11 PhD fellowships from The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Copenhagen

The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Copenhagen is pleased to announce that 11 PhD fellowships will be available from 1 October 2008. Applications are invited for the three-year fellowships from candidates that hold or expect to hold a master´s degree in a field relevant to the following projects:

1. Nanomedicine and biomacromolecular drug delivery: Modulation of nanoparticle-mediated complement activation by protein surface engineering. Main supervisor: Professor S.M. Moghimi, Department of Pharmaceutics and Analytical Chemistry, phone +45 3533 6528 (email: momo@farma.ku.dk).

2. Molecular biopharmaceutics: Drug delivery via protein-coupled amino acid transporters. Main supervisor: Associate Professor Carsten Uhd Nielsen, Department of Pharmaceutics and Analytical Chemistry, phone +45 3533 6472 (email: cun@farma.ku.dk).

3. Drug metabolism - reactive metabolites: Investigations of mitochondrial toxicity induced by drugs and drug metabolites. Main supervisor: Professor Steen Honoré Hansen, Department of Pharmaceutics and Analytical Chemistry, phone +45 3533 6256 (email: shh@farma.ku.dk).

4. Neuropharmacology: The effect of ketone bodies on cellular energy homeostasis and neuronal excitability. Main supervisor: Associate Professor Trine Meldgaard Lund, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, phone +45 3533 6340 (email: tml@farma.ku.dk).

5. Immunopharmacology/pharmaceutical microbiology: Development and characterization of in-vitro models for immunomodulation. Main supervisor: Associate Professor Erik Wind Hansen, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, phone +45 3533 6137 (email: ewh@farma.ku.dk).

6. Pharmacognosy and natural products: Development of new plant derived antibiotics against resistant bacteria and fungi. Main supervisor: Associate Professor Per Mølgaard, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, phone +45 3533 6335 (email: pm@farma.ku.dk).

7. Chemistry of natural products: Statistical spectroscopy and 2D NMR metabolomics in studies of patterns of secondary metabolites. Main supervisor: Professor Jerzy Jaroszewski, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, phone +45 3533 6372 (email: jj@farma.ku.dk).

8. Analytical chemistry/bioinorganic chemistry: Selenium speciation in cancer cells. Main supervisor: Associate Professor Bente Gammelgaard, Department of Pharmaceutics and Analytical Chemistry, phone +45 3533 6415 (email: bg@farma.ku.dk).

The project is co-financed by The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and The Danish Medical Research Council.

9. Neuropharmacology: GTP cyclohydrolase gen mutations and pain threshold. Main supervisor: Professor Ole J. Bjerrum, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, phone +45 3533 6320 (email: ojb@farma.ku.dk).

The project is co-financed by The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Lundbeck Foundation, and The Danish Medical Research Council.

10. Medicinal chemistry of glutamate receptors: Human excitatory amino acid transporters: Synthesis of novel subtype selective ligands. Main supervisor: Associate Professor Anders A. Jensen, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, phone +45 3533 6491 (email: aaj@farma.ku.dk).

The project is co-financed by The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and The Lundbeck Foundation.

11. Structural biology: The structural basis of histone demethylases as cancer drug targets. Main supervisor: Professor Michael Gajhede, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, phone +45 3533 6407 (email: mig@farma.ku.dk).

The PhD fellowships are to be completed in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at the Universities (PhD order) from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Regulations and Guidelines for the Awarding of the PhD Degree by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The terms of employment are stated in the agreement between The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the Ministry of Finance.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences invites applications from all interested candidates regardless of gender, age, ethnic origin or religion.

Applicants are advised to contact the main supervisor.

Further information on the PhD projects and applicant information form can be found on our web site (www.farma.ku.dk/stillinger).

Applications should be marked 08-323-46. Include in six (6) copies: A letter stating the interest and qualifications for this project (max. one page), Applicant information form, CV, copy of Master of Science diploma (including grade transcripts for bachelor´s and master´s degrees), possible references. Applicants with an MSc degree from abroad should also enclose a short description of the grading scale used.

Applications should be sent to:
University of Copenhagen
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
PhD Administration, att.: Marianne W. Jørgensen
Universitetsparken 2
DK - 2100 Copenhagen
Denmark

Deadline for applications: Monday 18 August 2008 at 12 o´clock noon. Please note that only hardcopy applications are accepted.

We expect an answer as to the granting of the PhD fellowships mid September 2008.

www.offentlige-stillinger.dk

Australia PhD Scholarships for Research in Indonesia

Australia PhD Scholarships for Research in Indonesia on Community, Environment and Local Governance Issues. Expressions of interest are sought for two PhD scholarship positions to carry out field research in Indonesia on community, environment and local governance issues.

