Various PhD positions at University of Aalborg, Denmark

Various PhD positions at University of Aalborg, Denmark

To see the vacant PhD stipends within the different doctoral programmes at The Faculties of Engineering, Science and Medicine please click on the links below. Please contact the secretary, Tine Lützhøft, The Faculties of Engineering, Science and Medicine, Aalborg University, Niels Jernes Vej 10, 9220 Aalborg East, phone +45 9940 7380, e-mail: tl@adm.aau.dk for questions regarding salary, terms of employment, application etc.

Questions regarding the content of each stipend, can be forwarded to the contact person mentioned in the announcement.

Mathematics and Physics
Computer Science and Engineering
Planning and Development
Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Civil Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Biomedical Science and Engineering
Technology and Science
Wireless Communication

http://ping.fm/NlyGl

PhD 3-year Scholarships -- Internet Interdisciplinary Institute

PhD 3-year Scholarships -- Internet Interdisciplinary Institute
Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) – Universitat Oberta de Catalunya in Barcelona

The IN3 invites applications for its Interdisciplinary English-speaking PhD programme in the Society of Information and Communication in its three different itineraries:
• Information and Knowledge society
• Network and Information Technologies
• e-Learning

Successful applicants will be part of the IN3 and join a vibrant, internationally oriented research community specialized in the investigation of the network society, the knowledge economy or the e-leaning methodologies as well as in the study of network technologies and specific areas of software. Staff at IN3 is composed by full-time researchers, professors at the Open University of Catalonia and international visiting professors. For further information about the IN3, please visit http://ping.fm/Xqjh2

We welcome applications from students from Arts and Humanities, Business and Economics, Engineering, Law and Political Science, Media, Science Education or Social Sciences in general, strongly motivated to undertake an interdisciplinary research.

Applicants having a minimum of 300 ECTS credits (60 must be at postgraduate level) can access directly the PhD programme with a 3-year scholarship.

Further info: http://ping.fm/TJM4Q html

Inquiries: ddoctorat@uoc. edu

Deadline: 13th June 2010

Post-doc Chemistry, In Nice, France

Post-doc Chemistry, In Nice, France
A two-year postdoctoral position is available in the Ion Channel Genetics team at IPMC - TIANP (UMR CNRS 6097) located at the Science faculty in Parc Varlose in Nice, south of France (http://ping.fm/8DrpN).

Subject: TASK K+ channel contribution in breathing adaptation to O2, CO2 and pH changes

Context of the study
The chemosensitivity is an essential property of the respiratory system to permanently adapt its activity to the needs of the body. Specialized sensors at the periphery (mainly carotid bodies) and at the central level (specialized nuclei in the brainstem) are involved in monitoring arterial blood CO2 and O2 pressures as well as pH. Defects of central chemoreception are implicated in respiratory pathologies such as sleep apnea syndromes, periodic breathing in high altitude and drug- or anesthesia-induced respiratory depression.

The congenital central hypoventilation syndrome is a severe hereditary form of central breathing chemosensitivity in human. The brainstem topology of respiratory nuclei is relatively well known. Yet, we don't precisely know what are the neurons directly involved in chemosensitivity and even less the exact molecular identities of the chemoreceptors. Background K+ channels (K2P) of the TASK family display functional characteristics including pH and reactive oxygen species (ROS) sensitivities that make them good CO2 and O2 sensors candidates.

In a recently published work, we have identified TASK2 as the molecular O2 sensor in
retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) and proposed that its activation by hypoxia generated ROS is the mechanism by which central hypoxia-induced ventilatory depression takes place (Gestreau et al 2010).

Objectives
The project is aimed at the characterization of the molecular mechanisms regulating the CO2 and O2 sensing in the brainstem and involved in the adaptation of breathing to the blood gases relying on the unique model of TASK mutant mice. We have produced
mice invalidated for the three TASK channel genes task1 (kcnk3), task2 (kcnk5) and task3 (kcnk9) as well as double knockout task1-3 and task2-3. The postdoctoral
fellow will develop patch-clamp studies on brainstem slices from these mouse models.
Therefore, a good experience in electrophysiology, and possibly in electrophysiology on slices would be greatly appreciated.

