International PhD Program Democracy, Knowledge, and Gender in a Transnational World

This program is for international students

Study Subject: Social Science
Employer: Goethe University
Level: PhD
Scholarship Description: The Faculty of the Social Sciences at the Goethe University counts among those in the Federal Republic of Germany with a wealth of tradition and diversity in teaching and research perspectives. For its duration through the end of 2013, its international PhD program Democracy, Knowledge, and Gender in a Transnational World in short IPP Transnational, will be supported through funding the Faculty procured in 2010 within the scope of the DAAD call for submissions “International Promovieren in Deutschland” (IPID). The implementation of the program substantially profits from the expertise of the International Postgraduate Center Social Sciences (IPC), which houses the IPP Transnational and whose funding and supervisory structure ideally complements its range of offers.

The program admits thirty PhD candidates a year. In terms of content, the IPP Transnational’s profile connects three thematic fields that combine central research issues of the 21st century. Emphasis is placed on the interrelation between current transnational social transformations and the development of democracy, the (re)formation of the gender order, as well as bioscientific findings and practices.

The program contributes to the internationalization of the training of PhD candidates in the Faculty of the Social Sciences and is designed to make studying for a PhD at the Goethe University even more attractive, in particular for international junior scholars. The candidates will be directly integrated into the top-level research currently being performed by the professors participating in the program. Besides the attractive program run by the IPC, additional supervision measures are available to PhD candidates at the IPP Transnational that provide ideal conditions for attaining a PhD and precipitate completion of the thesis.

A seminal element of the IPP Transnational is the establishment of exchange programs with selected international partner universities as well as the promotion of sandwich and binational PhDs. After successfully completing the program, the initiators envision the PhD candidates as having enjoyed comprehensive academic training at the highest level; decisively expanded their theoretical, methodical, and interdisciplinary competencies; and acquired multidisciplinary key qualifications that enable them to begin a promising career both within or outside the university.

Admission Procedure
An international call for applications to the IPP Transnational program is issued twice a year for the admission of fifteen PhD candidates per term on February 15 and July 15. Interviews to assess an applicant’s suitability take place one month before the admission deadlines. Candidate can receive an allowance toward the cost of their trip to the interview. If accepted into the PhD program, the selected candidates are given the status of “conditional admission” to the Faculty of the Social Sciences. Unrestricted acceptance as a PhD candidate should occur by the next possible deadline, i.e., April 1 or October 1. The period between acceptance into the PhD program and acceptance into the Faculty is used to revise the submitted PhD proposal, in particular with respect to the work and time schedule; decide on a first and, if possible, second supervisor of the PhD thesis; and to conclude a PhD agreement that identifies the rights and obligations between supervisors, candidates, and those in charge of the program during the doctoral phase.

Application Requirements
Graduates of the social sciences both from Germany and abroad can apply who have an above-average university degree (MA, first state examination, diploma, or the like) and a sound knowledge of English and whose dissertation project ties in with the IPP Transnational’s research themes.
Scholarship Application Deadline: 1 December 2010
Further Scholarship Information and Application Churchill Falls, Harbour Breton, Wickham, Rothesay, Fredericton, Edmundston,
Bathurst, Moncton, St. John, Halifax, Sydney, Watson Lake, Whitehorse, Yellowknife,
Iqaluit

PhD Researcher for Europeanisation of Spatial Planning Scholarship

Over the past decade, there has been considerable financial and political support in the EU for transnational cooperation. Macro regions are expected to facilitate planning for large-scale functional areas and to improve policy coordination in the EU’s multi-level governance system. Yet there is currently limited insight into the effects of transnational territorial cooperation on spatial planning systems in European countries and regions, and there is a need for an improved theoretical understanding of the role of macro regions in Europe.

As a PhD candidate you will become part of a research team of the Nijmegen School of Management at Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands), and for this project be supervised by Dr. Stefanie Dühr.

Requirements
You must have a relevant Master’s degree in Spatial Planning or a related discipline. You are expected to have a strong interest in academic research in the social sciences and preferably have experience in undertaking comparative spatial research in Europe. Background knowledge of European spatial planning and territorial cooperation is essential. An excellent command of written and spoken English is mandatory. Knowledge of additional European languages and experience with different planning systems in Europe are strong assets.

Organization
This position is located within the Governance and Places (GAP) research group, which is one of the three research groups within the Institute for Management Research of the Nijmegen School of Management.

