[China] Shanghai Government Scholarship

According to the Interim Regulations of Shanghai Government Scholarship for International Students (hereafter referred to as the Scholarship), this detailed implementation for international students in ECUST has hereby been set forth.

The scholarship is divided into Type A and B

Type A, as a full scholarship, covers tuition, basic learning material, accommodation; it provides insurance for major diseases and accidents; living allowance is offered monthly: 1700 RMB for master student and 2000 RMB for PHD student. It is awarded to applicants for masters and above. The numbers to be awarded is 10 each year.

Type B is semi-scholarship, including tuition, basic learning material and accommodation.

It will be awarded to applicants for masters and above. The numbers to be awarded is 6 each year.

Requirements

• Citizens with foreign nationalities and in good health;
• Abide by the Chinese government's laws, rules and regulations and school regulatory framework;
• Study earnestly with good results;
• Applicants for the Doctorate program must already have a Master's degree and be less than 40 years old;
• Applicants for a Masters Degree must already have a Bachelors degree and be less than 35 years old;

Students shall not receive other scholarships offered by Chinese government during the same period.

Deadline
Applicants shall apply the scholarship before May 15th every year.

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[New Zealand] Postdoctoral Fellow University of Waikato

The University of Waikato is seeking applicants for a position in the Population Studies Centre (PSC) which is based in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:

The PSC is the only social science research centre in a New Zealand university that focuses specifically on demography, population economics and population geography. Its staff are well known nationally and internationally for their research excellence, and to further enhance leadership in these fields the University of Waikato is making a strategic investment in the PSC through new appointments as it moves towards establishing a National Institute for Demographic and Economic Analysis (NIDEA).

The Post Doctoral Fellow is a three-year fixed-term appointment, and applicants can be from any of demography, population economics or population geography. The PSC has a strong track record and on-going research interests in population movement and labour market dynamics, as well as core demography. The successful applicant will have been awarded their PhD at the time of taking up the appointment, and will have successfully published papers from their doctoral research.

Salary will be in the following range and is dependent on qualifications and experience:
Post Doctoral Fellow: NZ$70,071 - NZ$80,147 per year

The position is available from July 2009, and the University hopes to have appointed the successful candidate by December 2009.

Enquiries of an academic nature should be directed to Professor Richard Bedford, email: rdb@waikato.ac.nz. Further information about the PSC is available at http://www.waikato.ac.nz/wfass/populationstudiescentre.

Applications close on Monday, 20 April 2009.

Applications should be made on the University of Waikato Application Form available from our website http://jobs.waikato.ac.nz or contact HRM - email: jobs@waikato.ac.nz, telephone + 64 7 838 4003, facsimile + 64 7 856 0135. The University is committed to providing equal opportunities for all.

[Italy] The Government of Italy Scholarship Grants 2009 for Indonesian Citizens

The Government of Italy offers scholarships to Indonesian citizens wishing to pursue their studies in Italy. The selection is held annually by a Selection Committee consisting of competent authorities and expert representing both Italy and Indonesia. This Scholarship grants are distributed for students, professionals, teachers, and artists who meet the necessary requirements for enrollment in any Italian post-secondary institutions (universities, academies, conservatories, art restoration institutes, National School of Cinematography, research centers or laboratories, libraries, archives, museums and other national or nationally-recognized institutions), and who would like to attend specialization courses or to conduct research in specific fields. For Italian language study, the scholarships are awarded for specific programs which are held at the Universities for Foreigners in Perugia, Siena and Roma Tre or at the other recognized institutions (which are authorized to issue certification of Italian as a second language).

The short-term scholarships are distributed in the range period between one to nine months and are reserved primarily for courses in Italian language and culture. Applicants must possess a high school diploma at the time they apply and must be 35 years of age or younger (minimum maturity age is 18 years old for Indonesian citizen).

Italian language and culture courses of a one-month period are reserved for Italian language teachers to whom no age limit applies, and for 3rd year University students in the Italian Studies Department.