Post starting January 2011

Duration 24 months

Contact Jacques Barhanin (jacques.barhanin@
unice.fr).
TIANP UMR6097
Faculté des Sciences
Bâtiment Sciences Naturelles
Parc Valrose
06105 Nice, France
Gestreau, C., D. Heitzmann, J. Thomas, V. Dubreuil, S. Bandulik, M. Reichold, S. Bendahhou, P. Pierson, C. Sterner, J. Peyronnet-Roux, C. Benfriha, I. Tegtmeier, H. Ehnes, M. Georgieff, F. Lesage, J. F. Brunet, C. Goridis, R. Warth and J. Barhanin (2010). "Task2 potassium channels set central respiratory CO2 and O2 sensitivity. " Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107(5): 2325-30.

UK : Kurdish Studies PhD Studentships

UK : Kurdish Studies PhD Studentships

Applications are invited for PhD studentships in the field of Kurdish Studies commencing in October 2010. The awards have been made available through a grant awarded to the Centre for Kurdish Studies by the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq. It is anticipated that up to 5 PhD studentships will be available for the 2010/11 academic year.
Your research project may be in any discipline of the humanities and social sciences as applied to the study of the Kurds and Kurdistan, including (but not limited to) political science, history, geography, sociology, language and literature, religious studies, anthropology, and gender studies.
Applications are invited from suitably qualified graduates - you should have or expect to have at least a 2.1 degree, and preferably have a Masters degree or equivalent.
Closing date for completed applications is Friday 25 June 2010.
Studentship details
The studentships cover the cost of tuition fees (at both home and international levels) and provide a maintenance grant of up to £12,600 a year.
How to apply
Applicants should submit a formal application to the University of Exeter for the PhD in Kurdish Studies. In addition, they should send a copy of their CV to: Elizabeth Hull at (huss-pgadmissions@exeter.ac.uk) by Friday 25th June 2010 (please clearly state on your application form that you are applying for this studentship).

Tentative Application Deadline : 25 June 2010
Homepage: http://ping.fm/wqscz

UK : MSc in International Accounting and Finance Scholarships - Divisional Scholarships

These Scholarships are funded by the Accounting and Finance Division and meet course fees up to the home/EU rate. This means that the successful candidates will pay no course fees in September 2010 if they are home/EU fee category students. Overseas fee paying students are also encouraged to apply and would pay the difference between home and overseas fees.
Who can apply?
Applicants may be of any nationality and must hold or expect to obtain an offer of a place on the full time MSc in International Accounting and Finance for entry in September 2010. Applications may be submitted for the Scholarship along with the course application, but only those obtaining a place on the course will be entered into the Scholarship competition.
How to apply
Complete the MSc in International Accounting and Finance Scholarship Application Form ensuring that all sections are answered legibly.
Pay particular attention to the section which requires a handwritten statement of approximately 500 words on why a Scholarship would help you, and what your career or educational aims are for the five year period after you graduate from the International Accounting and Finance course.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 30 June 2010.
Please note that the Scholarships will be allocated in July and therefore if you are applying both for the Scholarships and the International Accounting and Finance course close to the 30 June deadline, you should ensure that your course application is complete.
Tentative Application Deadline : 30 June 2010

Italy : Ph.D. Programme in General Management

The Ph.D. programme in General Management of the University of Bologna aims to train research degree students who are to become leading researchers in the field of management, banking and finance studies and serve as faculty at top-rated universities or leaders in corporate, financial and international organizations worldwide.
The Programme is organized by the Department of Management of the University of Bologna and is created by the integration of two doctoral programs previously offered by the Department: the PhD in Business Administration (Dottorato in Direzione Aziendale) and the PhD in Financial Markets and Intermediaries (Dottorato in Mercati e Intermediari Finanziari). The PhD Programme is part of the Doctoral School in Economics and Statistics of (Scuola di Dottorato in Economia e Statistica) of the University of Bologna.
The Ph.D in General Management is a full-time, 3 year-programme offering its students a broad-based and inter-disciplinary education in the fields of business and finance studies and management research. It provides candidates with strong theoretical foundations in social science disciplines and a deep knowledge of research methods applied to management, banking and finance problems. It offers specializations in two major concentration areas:
Track in Management
Track in Banking and Finance
Doctoral students are expected to have full-time status, to attend core and elective courses, to participate in research projects conducted by management faculties, to present their works at research seminars, international conferences and in international journals. An approved doctoral thesis, a number of successfully completed courses, a mobility program of at least six months spent in other international universities are the formal conditions for awarding the PhD degree in General Management (Dottorato in General Management) by the University of Bologna.

