique in that they are your interests, and that they fill a niche in the department to which the committee assigns you. There is no limit on the length of the academic statement, but it is recommended that you keep your proposals as concise as possible. Background on previous teaching experiences and pedagogy methods are welcomed.

Q. Can I email my application letter/CV/proposals to you?
No, please mail to address listed in answer #1.

Q. Can I have my reference letters emailed to you by the recommenders? What if I
can not reach my recommender?
Yes, recommenders may email their letters to cpoux1@jhu.edu. Emailed letters must be followed by a hard copy. We will only accept recommendation letters postmarked by the Nov. 24th. PLEASE SEE NEXT QUESTION.

Q. When is the deadline?
The application postmark deadline is Thursday, November 12, 2009. In order for the committee to read applications in a timely manner, we can only guarantee the full consideration of your application if you application is complete by Tuesday, November 24th. After this date, complete applications will have already been sent to the committee. It is in your best interest to ask for letters early, and mail your application by the deadline. Incomplete applications are not considered.

Q. How will I know that my application was received in full?
Applicants will be notified when we have started their file provided the information we have contains a valid email address. After that, we will notify you when your application is complete.

Q. When can I expect notification on the committee’s decisions?
If at any point your application is no longer under consideration, you will be notified via email.

For further details please open the following link:

http://krieger.jhu.edu/research/mellon

Nertherlands : PhD researcher Experimental High-Energy Heavy-Ion Physics

PhD researcher Experimental High-Energy Heavy-Ion Physics (ALICE experiment) (1.0 fte)

Job description

The PhD candidate will work actively on the data analysis in the area of heavy-flavour production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The candidate will be stationed at Utrecht University and will stay for longer periods at CERN (Geneva, Switzerland).

Qualifications

Applicants need to have a Master's Degree or equivalent in Physics or Sciences and have a strong interest in studying fundamental properties of nature. Experience in experimental physics or high-energy/nuclear physics and programming skills in C++ are of advantage.

Terms of employment

The PhD program in the Netherlands takes up to four years. The gross salary is in the range between € 2,042.- per and maximum € 2,612.- per month.

The salary is supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8,3% per year. In addition we offer: a pension scheme, a partially paid parental leave, flexible employment conditions in which you may trade salary for vacation days or vice versa. Conditions are based on the Collective Employment Agreement of the Dutch Universities. The research group will provide the candidate with necessary support on all aspects of the project.

Further details

Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from Dr. André Mischke, Phone: 0031 (0)30 253 2330, or by e-mail: a.mischke@uu.nl.
www.phys.uu.nl/~mischke/.

As part of the selection procedure, the candidate is expected to give an outline of his/her current research activities in an oral presentation.



How to apply

The position is immediately available. Interested candidates should provide a curriculum vitae, a brief description of his/her current research work and arrange to have two letters of recommendation sent to the Personnel Department, Department of Physics and Astronomy, P.O. Box 80010, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands or submit by e-mail to: science.PenO@uu.nl.
Please refer to vacancy number 63902.

Applications will be accepted any time up until the position is filled.
Respond before 31-12-2009

Source: http://applicaties.csc.uu.nl/uuvacature/detail.cfm?export=0&id=2676&taal=Engels

Nertherlands : 5 PhD researchers, for research on Solar Cells

5 PhD researchers, for research on Solar Cells (1.0 fte)

Job description

PhD researcher 1: “Highly Efficient Very Large Area Thin Film Silicon Photovoltaic Modules”.
This project aims at the development of innovative light management strategies for application in large area industrial solar modules. The objectives of this research, among others, are the study of novel light scattering textures and antireflection layers to enhance light absorption, and the optimization of the design of tandem solar cells by using spectrally selective reflecting layers, including multilayers with photonic properties.

This research is carried out in the Section Nanophotonics (Dr Jatindra Rath and Prof. Ruud Schropp) as part of a European consortium with funding from the European Commission, FP7.

