The Netherlands: PhD Studentships in Oceanograpgy

PhD Studentships in Oceanograpgy, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), The Netherlands

The project “Consequences of Phosphorus Reduction for the Dynamic Transfer of Organic Matter between Primary Producers and Primary Consumers” is part of the Sea and Coast Programme of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).

In this project, we will investigate how phosphate availability regulates the productivity and composition of functional groups of phytoplankton and microphytobenthos in the western and central Wadden Sea. The implications of phosphate related species selection on the food web structure and the carrying capacity of the Wadden Sea will be addressed by defining the transfer of microalgal carbon to various development stages of selected benthic primary consumers. New views on the functioning of the lower food web are to be conceptualized in a biogeochemical model and provide essential information on the direction and magnitude of change in Wadden Sea carrying capacity as a result of management policies and global change.

PhD-student 1 (vacancy number CEME-MM-08428) will study the primary production and the group specific production by using a combination of techniques making use of variable fluorescence and stable isotope labelling of biomarkers and will also investigate the factors limiting algae growth. Primary location: NIOO-CEME, Yerseke.

PhD-student 2 (vacancy number NIOZ-08429) will investigate the production of benthic microalgae (MPB) using oxygen microsensors and will investigate the effect of MPB on sediment water exchange. These processes will be used by the PhD-student to develop a biogeochemical model describing the processes. Primary location: NIOZ, Texel.

PhD-student 3 (vacancy number NIOZ-08430) will investigate the transfer of primary organic carbon to various larval stages of marine bivalves as representatives of primary consumers. This transfer will be studied for various compositions of food (algae), and the consequences of P limitation will be evaluated in terms of growth and development rates of the larvae. Primary location: NIOZ, Texel.

Appointment:
The appointment will be initially for 1 year, which will be extended to 4 year provided that the applicant has proven to be well suited for the job. The project will start in January 2009.

Salary:
The gross salary starts at approx. € 2.000,- per month in the 1st year, and will gradually increase to a maximum of approx. € 2.600,- per month in the 4th year. Conditions are based on the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities (NIOO) or the Collective Employment Agreement for Research Institutes (NIOZ).

Information:
More information and a complete project description can be obtained for PhD1 from the project leader Dr Jacco Kromkamp (j.kromkamp@nioo.knaw.nl, +31-113-577481), for PhD2 from Dr Eric Epping (epping@nioz.nl, 31-222-369444) or from Dr Karline Soetaert (k.soetaert@nioo.knaw.nl, +31-113-577487), and for PhD3 from Dr Katja Philippart (katja@nioz.nl, 31-222-369563).

Applications:
Written applications including CV, reference list and vacancy number should be sent to Prof. Dr C.H.R. Heip, director NIOO-CEME, P.O. Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke, The Netherlands or by e-mail to j.kromkamp@nioo.knaw.nl

The Netherlands: PhD Position in History and Philosophy of Logic, Semantics and Axiomatics, VU University Amsterdam

PhD position in History and Philosophy of Logic, Semantics and Axiomatics
Full-time, 4 years
Vacancy number 1.2008.00340

The Faculty of Philosophy, VU University Amsterdam, has a vacancy for a PhD position in the research project “Tarski’s Revolution: A New History – Semantics and Axiomatics from Bolzano to Tarski against the background of the Classical Model of Science” (TRANH). The project is funded by a Starting Grant of the European Research Council (ERC) and led by Dr. Arianna Betti (Principal Investigator).

More information on the project:
http://www.surfgroepen.nl/sites/cmsone/TRANH/index.html

Tasks
The PhD student is expected to:

• carry out the subproject “Semantics and Axiomatics in Bolzano against the background of the Classical Model of Science”
• take part in the activities of the research team, including (co-)organizing and participating in international meetings, joint editorial projects and grant applications;
• take on a small amount of teaching as part of the PhD training (=<10%);
• present papers at international meetings, submit articles to international peer-reviewed top scientific media and write a dissertation in English.

Starting date: March 2009

Deadline for application: 8 December 2008

Requirements:
The candidate must have a two-year master’s degree or equivalent (e.g. a one-year master’s degree and academic training and skills demonstrably comparable to a two-year master’s degree) in Philosophy, knowledge of German, a background in logic and its history, have demonstrated aptitude for combining theoretical and historical research and have good ICT skills. The candidate must also be highly motivated, ready and able to work in a team and possess excellent social and communicative skills. Having worked previously on Bolzano’s thought, a history-of-ideas-approach or a background in mathematics are advantages, but not pre-requisites. Candidates who are about to receive their MA degree are also welcome to apply. As part of an equal opportunity scheme, women are particularly encouraged to apply for this position.

Salary:
€ 2.042,- gross per month in the first year to € 2.612,- in the fourth year based on a full-time employment.

