Physical Science | Scholarship for Nigerians and Africans - Part 95

The Norman E. Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in Agriculture Program (LEAP)

The Norman E. Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in Agriculture Program (Borlaug LEAP) is a fellowship program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to enhance the quality of thesis research of graduate students from developing countries who show strong promise as leaders in the field of agriculture and related disciplines as defined by Title XII. LEAP is part of the overall Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellows Program sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The Borlaug LEAP Fellowship supports engaging a mentor at a Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) system center to support and enhance the thesis research and mentoring experience. Awards are made on a competitive basis to students who show strong scientific and leadership potential, have a well coordinated proposal between their home university, a US university mentor, and the CGIAR mentor, and whose research is related to a strong research and support project within the host country. Emphasis is placed on work that has relevance to the national development of the student’s home country.

Currently there are two limited release Request for Applications (RFAs):

1. Applications are requested for sub-Saharan African students conducting research on topics related to USAID’s Feed the Future: Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative. The focus region is sub-Saharan Africa. All topics related to agriculture (as defined by Title XII) and food security are admissible.
2. Applications are requested for developing country students conducting research in partnership with CRSPs (Collaborative Research Support Programs). The focus region is global. All topics related to agriculture (as defined by Title XII) and CRSP priorities are admissible.

Scholarship Application Deadline: May 18, 2011.

Further Scholarship Information and Application

Postdoctoral Position in Computational Biology, Massey University, New Zealand

The successful candidate will study ways of improving the spatial and temporal resolution of genetic inferences about past human migrations. Although there is scope to accommodate existing research interests, the successful candidate will develop, implement and test new methods in statistical genetics, and apply these methods to genome-scale datasets. This research will initially be directed toward reconstructing aspects of prehistoric mobility in the Pacific region, a major focus of my research group.

This postdoctoral fellowship offers a rare opportunity to extend your research training within an internationally recognized computational biology research group, while taking advantage of New Zealand’s unique natural and cultural environment. Palmerston North, a university town with a large international community, offers a full range of social and cultural amenities. The city is located close to the North Island’s central mountains, and presents regular opportunities for hiking, skiing, surfing and adventure sports, as well as experiencing New Zealand’s unique indigenous culture. Nevertheless, my research group maintains extensive international connections, especially with colleagues in Australia, Indonesia, France and the United States, and is linked firmly into the international scientific community.

Minimum Qualifications:
– A Ph.D. in computational biology, bioinformatics, applied mathematics, computer science, population genetics, molecular evolution, or other relevant field.
– Able to conduct independent cutting-edge research.
– Proven research experience with a strong publication record.
– Solid analytical, quantitative and mathematical skills.
– Fluency in probabilistic modeling and statistical genetics.
– Candidates should be comfortable working in a UNIX environment, have a strong programming background, and be proficient in working with large datasets.

Scholarship Application Deadline:15 May 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application

PhD Scholarship in Computational Biology, Massey University, New Zealand

A PhD scholarship is now open for a highly motivated and productive student in the Computational Biology Research Group at Massey University, New Zealand. The successful candidate will study how human social arrangements, such as marriage practices, affect patterns of genetic diversity in small communities. Although there is scope to accommodate existing research interests, the successful candidate will develop, implement and test new methods in statistical genetics, and apply these methods to genetic and cultural anthropology datasets. This research will initially be directed toward determining whether human social practices have constrained or directed genetic evolution in the Pacific region, a major focus of my research group.

This PhD scholarship offers a rare opportunity to develop your skills as a researcher within an internationally recognized computational biology research group, while taking advantage of New Zealand’s unique natural and cultural environment. Palmerston North, a university town with a large international community, offers a full range of social and cultural amenities. The city is located close to the North Island’s central mountains, and presents regular opportunities for hiking, skiing, surfing and adventure sports, as well as experiencing New Zealand’s unique indigenous culture. Nevertheless, my research group maintains extensive international connections, especially with colleagues in Australia, Indonesia, France and the United States, and is linked firmly into the international scientific community.

Minimum  Qualifications:
– A Masters or Honors degree (First Class or equivalent) in computational biology, bioinformatics, applied mathematics, computer science, population genetics, molecular evolution, or other relevant field.
– Able to conduct independent cutting-edge research.
– Solid analytical, quantitative and mathematical skills.
– Experience with probabilistic modeling and statistical genetics.
– Candidates should be comfortable working in a UNIX environment, and have a strong programming background.

Preferred Qualification:
– Candidates with a background in interdisciplinary research, spanning both biological sciences and applied mathematics/computer science, are especially encouraged to apply.
– Candidates should have proven research experience, preferably with evidence of scientific publications.
– Candidates will ideally be conversant in a compiled programming language (e.g., C or C++), a scripting language (e.g., Perl), and a statistical environment (e.g., R).
– Experience with parallel computing on large clusters and/or parallel programming would be highly advantageous

Scholarship Application Deadline: 15 May 2011

Further Scholarship Inforation and Application