Traditionally, frequency stability is measured in the time domain and described using wavelet variances known as the Allan variance sigma_y^2(tau) and its modified versions. The variable tau is the measurement time. The stability depends on the measurement time in the same way of a balance, which is less “precise” when the mass to be measured is very different from 1 kg.

The estimation of sigma_y^2(tau) and of its confidence is well documented in the literature available in the past 20 years. Conversely, the spectral analysis of oscillators is still an empirical domain, in which results are usually given as a raw power spectral density of the phase noise, i.e., Sphi(f) ou L(f). Analysis seldom goes beyond the identification of the interference from the mains power supply (50 or 60 Hz et harmonics) and the identification of two-three fundamental types of noise. This approach is no longer suitable to the needs of emerging technologies.

This is a new domain. Hence, the minimum target is reasonably low: to adapt established spectral-analysis methods to the oscillator and to identify the oscillator’s stochastic phenomena. Nonetheless, this is a great opportunity for a smart student, as he can innovate in the interpretation of the oscillator physics and in the measurement methods and achieve outstanding experimental results. A side branch is the improvement of the measurement accuracy, which is currently of 2 dB in primary laboratories. The bulk of the expected work is about the statistical analysis of phase noise spectra. Besides, the student will achieve a deep understanding of oscillators and of experimental techniques.

University and laboratory
Ph.D. scholarship is managed by the University of Franche Comt’e, Besanon, France. The work site is the Time and Frequency Dept. of the FEMTO-ST Institute, affiliated to the University of Franche Comt’e, Besanon. This department, merging the laboratory of chronometry (LCEP) and the laboratory of physic and metrology of oscillators (LPMO), issues from the Laboratoire de l’Horloge Atomique, funded by the Nobel prize Alfred Kastler. The T&F Dept. is the world leader in the domain of the measurement of the oscillator noise. Besides, this department is the european leader in the domain of ultra-stable oscillators and chip-scale atomic clocks.

Candidate profile
The best student for this subject is fond to computer programming and calculus, and eager to learn sophisticated experimental methods of electronics. He is motivated by the will of learning and by the investment on his future life. In the longer term, he would like to do applied research in academic institutions or industry, or high-tech engineering, preferably in international environment.

Advisors
During his Ph.D., the student will be advised by E. Rubiola (2/3-3/4), full professor, and by F. Vernotte (1/4-1/3), full professor and head of the Observatory of Besanon.

Stipend
The student will receive a stipend from the French ministry of education for three years, as ruled by the French government. The candidate must fill two conditions
age 29 years max,
university degree “Master 2″ (5 year university degree) or equivalent, obtained in 2008. The equivalence is managed on site.
Candidates unaware of the French education system should know that: tuition fees are very small or zero, and the stipend is generally sufficient for a modest yet quite reasonable life standard

Ph.D. Training Opportunity & Stipend — starting fall 2008
Spectral analysis of phase noise and frequency stability of oscillators
proposed by Enrico Rubiola
FEMTO-ST Institute, Dept. of Time and Frequency
CNRS et University of Franche ComtŽ

Submitted by: e-mail: rubiola@femto-st.fr
home page http://rubiola.org

• [Sweden] PhD Student Position in Optical Fiber Communication at Chalmers University of Technology
• [France] Conception of a parametric model for voice quality assessment in a mixed context (Narrow Band and Wide Band) intended for implementation at an end-point
• [Germany] PhD-Postdoc Position at RWTH Aachen
• [France] Postdoctoral Fellowships Training in Cancer Research 2007-2008
• [Australia] PhD Studentship in Phase Equlibria Study, The University of Queensland

The University of Limoges is launching a call for PhD scholarships in Banking and Finance. The selected candidate(s) will be recruited for a period of 3 years. Co-tutorship with other institutions encouraged. Research to be conducted on Bank Risk and Regulatory implications (Basel II or III, Bank Supervision, Market Discipline, Ownership and Capital Structure…) with strong econometric and/or theoretical background. Other areas in Banking and Finance are also welcome. The selected candidate(s) will be connected to an international research network. They will be hosted by the LAPE (Laboratoire d’Analyse et de Prospective Economiques, Director: Pr Amine Tarazi).

