Master and PhD Positions in Geoinformatics and Climate Change, University College Cork

The Geography Department and Coastal and Marine Resources Centre of University College Cork, Ireland, have two funded research studentships available to commence in October 2008. The studentships cover university fees at the EU level, and an annual stipend. The PhD project aims to address issues of the use of Geoinformatics technologies for predicting the effects of climate change with respect to those coastal areas that are most at risk.

The potential benefits of integrating remotely sensed data derived from satellite, airborne and field sources, with other spatial information will be considered. Automated image processing routines will be developed in order to better understand the coastal system at present. Through scenario testing of potential climatically induced terrestrial, marine and meteorological changes, the response of different coastal habitats will be modelled to provide greater insight into the present and future functioning of marsh, dune, lagoon and estuarine environments along the Cork coastline. The use of geovisualisation for communication of results to local interest groups will also be explored.

The MSc project will explore the utility of high spatial resolution, multispectral optical and SAR satellite data to map the habitat distribution and vertical expansion/contraction and stability of raised bogs. Methods to characterise habitat distribution include the investigation and classification of the
combined multispectral optical and SAR data. Advanced supervised classification techniques will be explored using both hard and soft/fuzzy classifiers in attempting to classify peatland species and habitats. Interferometric techniques, using a time series of C-band and L-band SAR images, will be used to determine the feasibility of identifying and quantifying centimetre level vertical displacements within the bog.

Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:1 Honours degree or equivalent in an Earth, Environmental or Engineering Science discipline. Experience in remote sensing, image processing, quantitative environmental science and in undertaking fieldwork would be an advantage. For further information please contact:

Dr Fiona Cawkwell (e-mail: f.cawkwell@ucc.ie, telephone: +353 (0)21490 2707) for the PhD project or Dr Ned Dwyer (e-mail: n.dwyer@ucc.ie, telephone: +353 (0)21 470 3104) for the MSc
project.

Applicants should send a copy of their CV, with the names and addresses of 3 referees, plus a brief statement outlining their academic interests and their reasons for wishing to undertake this research project to the email addresses above.

Closing date for applications is 25th July 2008.

PhD Studentships in Information-Based Self-Motivated Learning in Robots, University of Hertfordshire

University of Hertfordshire
Science and Technology Research Institute

Applications are invited from candidates for a PhD studentship on self-motivated learning in robots based on information-theoretical principles.

Project and Requirements:
Based on a class of recently developed information-theoretic techniques and models, the project will study candidate mechanisms for the generation of biologically plausible self-motivated learning and
behaviour dynamics for robots. The project will involve the intrinsically driven identification of intelligent behaviours based on informational criteria, and their incremental acquisition, refinement
and expansion. The methods will be first developed in simulation and will then ideally be transferred to hardware robots.

The prospective candidates should have a keen interest in contributing to a new and dynamic research area and a strong background in Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, Statistics or another relevant computational discipline. In particular, they should demonstrate very strong programming skills in one or more major computer languages. A good mathematical/numerical background would be desirable, ideally including probability theory and data modelling/neural network techniques.

Successful candidates may be eligible for a research studentship award from the University (equivalent to £12,940 per annum bursary plus the payment of the standard UK student fees).

The envisaged research will take place in a vibrant and enthusiastic research environment as a part of the Adaptive Systems Research Group in the School of Computer Science at the University of Hertfordshire. The university is located in Hatfield, less than 25 minutes by train from London Kings Cross and with convenient access to Stansted, Luton and Heathrow airports and not far from the historic town of St. Albans.

Contact for informal inquiries on the research topic: Dr. Daniel Polani (E-mail: d.polani@herts.ac.uk)

For further information on the application process and an application form, contact

Mrs Lorraine Nicholls
Research Student Administrator
STRI, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences
University of Hertfordshire
College Lane, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AB, UK.

Tel: 01707 286083
Fax: 01707 284185

or email: L.Nicholls@herts.ac.uk

The short-listing process will begin on 25th July 2008, but earlier application is encouraged.