Application:
Written applications should include:

• a curriculum vitae;
• names of two academic references;
• list of courses followed and a copy of the MA diploma;
• translations of these documents in English where appropriate (a certified translation might be requested at a later stage in the procedure);
• a copy of the MA thesis (or, should the latter not be available yet, a writing sample);
• an extended letter of motivation explaining why the candidates consider themselves qualified for conducting this research (max. 1500 words); or a short letter of motivation accompanied by a separate research proposal containing a first attempt to specify in more detail how they intend to carry out Project I (research topic, objectives and approach, max. 1500 words, not including bibliographic references).

Please mention the vacancy number in the e-mail header or at the top of your letter and on the envelope. Send your application before December 8, 2008 to the VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Philosophy, attn. Mrs. M.G.H.M. Dijcker, Director of Operations, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It is also possible to apply by email to: secretaresse@ph.vu.nl by sending all documents in pdf-format.

Contact:
Drs. Pam Rossel, Faculty of Philosophy (phone: +31 20 59 86644, e-mail: p.rossel@ph.vu.nl)
Dr. Arianna Betti, Faculty of Philosophy (phone: +31 20 59 86681, e-mail: ariannabetti@gmail.com).

Full description:
http://www.vu.nl/nl/werken-bij-de-vu/vacatures/1-2008-00340.asp

Funded PhD Positions in Science and Technology, Delft University

The Netherlands: Funded PhD Positions in Science and Technology,
Delft University of Technology

The Faculty of Applied Sciences is the largest faculty at TU Delft and is equipped with advanced laboratory and experimental facilities. It has an academic staff of more than 200 and approximately 400 PhD and post-doctoral researchers from all over the world. Many of the members of academic staff are prize-winning scientists and engineers internationally known in their fields of research. The Faculty conducts both fundamental and application-oriented research and offers scientific education at the Bachelor, Master and doctoral levels. The working language for postgraduate education and research is English.

Research is spread over six departments:

• Biotechnology – www.bt.tudelft.nl
• Chemical Engineering – www.dct.tudelft.nl
• Imaging Science and Technology – www.ist.tudelft.nl
• Nanoscience – www.ns.tudelft.nl
• Radiation, Radionuclides and Reactors – www.rrr.tudelft.nl
• Multi-Scale Physics – www.msp.tudelft.nl

For detailed project description and names of research leaders for funded PhD positions and application instructions, please go to the Faculty’s application website.

Research keywords
analytical biotechnology, biocatalysis, bioprocess, separation technology, enzymology, industrial microbiology, complex fluids, nanostructured materials, molecular thermodynamics, opto-electronic materials, self-assembling systems, nano-organic chemistry, catalysis engineering, charged particle optics, quantitative imaging, acoustical imaging, optics, molecular electronics, molecular biophysics, nanoelectronics, photronic devices, quantum transport, theoretical physics, high resolution electron microscopy, computational reactor engineering, reactive flows and explosions, multi-phase flows, computational fluid mechanics, clouds, climate and air quality, hydrogen storage, lithium ion batteries, structural and magnetic materials, semi-conductor nanocrystals, fuel cells, solar cells, energy, polarised neutron techniques, positrons, radiation, isotopes, medical imaging, nuclear reactors, nanoscience, biotechnology, chemical technology, nanofabrication, computational fluid dynamics, multi-scale modelling.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology) is the foremost research university in the Netherlands for science and engineering. It is consistently ranked within the top 20 in the THES world ranking of science and technology universities. The working language in postgraduate education and research is English.

Employee or student?
Students in funded PhD positions are considered employees of TU Delft. The successful candidate will be employed full-time by TU Delft for a fixed period of 4 years within which he or she is expected to write a dissertation leading to a doctoral degree (PhD thesis). The starting salary is €2000 gross per month increasing to a maximum of € 2558 gross per month in the fourth year.

Funding information
Number of awards per year: Up to 8
Funding applies to: Open to applicants from a range of countries
Funding notes:
Students in funded PhD positions are considered employees of TU Delft for the duration of their appointment. The successful candidate will be employed full-time by TU Delft for a fixed period of 4 years within which he or she is expected to write a dissertation leading to a doctoral degree (PhD thesis). While conducting research and receiving supervision, the candidate may also be expected to carry out a certain amount of teaching or supervisory tasks. Starting salary is €2000 gross per month increasing to a maximum of € 2558 gross per month in the fourth year.

TU Delft offers an attractive benefits package, including a flexible work week, free high-speed Internet access from home, and the option of assembling a customized compensation and benefits package (the ‘IKA’). Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. Delft University of Technology strives to increase the number of women in higher academic positions; women are therefore especially encouraged to apply.

For more information please go to www.tnw.tudelft.nl/phd
Funding duration: 4 years

Contact
Graduate Office, Faculty of Applied Sciences, TU Delft
Lorentzweg 1
2628 CJ Delft
Netherlands
E: phd-tnw@tudelft.nl
T: +31 15 2787991

PhD Positions in the Area of Fiber-Top Technology, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

The “IDEAS at the micron scale” group at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has two immediate openings for PhD students who are willing to work in the area of fiber-top technology (see http://www.nat.vu.nl/CondMat/iannuzzi/).