Detailed informations:
Program Overview and Courses
Faculty
Placement
Admissions
Procedures for Enrollment and Access to Selection
Contacts

Program Overview and Courses   
The PhD programme in General Management is structured as a three-year programme (if necessary, the programme can be extened of an additional fourth year for the completion of the thesis).
The first part of the Programme is dedicated to the attendance of three core courses, with the aim to provide a shared background in the theoretical foundations of research in the fields of business and finance (course in "Theory of the Firm") and in statistical methods (course in "Econometrics"). In addition to that, epistemological, professional and ethical issues associated with empirical research in the social sciences will be addresses in the course "Research Methods for Social Science".
After that, the PhD candidates will have the opportunity to specialize according to their interests in one of two different concentration areas offered by the Programme: a track in Management and a track in Banking and Finance -, by selecting at least 7 additional courses from a wide range of options. See the links below for a description of the concentration areas and a list of courses that will be offered in the Programme.
Track in Management
Track in Banking and Finance
In addition to doing their coursework, students will immerse themselves in the culture of the management field by attending seminars, colloquia and dissertation defenses. They are expected to develop their own research interests at and to present their work regularly both inside the school and at professional conferences.
At the end of the training program (at the end of the third semester), each PhD candidate should prepare and present a thesis proposal, representing an outline of the lines of research that he or she intends to undertake in the thesis.
After passing the defence of the doctoral proposal, the PhD student will work on the doctoral thesis under the supervision of 3 faculty professors during the remaining part of the second year and in the third year of the program. This period can also be extended by one or more years given the consent of the Scientific Committee. The dissertation must be first approved by the supervisors and the Scientific Committee of the Programme in order to admit the candidate to the final defence in front of an external Doctoral Thesis Examination Committee.

Mobility period
During the second and third year of the programme, PhD students will be required to spend at least six months as visiting scholar in a foreign university, depending on their research interests. During the mobility period, candidates will have the opportunity to attend courses and seminars offered by the hosting institution in order to specialize in a concentration areas in which the institute excels, to establish stronger links with international faculties within their specialization area and develop research activities related to their dissertation work at a transnational level.
A partial list of institutions having hosted in the past visiting students from the PhD in Business Administration of the University of Bologna includes:
Carnegie Mellon University
City University London
Copenhagen Business School
Ecole des Mines de Paris
HEC Paris,
Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
INSEAD
London Business School,
Kellogg School of Management
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Northwestern University
Stern School of Business, New York University
Texas A&M University
Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
University of California, Berkeley
University of Michigan
Wharton Business School.

Faculty

Placement
The main objective of the PhD programme in General Management is that of training research degree students who are to become leading and serve as faculty at top-rated universities in Italy and other countries in Europe and worldwide. Over the past years, the Programme has gained a significant reputation in both the national and international academic community, and also within the business community. This is witnessed by the placement achieved in the past by the doctoral graduates, who have obtained positions as post-doc researchers or faculty staff in some of the most important universities in Europe and the rest of the world.
For instance, PhD graduates of the PhD in Management (Dottorato in Direzione Aziendale) have been able to obtain post-doc of faculty positions at the following universities (partial list):
Bocconi University
Cass Business School, City University London
Cambridge University
Case Western Reserve University
HEC Paris
Imperial College, London
INSEAD
Lancaster University
LUISS Guido Carli
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano
University of Bologna
University of Bolzano
University of Lugano
University of Trento
University of Maastricht
University of Michigan
Tilburg University
Since the PhD programme in General Management prepares students not only for research and teaching careers at leading academic institutions, but also to managerial and research careers in industry, finance and government, placement opportunities in such settings will be offered by leveraging the existing relationships with business and industry partners. Several alumni in the past have decided to pursue a research or managerial career in industrial firms, consulting companies, banking and financial institutions, international organizations.

