atmospheric aerosol | Scholarship for Nigerians and Africans

Doctoral Studentship in Environmental Science, Sweden

This student will be a part of two cooperating research groups. The position is connected to the Atmospheric Aerosol Group, i.e. the activities dealing with airborne particles, in the Division of Nuclear Physics at the Department of Physics. Our research activities on airborne particles deal with effects of atmospheric aerosols in the important environmental issues climate and health. The project will be in close cooperation with the Division of physical geography and ecosystems analysis, which is part of the Department of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, where biogenic emissions of organic compounds and the analysis of these are studied.

Eligibility/Entry Requirements

Employment as a Doctoral student can only be granted if you have been accepted to the postgraduate student program. Acceptance to the postgraduate student program is based on the estimated ability to perform well in your postgraduate studies. This is also one of the basic criteria for employment. Furthermore you need a valid university degree within a relevant study program. Basic eligibility to education at PhD level requires a university exam at advanced level, with fulfilled course requirements of at least 240 university credits (högskolepoäng), of which at least 60 should be at advanced level. Highest priority is given applicants with a MSc degree in environmental science, physics, meteorology, engineering physics, chemistry, biology, physical geography, or similar.

In the evaluation we will especially look at knowledge and experience in the fields related to the project, the applicant?s ability to work independently, take responsibility and address scientific questions. It is also important that the applicant can communicate well in written and spoken English.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 2011-03-30

Further Scholarship Information and Application

Doctoral Studentship in Environmental Science, Sweden

This student will be a part of two cooperating research groups. The position is connected to the Atmospheric Aerosol Group, i.e. the activities dealing with airborne particles, in the Division of Nuclear Physics at the Department of Physics. Our research activities on airborne particles deal with effects of atmospheric aerosols in the important environmental issues climate and health. The project will be in close cooperation with the Division of physical geography and ecosystems analysis, which is part of the Department of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, where biogenic emissions of organic compounds and the analysis of these are studied.

Eligibility/Entry Requirements

Employment as a Doctoral student can only be granted if you have been accepted to the postgraduate student program. Acceptance to the postgraduate student program is based on the estimated ability to perform well in your postgraduate studies. This is also one of the basic criteria for employment. Furthermore you need a valid university degree within a relevant study program. Basic eligibility to education at PhD level requires a university exam at advanced level, with fulfilled course requirements of at least 240 university credits (högskolepoäng), of which at least 60 should be at advanced level. Highest priority is given applicants with a MSc degree in environmental science, physics, meteorology, engineering physics, chemistry, biology, physical geography, or similar.

In the evaluation we will especially look at knowledge and experience in the fields related to the project, the applicant?s ability to work independently, take responsibility and address scientific questions. It is also important that the applicant can communicate well in written and spoken English.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 2011-03-30

Further Scholarship Information and Application

PhD Studentship, Neutron Reflectometry and Ellipsometry applied to ATmospheric Night-time Oxidation (NEATNOx), University of Reading, UK

This project aims to obtain new insights into characteristics of film-covered cloud droplets by combining neutron reflector and ellipsometry for the study of atmospheric
reactions. Concerted experiments with these two complementary techniques will allow
investigation of the kinetic behaviour of organic monolayers at the air–liquid interface.
Organic monolayers on a Langmuir trough act as model for naturally occurring organic
layers on cloud droplets, and gas-phase destruction of the monolayers is monitored in real
time. Central to the project objectives is the optimization of the ILL’s new horizontal
neutron reflectometer, FIGARO, to push its temporal resolution to new limits. The
development of a dedicated cell for ellipsometry measurements will allow essential characterization of the chemical systems.

The work forms part of a wider research programme into modern climate change. Reactions
of model surfactants with the atmospheric night-time oxidant NO3 as well as with the
nitrogen oxides NO2 and N2O5 will be investigated. Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids as
well as surfactants with various degrees of deuteration will be studied to gain insight into
the reaction mechanisms at sub-molecular resolution. The experimental data obtained will
be fed into newly developed models to (i) directly quantify the importance of surface
reactions on atmospheric aerosol; (ii) de-convolute the relative importance of surface
reaction, bulk reaction and transport; (iii) provide mechanistic insight with sub-molecular
resolution; and (iv) gain key information on the surfactant properties of reaction products.

The student will be based at ILL in Grenoble for the duration of the PhD and will have visits
to the University of Reading where the degree will be awarded. This position represents an
excellent opportunity for the student to be involved in additional collaborations and
participate in international meetings as well as cross-disciplinary research projects.
The annual allowance is currently €28,800 (subject to social security contributions and
income tax) plus the ILL productivity bonus (€910 in 2009), tuition fees are not payable. A
stipend will be paid at a similar level for 3 years from commencement of study, subject to
transfer to PhD after the first year.

The studentship starting date should be between October 2010 and February 2011. The
studentship is open to UK and EU nationals. Non-EU nationals are welcome to apply if the
have funding for the difference between EU and international fees.

Closing date for applications: 10th September 2010.