The long-term scholarships consist of a nine – to twelve-month period, (depending on the length of the course) beginning in autumn. They are awarded for specific research or specialized courses at public post-secondary institutions in any area of study, except for medical studies. All courses of study must be undertaken at the Government approved educational institutions. Applicants for the long-term scholarships interested in undergraduate research or study must possess a high school diploma entitling the applicant to enroll in university; for those wishing to study or conduct research at the post-graduate level, the minimum requirement is a Master’s degree. Applicants must be 35 years of age or younger (minimum maturity age in Indonesia is 18 years old).

GENERAL INFORMATION
Elements taken into consideration by the Selection Committee are:

• The applicant’s curriculum studiorum and vitae.
• The applicant’s proposed program of study (for post-graduate, master courses and doctorate studies).
• The Reference letters from Indonesian or Italian academics (for post-graduate, master courses and doctorate studies).
• The existence of direct contacts between the candidate and Italian academics and/or institutes of higher learning in the candidate’s field of study (applies particularly to applicants for long-term scholarships).
• Knowledge of Italian is mandatory; unless the applicant is applying for Italian language courses or applying for an independent study (in this case the candidate must have a letter from a professor declaring willing to follow the student in another language).

Scholarships offered by the Italian Government cover standard living expenses such as boards and lodging expenses, Insurance( valid only in Italian Territory ) , and do not include air fares (return)
Please note that scholarship recipients must make their own travel and lodging arrangements.
Any partial or total exemption from university fees for scholarship recipients is the decision of the individual university/ institution; no exemptions are granted by private institutions.

Changes in the place of study or the starting date will not be permitted once the scholarship has been awarded. Applicants must therefore indicate the name of their chosen institution and the dates of the chosen existing course/s clearly and exactly on their application forms.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
Please read carefully; incomplete applications will not be accepted.
* three copies ( two in Italian Laguage, one in Indonesian Language ) of the application form (in MS Word Format n. 1), each with original signature and each accompanied by a signed passport-size photograph;

When you win the scholarship, you are subsequently required to submit the following documents as soon as possible:

• at least two original letters of reference from professors, teachers and/or professional superiors (for post-graduate, master courses and doctorate studies)
• Original (for authentication) and certified copies of the applicant’s high school diploma and/or university degree(s).
• Original and certified copy of High school transcript;
• Original and certified copy of University transcript, if applicable;
• Original (for authentication) proof of Indonesian citizenship: copies of one of the following: passport, citizenship certificate or birth certificate;

Certified copies will not be returned and original documents will be returned upon completion the process of authentication and authorization by the Italian Institute of Culture and the Embassy of Italy.

DEADLINES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS: 5 May 2009.

Applications postmarked after the deadline will not be accepted.
Applications for downloads in Indonesian and in Italian

• Application form in Bahasa Indonesia
• Application form in Italian language

For further information please contact or visit during official working hours:
The Italian Institute of Culture (IIC) in Jakarta
Jalan H.O.S. Cokroaminoto no.117, Menteng
Jakarta Pusat 10350
Phone: (021) 3927532
Fax : (021) 310 1661

more info click here

[Sweden] PhD Position in Organic Chemistry Uppsala University

PhD Position in Organic Chemistry, Uppsala University, Sweden
Uppsala University hereby declares the following position to be open for application:
PhD position in organic chemistry
at the Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry. Starting date June 2009.

The project is aimed at the design, synthesis, and characterization of peptidomimetics incorporating a photoisomerizable moiety (”switch”). It is aimed at exploiting possibilities of photomodulation of peptide or protein secondary and/or tertiary structure and function. The successful applicant will be working with synthetic organic chemistry, peptide chemistry, photochemistry, and a variety of spectroscopic methods for structural characterization of organic compounds.

The applicant must have a Bachelors degree (or equivalent) in chemistry, and an additional full year of studies at an advanced level, including a masters thesis (or equivalent).