PhD researcher 2: “Quantum Dot enhanced CIS PV-solar cells: QD booster”.
The main objective of the QD booster project is to employ the characterization of physical and chemical processes to gain know how on incorporating sulfide QD’s in thin film CIS solar cells. The QD booster photovoltaic solar cell will be able to utilize subbandgap photons, due to the introduction of intermediate energy levels within the band gap by incorporation of QDs. The QDs will have a band gap that is lower (1.0 – 1.5 eV) than the embedding matrix (2.0 – 3.2 eV), which is made of a different semiconducting material.

This research will be carried out in the Section Nanophotonics (Dr Jatindra Rath and Prof. Ruud Schropp) in collaboration with Thin Film Factory B.V. (TFF), a spin-off company of Advanced Surface Technology B.V. (AST), with funding from SenterNovem, EOS-LT programma.

PhD researcher 3: “Towards low-cost luminescent concentrators (LC2)”.
The use of so called type-II quantum dots, which have a large Stokes shift, will lead to reduced re-absorption of converted photons in luminescent concentrators. In addition, because photons in the spectral range between the absorption and the emission peaks are not absorbed, it is important to be able to tune and optimize this spectral range in combination with the band gap of the solar cells used. This project aims at the creation and development of efficient luminescent concentrators using type-II quantum dots that can be combined with thin film amorphous and/or nanocrystalline silicon solar cells.

This research will be carried out in the sections Condensed Matter and Interfaces (Dr Celso de Mello-Donega), Nanophotonics (Prof Dr Ruud Schropp), and Science, Technology and Society (Dr Wilfried van Sark), all at Utrecht University, within the Joint Solar Program (JSP), with support of the utility company Nuon and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM).

PhD researcher 4: “Quantum dot based thin film silicon solar cells”.
This project uses Si and silicium-germanium (SiGe) nanodots in order to increase the voltage as well as photocurrent of thin film solar cells with respect to 2nd generation solar cells. This is achieved by more efficient use of a wider range of wavelengths available in solar radiation.

The nanodots will be prepared by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD), using two different methods: (1) creation of the dots by a controlled pulsed plasma in the dusty regime, and (2) by using a pulsed gas flow in a layer-by-layer (LBL) growth process. This investigation will be concentrating on the control of the uniformity of the particle size,the doping efficiency, the mechanism of carrier transport and defect passivation. Solar cells will be made that will demonstrate multiphoton absorption via intermediate bands.
This research will be carried out in the Section Nanophotonics (Dr Jatindra Rath and Prof. Ruud Schropp), at Utrecht University, within the Joint Solar Program (JSP), with support of the utility company Nuon and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM).

PhD Researcher 5: "Solar concentrators based on luminescent doped nanocrystals"
A new concept for the development of efficient and stable Luminescent Solar Concentrators is investigated. Key parameters are harvesting photons over a wide spectral range (300-700+ nm), efficient conversion to a narrow band or line emission in the NIR (700-1000 nm), limited reabsorption and a high stability. To achieve this, nanocrystalline hosts (insulators or semiconductors) will be doped with efficiently luminescing transition metal or lanthanide ions (activators). The crystalline environment enables high luminescent NIR quantum yields while the 3-30 nm particle size prevents scattering when incorporated in a glass or polymer LSC plate. A successful implementation of efficient LSCs will contribute to lowering the cost price of electricity from photovoltaics below €1/Wp.

This research will be carried out in the section Condensed Matter and Interfaces (Prof. Andries Meijerink and Dr Celso de Mello-Donegá) at Utrecht University, within the Joint Solar Program (JSP), with support of the utility company Nuon and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM).

Qualifications

You have a Master's degree in Physics, Technical Physics, Chemistry, or Materials Science. You have strong interest and you are skilled in experimental research. You have ample knowledge on semiconductor physics and optoelectrical measurement techniques. You are attracted to renewable energy technologies. You enjoy working in an international group. You are fluent in English, both in speaking and in writing.

Terms of employment

We offer a full time temporary assignment for four (4) years. Your gross monthly salary in the first year is € 2.042,- and will increase to € 2.612,- in the fourth year (full time), in agreement with the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities (CAO Nederlandse Universiteiten).

