Australia : PhD Scholarships Centre for Complex Software Systems and Services

Swinburne University of Technology
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The Centre for Complex Software Systems and Services (http://www.swinburne.edu.au/ict/research/cs3/) (CS3) at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia, is one of the leading research centres in Australia and has an international reputation in its research areas with internationally leading researchers. It carries out research in close collaboration with industry and research partners nationally and internationally, supported by a wide range of research grants, strategic partnerships and industrial R&D projects. With some 50 research staff and postgraduate research students, and a substantial portfolio of aligned research activities the Centre is one of the largest and most concentrated research centres in Complex Software Systems and Services in Australia.

The CS3 provides an exciting, high calibre, and well resourced research environment for research activities across the following research areas: Software Engineering, Intelligent Agent Technology, Web and Data Technology, Workflow Technology. Our research targets a number of application areas including service oriented systems, enterprise software systems, social software systems, and cloud computing systems. Interdisciplinary research is especially encouraged.

Applications are invited for full-time scholarships to support PhD studies. We seek highly motivated and enthusiastic scholars from the disciplines above, who wish to work in the area of Complex Software Systems and Services. A list of project descriptions can be found at: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/ict/research/cs3/phdResearch.html

Eligibility
Scholarships are available to domestic or international students. Applicants should have equivalent research qualifications to an Australian undergraduate degree with first class honours (such as a Masters degree with a substantial thesis component) in a relevant discipline (such as computer science, software engineering, or mathematics). Successful candidates will also be expected to have exceptional academic record, strong written and verbal communications skills, and an ability to work in a team environment.

About the award
The award will cover all tuition fees (which are currently at A$20,000 per annum).

In addition, an award of at least A$25,500 and up to A$30,000 per annum full-time, tax exempt, will be paid to the recipient on a fortnightly basis throughout the calendar year.

The award is renewable over 3.5 years of study while in full time enrolment, subject to satisfactory annual progress reports.

In addition, a scholarship holder will receive up to A$15,000 in research support (such as to travel to conferences) during his or her PhD candidature.

Other allowances (such as relocation allowance and thesis allowance) are also applicable.

Application Closing Dates
Please submit your completed application before the closing date of 31 October 2009. Short-listed applicants might be interviewed prior to placement. The selection and placement process normally takes about 8 weeks.

Additional information for international students
International students are eligible to apply for scholarships. It is particularly important for international students to demonstrate the quality of their qualification, their capacity for research and their ability in written and spoken English.

How to apply
For further information, and for discussion of specific potential topics, applicants are encouraged to contact the relevant supervisor. Or, if you require assistance, please contact Dr Bao Vo (bvo@swin.edu.au) for advice.

For the procedure to apply, please follow the instructions at: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/ict/research/researchScholarships.htm.

UK : PhD Studentship - Supercomputing and Data Mining

Reference No RS/08/24

Studentship of £13,290 (current rate for 2009/10) [Tax Free] p.a. for 3 years plus tuition fees (at EU/Home rate) is available immediately.

Applications are invited for a full-time studentship available in the School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences in the Faculty of Science and Technology. The studentship is tenable for 3 years for the MPhil/PhD (subject to satisfactory progress). The studentship will cover the cost of tuition fees at UK/EU rates plus a tax free stipend (currently £13290 for 2009/10) per annum. International applicants may apply but will be required to pay the difference between UK/EU and international fees. The successful applicant is expected to start on 1st January 2010.

Across many applications, there is increasing utilisation of data mining algorithms to extract previously unknown knowledge from large datasets using Artificial Intelligence. Underpinning aspects of these algorithms include that they involve search space traversal and are relatively small and repeated frequently. Thus they are ideal for implementation on high performance accelerators and massively parallel machines. The project will investigate the area of parallel search and its application within a number of data mining approaches and application spaces. High Performance Computing (HPC) architectures and the new HPC technologies (GPGPU, IBM Cell (PS3), etc.) will be utilised.

Applicants should be highly motivated and have a good degree in Computer Science or a cognate discipline (e.g., Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or Chemistry) or a Bachelor degree with equivalent research or industry working experience. Previous research experience is an advantage, but not necessary. The successful applicant should have a good programming background (ideally in C/C++ programming). Parallel computing expertise is an advantage but not necessary as the successful candidate will be encouraged to attend to the relevant training available to UK researchers.

Informal queries about the project may be directed to Dr Firat Tekiner (+44 1772 893280, or email ftekiner@uclan.ac.uk ). For more information visit: www.star.uclan.ac.uk/~ft/

Application should include a CV and a letter of intent. Requests for an application pack (quoting the reference number RS/08/24) should be directed to the Graduate Research Office. Tel +44 (0)1772 895082 or e-mail researchdegrees@uclan.ac.uk .