Within the GaP research group, about 50 research staff from a wide range of backgrounds, disciplines and nationalities work on a variety of themes including European spatial planning, territorial cooperation, borders, transport, water management, environmental policy and governance, land policy and location development and urban and regional development. The group has a lively and well-supported community of PhD students. GaP staff members participate in international networks, publish in and co-edit renowned international journals, and are engaged in policy development at all spatial levels.
Website: http://www.ru.nl/gap

Conditions of employment
Employment: 1,0 fte
The gross starting salary is €2,042 per month based on full-time employment and will increase to €2,612 per month in the fourth year (PhD scale).
Duration of the contract: 4 years.

Additional conditions of employment
You will be appointed conditionally as a PhD researcher (1.0 FTE) for a period of 18 months. Your performance will be evaluated after 12 months. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended for the remainder of the period.

Other Information
You should submit a detailed CV which shows relevant research experience and details of academic qualifications, a letter of motivation, and the names and e-mail addresses of two academics who may be contacted for confidential references.

Additional Information
Dr. Stefanie Dühr
Telephone: +31 24 3613051
E-mail: s.duhr@fm.ru.nl

Application
You can apply for the job (mention the vacancy number 27.18.10) before 29 October 2010 by sending your application -preferably by email- to:
Radboud University Nijmegen
P&O Department
PO Box 7005, 6503 GM NIJMEGEN, NL
Telephone: +31 24 3611173
E-mail: vacatures@dpo.ru.nl

Germany : Phd Scholarship Position in Geomicrobiology

The research group for Geomicrobiology at the Institute for Geosciences at the University of Tuebingen is looking for a PhD student working for 3 years on

‘Magnetite formation by Fe(II)-oxidizing and Fe(III)-reducing bacteria’

Project:
Iron is one of the major redox elements in the Earth crust and can be reduced and oxidized by bacteria. During these redox reactions, Fe minerals are dissolved, transformed or formed. Magnetite (Fe3O4) is a magnetic Fe(II)-Fe(III)-mineral and can be formed both by microbial Fe(II) oxidation and Fe(III) reduction. Since microbial activities (including microbial iron mineral formation) are strongly influenced by the presence of contaminants, it was suggested that magnetic properties can be used to delineate anthropogenic contamination accumulating in soil and sediments. Magnetic proxy screening may therefore serve as a fast and cost-effective, qualitative or semi-quantitative, tool for initial site characterization and for repeated measurements to observe the evolution of pollution (monitoring). However, the mechanisms and conditions controlling the reductive and oxidative formation and transformation of magnetic minerals (mainly magnetite) are not known in detail but need to !
be understood in order to apply magnetic measurements for assessment of environmental contamination.

The proposed interdisciplinary research project will be done in close collaboration with the research group for Geophysics at the University of Tübingen and aims at identifying the conditions under which magnetite is formed and transformed using field studies and laboratory experiments. Geochemical analyses (e.g. by wet-chemistry and chromatography), mineralogical studies (e.g. XRD, Mössbauer spectroscopy, magnetic measurements) and microbiological approaches (cultivation dependent and independent techniques including molecular ecological analyses based on DNA/RNA techniques) will be used to study sediments collected at a former military base. The redox conditions, iron mineralogy, and magnetic properties will be determined at the field site. Aerobic and anaerobic Fe(II)-oxidizing as well as Fe(III)-reducing bacteria will be localized, quantified, isolated and identified and iron mineral (in particular magnetite) formation by the isolated strains will be determined.

We offer a PhD position in an interdisciplinary, international, young and dynamic team of microbiologists, geochemists and environmental geoscientists. This position provides an opportunity to bring in the candidate’s own creativity and self-responsibility. Not only will you learn and apply various lab techniques, but you will also practice and improve your ability to discuss and present problems and results in a friendly atmosphere.

You should have a background in environmental sciences, (geo-)chemistry or microbiology and like working in a team in an interdisciplinary field. Applicants should have good communication skills and be highly motivated and committed to pursuing interdisciplinary research particularly focusing on environmental issues. Good computer and language skills (English) are advantageous. The studentship will be funded by the University of Tuebingen at TVL E13 (50%). The start date is October 2010 or as soon as possible thereafter. The employment will be arranged by the administration of the University of Tuebingen. We particularly encourage female applicants to apply for this position. Disabled persons will be preferred in case of equal qualification.

Please send your application by email before August 31st (2010) to:
Prof. Andreas Kappler, University of Tuebingen, andreas.kappler@uni-tuebingen.de
Phone: 07071-2974992; www.ifg.uni-tuebingen.de/departments/zag/geomicrobiology.
Application Deadline : 31 August 2010