In addition we offer, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities: a retirement plan, an allowance for health insurance, partially paid parental leave, facilities for child care, plans for tax-free savings and premiums, flexible employment agreements in which you may trade salary for vacation days or vice versa, and a holiday allowance of 8 % per year and a yearend allowance of 8,3 %.

Further details

Information about this position can be obtained from:

Positions 1, 2, 3, 4: Prof. Ruud Schropp, tel. +31-30-253 3170 or 253 3171, e-mail: r.e.i.schropp@uu.nl.

Position 1, 2, 4: Dr Jatindra Rath, tel. +31-30-2532961, e-mail: j.k.rath@uu.nl

Position 3: Dr Celso de Mello-Donega, tel. +31-30-253 2226, e-mail c.demello-donega@uu.nl or Dr Wilfried van Sark, tel. +31-30-2537601, e-mail w.g.j.h.m.vansark@uu.nl

Position 5: Dr Celso de Mello-Donega, tel. +31-30-253 2226, e-mail c.demello-donega@uu.nl or Prof. Andries Meijerink, tel. +31-30-253 2202, e-mail a.meijerink@uu.nl

How to apply

Applications, including a curriculum vitae can be submitted to Faculty of Science, Personnel Department, Department of Physics and Astronomy, P.O. Box 80000, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands or submit by e-mail to: science.peno@uu.nl.

Please mention vacancy number 63918. Please indicate which PhD position has your preference and please refer to where you first found these PhD positions.

Deadline for applications is 7 november 2009.

Source: http://applicaties.csc.uu.nl/uuvacature/detail.cfm?export=0&id=2959&taal=Engels

Europe : 10 PhD Scholarships In Forests, Nature And Society

Bangor University - The School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography

The School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography is part of a consortium that has been awarded funding from the EC Erasmus Mundus programme which will provide scholarships for a European PhD in Forests, Nature and Society (FONASO) from 2010.

The FONASO programme is offered by a consortium of seven universities:

(i) University of Copenhagen, Denmark (Coordinators), (ii) Bangor University, UK (iii) Dresden University of Technology, Germany(iv) AgroParisTech, France, (v) University of Padova, Italy (vi) Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, and (vii) University of Gottingen, Germany. The Universities will work in research partnership with (i) Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Indonesia,

(ii) University of British Columbia, Canada, (iii) James Cook University, Australia, (iv) World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Kenya, and (v) Dalhoff Larsen & Hornemann, Denmark.

The FONASO Programme is a fully integrated three-year doctorate programme. It builds on existing research schools and environments, taking the best from each to build up joint supervision, activities and doctoral candidate courses. Each doctoral candidate will stay two years with a principal supervisor and one year with a co-supervisor. Doctoral candidates obtain either a joint degree or double degree depending on mobility track. The language of the Programme is English. There is one annual call for applications; short-listed applicants are invited to Europe to present and discuss their proposals.

Detailed information on the FONASO Joint Doctorate Programme is available on www.fonaso.eu
including application form and guidelines.

Applications must be received no later than 16 November 2009.

Short-listed candidates are notified by 1 December 2009. Interviews in Europe will take place in mid January 2010. Study start from summer/autumn 2010.

Committed To Equal Opportunities

UK : PhD Studentship in Chemistry

Synthesis and Studies of pi-Functional Molecular and Polymeric Materials for Optoelectronics

University of Central Lancashire - Centre for Materials Science

Reference No RS/08/66

Applications are invited for a full-time studentship available in the Centre for Materials Science in the Faculty of Science and Technology. The studentship is tenable for up to 3 years for a PhD (via MPhil route) [subject to satisfactory progress]. The studentship will cover the cost of tuition fees at UK/EU rates plus a stipend (currently £13,290 per annum for 2009/10). International applicants may apply but will be required to pay the difference between UK/EU and international fees. The successful applicant will start on 1^st January 2010 (or 1^st April 2010 for International applicants)

Project Description:

The studentship is for an adventurous, multidisciplinary project, involving synthetic organic chemistry, materials chemistry and nanomaterials science. The aim of the project is design, synthesis and studies of novel conjugated p-functional materials (from small molecules to polymers) with a potential in organic electronic, optoelectronic and photonic applications. The experimental work will be conducted within the Centre for Materials Science at the University of Central Lancashire, in collaboration on studies of synthesised materials in optoelectronic devices with other laboratories in UK and abroad. The project will be under the supervision of Dr. Igor Perepichka (CMS, UCLan).

