PhD Scholarship in Structural Health Monitoring of Bridges, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia

PhD Scholarship in Structural Health Monitoring of Bridges, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia
PhD scholarship in structural health monitoring of bridges (up to $50K tax free)

As one of Australia’s leading universities, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has a solid record of success in solving problems for industry and the community, and developing new products and processes.

Applications are invited from appropriately qualified individuals for a PhD scholarship being offered in QUT’s Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering (Brisbane) to work on the following project:

Structural Health Monitoring of Bridges using Vibration Characteristics

Many bridges in Australia are old and are now subjected to heavier and faster moving loads, than originally envisaged and in addition suffer structural deterioration with age. These factors can cause localised distress, which if not attended to can cause bridge failure with adverse consequences.

To address this, the Commonwealth Government – through the Australian Research Council, supported by Queensland Main Roads Department and Brisbane City Council – recently funded a research project to develop an innovative structural health monitoring system to monitor and predict distress in our bridges.

This project will develop and use modern sensor (wired and wireless) technology and dynamic computer simulation techniques to achieve the aims.

We are looking for a Honours graduate in Civil/Structural/Mechanical/ Electrical Engineering with interests in experimental work and finite element modelling.

He/she can expect up to $40,000 pa tax free depending on qualifications and experience. This amount includes approximately $4,000 worth of tutoring. A top-up of $10,000 from CR-CIEAM is possible.

Application closing date
Applications will be considered until a suitable candidate is chosen.

For more information please contact Professor David Thambiratnam on (07) 3138 1467 or email d.thambiratnam[ at ]qut.edu.au, or Dr Tommy Chan on (07) 3138 6732 or email tommy.chan[ at ]qut.edu.au

PhD Scholarship in Genetic Programming for Data Mining Tasks, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

PhD Scholarship in Genetic Programming for Data Mining Tasks, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Genetic Programming and Evolutionary Computing research group
The Genetic Programming and Evolutionary Computing research group at Victoria University of Wellington was recently awarded a large research grant in Genetic Programming (GP) for data mining tasks by the Marsden Fund of New Zealand (similar to the National Science Foundation in USA). We are looking for a good PhD student in this field. The grant will provide full funding for the student to cover the tuition fees, living allowance, and travel cost.

The Project
Data mining tasks arise in a wide variety of practical situations, ranging from classification to regression, clustering, and optimisation tasks. Since the 1990s, genetic programming (GP) has become a promising approach to building reliable data mining models quickly and automatically. GP uses ideas analogous to biological evolution to search the space of possible models to evolve a good solution for a particular task. GP has been applied to many data mining tasks and achieved some success. However, there are still limitations in program structures, representations, genetic operators, search algorithms and theoretical foundations in GP that restrict GP for difficult data mining tasks.

Applicants are invited from excellent and enthusiastic students wishing to undertake a PhD in this area. The successful applicant will extend the current research and address the methodological/theoretical issues in GP and/or a real-world engineering applications in data mining using GP and related evolutionary learning techniques.

The Student
Applications from both domestic and international students are invited. A strong background in C/C++/Java programming and a basic background in machine learning and pattern recognition are required. A good background in genetic programming, evolutionary computing, neural networks, statistics, or statistics/operations research is desired. Students should have a first class Honour or a Masters degree in computer science.

Contact
Dr Mengjie Zhang
mengjie.zhang[ at ]mcs.vuw.ac.nz
http://homepages.mcs.vuw.ac.nz/~mengjie/

Closing date: 1 May 2009

PhD Studentships in Statistics, University of Cambridge, UK

PhD Studentships in Statistics, University of Cambridge, UK
Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics
Limit of tenure: 3 years
Applications are invited for PhD studentships in Statistics, to be held in the Statistical Laboratory. The Studentships are associated with the Cambridge Statistics Initiative which is targeted at the development of novel statistical methodology, both generic and in specific application areas. Information about the Laboratory can be found at www.statslab.cam.ac.uk.