Closing Date for Applications to the Graduate Research Office:
22nd of October 2009

UK : University of Edinburgh PhD Position School of Mathematics

School of Mathematics

EPSRC has funded a 4 year project on the prevention of wide-area blackouts in electricity networks through adaptive division of the networks. The project involves engineers and mathematicians at Durham, Edinburgh, and Southampton Universities. As part of this project there will be a funded 3.5 year PhD position in the OR/Optimization group in the Edinburgh University School of Mathematics. The funding will cover support and fees for EU and UK students and support and part funding of fees for non-EU students.

Please see http://www.maths.ed.ac.uk/mckinnon/blackouts/PhD_advert.pdf for more information.

Closing Date: 1st November 2009

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UK : Research Studentship – High Rate Mechanical Engineering

Research Studentship – High Rate Mechanical Engineering

Department of Engineering Science

We wish to appoint a suitable candidate to the above post which is available for 36 months. The project will investigate the high strain rate properties of PVC.

You will have a 1st class, upper second or equivalent degree in engineering, physics, materials science or related discipline with enthusiasm for academic research. The ability to plan and execute a novel research project working independently within a wider research team is essential. Experience in mechanical testing of materials, finite element modelling and high speed photography would be advantageous.

The project will be supervised by Dr CR Siviour, to whom queries about the project may be directed at clive.siviour@eng.ox.ac.uk.

Candidates who are UK nationals, or who have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the last 3 years are eligible for a fully funded studentship. In this case the remuneration will be £14200 p.a. (and will increase in subsequent years), with all fees paid. Candidates from other EU countries may be eligible for a “fees only” studentship.

Candidates must meet the Graduate Admissions criteria available at http://www.eng.ox.ac.uk/postgrad/criteria.pdf and a full graduate application must be made at the same time as applying for this studentship. Further details about making a graduate application are available at http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply

Please send a letter of application for the studentship, which should explain your interest in and relevant experience for the advertised post, together with a detailed CV to: Mr CJ Scotcher, Senior Administrator, Department of Engineering Science, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PJ.

Please quote DF09062 in all correspondence to the Department and in your separate graduate application.

The closing date for applications is Noon 16th October 2009

Committed to equality and valuing diversity.

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UK :PhD Studentship Employment Relations and Organisational Behaviour Department of Management

PhD Studentship

Employment Relations and Organisational Behaviour

Department of Management

The Department of Management is offering a PhD studentship on the PhD in Employment Relations and Organisational Behaviour programme, to begin in the Lent term of the 2009 / 2010 academic year (January 2010). The successful candidate will implement an interdisciplinary perspective combining multiple social sciences to examine an empirical issue in finance or relating to the financial markets. The position is open to candidates with backgrounds in disciplines including management, accounting and finance, economics, psychology, sociology and public policy and others. The research will take place in conjunction with the Pensions Tomorrow initiative, established within the Department. The studentships will be conducted under the supervision of Professor Paul Willman, assisted by other members of faculty. The research will contribute to ongoing research in the Department on pension provision and financial markets which combines a diverse range of social theories, including psychology and sociology as well as economics and finance.

Criteria
In line with the multidisciplinary approach of the Department, preference will be given to students able to draw on a wide range of social science approaches and demonstrating strong qualitative and quantitative research skills. Ability to engage with technical financial issues, prior experience of working within complex organisations and a rigorously critical mindset are also highly desirable. Personal qualities should include the ability to work independently and the high degree of motivation necessary to complete a PhD in three years. An interest in pursuing research on pension funds or insurance companies is a marginal advantage.
You should have an appropriate first degree in any social science discipline and a Master’s degree in a subject of relevance to the proposed research.

Following a search process the Department has filled its vacancy for an overseas studentship. Consequently, this advert is only relevant for candidates who classify as Home / EU.

Funding
The studentships are available for up to three years full-time and will cover fees and a stipend appropriate for the costs of living in London.

How to apply
Enquiries about the studentships should be addressed to Dr Yally Avrahampour (y.avrahampour@lse.ac.uk) in the first instance.

To apply for the studentship, please send the following to pensions.tomorrow@lse.ac.uk:

• a cover letter explaining why you wish to be considered
• a statement of your research plan (no longer than 2,000 words)
• a CV
• two academic references.

