August, 2010 | Scholarship for Nigerians and Africans - Part 56

EBI–Sanger Postdoctoral (ESPOD) Programme, UK

The EBI and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute share the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus. This proximity fosters close collaborations and contributes to an international and vibrant campus environment. Researchers are supported by easy access to scientific expertise, well-equipped facilities and an active seminar programme.

The EBI–Sanger Postdoctoral (ESPOD) Programme builds on the strong collaborative relationship between the two institutes, offering projects which combine experimental (wet lab) and computational approaches. Projects may be selected from the areas defined below or proposed by the applicant. In the case of self-defined projects, the area of work must have been agreed with both the EBI- and Sanger-based group leaders. Two postdoctoral fellowships will be awarded in 2010, to start as soon as possible after October 2010 but within 12 months of the fellowship being awarded.

Projects:
Birney/Semple: Integrated high resolution phenotyping and genetics in the zebrafish
Flicek/Hurles: Functional genomic analysis of structural variations in the human genome
Le Novere/Grant: Inference and representation of post-synaptic protein pathways using proteomic and phenotypic data
Luscombe/Bilker: Identification of regulatory networks that control development in a malaria parasite
Luscombe/Dougan: Genome-scale investigation of pathogenic regulatory networks in Salmonella
Overington/Rayner: Target discovery and validation for novel malaria drugs using an integrated chemical biology approach

Application and selection dates:

Application deadline: 15 August 2010.

Applications should consist of:
(a) cover letter specifying the project the candidate wished to apply for;
(b) CV with two references;
(c) project proposal if the candidate opts to propose a project themselves (please note that this is not required if a project is selected from the list of available projects). Self-proposed projects should be described in a maximum of 1000 words and must be pre-approved by the group and team leaders involved before the application is submitted.

Interviews and selection process will take place from mid-September to mid-October 2010. Interviews will include one-to-one discussion with the group leaders associated with the project of interest and also a panelinterview.

Fellowships are expected to start from mid-October 2010. Fellowship start dates can be delayed in agreement with the project leaders but must be undertaken within 12 months of the fellowship being awarded.
Benefits of working at EMBL-EBI
EMBL is an inclusive, equal opportunity employer offering attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation. In addition to a competitive salary, EMBL offers additional allowances dependent on family circumstances as well as an optional healthcare scheme for fellows and their families (spouse and children). Please see our leaflet about working at EMBL-EBI.

Contact:
For questions on ESPOD projects, please contact the group leader in question (for individual projects) or Tracey Andrew, tandrew@ebi.ac.uk for general enquiries on how to apply.

University of East Anglia Arts and Humanities Foundation Scholarships 2010-2011 for International Undergraduates

The University of East Anglia Faculty of Arts & Humanities and INTO University of East Anglia invites applications for the University of East Anglia, Faculty of Arts & Humanities Foundation Scholarships valued at £ 10,500 over 2 years. There are a total of four scholarships available leading to selected undergraduate courses at the University of East Anglia in the following Schools of Study:

· American Studies
· Film and Television Studies
· Music
· Philosophy
· Political, Social and International Studies
· World Art Studies and Museology
The INTO Foundation programmes commence on 27 September 2010 and 10 January 2011. Successful completion of the appropriate Foundation programme (subject to meeting specified grades for entry) guarantees students’ progression on a wide range of undergraduate degree courses within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities at the University of East Anglia from September 2011.

Application Deadlines:

Deadlines for submission: 27 September 2010 entry. The deadline is Friday 13thAugust 2010.
Successful students who have submitted a completed application package by this date will be notified by Friday 27th August 2010.
11 January 2011 entry The deadline for all applications is Friday 19th November 2010.
Successful students who have submitted a completed application package by this date will be notified by Friday 3rd December 2010.

PhD Researcher in Palaeoecology, Utrecht University, Netherlands

The PhD student will be employed within the project “Plants in a low CO2 world: proxy development for the Pleistocene plant record and reconstructed feedbacks on the carbon cycle”. The project will provide important constraints on the impact of glacial low CO2 conditions on plant growth and development. Furthermore, results will allow for determining the consequences for the terrestrial carbon cycle.
Low CO2 levels prevailed during most of the Pleistocene. For most modern plants a minimum concentration of about 160 ppmv atm. CO2 represents the limit of natural growth conditions. It has been suggested that CO2 starvation has had a direct effect on plants, limiting growth and water use efficiency. Low CO2 and associated water stress may have caused extinctions of plant species during the Pleistocene. However, little is known about the impact of these extreme environmental conditions. The main aims of the present project are to perform growth experiments at a series of (sub)ambient CO2, in order to validate botanical (pollen and seed productivity, stomatal frequency) and organic geochemical proxies (stable isotopes). Moreover we will study glacial plant macro and pollen records. The combination will allow us a better understanding of the impact of low CO2 on plants during the Pleistocene.
The project is a collaborative project of the Department of Biology at Utrecht University and the Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences at the VU University Amsterdam. The project is sponsored by the Darwin Center for Biogeology. The place of work is Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Qualifications:

We seek a highly motivated candidate with excellent communication skills and qualifications (MSc or equivalent) in the fields of environmental biology, plant ecology/-ecophysiology or palaeoecology. Experience in laboratory techniques necessary to work with plants in growth chambers would be an advantage. Candidates are expected to communicate easily in English, both verbally and in writing.

Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from: Dr Wolfram Kuerschner, email: w.m.kuerschner@uu.nl, tel. (+31) 30 253 2630, and from the websites of the Darwin Center and the Palaeoecology group.

How to apply:

Please send your application (including a letter of motivation, curriculum vitae and contact details of at least two references) before September 15th 2010 to email: Science.PenO@uu.nl. Please mention vacancy number 66007.