In addition, the applicant should provide proof of theoretical and practical knowledge in:

• Synthetic organic chemistry, including practical experience with routine laboratory procedures
• Analytical methods in organic chemistry: Separation and purification (HPLC, flash chromatography, macroscale and microscale synthesis, mass spectrometry, IR spectroscopy, gas chromatography)
• Use of modern NMR techniques for structural characterization of organic compounds (interpretation of routine 1D and 2D spectra, practical experience with state of the art NMR equipment, documentation of spectral data)
• Practical experience with peptide chemistry will be regarded as a strong merit
• Basic knowledge in computational chemistry and physical organic chemistry will be regarded as a merit
• teaching experience (undergraduate level) will be regarded as a merit.

The PhD position is for four years, extendable to a maximum of five years by including department duties at a level of at most 20% (typically teaching). Since first year undergraduate courses are taught in Swedish, proficiency in Swedish may be considered an advantage.

For more information on this position, please contact: Prof. Adolf Gogoll, Adolf.Gogoll@biorg.uu.se . Union representatives are Anders Grundström, SACO-rådet, tel: +46 18-471 5380, Carin Söderhäll, TCO/ST, tel: +46 18-471 1996 and Stefan Djurström, SEKO, tel: +46 18-471 3315.

The application should contain a letter where the applicant describes him/herself, merits and research interests, CV, copies of academic grades, exam work or related documents, other relevant publications and letters of recommendation.

Please submit your application no later than May 4, 2009 to: Registrator, UFV-PA 2009/801, Uppsala University , Box 256 , 751 05 Uppsala , Sweden , fax:+46 18 471 2000 or e-mail: registrator@uu.se. If the application is submitted by fax or e-mail, the originals should follow within one week after the application deadline.

[Swaziland] Senior Research Fellowship in Phytochemistry - University of Swaziland

University of Swaziland
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW/RESEARCH FELLOW IN PHYTOCHEMISTRY
Swaziland Institute for Research in Traditional Medicine, Medicinal and Indigenous Food Plants

The Vision of the University is “Leadership through Excellence in Education”

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates to fill the following vacant position:
SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW/RESEARCH FELLOW IN PHYTOCHEMISTRY

Swaziland Institute for Research in Traditional Medicine, Medicinal and Indigenous Food Plants

Qualifications:
A PhD in Phytochemistry, Natural Product Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry or Pharmacognosy. The right candidate should be a versatile researcher with substantial output and who can source funds for the institute.

Duties:

• Phytochemical screening of medicinal and food plants
• Ethnobotanical surveys of medicinal and indigenous food plants
• Design and evaluation of research proposals
• To perform any other duties as assigned by the Director of the Institute

APPLICATIONS AND CLOSING DATE
Applications with detailed CV, certified copies of original certificates and names of three referees should be sent to:
The Registrar
University of Swaziland
Private Bag 4
Kwaluseni
Swaziland
Email: sar-hr@uniswacc.uniswa.sz
Closing date: 15 May 2009

Rotary Centers for International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution

Rotary World Peace Fellows are leaders promoting national and international cooperation, peace, and the successful resolution of conflict throughout their lives, in their careers, and through service activities. Fellows can earn either a master's degree in international relations, public administration, sustainable development, peace studies, conflict resolution, or a related field, or a professional development certificate in peace and conflict resolution.

Each year, up to 110 Rotary World Peace Fellowships (60 master's degree fellowships and 50 professional development certificate fellowships) are offered on a competitive basis at seven Rotary Centers, which operate in partnership with eight leading universities (centers offer master's degree unless noted otherwise):

• Chulalongkorn University , Bangkok, Thailand (professional development center)
• Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , USA
• International Christian University , Tokyo, Japan
• Universidad del Salvador , Buenos Aires, Argentina
• University of Bradford , West Yorkshire, England
• University of California, Berkeley , USA
• University of Queensland , Brisbane, Australia

Fellows are chosen from countries and cultures around the globe based on their ability to have a significant, positive impact on world peace and conflict resolution during their careers. Learn more about program eligibility and deadlines .

To find out more about the Rotary Centers program, contact your local Rotary club or the Rotary Centers Department at The Rotary Foundation.

