Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is considered to be the most effective way of tackling the effects of global warming. This will require the large-scale capture, transportation and storage of CO2. In the case of coal fired power generation plants, pressurised pipelines are considered to be the most practical, and possibly the only option for transporting the captured CO2 for subsequent storage.

Given the enormous amounts of CO2 contained in such pipelines (typically several million tonnes), a prior knowledge of the release rate and subsequent dispersion in the event of pipeline rupture is central to assessing the failure impact. CO2 is toxic and when inhaled in large concentrations can lead to asphyxiation.

This exciting PhD project aims to extend our award winning work to develop a computer based model for predicting the failure consequences of CO2 pipelines. The project carried out in close collaboration with a major industrial partner is multidisciplinary involving a variety of subjects including, fluid mechanics, mathematics, heat transfer, quantitative risk assessment and computing. The experience gained is expected to equip theprospective PhD graduate with job opportunities in a variety of industrial sectors particularly in the oil and gas industry.

The successful candidate will be an outstanding First Class Chemical Engineering or Mathematics graduate (although other relevant disciplines will be considered) preferably with computing skills. The funding covers full tuition fees plus maintenance over three years and is open to suitably qualified overseas students.

UCL is consistently classed amongst the top Universities in the world. The UCL Chemical Engineering department in particular received the highest research rating in the most recent Government funded Research Assessment Exercise placing it amongst the only three such departments in the UK.

C.V’s should be sent either by post or email as soon as possible to:
Professor Haroun Mahgerefteh
Department of Chemical Engineering
University College London
Torrington Place
London WC1E 7JE
Tel: 020 7679 3835
Email: h.mahgerefteh@ucl.ac.uk
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/chemeng/staff/mahgerefteh

• [UK] PhD Studentship in Psychological Child Development – Imperial College London
• [UK] PhD Studentship in Oral Health Research – Kings College London
• [UK] MRes and PhD Studentships in Chemical Biology, Chemical Biology Centre
• [UK] PhD Studentship in the Mechanics of Materials Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London
• [UK] PhD Studentship in Civil Engineering – Imperial College London

Students holding a Master’s degree (or equivalent) from any national and international university with a proven record of success in one of the relevant disciplines and being interested in examining traits of ecological interactions are eligible to conduct a doctoral project within the IMPRS. Courses of the IMPRS are held in English.

Projects:

1) “Characterisation and quantification of ecologically relevant metabolites on algal surfaces by the use of novel mass spectromentric methods” (Georg Pohnert)

2) “Combined application of laser microdissection and LC-NMR for cell-specific localization and identification of secondary metabolites” (Bernd Schneider)

3) “NMR-based metabolic profiling of phenylphenalenone-producing plants in response to biotic and abiotic elicitors” (Bernd Schneider)

4) “Evolution of Drosophila Olfaction” (Bill Hansson)

5) “Mass spectrometry of metabolites from plants and insects” (Ales Svatos)

6) “Mathematical Modeling of Metabolic Networks” (Stefan Schuster)

7) “Defense mechanisms in poplar as a response to invertebrate herbivory” (Jonathan Gershenzon)

8) “Insect-plant interactions mediated by RNA interference mechanisms” (David Heckel)

9) “Functional analysis of interactions between insect digestive proteases and plant protease inhibitors” (David Heckel)

1 project in Terrestrial Ecology (Wolfgang Weisser)
3 projects in Molecular Ecology (Ian Baldwin)

Additional projects will be offered to excellent candidates who may choose a topic they would like to work on.

For detailed information on the IMPRS, the ONLINE APPLICATION SYSTEM and the admission procedure in Jena please visit our website

Application Deadline 30 June 2008

• [Germany] PhD Positions in International PhD Program at International Max-Planck Research School
• [Germany] Doctoral Program in Economics, Law and Psychology at Max Planck Institute of Economics
• [Germany] International Summer Internships 2007 at The Max-Planck Institute of Immunobiology
• [Germany] International PhD Program “Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences”,Munich
• [Germany] PhD Scholarships within The IMPRS for Quantum Dynamics in Physics, Chemistry and Biology

Successful applicants will enrol at the Faculty of LIFE Sciences, University of Copenhagen, under the auspices of the specific research school. The individual research school administers a special study programme for PhD fellows within their field of research.