Masters Studentships, Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences, University of Strathclyde

Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences, University of Strathclyde

Applications are invited for one-year Faculty Masters Studentships (comprising full home or overseas tuition fees): the deadline for applications is 15 August 2008.

Applications are invited in the following subjects: English, French, Geography, History, Italian, Law, Politics, Psychology, Sociology and Spanish.

PhD Studentship in Microbiology, De Montford University

Full-time PhD Studentship
Microbiology - Discrimination of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
Faculty of Health & Life Sciences

Applications are invited for a fully funded three-year PhD studentship starting in October 2008. The studentship includes a bursary of £12,600 per annum (tax-free) for three years and all tuition fees.

Candidates should hold a good first degree (at least an Upper-Second Class or equivalent) in a relevant subject area.

Project: Discrimination of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

The emergence of antibiotic resistance in hospital-acquired infections represents a considerable burden to healthcare delivered globally. This research project aims to develop proteomic approaches (including MALDI-TOF-MS) for discrimination and characterisation of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Proteomic techniques, such as two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, will be used to identify biomarkers of antibacterial resistance on the surface of bacterial isolates. Candidates should have a strong interest in bacteriology and molecular biology. Laboratory based practical experience in microbiology, molecular biology and proteomic techniques would be an advantage.

Applications are welcome from citizens from the EU and those with overseas status as well as those from UK.

Candidates for whom English is not their first language should hold an English qualification at least equivalent to IELTS 6.5.

Enquiries should in the first instance go to the Research Office, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. Telephone: 0116 2506309. Web: http://www.dmu.ac.uk/research/index.jsp

Closing Date: 25th July 2008

An application form may be downloaded from: http://www.dmu.ac.uk/research/degrees/procedure.jsp

Applicants are requested to contact the office to receive a hardcopy admission pack and will need to provide a full CV with two supporting references. Please e-mail: researchstudents@dmu.ac.uk or call (0116) 2506309 to receive further details.

PhD Studentships in Real Estate Initiative, University of Ulster

PhD Studentships
Real Estate Initiative
Faculty of Art, Design and the Built Environment

Applications are invited for PhD studentships in the University of Ulster Real Estate Initiative in the Faculty of Art, Design and the Built Environment at the Belfast or Jordanstown Campus.

Two studentships are available and we particularly are interested in proposals for the following projects:

1. Analyse the holistic approach to workplace environments, management systems and new technologies in meeting corporate end-user requirements.

Supervisor: Professor Stanley McGreal. T: 028 9036 6566 E: ws.mcgreal[ at ]ulster.ac.uk

2. Impact of quality led design on real estate value and performance.

Supervisor: Professor Jim Berry. T: 028 9036 6562 E: jn.berry[ at ]ulster.ac.uk

3. An analysis of the role of city branding and place making as vehicles in delivering proactive regeneration.

Supervisor: Professor Ali Parsa. T: 028 9036 6283 E: ag.ghanbari-parsa[ at ]ulster.ac.uk

4. An investigation of the role of bank financing in real estate development and investment in global markets.

Supervisor: Professor Jim Berry. T: 028 9036 6562 E: jn.berry[ at ]ulster.ac.uk

5. Emerging markets - identifying special characteristics of these markets, transparency issues and modes of operation in the Middle East, and Africa.

Supervisor: Professor Ali Parsa. T: 028 9036 6283 E: ag.ghanbari-parsa[ at ]ulster.ac.uk

Candidates should hold a first or upper second class honours degree in property, urban design, planning, investment or cognate discipline related to the project area. Successful candidates will enrol a.s.a.p. and by October 2008 on a full-time programme of research studies leading to the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Each of the studentships will comprise fees (home, EU and overseas applications welcome) and an annual stipend of £12,600. It will be awarded for a period of up to three years subject to satisfactory progress and is tenable in the Faculty of Art, Design and the Built Environment at the Belfast or Jordanstown campuses.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Friday 1 August 2008. Interviews will be held during August 2008.