Admissions
Key-dates and fellowships
The 2010/2011 edition of the Ph.D. in General Management (26th cycle) will start in October 2010.
In the 2010/11 edition, 10 students will be admitted to the program and 4 fellowships will be offered by the University of Bologna. The Call for Applications (Bando Dottorati XXVI Ciclo) will be published by the University of Bologna on the 20th May 2010 on this website:
http://ping.fm/1BpB1
The deadline to submit the application and the required documents will be: 21th June 2010.
The selection of the candidates will be completed before the 10th September 2010. The exact date of the oral exam will be available on the Call for Application.

Admission requirements
In order to apply for the 2010/2011 edition of the Ph.D in General Management of the University of Bologna, a university degree (laurea specialistica/magistrale) is required or an equivalent degree obtained abroad. The degree must be completed: 1) within the deadline for application specified on the call for applications (21th June 2010); or 2) within the 30th September 2010. In the latter case, candidates (with a degree obtained after the deadline for application) will be admitted to the selection process under condition, and they will be required to communicate as soon as possible to the Doctorate Program Office of the University of Bologna the attainment of the degree.
Foreign candidates should directly deliver or send by first class/registered mail to: ARIC – Ufficio Formazione Scientifica Post Laurea, Università di Bologna, Via Belle Arti 42, Bologna, Italy - before the deadline of the call, the following documents:
- A transcript of the university degree (specifying title, class of degree and final grade) and a list of all the examinations and scores obtained. For all degrees awarded abroad, it is necessary to provide also: 1) an official translation in Italian authenticated by the Italian Embassy/Consulate of the country where the certificate was issued and 2) the related statement of evaluation ("Dichiarazione di valore").
In case it won’t be possible to send the required documents in original, duly authenticated by Italian Embassy/Consulate, before the deadline for application, candidates could send or directly deliver a copy of the documents within the deadline for application. The candidates will be admitted under condition to the selection process. If selected for the Ph.D program, they should deliver the original documents before the deadline for enrollment in the program.
For the only purpose of participating in the selection, the declaration of equivalence to the Italian titles of the degrees awarded abroad will be undertaken by Selection Committee of the Ph.D in Management.
- A detailed curriculum-vitae
- A research statement (see below)
For further information on the admission requirements and to download the call for application please visit the website of the Office for Doctorate Programs of the University of Bologna (Ufficio Dottorati di Ricerca Università di Bologna, email: udottricerca@unibo.it, tel: 0039-0512094620):

http://ping.fm/BCIYs

Procedures for Enrollment and Access to Selection
First Step
In order to participate to selections all candidates must apply through the University of Bologna on-line service AlmaWelcome (www.almawelcome.unibo.it) and follow this procedure:
Register to the service by entering the personal Italian Fiscal Code, personal data, and information regarding the degree held (foreign students without a "Codice Fiscale" will be assigned an equivalent code by the software at the beginning of the registration procedure). The applicant will receive a username and password that will allow him/her to pay the 10 euro fee for administrative processing.
The applicant shall then pay the 42 euro fee within the deadline specified on the call for applications:
Online (Credit card: VISA, MASTERCARD, DINERS, AMERICAN EXPRESS)
At the agencies of Unicredit Banca using the printed form at the end of the registration process (a list of Unicredit Banca agencies can be found here)
In case of problems with the procedure, it is possible to contact the Help Desk (tel: 0039-051-2099882; email: help.almawelcome@unibo.it) of the University of Bologna. The validity of the first step of the pre-enrollment procedure is confirmed and proven by the payment of the 42 euro fee.
Print out the Application Form ("Scheda Riepilogativa"), Annex 1 (Appendice 1) and payment receipt.
Second step
After having completed the first step, the applicant should directly deliver or send by first class/registered mail to: ARIC – Ufficio Formazione Scientifica Post Laurea, Università di Bologna, Via Belle Arti 42, Bologna, Italy, before the deadline for application specified on the call for applications (no possibility of extension), the following documents:
Copy of the receipt of the 42 euro payment
Copy of the Application Form ("Scheda riepilogativa")
Copy of the Annex 1 (Appendice 1)
For foreign candidates, a transcript of the university degree (specifying title, class of degree and final grade) and a list of all the examinations and scores obtained. For all degrees awarded abroad, it is necessary to provide also: 1) an official translation in Italian authenticated by the Italian Embassy/Consulate of the country where the certificate was issued and 2) the related statement of evaluation ("Dichiarazione di valore"). In case it won’t be possible to send the required documents in original, duly authenticated by Italian Embassy/Consulate, before the deadline for application, candidates could send or directly deliver a copy of the documents within the deadline for application. The candidates will be admitted under condition to the selection process. If selected for the Ph.D program, they should deliver the original documents before the deadline for enrollment in the program.For the only purpose of participating in the selection, the declaration of equivalence to the Italian titles of the degrees awarded abroad will be undertaken by Selection Committee of the Ph.D in Management.
A detailed curriculum vitae (in English or Italian)
A research statement in English or Italian (max. 3 pages)
Photocopy of the passport (all pages)
For non-native speakers of English: transcripts of English proficiency tests (TOEFL, Cambridge, etc.) if available, or any statement proving an equivalent proficiency.
N.B: In the case the required documents are sent by mail, it is necessary to specify on the envelop the following claim: "Dottorato di ricerca XXVI Ciclo – Domanda di partecipazione Dottorato in General Management". In order to participate to the selection, the required documents must be received by the ARIC office of the University of Bologna before the deadline for application.
Additional documents supporting the applications, such as reference letters or GMAT/GRE/TOEFL scores, could be submitted with the abovementioned materials. Although not compulsory for the admission to the selection, they will be taken into consideration in the overall evaluation of the candidates.