Graduate School on Metal Ions in Biological Systems (MIBS)

1. Spectroscopic and Kinetic Characterization of Native and Designed Multicopper Oxidases

Department of Natural Sciences in collaboration with Novozymes A/S wishes to appoint a Ph.D. fellow in Spectroscopic and Kinetic Characterization of Native and Designed Multicopper Oxidases from 1 September 2008, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Job description

With reference to the project manager, the work of the Ph.D. fellow will consist mainly of duties in connection with research and development within Bioinorganic chemistry.

The PhD project is focusing on laccases. A kinetic analysis of provided wild-type and mutant laccases will enable establishment of correlations between the screening assays and enzyme kinetics which is essential for laccase optimization and wild-type screening. The project will also focus on the connection between the redox potential and substrate oxidation/electron transfer. Characterization of the Cu centres is crucial to gain insight into the effect of specific mutations on the basic features of the proteins and it will require redox-potential determination, UV-Vis, stopped-flow, CD & EPR measurements, as well as other methods.

The appointed should have experience within one or more of the following areas:

• Spectroscopy on metal ions in model systems and/or in biological systems
• Structure and function of metal ion containing enzymes and proteins
• Inorganic coordination chemistry

Qualification requirements

In connection with the appointment to the post special importance will be attached to the applicant having the professional and personal qualifications stated below:

• Familiar with writing and speaking English. KU generally encourages employees who do not speak Danish to acquire a working knowledge of the language.
• The Ph.D. fellow is required to have initiative and research potential, to be enterprising and have ability to work as part of a team.

Questions

For further information about the post, please contact professor Morten J. Bjerrum. on tel. (+45) 35 33 24 52

Research School of Environmental Chemistry, Microbiology and Toxicology (RECETO)

2. Modeling helminth and protozoan parasite eggs in low quality water to be used for food production.

Department of Veterinary Pathobiology wishes to appoint a Ph.D. fellow in Modeling helminth and protozoan parasite eggs in low quality water to be used for food production from 1 September 2008, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Job description

With reference to the project manager, the work of the Ph.D. fellow will consist mainly of duties in connection with research and development within Environmental Hygiene.

The appointee should have qualifications within the following areas:

• Parasitology
• Statistical analysis and modelling
• Environmental microbiology
• Water resources

The overall goal of this project is to establish models of the fate of helminth and protozoan parasite eggs in low quality water to be used for sustainable and safe food production. Fecal contaminated water of different types is increasingly used worldwide, in particular in southern Europe, northern Africa and certain parts of Asia, for irrigation in agriculture and horticulture. This is mainly due to increasing problems with water scarcity, limited availability of clear water, and competition between cities and agriculture on water. However, little is known about the sedimentation, transport and overall fate of parasite eggs in such water. One specific goal is to determine and assess the importance of key hydrologic and environmental factors affecting sedimentation, survival and infectivity of parasite eggs in low quality water, e.g. wastewater. Another is to establish new and further develop existing hydrologic models for the prediction of the fate of parasite eggs in low quality water.

The project will rely on existing methodologies from parasitology and environmental microbiology to determine the occurrence, survival and infectivity of parasites eggs in low quality water. Models developed by the DHI Water, Environment and Health and other relevant models will be used to develop new models for fate of parasite eggs in low quality water.

The Ph.D. student will be enrolled at the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen. The project involves collaboration with research partners at both KU-Life, The DHI Water, Environment and Health and KU-Sund.

Qualification requirements

In connection with the appointment to the post special importance will be attached to the applicant having the professional and personal qualifications stated below:

The position will be appointed to a candidate with experience in one or more of the following areas: parasitology, environmental hygiene, and statistics/modeling. The candidate should be willing to spend stay(s) with foreign research partners. The Ph.D. fellow is also required to have research potential, to be enterprising and to possess good interpersonal skills.