Hard copy references can be sent to:
Dr. Yally Avrahampour
LSE Fellow
Department of Management
London School of Economics
Houghton Street
London
WC2A 2AE

Further details
Department of Management
The Department of Management provides a world class environment for multidisciplinary research on management issues as well as a deep insight into the functioning of the global business environment. Our objective is to be the premier management department in Europe and one of the top departments in the world in both teaching and research.
www.lse.ac.uk/management/

Pensions Tomorrow initiative
The Pensions Tomorrow initiative is an interdisciplinary research program funded by Pension Corporation. It has a broad remit in examining all aspects of the pensions landscape including policy and regulation, the role of capital markets in pensions provision, asset-liability management, public and private sector pensions, longevity, socio-political considerations, labour market issues and the economic history of pensions, both in the UK and internationally.
www.lse.ac.uk/collections/management/pensionsTomorrow/

Further Details

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Belgium: PhD Fellowships in Economics of Innovation, University Hasselt

PhD Fellowships in Economics of Innovation, University Hasselt, Belgium

Description:
PhD Fellowship – Economics of Innovation (2 X 2 years)
KIZOK – University Hasselt

KIZOK is the newest research center of the University Hasselt. KIZOK is set up within the faculty of Applied Economics and her diverse disciplines in order to concentrate the research efforts on entrepreneurship and innovation. KIZOK wants to be an independent research center in which fundamental and applied scientific research are accompanied by customized services for companies and policy makers on the one hand, and educational programs on entrepreneurship and innovation.

KIZOK – the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Hasselt University is offering a four year (2 X 2) scholarship for a PhD student. The candidate will be affiliated with the research unit quantitative Methods of KIZOK. The doctoral project is in field of the “economics of innovation” with a strong emphasis on empirical approaches using firm and plant level micro-data. The project aims at analyzing the economic aspects (governmental policy, market competition, financing) related to the innovation of firms.

Selection Criteria
The candidate should possess a Master Degree or Master after Master in Applied Economics (e.g. Commercial Engineering), Economics (Econometrics) or Statistics. Ideally, the candidate is interested in quantitative/empirical research and has strong analytical and technical capabilities in economic methods. Knowledge of French or Dutch constitutes an advantage. The candidate is willing to teach/assist with a limited amount of courses for Bachelor or Master students at the faculty of Applied Economics.

Offer
A full time (temporarily) position for an initial period of two years and salaries are in accordance with Belgian university rules. This period can be extend with two more years after a positive evaluation of the doctoral work. The PhD work will result in a doctoral degree at the Faculty of Applied Economics at Hasselt University. The research offers unique opportunities to collaborate with national and international networks.

Info
Prof. dr. Ludo Peeters, tel. +32 11 26 86 35, email: ludo.peeters[ at ]uhasselt.be

Prof. dr. Mark Vancauteren, tel. +32 11 26 86 64, email: mark.vancauteren[ at ]uhasselt.be

Application
Application by e-mail should be sent to mark.vancauteren[ at ]uhasselt.be

Applications must reach us no later than: 20 October 2009

Germany: PhD Position in Finance, University of Konstanz

PhD Position in Finance, University of Konstanz, Germany

FP7 Marie-Curie Initial Training Network
Risk Management and Risk Reporting
Position: Early Stage Researcher/PhD Placement
Project Title: Interbank Lending and Bank Risk Measure

Project Description: The Early Stage Researcher (ESR) in this project will work on measures to restore the interbank markets that are crucial for banks’ liquidity management, but mostly dried up during the crisis. The current external risk reporting of banks lacks credibility because the reported values at risk (VaR) turned out to be very small in relation to the reported depreciations on bank assets.

The project is divided in several steps.
The first step is to find out why the reported VaR were so misleading; is it because the underlying stochastic models are ignoring systemic risks, or because the time horizon of the underlying model is too short?

Second, can VaR be sufficiently improved to credibly communicate a bank’s risk? If not, can stress tests be designed for that purpose? A more demanding approach is to combine different pieces of information that banks publish, which taken separately, might be insufficient, but when put together may be sufficient information for interbank lending. This requires research on the synergies of different pieces of information and empirical testing. This research should be of a theoretical and empirical nature.

Third, the issue of quick changes in banks’ risk through derivatives trading needs to be addressed. Should banks report these big trades or should such trades be restricted to banks with stricter equity capital requirements?

Fourth, the ESR should differentiate systematic and non-systematic risk factors in bank risk positions to provide more precise insights into potential damages of lending to another bank.

Proposed Start Date: September 2009 subject to finalisation of the contract
Duration: 36 months
Financial Information: Salary plus allowances in line with Marie Curie FP7 requirements for ESRs.
Host Institution: Konstanz University
Academic Advisor: Professor Guenter Franke
Secondment 1: Erasmus University Rotterdam - 4 months
Secondment 2: Deutsche Bundesbank, McKinsey or Credit Suisse - 4 months, subject to confirmation

Eligibility: Nationals or residents of Germany cannot apply. At the time of appointment, applicants should have no more than 4 years experience (FTE) after graduation and should not have resided in the host country for more than 12 months in the last 3 years immediately before appointment.

To Apply: Applicants are requested to send the following documents to guenter.franke[ at ]uni-konstanz.de:

• a curriculum vitae
• copies of academic transcripts and degree certificates
• proof of English proficiency (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency, IELTS, TOEFL)
• a one-page statement of purpose about aptitude and motivation for pursuing the programme
• two letters of recommendation from professors
• the results of the GRE test.

For more information, please see the official announcement.