Selection
The selection criteria to be admitted to the Ph.D in Business Administration will be based on a pre-selection made on the basis of a detailed CV and a research statement, followed by an oral exam.
The CV must present in detail previous academic and professional background of the candidate, and clearly specify his or her knowledge of English and Italian language. In the research statement (maximum 3 pages), the candidate must illustrate a research proposal that he or she might like to pursue in the doctoral work. Although the research interests of the candidate are likely to change in the course of the doctoral program, he or she should demonstrate the ability to discuss a research problem of sufficient importance for doctoral level work. The research statement should clarify the following points: why is the research question important? Why is it not addressed sufficiently in the literature? How to address it theoretically and empirically in order to obtain significant and useful results?
The oral exam (in English or Italian) will evaluate the candidates’ knowledge, attitudes and motivation to undertake scientific research in the fields of management, banking and finance, their proficiency in the English language, their proficiency or willingness to learn Italian language.
The exact dates for the oral exam will be communicated on the call for application.
The courses of the 2010/11 edition of the Ph.D in General Management of the University of Bologna (XXVI ciclo) will start in October 2010.

Contacts
For further information on the PhD in General Management of the University of Bologna, please contact:

For the track in Management:
Prof. Federico Munari
Department of Management, University of Bologna
email: federico.munari@unibo.it

For the track in Banking and Finance:
Prof. Giuseppe Torluccio
Department of Management, University of Bologna
email: giuseppe.torluccio@unibo.it
Tentative Application Deadline : 21 June 2010

[Canada] Postgraduate Scholarship by The Bentley Cropping Systems Fellowship

Deadline: October 1, 2010

The Bentley Cropping Systems Fellowship provides assistance to Canadian and developing-country graduate students with a university degree in agriculture, forestry or biology, who wish to undertake postgraduate, applied, on-farm research with cooperating farmers in a developing country.

In principle, IDRC supports research on all parts of the developing regions of the world. At this time, Fellowships and Awards is not supporting awards which involve research in Burma, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Eastern Europe or Central Asia.

Projects should evaluate and/or promote the use of fertility enhancing plants, such as leguminous forages, shrubs, cover crops, and grain legumes in small farms. The intent is to seek ways to increase the yield of food crops, improve farmers' livelihoods, and improve soil fertility.

The research should seek cropping system changes that will lead to: sustainable and increased crop yields; production of more and improved animal feed; improved soil and water conservation; improved weed control, and/or biological fixation of nitrogen. Projects should be planned and executed in cooperation with an international agricultural research centre, or with a developing-country institution involved in agricultural research that has an applied on-farm orientation.

Eligibility
1. Applicants
Applicants must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada, or citizens of a developing country who are currently enrolled full-time in a graduate program (Master's, doctoral, post-doctoral) at a recognized university in Canada or in a developing country for the duration of the award period.