Questions

For further information about the post, please contact Professor Anders Dalsgaard. on tel. (+45) 35 33 2720 or ad[a-t]life.ku.dk.

• [Denmark] PhD Student/Doctoral Fellowships at The Danish Centre for Epigenetics
• [Denmark] Ph.D. fellowships in Biotechnology Copenhagen Graduate School of Biotechnology
• Erasmus Mundus Masters Course Scholarships in Sustainable Tropical Forestry (SUTROFOR)
• [Denmark] PhD Scholarships at the Department of Economics – Copenhagen Business School
• [Denmark] PhD Scholarship in Water Resources, University of Copenhagen

Art. 1 Announcement
The University of Pisa announces a competition, based on academic qualifications, for 14 grants reserved for candidates educated abroad for admission to the “Galileo Galilei Ph.D. School”. 12 of the 14 grants are funded by the “Galileo Galilei Ph.D. School”, while 1 grant, funded by Ministry for University and Research (D.D. 22 May 22nd, 2007 – n.251), will be assigned for study and research on the subject `’Innovative applications in Biomedical Industry” within the Ph.D. programme in Fisica Applicata, and 1 grant, funded by the IIT institute of the CNR, will be assigned for study and research on the subject “Computer science: pervasive communication and computing security” within the Ph.D. programme in Informatica.

The selection will be based on the scientific qualifications of the candidates, bearing in mind the balance between the different areas of the School.

The Ph.D. programmes of the School are:

• Informatica (Computer science)
• Fisica (Physics)
• Fisica applicata (Applied physics)
• Matematica (Mathematics)
• Scienze chimiche (Chemical sciences)

An application for this competition does not prevent candidates from applying for the other competition based on both academic qualifications and examinations announced at http://www.unipi.it/studenti/offerta/dottorat/accesso/, with deadline for applications September 2008. The courses of each Ph.D. programme will start on January 1st, 2009.

Art. 2 Requirements
Applications are invited from candidates who:

• are not resident in Italy;
• have obtained abroad a secondary school qualification, giving access to University education at first degree level, and an academic qualification equivalent to the Italian “laurea specialistica”, e.g. to a Master of Science degree, or expect to obtain this academic qualification before September 9th, 2008. Both qualifications must be awarded by non-Italian institutions. The equivalence of each qualification to one of the above-mentioned Italian degrees will be established (for the sole purpose of this competition) by the Academic Board of the School. The University may exclude candidates lacking admission requirements at any time.

Art. 3 Applications and deadline
The application should be presented by submitting the attached form, which is also available on the University Web site at http://www.unipi.it/studenti/offerta/dottorat/accesso, and should arrive, together with the qualifications listed below, by midnight CET (Central European Time) June 30th, 2008. The date of the post mark will not guarantee acceptance.

All documents should be sent:
by mail to: Università di Pisa
Ufficio “Laureati”
Dottorato di ricerca
Via Fermi , 8
56126 Pisa – Italia
or by fax to: +39 050 2212001

In case of fax transmission, a copy of a valid identity document must be sent together with the application and a confirmation message to the following e-mail address: dottorato.ricerca[a-t]adm.unipi.it. Applications that are incomplete or that arrive after the deadline (June 30th, 2008) will not be considered. Candidates should send a separate application for each PH.D. Degree course they wish to apply for.

The application form should include the following:

• personal data (name and surname, date and place of birth, place of residence, and nationality);
• contact address, e-mail address and telephone number (the candidate must immediately
• communicate any changes of these data);
• educational qualification giving access to university education, and an indication of when and where it was obtained.
• academic qualification with final mark (if any) with an indication of when and where it was obtained, or alternatively a declaration that the candidate expects to obtain the requested academic qualification before September 9th, 2008.
• information on grants that the candidate may have been awarded by Italian, foreign or international bodies to attend a Ph.D. Degree course or to carry out study and research activities, indicating the starting date, the length, and the amount;
• title of the Ph.D. Degree course the candidate wishes to apply for.
• a short resume (maximum 1000 words) illustrating the scientific interests of the candidate and an outline of a possible research plan to be carried out during the Doctoral years. This research plan will not be considered binding if the candidate is admitted to the School.