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Portugal: Research Assistant Positions in Web Security and Privacy

Research Assistant Positions in Web Security and Privacy, Portugal

Applications are invited for 5 research assistant positions funded under the Carnegie Mellon - Portugal partnership (http://www.cmu.edu/portugal), on the topic of Web Security and Privacy. These posts are part of a multidisciplinary research program involving multiple departments at Carnegie Mellon University, Lab:USE at the University of Madeira, the Information Systems Department at the University of Minho, Instituto Superior Tecnico at the Technical University of Lisbon, and Portugal Telecom. The posts are based in Portugal, will be co-supervised by Carnegie Mellon faculty, and will involve annual visits to Carnegie Mellon. The ideal candidates will have a good first degree or MSc in a relevant subject. Successful candidates may opt to apply for a PhD degree in Portugal, or a joint PhD degree with Carnegie Mellon University.

More details about the project can be found at:
http://www.labuse.org/wesp

Post WSP1: User-controllable privacy - University of Madeira
We seek a candidate with a strong background in either computer science, human computer interaction, or mathematics. The successful candidate will focus on the development and validation of novel policy authoring and auditing tools along with novel machine learning algorithms aimed at empowering users to more effectively control their security and privacy settings. This work will be validated in the context of actual deployments of mobile social software applications in Portugal and at Carnegie Mellon. Ideal candidates will have strong oral and written communication skills in English, the ability to work independently as well as a team member and the ability to take initiative and be proactive. We welcome applicants with experience in development for online or mobile platforms, and social network analysis. This post will be based at the University of Madeira (Funchal).

Post WSP2: Anti-phishing for the web and the city - University of Madeira
We seek a candidate with a strong background in either computer science, mathematics, security, or human computer interaction. The successful candidate will build on the existing collaboration between PT/SAPO and CMU and will combine the development of advanced filtering mechanisms with novel user training technologies. In addition, this work will consider the use of tag-based solutions for addressing phishing in the context of location-based services. These technologies will be evaluated through a combination of user studies and pilots, including pilots to be conducted with PT/SAPO. Ideal candidates will have strong oral and written communication skills in English, the ability to work independently as well as a team member and the ability to take initiative and be proactive. We welcome applicants with experience in development for online or mobile platforms, and security protocols. This post will be based at the University of Madeira (Funchal).

Post WSP3: Formal methods for social networks - University of Madeira
We seek a candidate with a strong background in either formal software development and verification, computer science, logic, or mathematics. The post involves the use of formal methods techniques and tools to validate social networks languages developed in the project. Previous knowledge of Java Modeling Language (JML) and B method for software development are assets, though training can be given. Programming experience is also desirable. Ideal candidates will have strong oral and written skills in English, and the ability to work independently as well as a member of a team and be proactive. We welcome applicants with experience in web technologies in general. This post will be based at the University of Madeira (Funchal).

Post WSP4: Trustworthy services - University of Minho
We seek a candidate with a strong background in either computer science, mathematics, or human computer interaction. The successful candidate will develop and evaluate mechanisms and design principles aimed at empowering users to more effectively decide whether or not they can trust different types of mobile and pervasive computing. In collaboration with the rest of the project, this work will develop appropriate policies and trust mechanisms for situated social networking services, particularly those using Bluetooth. Examples of such services include a location-based friend finder, public displays that accept messages from nearby people, and situated games. Ideal candidates will have strong oral and written communication skills in English, the ability to work independently as well as a team member and the ability to take initiative and be proactive. We welcome applicants with experience in design and development for online or mobile platforms, and an interest in trust and pervasive and ubiquitous computing. This post will be based at the University of Minho (Guimarães).

Post WSP5: Lawful services - IST, Technical University of Lisbon
We seek a candidate with a strong background in either internet law, public policy, or computer science. The successful candidate will deploy automated approaches to detecting copyright breach and develop enforcement of copyright policies in the context of peer-to-peer networks and related services. Upon collecting network traffic and demographic data, the work will focus on developing legal and technical policies to combat the distribution of copyrighted material, and will subsequently evaluate these policies in terms of effectiveness and cost. Ideal candidates will have strong oral and written communication skills in English, the ability to work independently as well as a team member and the ability to take initiative and be proactive. We welcome applicants with experience in network administration, simulation, as well as interests in policy and economics. This post will be based at IST, Technical University of Lisbon.