Candidates must have a Master degree in Physics or Engineering with some undergrad research experience preferably in one of the following areas: atomic force microscopy, laser ablation, optical fiber sensors, optical interferometry, MEMS technology, cantilever based instrumentation (e.g., biochemical sensors).

We can offer a competitive salary and a very nice working environment in one of the most beautiful town of Europe.

For more information and applications, contact Dr. Davide Iannuzzi at: iannuzzi@few.vu.nl

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

The Netherlands: PhD Scholarship on Biocatalysis, University of Groningen

Four-year PhD scholarship on biocatalysis
Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Project description
It concerns a 4-year research project aimed at the exploration of proline-based biocatalysts for catalyzing non-natural carbonyl transformation reactions. The work involves the extensive screening for aldolase, alkylation, decarboxylation, and Michael addition activities in several well-known tautomerases. The target activities or products will be identified by UV and fluorescence spectroscopy (e.g., in an 96/384-well format), HPLC, LC-MS, GC-MS and NMR. Of the best enzymes, a detailed mechanistic characterization will be carried out, using kinetic and pH studies as well as site-directed mutagenesis. In collaboration with other members of the research group, the most promising enzymes that show the desired activity will be used in engineering experiments to enhance or extent the activity to a practical level.

Offered scholarship
We offer a PhD grant of about €1580,- per month during 4 years. The research should lead at the end of the 4-years period to a PhD in Natural Sciences. See also this link.

Organization
The research will be conducted in the Pharmaceutical Biotechnology group of Dr. G.J. Poelarends, which is embedded in the Department of Pharmaceutical Biology headed by Prof. Dr. W.J. Quax (www.farmbio.nl). The department participates in the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP) and the interfaculty Graduate School for Drug Exploration (GUIDE). The living cell as a factory for pharmaceutically relevant compounds is the central theme of the Department of Pharmaceutical Biology. The laboratory is well equipped for enzymology, protein engineering, analytical chemistry, and biocatalysis work. We offer a stimulating work environment for a researcher interested in these topics. The project will be carried out in collaboration with the research group of Prof. Dr. C.P. Whitman (Medicinal Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin).

Requirements
We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled researcher with a masters (MSc) degree in organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, biocatalysis, or similar, and with expertise in analytical techniques (NMR, HPLC and/or LC/GC-MS) and/or synthetic chemistry. You are expected to have an excellent academic record and be fluent in the English language.

Contact
You can apply for this scholarship until we have found a suitable candidate. For further information and applications contact: Dr. G.J. Poelarends, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, GRIP, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands. E-mail: g.j.poelarends[ at ]rug.nl. Applications (preferably by e-mail) should include a description of past education and expertise, a CV, a list of examination marks from your university study, and the names and addresses of at least 2 references.

The Netherlands: PhD Student Position in Computer Science, University of Groningen

PhD student position in Computer Science - Intelligent Systems - Biologically motivated object recognition

Institute of Mathematics and Computing Science, University of Groningen

Topic of research
The objective of the project is to develop an object recognition technique that is motivated by the function of the visual cortex. Major aspects are representation and learning.

Type and level of the position
This is a temporary research position at the level of a PhD student for a period of maximum four years. The tuition fees will be waived and the student will receive a full scholarship. In this period the student will follow relevant courses and prepare and defend a PhD thesis. The position is embedded in the research group Intelligent Systems. The tradition of the group is that PhD theses are based on excellent papers in high imact journals so that our PhD graduates have a very strong competative position on the academic market. Thesis director and supervisor will be professor N. Petkov. The University of Groningen is a leading European research university.

Our requirements on your qualifications
You are a university graduate (at the level of diploma or master of science level) in one of the following disciplines: computer science, artificial intelligence, computational neuroscience, electrical engineering, biophysics, physics. You have a demonstrated interest in the neurosciences. You have an excellent academic record (GPA) and belong to the top 5% of the graduates of your year and preferrably have a graduation with a distinction such as honors or cum laude. You are fluent in English language and able to write scientific articles and reports (to be proven by your graduation thesis or another comparable report or co-authorship of published scientific articles).

How to apply
Send the following information:

1. an application letter with a CV,
2. a specification of GPA and transcript of records,
3. an indication of your position in the class and year (e.g. 1st in a class of 20),
4. evidence of excellence (e.g. graduation with honors) and a list of relevant awards,
5. proofs of involvement in research (e.g. co-authorship of scientific articles),
6. a description of your ideas for research in the specified area,
7. names and email addresses of three scientists (typically your former professors) who can give a reference for you.

to prof.dr. Nicolai Petkov (petkov@cs.rug.nl). Applicants will be asked to do a short assignment in order to demonstrate their research abilities. The position will be open until a suitable candidate is found.

: Official announcement