The following documents must be attached to the form:
a certificate of the academic qualification, issued by the University that awarded it; if already awarded, or alternatively (see Art. 6) a declaration that he/she expects to obtain the requested academic qualification before September 9th, 2008. In this latter case, the awarding University and the expected date of awarding must be specified.

• the degree transcript stating the examinations taken by the candidate, with marks and a short description of their content;
• a report on any research carried out by the candidate (if any);
• a list of publications (if any);
• any further qualification and information that should be taken into account.

In addition two letters of presentation by professors or experts in the field of the candidate must be sent directly by the professors or experts to the Segreteria della Scuola Galileo Galilei or by e-mail to the following address: fierro[a-t]di.unipi.it.

All documents must be in Italian or English, or accompanied by a translation into Italian or English. Within 60 days of the publication of the competition result, candidates will be able to recover, at their own expense, all the documents and qualifications they presented. After this period, the University will not be responsible for keeping the above-mentioned documents.

• [Italy] PhD positions at Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa
• [Italy] PhD Fellowships at International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB)
• [Italy] PhD Scholarships in Business and Economics, University of Venice
• [Italy] Funded Doctoral Programme in Economics and Management, The University of Trento
• [Italy] PhD Fellowships in Economics – The Graduate School in Social, Economic and Political Sciences

The duration of the position is 2×2 years, with an assessment after 2 years.

The PhD student will conduct research in the field of molecular imprinted polymers (MIP) which will be used as building blocks for chemo and biosensors. Conjugated polymers exhibit specific fluorescence characteristics. The project focuses on the changes in fluorescence induced by the target molecule upon binding with the MIP embedded in a matrix of conjugated polymers. The project comprises the study of the underlying mechanism of the observed changes and the design of a specific sensor.

Diploma and profile
Master degree (or equivalent) in either physics, chemistry, biomedical sciences, bio-engineer, engineer in physics, engineer in chemistry or civil engineer. Students in their final year can also apply. The candidate must master either the Dutch or the English language.

Further information
Content job responsibilities:
Prof. dr. Marcel Ameloot (BIOMED), +32 (0)11 26 85 46, marcel.ameloot[a-t]uhasselt.be
Prof. dr. Dirk Vanderzande (IMO), +32-11-26 83 21, dirk.vanderzande[a-t]uhasselt.be
Prof. dr. Thomas Cleij (IMO), + 32 (0)11 26 83 10, thomas.cleij[a-t]uhasselt.be

Content term of employment and selection procedure:
Jef Vanvoorden, 011 26 80 80, jef.vanvoorden[a-t]uhasselt.be

Application
Applicants must use the official application forms which are available at the Rectoraat of Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan – building D, B-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium), phone +32 – 11 – 26 80 03 or which can be downloaded here.

The completed application forms must reach the above mentioned address no later than Wednesday, May 7th 2008.

Application by e-mail will only be taken into consideration when sent to the following address: jobs[a-t]uhasselt.be.

• [Belgium] PhD Studentship at The Biomedical Research Institute of Hasselt University
• [Belgium] PhD Scholarship in Computer Science, Research Institute of Hasselt University
• [Belgium] PhD Position in Proteomics at Metastases Research Laboratory, Universite de Liege
• [Belgium] PhD Positions in Mathematical and Biomedical Engineering at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
• [Belgium] Ten PhD Positions in Applied Mathematics, Université Catholique de Louvain

The Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry (LAC) is engaged in air quality and climate research by field studies, smog chamber experiments and chemical transport models.