The Candidate

You will have strong interest in experimental organic chemistry or materials chemistry. Experience within modern physical chemical methods of studies of organic materials would be an advantage but not necessary. Prospective candidates should have a first or upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in chemistry or related subject, or MSc in relevant disciplines.

Informal enquiries may be directed to Dr. Igor Perepichka [tel. office: +44 (0)1772-89-3758 or mobile: +44-(0)75-3196-3171 or e-mail: iperepichka@uclan.ac.uk].

Requests for an application pack (quoting the reference number RS/08/66) should be directed to the Graduate Research Office. Tel.: +44-(0)1772-89-5082 or email: researchdegrees@uclan.ac.uk

The closing date for applications to the Graduate Research Office: 16^th November 2009

Late applications received after this date might be considered until the position has been filled, however, priority will be given to those applicants who have submitted by the deadline.

Expected Interview Date: 27 November 2009

UK : Fee-waiver scholarships for research degrees

University of Huddersfield - School of Music, Humanities and Media

As part of a major expansion in the University of Huddersfield’s research activities a number of MPhil/PhD fee-waiver scholarships are available in the School of Music, Humanities and Media in specific subjects.

Full-time home/EU applicants will be considered for either 100% fee-waiver scholarships (worth £3,330 per year) or 50% fee-waivers, depending on previous academic achievement and future potential. International applicants will be considered for a £3,000 fee-waiver scholarship. Applications for one-year Masters of Arts by Research will also be considered. You will be expected to provide up to 80 hours research/teaching assistance a year for the 100% scholarship and up to 40 hours for the 50% and overseas scholarships. Up to £500 a year for conference attendance may be available but applicants must be able to fund their own living costs.

You should be of outstanding academic ability, with at least an upper second class degree and usually a Masters-level qualification, and a commitment to develop high quality and original research.

Scholarships are available for the following research projects:

MA by Research: British Gypsy and Traveller identity (1500 to the present); Constructions of ‘Britishness’ in nineteenth-century newspapers; The role of historical archives in creating a narrative of Britishness; Scotland and Wales as agents of Empire in nineteenth-century literature; The category and meaning of ‘Victorian’ culture. Informal enquiries to Dr Jodie Matthews, j.matthews@hud.ac.uk

PhD on the subject of Bilingual children with speech and language difficulties. The project should be an empirical study of an aspect of speech and language difficulty in bilingual children. The project can take a linguistic, educational or speech therapeutic approach, or a combination. Projects employing quantitative methods, or a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods are particularly encouraged. Informal enquiries to Dr Alison Crutchley, a.crutchley@hud.ac.uk

MA by Research or PhD: Late medieval English social and religious history, especially projects relating to issues of clergy, sanctity and gender identity. Informal enquiries to Dr Katherine Lewis, k.lewis@hud.ac.uk

PhD on The development of specialist services in the hospitals of West Yorkshire, 1880-1950. Informal enquiries to Prof Barry Doyle, b.m.doyle@hud.ac.uk

PhD on Mental health care in the inter-war years in Britain. Informal enquiries to Dr Rob Ellis, rob.ellis@hud.ac.uk

The School performed very well in RAE 2008. 20% of the research in Music was recognised as world-leading, and across the School more than 75% of the research was ranked as internationally recognised, internationally excellent or world-leading. Each subject already has a substantial postgraduate community, and you will be able to participate in a full range of research activities including seminars, research training and conferences. It is expected that across the School up to six studentships will be awarded.

The School’s website is at http://www2.hud.ac.uk/mhm/ where details of staff available to supervise research students can be found.

An application form is available at

www.hud.ac.uk/registry/research/enquiry.htm

The closing date for this call is 20 November 2009.