APPLICATION PACKAGE Candidates should submit the following:

1. Application Form
2. PhD Proposal
3. Detailed CV
4. Support letter(s)
5. Transcript of records

IMPORTANT: The duly accomplished application package must be submitted as an attachment to an email to celine.crouzille-meslier [a-t] unilim.fr with PhD scholarships in Banking and Finance as the subject heading on or before 25 June 2008.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Dr. Céline Crouzille-Meslier Université de Limoges Faculté de Droit et des Sciences Economiques LAPE 5 Rue Félix Eboué BP 3137 87031 Limoges Cedex 1 FRANCE Tel.: (33) 555 14 92 14 Fax : (33) 555 14 92 11 Email: celine.crouzille-meslier [a-t] unilim.fr

• [Spain] PhD Studentships in Empirical Economics, University of Granada
• [USA] Doctoral Assistantship Opportunities in Finance Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business
• [Italy] Targeted Research Fellowships-Competition in Banking and Financial Markets
• [Germany] Doctoral Scholarships Available at Department of Economics, University of Konstanz
• [UK] Fisher Scholarships: MSc in Mathematical Finance – University of Birmingham

Research project
Aggregate productivity growth is the outcome of incumbent firms adopting new and superior techniques and (or) entering firms replacing exiting firms with better technologies. This research project will concern market selection mechanisms by characterising innovation as a process of selection (or acquisition) of more productive technologies within firms and a process of selection of firms itself. It will analyse both what happens inside the firms and what happens between firms on the market when firms are engaged in innovative or imitative processes.

The first part of the research will be devoted to making a survey of empirical and theoretical analyses of industrial dynamics, which should focus on the relation between innovation and competition. The second part of the research will build a theoretical model of industrial dynamics in order to analyse rivalry and competition among heterogeneous firms. It will determine the market conditions that allow firms to capture productivity gains from past investments. These market conditions are critical to characterising the dynamic equilibrium, similar to a so-called natural market structure. The third and last part will consist in developing an empirical analysis of the determinants of firms’ entry and exit, using French census data. In its conclusion, this research will address critical issues concerning the objectives and channels of industrial policies defined as policies that support development of firms and innovation.

Requirements
The successful candidate must be familiar with basic economic modelling and econometrics (master level). Knowledge of English is required. Proficiency in English and the willingness to learn French are appreciated.

Conditions
This is a PhD public scholarship for three years, starting from September 2008 onwards, with an annual pay of 16,000 Euros before income tax. The candidate will be hosted at CNRS/GREDEG and OFCE/DRIC. GREDEG (CNRS and University of Nice Sophia Antipolis) is a research group in industrial economics. OFCE-DRIC (www.ofce.sciences-po.fr/index-uk.htm) is a department of the research centre in economics of Sciences-Po Paris, a leading French higher education institution. The Department for Research on Innovation and Competition (OFCE-DRIC), in association with the GREDEG, studies a broad set of topics related to structural change, innovation and trade. It has a strong emphasis on empirical approaches: (i) for the analysis of economic performances of firms and countries engaged in innovation processes or concerned with the entry in new markets; (ii) for the evaluation of public policies (competition and regulation policies, but also fiscal and banking ones). Its researchers combine a good grasp of economic theory with various econometric methods applied to firm and plant level datasets.

Location
CNRS-GREDEG / University of Nice Sophia Antipolis and OFCE Department for Research on Innovation and Competition 250 avenue Albert Einstein 06560 Valbonne, France
e mail jeanluc.gaffard[a-t]ofce.sciences-po.fr

Application
Applications will be received no later than June 30 2008. A master degree is required. To apply send a hard-copy of a cover letter, a full CV, a letter of recommendation, and a scholarly work or a research paper to: rof. Jean-Luc Gaffard OFCE-DRIC 250 rue Albert Einstein 06560 Valbonne France
e-mail jeanluc.gaffard[a-t]ofce.sciences-po.fr

• [Denmark] PhD Scholarship Framing Markets for Energy Technologies at Copenhagen Business School
• [France] Master Program International Scholarships at ENS Lyon
• [France] PhD Studentship in Economics, Cerna, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des mines de Paris
• [France] PhD scholarships in Banking and Finance – University of Limoges, Department of Economics
• [France] Center of Industrial Economics PhD scholarship in Industrial Economics

The key benefits of the EDHEC PhD in Finance are its outstanding faculty, its balance between course and dissertation work, its supportive research environment and close dissertation supervision, its talented and diverse participant body, and the first-rate industry relationships and global impact of the EDHEC Risk and Asset Management Research Centre. These combine to create the best opportunities for participants to develop their research expertise and to prepare for faculty positions at leading universities worldwide and top industry jobs.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

The programme is designed to be completed in three years; course requirements will be fulfilled after two years. PhD students work individually with faculty members on dissertation topics selected for their academic and business relevance and in accordance with each student’s research interests and professional goals.