Contact
Potential applicants should contact Vassilis Kostakos (vassilis[ at ]cmu.edu) for informal discussions or enquiries.

Applying
The closing date for receipts of applications is June 1st 2009, and we anticipate that interviews will be held in early June. Applications should be made as soon as possible, via email. Applicants should submit a cover letter clearly indicating the position(s) for which they wish to apply, a full CV, and contact details for three referees to Vassilis Kostakos (vassilis[ at ]cmu.edu). The posts will start ideally on July 1st 2009 (or as soon as possible thereafter) by arrangement with the successful candidate. The value of each award is 11760 Euros per annum (tax exempt) for three years.

About Lab:USE and Madeira
The Laboratory for Usage-centered Software Engineering (http://www.labuse.org) is a unique research and development initiative dedicated to making technology more useful, more usable, and more accessible. Lab:USE is a research unit in the Department of Mathematics and Engineering (http://dme.uma.pt) at the University of Madeira. Members of Lab:USE also have responsibilities in teaching in the various courses of the department, in particular in the Professional Master of Human-Computer Interaction that is offered in collaboration with the HCI Institute of Carnegie Mellon University. As of 2009, Lab:USE consists of 15 faculty representing 11 different nationalities. Lab:USE has secured 2 million euros of funding for the next 3 years and is currently expanding.

Madeira is a mid-Atlantic island, positioned near the coast of Africa and the Canary Islands. It is one of the autonomous regions of Portugal. The mean annual temperature in the capital city, Funchal, can reach 20 °C. With its mild humidity, the weather of the island is classified as oceanic subtropical.

France: PhD Studentship in Forestry, Tree Biomechanics, INRA Nancy

PhD Studentship in Forestry, Tree Biomechanics, INRA Nancy, France

Project Title
Modelling the biomechanical response of adult trees induced by their unbalanced biomass.

Short description:
Biomechanical stresses are essential all along tree life, but they can have negative consequences as soon as the trees are felled. In this field, since the XIXth century a lot of knowledge has been established. Most of time, experiments were led on young trees, in controlled conditions. These previous works have established that negative gravitropism is one of the main mechanisms inducing high stress level. However, to transfer this knowledge into operational recommendations concerning adult trees within a context of stand management, some information is still missing and requires adapted studies.

Nowadays, with new tools such as terrestrial LIDAR scanner, an accurate description of the spatial distribution of the volumes (trunk and branches) within trees can be reached, and used to establish links between (i) the mechanical loading supported by the trunk at a given height, and (ii) the response induced at the periphery of the trunk close to the cambium which leads to a differential of maturation strains acting as a muscle for controlling the posture of the tree.

Based on a suitable sampling design, mixing species, development stage, and stand structure, an extensive field experiment will be carried out to constitute a database which will be analysed by means of mechanical modelling.

Keywords: Forestry, Tree measurement, Terrestrial LIDAR, Laser, Metrology, Biomass, Gravitropism, Growth stress, Reaction wood, Modelling, Response function,

General Framework
Prepared Diploma:
PhD in Forestry Sciences delivered by AgroParisTech, and prepared in RP2E Doctoral School.

Period: 1st October 2009-30th September 2012

Gross Salary: 1650 €/month
PhD scholarship is funded by ANR (French National Research Agency) through the EMERGE Project (2008- BIOE- 003) and by Lorraine Region

Location: INRA Research Centre – F54280 CHAMPENOUX (FRANCE) (15 km from Nancy)
Laboratory: LERFoB1 UMR INRA-AgroParisTech n°1092

Application:
To be considered for entry, applicants should hold, or expect to hold by 1st September 2009 master degree or equivalence in a field relevant to the proposed research topic. The topic requires skills in several of the following fields forestry, programming, mechanical engineering, and applied mathematics. A good fluency in English and/ or in French is required. The application should include a letter summarising motivation, research interests and relevant experience, and a complete CV, including obtained grades and a list of publications (if available), and names and contact information of two references.

The deadline for applying is the 1st June 2009.