2. Key Selection Criteria
A. Focus of the Research:
Proposals must focus on very simple cropping systems research that can benefit smallholder farmers in developing countries, especially rural women farmers.

B. Participatory Research:
Applicants must use simple experiments executed by cooperating farmers under guidance by the researchers (see details about the location of individual on-farm experiments), and conduct their research with the active participation of the farmers, including women farmers. This requires that farmers be involved in all stages of the experiment on their land, including all the stages of land preparation, seeding, and harvesting.

Research proposals must include details of the comparisons envisioned between the traditional cropping practice of cooperating farmers and the side-by-side alternative cropping practice, which must include some type of leguminous crop or plant. Please consult the attached diagram that shows how a simple on-farm experiment might be compared to either one or two alternative cropping systems. Thus, experiments must compare crop yields from traditional unicrop practice with yields of the same crop combined with some kind of leguminous plant grown either simultaneously with the traditional crop, or perhaps in some cases, grown before the traditional crop is planted.

Similar experiments executed in rural school gardens, conducted with the help and advice of the Fellowship holder, and with the participation of both students and teachers, are also encouraged.

The research procedures must include extensive dissemination of the research results. Smallholder farmers, including rural women farmers, should be the major focus of such publicity:

The results should be presented in formats that can reach the various stakeholders, such as field days, farmer visits, briefs for policy-makers;
Dissemination will actively involve farmers, extension workers, local development initiatives, and agricultural organizations by addressing other smallholder farmers, especially rural women farmers;
The publicity should include farmers' visits and farmer-to-farmer teaching and learning.
The applicant must:

Provide evidence that a large part, or all of the research, will be carried out on the farms of resource poor or smallholder farmers. The award will not support research carried out on the farms of large land holders or on research stations;
Provide evidence that farmers will actively participate in the experiments. Thus, the development of simple on-farm experimental designs with appropriate controls to determine the practicality and profitability of introducing a leguminous crop in their cropping system is essential;
Scholarship applicants must provide explanations of how they will make the frequent trips from the 'home base' to the villages of the cooperating farmers. This is essential for successful execution of on-farm tests;
Explain how the research data was collected and how the introduction of leguminous plants in their cropping systems is expected to improve the economic benefits to farmers;
Applicants should suggest anticipated benefits/improvements and sustainability of their proposal.

C. Sustainability:
The applicant must:

Provide evidence that he/she is or will be supported by local institutions that have a good working relationship with target communities, farmers and/or extension agencies;
Indicate that he/she will seek cooperation, help and support from the local 'extension officers' and/or NGOs in the identification of individual farmers who are likely to be suitable and cooperative.
Duration
Award tenure corresponds with the period of field research. In general, this will be between eighteen months and twenty-four months.

Value
The value of the award is up to CA $30,000. If there is strong evidence of significant potential benefits, the award may be extended upon re-application.

Progress Reports
Fellowship holders will commit to provide IDRC with three brief progress reports per year.

Deadlines
October 1, 2010 (awards will be announced by mid-December 2010).

Tenure must be undertaken by December of the following year.

Please submit all documents listed in the List of Supporting Documents to be Submitted. Complete applications must be received at the Centre by the deadline. Incomplete applications will NOT be considered for the competition. Applications must be sent to the following address:

By regular mail, Canada Post Priority Post or XPRESSPOST:

The Bentley Fellowship
Fellowships and Awards
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
PO Box 8500
Ottawa, Ontario
K1G 3H9 - Canada

By courier services:

The Bentley Fellowship
Fellowships and Awards
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
150 Kent Street, Mailroom Suite 990
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 0B2 - Canada
Fax: (1 613) 236-4026
Telephone: (1 613) 236-6163 ext.: 2098
E-mail: cta@idrc.ca

Click here for more information Postgraduate Scholarship by The Bentley Cropping Systems Fellowship: http://ping.fm/T5Tz8

[Germany] Ph.D. Fellowships in Elementary Particle Physics

Deadline: June 21, 2010

The International Max Planck Research School 'Elementary Particle Physics – Theoretical, Experimental and Cosmological Frontiers' (IMPRS EPP) is a joint initiative of the Max Planck Institute of Physics (Werner Heisenberg Institute) and the particle and astroparticle physics groups of the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich and the Technical University Munich.