We are offering a PhD Student position in the field of Air quality modeling. The chemical composition of particulate matter was recently measured and analyzed in several field campaigns at different locations in unprecedented detail. This provides a unique opportunity to evaluate 3-dimensional photochemical models including emissions, meteorological transport, gasphase and aerosol chemistry.

The challenges are on the one hand to get the boundary layer meteorological processes right on the other hand to get the emissions right. Recent research has shown that one also needs to revisit the assumptions concerning the formation processes leading to secondary organic aerosols.

The project will focus on aerosol formation processes in Switzerland and Europe. An intensive collaboration is planned with another PhD student focusing on meteorology and with a Canadian research group. A competitive Salary will be available.

Your tasks

• Use the meteorological models MM5 and/or the Alpine Model (aLMo) in combination with the chemical transport model CAMx in various configurations
• Improve the gaseous emissions, e.g. concerning biogenic sesqui-terpene emissions
• Improve the primary aerosol emissions (especially from domestic wood burning)
• Use and/or develop new schemes to represent the secondary organic aerosol formation in an appropriate manner (2)
• Test and evaluate the model versus various available and new data sets
• Present the results at workshops, conferences and in peer-reviewed journals

Your profile

You have a master/diploma degree in atmospheric science, meteorology, physics, chemistry or environmental science. Ideally, you already have some experience in meteorological or air quality modeling. Programming and computer skills are crucial. Good communication skills in English are required and in German beneficial.

We are looking forward to your application

Sebnem Andreani and André Prévôt
Paul Scherrer Institut
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry
CH- 5232 Villigen-PSI
Switzerland

Please send your application to:
sebnem.andreani {a – t } psi.ch

Visit the official website for further information.

• [Switzerland] Postdoctoral Position in Plant-Soil-Interaction in Alpine Grassland
• [Switzerland] PhD Position in Socioeconomic Modeling of Farmer’s Behavior and Sustainability Assessment of Farming Strategies, University of Zurich
• [Switzerland] PhD in the Field of Color Reproduction of Images, ETH Zurich
• [Ireland] Ph.D. Studentship in Vehicle Emissions & Urban Air Quality, University College Dublin
• [Switzerland] Postdoctoral and PhD Student Positions in Neurochoice, the University of Zurich

PhD Student (2×2 years) (mandate MBW/2006/004-HO-4)

The duration of the position is 2×2 years, with an assessment after 2 years.

Job description
The PhD student will conduct research in the field of molecular imprinted polymers (MIP) which will be used as building blocks for chemo- and biosensors. The focus of the position is on fluorescence characterization of MIPs embedded in a matrix of conjugated polymers. The PhD student will employ an array of (micro)fluometric techniques.

Diploma and profile
Master degree (or equivalent) in either physics, chemistry, biomedical sciences, bio-engineer, engineer in physics, engineer in chemistry or civil engineer. Students in their final year can also apply. The candidate must master either the Dutch or the English language.

Further information
Prof. dr. Marcel Ameloot (BIOMED), +32 (0)11 26 85 46, marcel.ameloot[ at ]uhasselt.be
Prof. dr. Dirk Vanderzande +32-11-26 83 21, dirk.vanderzande@uhasselt.be

Application
Applicants must use the official application forms which are available at the Rectoraat of Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan – building D, B-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium), phone +32 – 11 – 26 80 03 or which can be downloaded here pfd-file / Word format.

The completed application forms must reach the above mentioned address no later than Monday, December 17th , 2007.
Application by e-mail will only be taken into consideration when sent to the following address: jobs[ at ]uhasselt.be

• [Belgium] PhD Student in The Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED) of Hasselt University
• [Belgium] PhD Scholarship in Computer Science, Research Institute of Hasselt University
• [Belgium] PhD Position in Proteomics at Metastases Research Laboratory, Universite de Liege
• [Belgium] Ten PhD Positions in Applied Mathematics, Université Catholique de Louvain
• [UK] MSc Scholarships in Cell and Tissue Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, Keele University