Contact Persons:
Dr. Thiéry CONSTANT
constant[ at ]nancy.inra.fr
Tel: +33 (0)3 83 39 40 66.
Fax: +33 (0)3 83 39 40 69

Dr. Meriem FOURNIER (ICGREF)
fournier[ at ]agroparistech.fr
Tel: +33 (0)3 83 39 40 01
Fax: +33 (0)3 83 39 40 69

Postal Address:
INRA Research Centre
LERFOB UMR 1092
Route d’Amance
54280 Champenoux
FRANCE

LERFoB = French acronym for Joint Research Unit for Forest and Wood Resource

USA: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Translational Bioinformatics, Boston University

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Translational Bioinformatics, Boston University, USA

The Pulmonomics laboratory at Boston University School of Medicine (http://pulmonomics.org) is seeking a creative and motivated postdoctoral fellow to join the laboratory and participate in our active and well-funded research program aimed at gaining insights into the physiological responses to tobacco-smoke exposure and how variability in these responses contributes to tobacco-related diseases such as lung cancer and COPD. These aims are pursued primarily using genome-wide gene-expression data.

Current areas of interest include using high-throughput sequencing technology to discover tobacco-smoke-exposure- and disease-associated novel small RNAs and transcript variants, using network reconstruction algorithms to discover potential regulatory mechanisms underlying disease-associated gene-expression patterns, understanding how small regulatory RNAs such as microRNAs contribute to this process, and developing sensitive and specific biomarkers able to diagnose disease and/or predict therapeutic outcome. Candidates should have or be close to obtaining a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in bioinformatics, computational biology, biostatistics, computer science, or a closely related field. Applicants must possess good communication skills and be fluent in both spoken and written English. Critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and the ability to work semi-independently are required. Prior successful experience working with and developing statistical algorithms for analyzing high dimensional datasets is required. Experience analyzing genome-wide gene-expression data is strongly desired. Experience programming with Perl and the R statistical language, as well as experience with databases such as MySQL is preferred.

The postdoctoral position is a temporary appointment, the chief objective being to qualify the selected candidate for work in senior positions in their disciplines. Grants to the laboratory provide funding for the position through September 2012, and the selected candidate will be encouraged to seek independent fellowship funding. The selected candidate will be jointly supervised by Dr. Avrum Spira and Dr. Marc Lenburg, have access to the robust bioinformatics infrastructure at Boston University, and will receive a competitive salary and benefits package.

Interested individuals should send or email a letter of intent/cover letter, a CV with contact info for three references, and a 1-2 page description of relevant previous accomplishments to Ms. Erika Langer; pulmonomics[ at ]gmail.com; The Pulmonary Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 715 Albany Street, R-304, Boston, MA 02118.

The closing date for receipt of applications for this position is May 25th, 2009.

The Netherlands: PhD Scholarships in Imaging Brain Network Abnormalities, The University Medical Center Groningen

PHD SCHOLARSHIP “IMAGING BRAIN NETWORK ABNORMALITIES IN AGEING-RELATED HEARING DISORDERS”

The University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands is offering various “Ubbo Emmius” PhD-scholarships. Candidates are hereby invited to apply for the position with vacancy number “UE-vac-10″ with the following description.

Various prevalent hearing disorders in elderly people crucially involve neural mechanisms in the brain. For instance, in tinnitus (ringing in the ears), abnormal interactions between auditory and non-auditory brain areas are believed to cause the perception of phantom sounds. In presbyacusis (hearing loss) or deafness, deprivation of acoustic input may result in abnormal cross-modal plastic reorganization. Novel fMRIneuroimaging and neurovisualization methods can identify anatomical and functional connectivity patterns throughout the brain, even during rest.

The candidate will investigate these methods and apply them to study ageing-related hearing complaints, like tinnitus and severe hearing loss, and their underlying neural mechanisms.

The applicant may express his/her interest in this position before 01 May 2009, and will subsequently have the opportunity to submit a research proposal, together with the principal investigators.

More information about the application procedure is available from the website or from the principal investigators prof. dr. Pim van Dijk (p.van.dijk[ at ]med.umcg.nl) and dr. Dave Langers (d.r.m.langers[ at ]med.umcg.nl).