Research | Scholarship for Nigerians and Africans - Part 32

African Origins Platform Open Call for Funding for 2011: Science and Technology

South Africa recognises special contributions of studies that concentrate on the rich and ancient heritage of the country. Research in the field of palaeo- and archaeosciences has profound relevance to all people, and is central to the recent emphasis on Heritage Development by the South African Government. There is without doubt no other country that has such a complete, endless terrestrial rock record covering the Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic and Jurassic periods documenting a climatic shift from glacial polar conditions to subtropical desert. The Karoo Sequence Studies hold clues to understanding both the end-Jurassic and end-Permian extinctions .
This call document details the three discrete funding categories earmarked for support by the DST interim funding strategy:

• Support for research costs and associated student bursaries;
• Support for research equipment; and
• Support for technical skills

Applicants have the opportunity to apply for funding support in all or one of these three funding categories.

It should, however, be noted that this is a competitive call, and each funding category application will be regarded as a stand-alone application, and will be adjudicated independently of the others. This means that successful appraisal in one funding category will not automatically guarantee success in the others.

Applicants who request support in more than one funding category are thus advised not to structure and submit proposals that are dependent on successful appraisal in another area.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 31 March 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application

Postdoctoral Position in the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ghent, Belgium

Our lab is a translational HIV research lab focusing on HIV integration, the HIV viral reservoir and HIV transmission. Our lab described that viruses in different compartments also differ in their predicted tropism preference. Detailed characterisation of the HIV integration step in vivo is performed by cDNA LEDGF SNP analysis, LEDGF mRNA QPCR, Alu PCR of HIV integrated copies, 2LTR QPCR and total DNA QPCR on patient derived PBMC’s.

The general goal of our lab is to support research that improves our knowledge on HIV eradication strategies. Current studies aim to validate new endpoint for HIV therapy and new cellular cofactors for HIV transcription using a primary HIV latency model. Techniques used are flow cytometry, virus co-culture assays, cloning, Q-PCR, High resolution melting, viral gene transfer, Western blot ect…

Profile
Degree obtained in life sciences

A: Experience/profile
Junior post-doc, EU citizenship (to allow funding from Flanders/Belgium and European grant proposals)

B: Skills
Experience in molecular virology is an asset

C: Attitudes
teamspirit recommended

Scholarship Application Deadline:2011-03-31

Further Scholarship Information and Application

PhD Studentship in Glaciology, Uppsala University, Sweden

The position is announced as a part of the project “Stability and Variations of Arctic Land Ice” (SVALI) under the Top-level Research Initiative which is a major Nordic collaborative venture for studies of climate, energy and the environment. SVALI is a Nordic Centre of Excellence within the TRI sub-programme “Interaction between Climate Change and the Cryosphere” (ICCC) which aims to improve our understanding of stability, variations and dynamics of the cryosphere.

The position is a 4-year appointment but can be extended by including departmental duties at a level of at most 20% (typically teaching). The candidates should be able to start during the spring semester of 2011, ideally in April.

Applications must include a brief description in English (or Swedish) of research interests and past experience that are relevant to the position, a CV, a copy/abstract of the Master/Diploma thesis (or the current draft thereof, if it is unfinished), other relevant documents, as well as the earliest feasible starting date of employment. Candidates must provide contact information to at least two referees.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 25 February, 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application