UK : PhD studentships

University of Oxford - Department Of Engineering Science - Centre For Doctoral Training In Healthcare Innovation

Eleven PhD studentships are available for the 4-year postgraduate training programme at the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Healthcare Innovation. The CDT programme represents a new and exciting concept in graduate training at the University of Oxford, offering PhD students the opportunity to undertake one year of intensive training, followed by three years working on a PhD. On graduating, you will not only have gained an Oxford PhD (DPhil) in engineering but will have first-hand experience of working on clinical problems alongside engineers involved in the healthcare industry. Further details of the programme may be found online at http://www.ibme.ox.ac.uk/centre-for-doctoral-training.We are looking for bright, talented students with excellent grades in their first degree in engineering or in a physical sciences subject. You should be positive about multi-disciplinary research and have a strong interest in biomedical engineering as your PhD thesis will be in one of the following areas: information-driven healthcare; modelling for personalised healthcare; cancer therapeutics and delivery.

10 of the studentships are funded by the EPSRC and are open to UK and EU students only. The level of funding is dependent on the status of the student. One fully-funded Clarendon studentship is available for award to a non-EU applicant. The Oxford Funding Service provides an on-line search tool for locating scholarships within the University for graduate students at http://www2.admin.ox.ac.uk/studentfunding/awards/search.php5 Applications will be considered in rounds: The deadline for Round 1 is 20 November 2009. The deadline for Round 2 is 22 January 2010. Non-EU applicants for a studentship must apply by the 22 January 2010.

Further details about the studentships and how to apply are available at http://www.ibme.ox.ac.uk/centre-for-doctoral-training. Further programme information will be presented at CDT in Healthcare Innovation Open Day scheduled for 26 November 2009. Enquiries should be sent to cdt-enquiries@eng.ox.ac.uk

Germany : PhD Scholarships 2010 at the International Center for Development and Decent Work (ICDD), Kassel University

20 PhD Scholarship Positions for Students from DAC Countries* at the International Center for Development and Decent Work (ICDD). Starting March 1st, 2010. Deadline for applications: November 15th, 2009

ICDD is an interdisciplinary and international scientific network of excellence with the head office located at the University of Kassel, Germany and partner universities in Latin America, Africa and Asia. ICDD is funded under the programme “ex)/(ceed – Higher Education Excellence in Development Co-operation” launched by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Under its Graduate School of Socio-Ecological Research for Development, ICDD invites applications for 20 PhD scholarship positions for studnets from DAC countries at the following internationally renowned universities:

• 8 at the University of Kassel, Germany in the fields of political and agricultural science,
• 2 at the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), India in the field of sociology,
• 2 at the Universidade Estaduale de Campinas (Unicamp), Brazil in the field of economics,
• 2 at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), South Africa in the field of sociology,
• 2 at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), Pakistan in agricultural science,
• 2 at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatan (UADY), Mexico in agricultural science, and
• 2 at Egerton University (EGU), Kenya in agricultural science.

List of DAC countries

Background

ICDD’s objective is to create and transfer knowledge on how to create and improve work and income opportunities in rural and urban regions of developing countries in light of globalization, climate change and urbanization. ICDD encompasses various disciplines such as agricultural science, political science, sociology, economics, and has a network of partner universities in Asia, Africa and Latin America. ICDD closely co-operates with International Labour Organisation and NGOs.

One of ICDD’s core structures for the inter-disciplinary generation of knowledge is the Graduate School of Socio-Ecological Research for Development. PhD projects within this school may be rooted in either the natural or social sciences and should be focused on actor and problem oriented research on sustainable human-environmental relationships and decent livelihoods. ICDD promotes three research clusters as a common framework for the design of prospective PhD projects:

1. Sustainable Value Creation for Decent WorkThis cluster focuses on strategies to increase value creation by developing technologies for more efficient and sustainable use of resources and by improving human skills, preferably along agricultural commodity chains. PhD applicants should be interested in analysing spatially and sectorally detailed urban-rural linkages to address the mobility of people, goods, services, money transfers, information, and associated flows of nutrients, energy and water.
2. Instruments for Promoting Decent WorkThis cluster focuses on the effectiveness of existing instruments in enforcing minimum standards for labour as formulated by the International Labour Organization (ILO) such as public procurement, supply chain governance, and national minimum wages. PhD applicants should be interested in analysing such instruments and their effective implementation in different state contexts. A special focus should be directed towards their impact on or relevance for informal labour relations and particularly on the working conditions and lives of temporary labour migrants.
3. Strategies of Empowerment for Decent WorkThis cluster focuses on the advocacy of good working conditions within economic and political decision-making processes against the background of eroding capacities of workers to engage in collective action due to the growing informal nature of work. Thereby special Attention is directed towards particularly vulnerable groups, such as domestic workers. PhD applicants should be interested in exploring possible sources and forms of organisations to foster empowerment strategies within informal labour relations.

Scholarships

PhD students of the Graduate School will be based either at the University of Kassel or at one of ICDD’s international partner universities (see above), and will be enrolled in the respective university’s PhD training programmes. Please indicate in your application at which university you wish to be located. A joint international workshop programme on subjects of the ICDD, research methods, the linkage between theory and empirical research and for the presentation of the prospective PhD projects will take place every year within the Graduate School.

Scholarships will be awarded for four years under the precondition of a successful extension after one year. The scholarships will cover a country-specific monthly allowance according to DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) standards. All scholarships will include travel expenses for south-north and south-south mobility if necessary and funding for field research and the participation in Graduate School and ICDD activities.

Application Requirements

• Cover Sheet (cf. attachment)
• above average MA/MSc degree in a disciplines related to the above topics / fields
• proof of English language proficiency
• academic or vocational experience in one of the disciplines related to the thematic field of development and decent work
• letter of recommendation from a professor of the ICDD network
• summary of master thesis (1500 words), if applicable
• preliminary PhD project proposal including topic, research question, short overview of the relevant literature, theoretical approach, research design and methodology (2.000 words)

Please submit your detailed curriculum vitae and scanned copies of the following documents with your application:

• certificate and transcript of records of your recognised bachelor and master degrees in the original language, listing all subjects and grades (If you have not yet completed a Masters program, please include a letter from the person responsible for the program testifying the likelihood of successful completion of the program);
• certificates / proof of English language proficiency;
• university entrance examination certificate listing all subjects and grades (in the original language);
• certificates of additional studies and completion of studies listing all subjects and grades (in the original language);
• translations of all of the above-mentioned documents, if the language of the mentioned certificates is not German, English, French, Spanish or Portuguese.
• certificates of previous professional/vocational experience (if applicable).

Applications with all necessary documents must be submitted electronically as a single pdf** no later than the 15th of November 2009 to: gradschool@icdd.uni-kassel.de

Officially authenticated photocopies of all documents and translations will have to be presented, if selected for admission.

or contact: Mrs. Simone Buckel, phone + 49(0)5618047395, buckel@icdd.uni-kassel.de

* Countries eligible for Official Development Assistance of the OECD as approved by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in August 2009.

** Please assemble all items for your application in one single pdf document with the completed cover sheet as the front page and preferably with a list of contents as the second page. Applications consisting of multiple files will not be accepted.

Source:

http://cms.uni-kassel.de/unicms/index.php?id=25324

Belgium : VLIR-UOS Scholarships 2010 in Master of Aquaculture, Ghent University

This programme provides courses at university level on the most important aspects of aquaculture, for both marine and freshwater organisms. The programme takes a multidisciplinary, interuniversity and international approach, and aims at the acquisition of fundamental knowledge and skills with the main objectives being:

1. to deliver researchers able to design and perform research in various aquaculture fields;
2. to deliver experts who can draw and implement strategies for future development in the aquaculture industry;
3. to form key persons who can act as a nucleus in their local environment through dissemination of their acquired knowledge;
4. to deliver academically trained staff for the aquaculture industry.