The studentships will provide funding to cover fees at the home/EU rate. Additional funding for fees for those paying the overseas arts rate could be available and will be assessed competitively. A stipend will be paid of at least the equivalent to the national minimum (13290 for the academic year 2009/10) for a minimum period of 3 years.

Supervision, along with research training tailored to the needs of the student, will be provided by the Laboratory. Research interests of academic staff can be found at www.statslab.cam.ac.uk/Dept/People

Applicants must qualify for admission to the PhD course at the University of Cambridge. They should normally hold (or expect to be awarded) a first class UK honours degree or equivalent and a postgraduate qualification in Mathematics or Statistics.

Initial enquiries, which should include a curriculum vitae and an indication of possible research topics, should be directed to Professor A.P. Dawid, email: apd[ at ]statslab.cam.ac.uk

Quote Reference: LF04227

Closing Date: 31 January 2009

Postdoctoral Positions in Design and Physical Characterization of Vesicles and Oil-in-Water Emulsions, the University of Guelph, Canada

Postdoctoral Positions in Design and Physical Characterization of Vesicles and Oil-in-Water Emulsions, the University of Guelph, Canada
This project involves the design and manipulation of vesicles and oil-in-water emulsions. The vesicles will contain a hydrophilic core and a lipid envelope, and will be suspended in an aqueous phase. Oil in water emulsions will contain food grade oil and proteins. The main aspect of the project will be to physically and chemically characterize the nanoparticles with respect to stability and leakage. The techniques that will be used include light scattering methods, rheology, microscopy and fluorescence.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD in Food Science, Physics, Chemistry or related discipline and experience with one or more of the above-mentioned techniques. A record of at least one publication is expected.

The Food Science Department at the University of Guelph is one of North America’s leading Food Science departments. Its strengths include a young faculty body and state-of-the-art facilities. Its annual income is $5.5M for research and there are currently 23 PhD and 77 MSc students with 100undergraduates in BSc with Food Science major.

Start date: January 1st 2009.

Contact: Dr Marcela Alexander, maalexan[ at ]uoguelph.ca

website: http://www.uoguelph.ca/dairyres/

Asia Pacific Leadership Program Fellowship 2009-2010, USA

Fellowships for 2009-2010
Asia Pacific Leadership Program
New Fellowships Available
The East-West Center is pleased to announce new fellowships for the Asia Pacific Leadership Program for 2009-10. Entering its eight year, the Asia Pacific Leadership Program (APLP) is the center of excellence for leadership education in the Asia Pacific region. The APLP is a graduate certificate program combining the development of regional expertise with the enhancement of individual leadership capacity. Based at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, the program has created a network of dynamic leaders in 48 countries who are helping to build a peaceful, prosperous and just Asia Pacific community. All participants receive an APLP Entrance Fellowship valued at approximately $15,000.

Participants
The Asia Pacific Leadership Program seeks outstanding individuals with proven leadership experience or high leadership potential from across the Asia Pacific region, North America and beyond. All participants have at least a Bachelors degree with the majority having graduate degrees as well. At least 20 countries are represented in each cohort. APLP Fellows come together from all walks of life, including areas as diverse as government, business, NGOs, health sciences, media, monastic orders, and education.

APLP participants will gain broad regional perspectives, become knowledgeable about the critical challenges facing the Asia Pacific region, and be trained to exercise leadership and promote cooperation. The APLP empowers leaders with the knowledge, skills, experiences, and supportive community needed to successfully navigate personal and regional change in the 21st century.

Recruitment for 2009-10 is open. Places are limited. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Deadline: December 1, 2008

Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

Application Forms and Fellowships:
www.eastwestcenter.org/aplp

For more information about the Asia Paci?c Leadership Program, as well as application forms and fellowship opportunities, please visit our website at: www.eastwestcenter.org/aplp or email: aplp[ at ]eastwestcenter.org

The application deadline is December 1, 2008. Fellowships begin in August 2009.