Programme prerequisites are economics and econometrics. PhD in Finance candidates on the “residential track” who may be lacking in these fields will have the opportunity to take supplementary graduate courses at EDHEC Business School during the first year of their doctoral studies. Core courses in Financial Economics, Corporate Finance, Continuous-Time Financial Economics and Empirical Methods in Finance offer PhD candidates sound training in financial theory and analytic methods so that they can take on a broad variety of teaching and research assignments. Elective research seminars expose candidates to the latest research advances in specific fields, providing them with opportunities to develop a specialisation and acquire additional skills necessary for their dissertation work.

PROGRAMME FACULTY

The faculty is made up of specialists in finance, asset management, and financial modelling and brings together the school’s senior economics and finance professors and affiliated professors from top research institutions the world over. The programme also draws on the resources and reputation of the EDHEC Risk and Asset Management Research Centre, Europe’s premier centre for applied financial research.

ADMISSIONS

Admission to the EDHEC PhD in Finance is highly selective. Normal entrance requirements include a master’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited school, college, or university (business management, economics, or science and engineering degrees are preferred); high CGPA in master’s-level and upper-undergraduate coursework; excellent GMAT or GRE scores; English proficiency; evidence of research capability (master’s thesis or research proposal); letters of reference; and a letter of intent. The application deadline for September admission is May 30th of the same year. However, PhD in Finance admissions are rolling: the earlier an application is received, the earlier it will be processed.

FINANCIAL AID

Students on the residential track will work as research assistants at the EDHEC Risk and Asset Management Research Centre, as research assistants to senior finance faculty, or as teaching assistants (TA) in the department of accounting, law, finance and economics. In return for their part-time duties with the school, residential track participants will receive a full tuition waiver plus competitive RA/TA compensation. A total of six RA/TA positions are offered for PhD in Finance candidates entering the programme in September 2008; they will be filled as early as possible.

CONTACT

For further information about the PhD in Finance programme, please log on to http://www.edhec-risk.com/AIeducation/PhD_Finance or contact Ms Maud Gauchon, PhD Admissions at maud.gauchon@edhec.edu or on +33 493 183 267.

Application deadline: 30 May 2008

EDHEC BUSINESS SCHOOL
PhD Admissions
393-400 promenade des Anglais – BP 3116
06202 Nice Cedex 3
France
www.edhec-risk.com

• [France] PhD scholarships in Banking and Finance – University of Limoges, Department of Economics
• [USA] Doctoral Assistantship Opportunities in Finance Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business
• [UK] PhD Studentships Glamorgan Business School
• [UK] PhD Studentships in Macroeconomics – University of St Andrews
• [UK] Research Studentships in Business and Management, Bradford University School of Management

The French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs gives priority to candidates from emerging countries (starting with Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and new members of the European Union), though the PhD scholarships also address students from industrialized countries.

Applications from students currently studying outside France will be given priority over those from students already studying in France.Areas of study covered by the Eiffel programme
Eiffel grants cover the following subject areas:

• Engineering sciences for the Master’s course, and sciences in a broader sense for the PhD course (engineering sciences, exact sciences (mathematics, physics, chemistry) life sciences, nano- and bio-technologies, environment sciences, and information & communication sciences).
• Economics and management.
• Law and political science.

Academic levels covered by the Eiffel programme
French centres of higher education putting forward candidates for Eiffel scholarships undertake to enrol successful applicants on one of the following types of course:

• Master’s course
• PhD course co-tutored or co-managed with partner higher education centre in the student’s country of origin

Candidates must not be aged over 30 (in the year of selection) for a Master’s scholarship or over 35 for a PhD scholarship.

Ineligibility factors

• Holders of other French government grants (including welfare coverage grants),
• Previous applicants for Eiffel grants, even in a different subject,
• Applicants not presented by a French centre (i.e. applications by students themselves, or submitted by a non-French centre)
• Duplicate applications, i.e. students proposed by more than one French centre.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications must be submitted with all the supporting documents listed on page 5 of the application form, and bear the official seal of the French higher education centre plus the signature of the official head of the centre (university dean, school director, etc.), formally certifying the statement of the centre’s international outreach policy. The quality charter must also be initialled separately to mark formal acceptance.