If you wish to discuss your proposal please contact the Project Supervisors Apply at: http://research.ulster.ac.uk/info/prospective/apply.html or application materials are available from Research Office, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, Tel 028 7032 4729, e-mail hj.campbell@ulster.ac.uk, Web www.ulster.ac.uk/researchstudy

PhD Studentships, Graduate School of Engineering and Electronics, University of Edinburgh

University of Edinburgh
2 PhD studentships
Graduate School of Engineering and Electronics

Metal-organic frameworks for hydrogen purification and catalytic applications – suitable for chemical engineers, chemists, and physicists

Funding is available for two PhD studentships in the School of Engineering and Electronics, University of Edinburgh on two separate metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) related projects. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) constitute one of the most exciting developments in recent nanoporous-materials science, with potential applications in many areas, including catalysis, gas separation and storage. The major advantage of MOFs over more traditional porous materials, such as zeolites, is the greater scope for tailoring these materials for specific applications due to their modular synthesis from corner units (generally metal ions or clusters) and linker units (organic molecules able to bridge the metal corners).

Project 1: Metal-organic frameworks for hydrogen purification

Hydrogen is a potential future automotive fuel as well as an important industrial feedstock. For fuel-cell applications, as well as in many industrial processes, high purity is required. The hydrogen required can be produced either by generating it from steam reforming or methanol cracking processes or by recovering it from hydrogen-rich process streams by adsorbing the impurities using pressure swing adsorption. Such streams are readily available in refineries and petrochemical plants and are sometimes burnt as a waste stream. The scope of this project is to design new adsorbents for hydrogen purification using computational and experimental methods. This is a collaborative project with the Department of Chemistry at the University of St Andrews.

Project 2: Metal-organic frameworks for catalytic applications

To date a large percentage of chiral compounds are synthesised using homogeneous catalysis. Although they are often expensive and their separation/recycling tedious, inefficient and time consuming, homogeneous catalysts often show excellent selectivities and high activities. However there are many advantages to using heterogeneous catalysis, such as easy separation, efficient recycling, minimisation of metal contamination, improved handling that could all result in lower environmental impact and lower overall costs. The aim of this project is to develop chiral heterogeneous catalysts based on MOFs and to study in particular the adsorption and diffusion processes involved. This is a joint project with chemists at the University of East Anglia and the University of Bath.

The studentships
The studentships are available immediately for a period of 4 years (project 1) and 3.5 years (project 2). (They are of different length because the projects themselves have different durations.) The studentships provide a tax-free EPSRC stipend (currently £12,600 per annum), plus university fees at the Home / EU rate. Additional funding is available to cover the overseas fees for non-EU citizens for one of the projects.

For both studentships, collaboration between the chemical engineers at the University of Edinburgh and the partners in chemistry is a very important element and the successful candidates will spend significant periods of time at the partner institutions, learning among other things about material synthesis and characterisation. The ability to be a team player and to work in close collaboration with a team of chemical engineers and chemistry is therefore essential. The successful candidates will have a first class or 2.1 degree, or equivalent, in chemical engineering, chemistry, physics or a related subject.

For further information please contact Dr Tina Düren (+44 (0)131 6504856, tina.duren@ed.ac.uk).

PhD Studentship Auditory Electrophysiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam.

A 4-year position for a PhD student is available in the Auditory Periphery Lab in the Dept. of Neuroscience of the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The student will record from single auditory nerve fibers of Mongolian gerbils and, in a later stage, of the Leopard frog. The setup for neural recordings from the gerbil is operational. Recordings from the frog will be performed at UCLA, California during a 4-month collaboration project with Dr. P. Narins.

Applicants should have an M.Sc. in Biology, Medicine, Biophysics, or equivalent, with a demonstrable interest in Neuroscience research. Affinity with quantitative techniques is required. Experience with electrophysiological techniques is preferred.

More details of the project can be found on our lab page http://beta.neuro.nl/research/vanderheijden/.
More information on the Dept of Neuroscience can be found at http://www.neuro.nl/.

Mail your application including a CV and the names of one or two references to Dr. Marcel van der Heijden, m.vanderheyden@erasmusmc.nl