Since April 2005 the School has been offering excellent research opportunities to highly qualified doctoral students. Research fields covered by the School from both an experimental and a theoretical perspective include high energy particle physics, astroparticle physics, and cosmology. The physics of strong interactions, quantum chromodynamics, symmetries and mechanisms for symmetry breaking, neutrino physics and neutrino astrophysics, supersymmetry, string theory, physics and technology of particle detectors and light sensors, dark matter, gamma-ray astrophysics, cosmic rays, and weak interaction physics are just a few examples of the range of topics under investigation.

The students' own research is supplemented by an accompanying lecture program. Regular seminars, workshops, and other joint events serve to broaden the intellectual horizon, stimulate interaction between IMPRS members, and provide valuable background knowledge on topics beyond the students' own research project.

Note that the IMPRS EPP is a school for PhD students only. Work on a Master/Diploma Thesis is not supported. Moreover, a Master/Diploma Thesis documenting at least about 6 months of research is required to be accepted.

Please submit your application through the Application Form on the www page 'www.imprs-epp.de/admission.html'. Otherwise, your application cannot be considered. On the web page 'www.imprs-epp.de.', you will find more detailed information on the IMPRS EPP, the requirements, etc.

Contact: Frnk Steffen
E-mail: imprs-office@mpp.mpg.de

[Japan] The Nippon Foundation Nikkei Scholarship for Japanese Descents

Deadline: June 31, 2010

The Nippon Foundation Nikkei Scholarship provide an opportunity to study in Japan for young Japanese descents having definite plans and dreams of promoting understanding between the country of resident and Japan and contributing to the development of the country of resident and local communities.

Qualification Requirements

Applicants must be Japanese descents (regardless of nationality, educational background or previous visits to Japan).
Applicants must be 18 to 35 years old in principle.
Applicants must be recommended by overseas Japanese descent organizations.
Applicants must have a dream of acquiring technical knowledge and, after returning home, playing active roles in the countries of resident and local communities.
Applicants should have a dream of working as a bridge for their countries of resident and Japan by making most of overseas study experiences.
Applicants must be willing to participate in overseas students’ volunteer activities and social action programs.
Country
Mainly in Central and South America area (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, etc)

Recruiting Period
June 1 to July 31, 2010

Selection

Primary selection: Documentary examination in the first 10 days of September
Secondary selection: Interview in the first 10 days of October
Final decision of acceptance/rejection: Late October
Details of Scholarship Payment to Students

Round-trip airfare
Any expense to be paid to the school including examination fee, admission charge, tuition, course materials, etc.
Living expense (130,000 yen/month), housing expense (max. 50,000 yen/month), key money (max. 200,000 yen), student commutation ticket, medical insurance premium (fraternal insurance), etc.
Expenses for group workshops and participation fees for academic conferences
Period of Overseas Study
Maximum 5 years. However, if the student spends an extra year at the school or the secretariat finds the student against the spirit of this scholarship system, the scholarship payment will be suspended.

Japanese Language Proficiency
It is desirable that the applicant is proficient enough in Japanese that he/she has no trouble listening to lectures at the school or leading daily life in Japan. If applicants wish to improve their Japanese, they will be able to take Japanese lessons for 6 months to one year.

Application Methods and Documents
Applicants must send the following documents to our office by July 31. Application documents sent by Fax or e-mail will not be accepted.

Personal History (Form 1)
Composition (Form 2)
Overseas Study Plan (Form 3)
Informal Letter of Acceptance (Form 4) (For applicants who were already admitted to the schools in Japan)
Medical Certificate (Form 5)
Letter of Recommendation by overseas Japanese descent organizations (Form 6)
Graduation certificate or student registration certificate (translation required)
Send all documents to:
2-3-1, Shinko, Naka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, 231-0001, Japan
JICA Yokohama 2F
'Kaigai Nikkeijin Kyokai / Nikkei Scholarship'
TEL :045-663-3258 FAX : 045-211-1781

Click here for more information about The Nippon Foundation Nikkei Scholarship for Japanese Descents: http://ping.fm/i7VN4