Application procedure
Applications for Eiffel grants are submitted by French higher education centres from a shortlist of outstanding students they would like to enrol on their courses. Applications are not accepted from students themselves, or from non-French centres.

Centres submit applications on behalf of candidate students consistent with programme objectives, in accordance with instructions and guidelines issued by French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Selection procedure
Selection is performed by a commission made up of three specialist committees (one for each of the three subject areas covered by the programme). Committee members are not allowed to assess applications submitted by their own centres.

Committee members are not allowed to assess applications submitted by centres with which they have professional links.

Selection is to three criteria:

• Academic excellence of applicant, as attested by achievement to date (rated on a scale of 10 and weighted with a coefficient of 3).
• International policy of centre submitting application, operations addressing the geographical region in question, calibre of host unit, and suitability with regard to the application (rated on a scale of 5 and weighted to a coefficient of 3).
• Cooperation policy of French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, especially as regards the priorities set for different countries under the programme (rated on a scale of 5 and weighted to a coefficient of 1).

The commission assesses applications, rates them to these three criteria, and applies the weighting coefficients to produce a score out of 50. It then sets a pass mark and selects nominees to the following principles, on the basis of the number of grants available:

• At least seventy percent of the grants are awarded to the highest-scoring applicants (main list).
• The remainder go to higher education centres whose nominees scored above the pass mark but were not selected on the main list.

The commission then draws up and publishes the list of successful applicants.

Notification of results
The list of successful applicants will be published on-line (www.egide.asso.fr/eiffel).

Results will be notified to the heads of the higher education centres concerned.

The commission’s decision is final, and no discussion will be entertained regarding this decision or the reasons behind it.

Schedule
The schedule for the 2008 Eiffel programme is as follows:

• Application forms available online: September 2007
• Applications to be submitted by 11 January 2008
• Results announced in week beginning 24 March 2008

Results are published in March to enable students to give the French offer full consideration along with any other offers they might have; the best students will often have competing proposals (including offers on funding their studies) from other countries.

Duration of Eiffel scholarship
Master’s course: The Eiffel scholarship is awarded for the duration of the course culminating in the qualification specified in the application, provided the student fulfils the academic requirements of each year.

Upon request by the French host centre, Eiffel scholarship allowances for non-French-speaking students may be extended to cover preliminary French language training of up to one year.

The centre submitting the application must clearly state the overall programme duration, including any compulsory practical courses or internships in France or elsewhere.

PhD course: The Eiffel scholarship is awarded for a maximum of ten months, with no additional language training period.

Amount of Eiffel scholarship
The Eiffel programme does not cover tuition fees (except for preparatory course in French, if applicable), though the higher education centres concerned are invited to apply the best possible financial conditions to Eiffel scholarship-holders.

Enrolment fees at state-run higher education centres are waived for students on French government scholarship programmes such as this.

Master’s courses: Eiffel scholarship-holders on Master’s courses receive a monthly allowance of EUR1,181. In addition, the programme meets various expenses including return travel, health insurance and cultural activities. Scholarship-holders might also be eligible for additional accommodation allowance.

PhD courses: Eiffel scholarship-holders on PhD courses receive a monthly allowance of EUR1,400. In addition, the programme meets various expenses including return travel, health insurance and cultural activities. Scholarship-holders might also be eligible for additional accommodation allowance.

French embassy assistance
If they wish, higher education centres may contact French diplomatic services (cooperation and cultural departments) for assistance in identifying potentially suitable applicants.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has commissioned Égide with management of the Eiffel programme.

Égide
28 rue de la Grange-aux-Belles, 75010 Paris, France
Phone +33 (0)1 40 40 59 30
Practical information available on Égide website: www.egide.asso.fr/eiffel

Égide will take charge of paying students’ grants, and of answering enquiries from students and higher education centres regarding the Eiffel programme.

E-mail: eiffel[ at ]egide.asso.fr

Visit this link to see call for application (in French)
For further information please visit the official website

• [France] The Eiffel Doctorate Scholarship Programme
• [France] Master Program International Scholarships at ENS Lyon
• European Grants for Masters Students in Advanced Robotics
• [Belgium] 2008-2009 VLIR-UOS Scholarship Programme for Master and PhD
• [Netherlands] Scholarships for Master Students at The Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e)

The number of cooperative technology standards ensuring compatibility between competing products has increased enormously in the past 20 years, especially in Information and Communication industries (DVD, MPEG, GSM, UMTS…). Innovators have an obvious interest in their patents being chosen by standards developers, since widespread adoption of their patents means that they will receive royalties from a large number of license holders. On the one hand, cooperative R&D can be largely undertaken for many complementary technologies must be put together to create a standard that is useful. On the other hand, competition between technology firms in standard-setting bodies can be fierce as each firm seeks to prove the superiority of its innovation and thus influence the choice of standard of its own patent portfolio.

