PhD Positions in Population Genetics, the Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics, Austria

Procedure
We encourage young, enthusiastic graduate students intrigued by the interdisciplinary nature of the Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics to apply for the program within the application deadline. However, interested students are welcome to apply throughout the year as additional positions may become available. A high level of dedication and activity will be expected from you during the program, and you should be able to integrate into a very international team with English as the working language.

Only complete applications will be considered!

Applicants are requested to provide the following information as a single pdf document by email:

CV
a motivation letter with a statement of research interests
university certificates including grades
a copy of your university degree that enables you to pursue a doctoral study (diploma, master); if you will earn your degree after the deadline: please supply recent transcripts
an indication of two preferred topics
at least two reference letters (download form below) assessing your scientific qualifications need to be e-mailed directly to us. Please allow sufficient time for your referees to send their letters within the deadline!

The selected candidates will be invited for an interview with the faculty members.

The interview will consist of three phases:

presentation of one publication selected by the applicant from three publications suggested by the faculty.
questions of the faculty to the applicant about the paper and the applicant’s background and motivation
questions of the applicant to the faculty.

As the next step in the selection procedure the applicants will have the opportunity to interact with current students of the Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics. This will take place without the presence of the faculty members and should provide the applicants with further insights into the spirit of the PhD program. Furthermore, the applicants are given the opportunity to interact with the prospective thesis advisor to discuss specific aspects of the project. The final decision is made by the faculty, aiming to recruit the candidates with the highest scientific potential.

Deadline: 13 February 2011

For more information, please visit:
http://www.popgen-vienna.at/application/procedure.html

PhD student Source apportionment of atmospheric particulate matter using 14C and light-absorption measurement techniques msc scholarships

The Paul Scherrer Institute is with 1300 employees the largest research centre for the natural and engineering sciences in Switzerland and a worldwide leading user laboratory. Its research activities are concentrated on the three main topics structure of matter, energy and environmental research as well as human health.

The Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry focuses on the study of atmospheric particles concerning their sources and processing in the atmosphere regarding their influence on climate and human health. We are looking for a
PhD student
Source apportionment of atmospheric particulate matter using 14C and light-absorption measurement techniques

Your tasks

In national and international projects, we intend to quantify the contributions of different sources to particulate matter, especially the organic fraction. We want to quantify the contribution of e.g. traffic, wood burning, and secondary organic aerosols as a function of time and location. The student will be involved in on-going research in Switzerland, Paris, Los Angeles, and possibly other projects. A novel method using aerosol light absorption measurements shall be tested and used for the purposes. Established 14C methods shall be used for unprecedented high-time resolution measurements of the fossil and non-fossil carbon content of particles.

Your profile

This position requires an enthusiastic and creative scientist interested in atmospherically relevant questions and a Master or equivalent degree in environmental sciences, chemistry or physics. We are seeking a person that likes to work with instruments but also on the analysis of the data. Analytical experience and an affinity for some statistical/programming work is necessary. A very high level in spoken and written English is required, German advantageous. The ability to work both independently and in a multidisciplinary team is another prerequisite.

For further information please contact: Dr André Prévôt, phone +41 56 310 42 02, andre.prevot@psi.ch

Please submit your application including CV quoting the ref. code by e-mail to miriam.zehnder@psi.ch or to Paul Scherrer Institut, Human Resources, ref. code 5501-01, Miriam Zehnder, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.