The learning outcomes and competencies will differ from student to student as each one will follow his/her own customized program, with a solid foundation in the basic principles of aquatic production. However, the common learning outcomes of the Master of Science in Aquaculture program can be summarized as follows:

1. to have acquired knowledge on the biology and ecology of aquatic organisms (shellfish, finfish, etc.) and to be able to apply this to aquatic production;
2. to be capable of characterising, analysing and evaluating different forms and systems of aquatic production;
3. to understand the interactions between human activity, environmental conditions and aquatic exploitation, and to determine potential ameliorating interventions;
4. to acquire a scientific approach to formulating and testing hypotheses, to be able to design research protocols, as well as to collect and analyse data and to research scientific literature;
5. to be capable of reporting both orally and in writing the results of their work;
6. to understand and communicate with the industry, and be familiar with the practicalities of commercial ventures;
7. to understand the ethical considerations of animal production and experimentation;
8. apart from these academic competencies and professional insights, students will have improved their social and generic skills and language knowledge;
9. to have adopted a problem-solving capacity so that he/she can occupy an independent and responsible position as an aquaculture specialist.

The study programme comprises two years of study, with courses as: Aquatic Ecology; Biology of Aquatic Organisms; Fish Culture Techniques; General Aspects of Aquaculture; Microbial Ecology and Environmental Sanitation; Physiology of Aquatic Organisms ; Technology of Fishery Products; Algae Culture; Aquatic Farm Management Training; Mollusc and Crustacean Culture; Aquaculture and the Environment; Larviculture and Larval Food Production ; Applied Statistics; Management in the Aquaculture Industry; Aquaculture Genetics; Diseases in Aquaculture etc. Subject to the Faculty’s approval: elective courses to a total amount of 15 credits, to be chosen from a list of courses from UGent and the partners of the European Master in Aquaculture and Fisheries: National University of Ireland, Cork; Wageningen Universiteit en Research Centre; Universidade do Algarve, Institutt for fiskeri- og marinbiologi, Universitetet i Bergen, Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet; Uniwersytet Warminsko – Mazurski w Olsztynie. Subject to motivation max. 5 credits of the 15 can be chosen from all other programmes of UGent.

Admission requirements

The programme is open to holders of a bachelor’s degree in exact or applied sciences, equivalent to at least three years’ university studies or a degree in Veterinary Medicine, Civil Engineering or Agricultural Engineering or any related area. Holders of other degrees must follow extra courses. Every application will be carefully examined individually. Some background in aquaculture is recommended.
The applicant must be proficient in the language of the course or training programme, i.e. English. Command of the English language is a very important criterion for admission. With the exception of those who have a diploma (Secondary Education, Academic Bachelor Degree, Master Degree) issued by an institution officially recognized by the Flemish Government, applicants must be able to prove their proficiency in English. There are 4 possibilities to supply this proof:

1. TOEFL certificate (the UGent TOEFL code is 2643) with:
   a) a minimum total score of 550 on the paper based test, or
   b) a minimum total score of 79 on an internet based test.
   The test validity is max. 2 years.
2. IELTS with a minimum overall band score of 6.
   The test validity is max. 2 years.
3. Proof of at least 1 year of comprehensive English-based instruction at a university or recognized equivalent.
4. Proof of a successful “Intermediate Academic English” test at the Ghent University Language Center.

Prospective students will not be allowed to enrol at UGent when they are unable to submit an official and by UGent recognized proof before the start of the Academic Period. For prospective students trying to obtain the “Intermediate Academic English” certificate at the UGent Language Center, the final language exam is the 22nd of September 2009. Remark: do not underestimate the level of difficulty of the UGent language test!

Failing to provide any of the abovementioned will result in not being allowed to enrol at UGent, thus this candidate will have to return back home.

Period: September 2010 – September 2012
Language: English
Number of VLIR-UOS Scholarships: 13
Promoter: Prof. P. Bossier (UGent)

Contact:

Mr B. Van Delsen & Mr S. Vanopstal
Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center
Ghent University
T +32 (0)9 264 38 43
F +32 (0)9 264 41 93
msc.aquaculture@ugent.be
http://www.aquaculture.ugent.be

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

You can apply for this scholarship by clicking the following link:

http://www.scholarships.vliruos.be/index.php?navid=479&scholarship_id=13&actionchoice=applyform