Alongside this above-board rivalry and pro-competitive coordination is the danger of anticompetitive behaviour. A firm can deliberately hide the fact that it owns an essential patent in order to hold-up the manufacturers once they have invested around the standard. Patent holders can also collude to foreclose the technological market and get higher royalties.

The goal of the thesis is to undertake an economic analysis of pro and anticompetitive effects of patents strategies in standards.

Until now, most of literature has focused on patent pools, that is, on the way to reduce transactions costs for standard’s users and to mitigate the multi-marginalisation, or Cournot, problem. By contrast, the thesis will be mainly devoted to ex ante patent strategies, e.g. strategies that took place before the standard is adopted. A special emphasis will be put on patent disclosure rules, the commitment to set reasonable royalties and the features of the R&D competition and cooperation.

The empirical part of the thesis will focus on mobile telecommunications, especially on patent strategies regarding G3 technologies (W-CDMA and UMTS) and mobile TV (DVB-H, MediaFlo).

The job is open to candidates from France or any other country. French speaking is not required. Training in Microeconomics, Econometrics, Industrial Organization, or Economics of Innovation would be appreciated.

The thesis will take place at Cerna within the Law and Industrial Economics team, under the supervision of Professor François Lévêque. It takes place in the wider framework of a research programme on intellectual property. The proposed scholarship is approximately 1400 € monthly.

Contact: meniere[ at ]cerna.ensmp.fr

Application has to be received by 31. October 2007.

• [France] Center of Industrial Economics PhD scholarship in Industrial Economics
• [Denmark] PhD Scholarship Framing Markets for Energy Technologies at Copenhagen Business School
• [France] Postdoctoral Fellow in Thermal Engineering at Ecole des Mines de Nantes
• [France] Post Doctoral Scholarships in Agricultural Sciences
• [France] PhD scholarships in Banking and Finance – University of Limoges, Department of Economics

The Faculty of Economics and Management at Louis Pasteur University (ULP) has a vacant PhD position – it is full time and open to external candidates.

DESCRIPTION:
The aim of the PhD project is to investigate the link between technological change and the structure of labour demand. It should be investigated, theoretically and tested empirically, whether, how and by which extent, changes in the quality of equipments have affected the structure of production and type of labour requirements.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Master’s (MA, MSc or drs) or M.Phil in the area of economics and econometrics or related fields (mathematics, statistics).
2. Excellent quantitative and statistical skills
3. An interest in microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics
4. Good mastery of both written and spoken English (and French to some extent)

FURTHER INFORMATION:
The supervisors of the thesis will be Prof. Bertrand Koebel. Applicants who require further information should contact him:

Email: koebel@cournot.u-strasbg.fr Tel: +33 390 242 190

The Faculty of Economics and Management is located in the centre of Strasbourg. For more information on the Faculty, including its research and staff members, please visit:

http://cournot2.u-strasbg.fr/users/beta/

APPOINTMENT:
The appointment will initially be for 3 years. The gross salary will be in accordance with the national regulations for PhD students, and will be about 1200 Euro (net) per month, + 300 Euro if teaching tutorials classes (around 64 hours a year). The PhD thesis should be finalized within this period. PhD students are affiliated to the Augustin Cournot Doctoral school.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
The application includes a CV (with academic references), academic transcripts (including, if available, performance of applicants relative to their cohort) and one confidential letter of recommendation from an academic teacher that must be sent to: Bertrand Koebel BETA – Université Louis Pasteur 61, avenue de la Forêt Noire 67085 STRASBOURG Cedex by ordinary mail. Applications are only considered if they are complete and received by july 31th, 2007. Start in October 2007.

Application has to be received by 31 July 2007.

• [France] Postdoctoral Position “Architecture et Réactivité de l’ARN” from CNRS, University Louis Pasteur of Strasbourg
• [France] Post Doctoral Scholarships in Agricultural Sciences
• [USA] Postdoctoral Fellowship in Immunology at Stanford University Medical Center
• [France] Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Model Driven Engineering (MDE) at INRIA Renne
• [France] Master Program International Scholarships at ENS Lyon