The successful candidates will work with a team of experienced researchers - Dr Greg Acciaioli (UWA), A/Prof Anton Lucas and Dr Jim Schiller (Flinders), Dr John McCarthy (ANU), and A/Prof Carol Warren (Murdoch), as well as collaborating researchers in the Netherlands and Indonesia on an Australian Research Council Discovery Project entitled `Social Capital, Natural Resources and Local Governance in Indonesia`. The project will focus on case studies of local decision-making on environmental issues in the context of conservation and development programs in different regions of Indonesia. It aims to improve understanding of contemporary community dynamics in a range of cultural and ecological settings, as well as the practical implications of local participation and capacity building interventions for achieving equity and sustainability outcomes.

The two candidates will be based at Flinders University in Adelaide and Murdoch University in Perth respectively, with location and supervision determined by the focus and site of each student`s component of the project. It is anticipated that one student will work in a coastal community where marine conservation issues are the focus of research, while the second student will focus on a primarily agrarian research site in which World Bank / AusAID / NGO local capacity building, conservation and development projects are being conducted.

Essential criteria include:
* a first-class Honours or Masters degree with a thesis component in a relevant social science field
* advanced fluency in Indonesian language
* field research or other equivalent community/overseas experience
* ability to work independently and as part of a team

Potential applicants should send an initial expression of interest (2 pages) addressing the following points:
a) personal details - name, birth date, citizenship status, address, phone and email
b) academic qualifications - degrees, major areas of study, undergraduate grade point average, honours result
c) title of honours thesis or other significant piece of research, and a brief account of the main argument and approach/methodology adopted
d) level of competence in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods
e) level of proficiency in the Indonesian language
f) study, work or volunteer experience in Indonesia
g) research interests
h) contact information for two referees who can comment on your academic background and suitability for undertaking this research project

Each scholarship is for a three-year period with a stipend of $25,118 per annum (tax free) and up to $10,000 of additional funding for fieldwork in Indonesia. A relocation allowance will be provided where a move to Adelaide or Perth is required to join the project.

A shortlist will be determined by the research team in September, at which point applicants will be requested to submit full formal applications and documentation to either Flinders or Murdoch University. The successful candidates are expected to take up their appointments no later than February 2009.

Please forward initial expressions of interest as outlined above by email to:
Professor Carol Warren,
Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University
c.warren[at]murdoch.edu.au

- Repayment Plans for Federal education loans

There are four main repayment plans for Federal education loans, consisting of Standard Repayment and three alternatives. Each of the alternatives has a lower monthly payment than Standard Repayment, but this extends the term of the loan and increases the total amount of interest repaid over the lifetime of the loan.

Types of Repayment Plans

The repayment plans are as follows:

* Standard Repayment. Under this plan you will pay a fixed monthly amount for a loan term of up to 10 years. Depending on the amount of the loan, the loan term may be shorter than 10 years. There is a $50 minimum monthly payment.

* Extended Repayment. This plan is like standard repayment, but allows a loan term of 12 to 30 years, depending on the total amount borrowed. Stretching out the payments over a longer term reduces the size of each payment, but increases the total amount repaid over the lifetime of the loan.

* Graduated Repayment. Unlike the standard and extended repayment plans, this plan starts off with lower payments, which gradually increase every two years. The loan term is 12 to 30 years, depending on the total amount borrowed. The monthly payment can be no less than 50% and no more than 150% of the monthly payment under the standard repayment plan. The monthly payment must be at least the interest that accrues, and must also be at least $25.

* Income-Contingent Repayment. Payments under the income contingent repayment plan are based on the borrower's income and the total amount of debt. Monthly payments are adjusted each year as the borrower's income changes. The loan term is up to 25 years. At the end of 25 years, any remaining balance on the loan will be discharged. The write-off of the remaining balance at the end of 25 years is taxable under current law. There is a $5 minimum monthly payment. Income Contingent Repayment is available only for Direct Loan borrowers.

* Income-Sensitive Repayment. As an alternative to income contingent repayment, FFELP lenders offer borrowers income-sensitive repayment, which pegs the monthly payments to a percentage of gross monthly income. The loan term is 10 years.

* Income-Based Repayment. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 introduced income-based repayment as a more generous alternative to income-sensitive and income-contingent repayment, starting on July 1, 2009. Unlike income-contingent repayment and income-sensitive repayment, it is available in both the Direct Loan and FFELP programs. Income-based repayment is like income contingent repayment, but caps the monthly payments at a lower percentage of a narrower definition of discretionary income.

All six plans are available for student loans, but only the first three plans are available for parent loans.

Source: finaid.org

- Student Loan Network

Student Loan Network is here to help students and parents find the best student loans, including federal student loans, private student loans and student loan consolidation. Be sure to check out our student resources pages for financial aid tips, free downloads and the answers to all your financial aid and student loan related questions. For more information about student loan network, you can visit studentloannetwork.com.

Source: studentloannetwork.com.

- EdFed Private Loan Consolidation

EdFed private loan consolidation means combining your outstanding private education loans into one loan, including private loans used to cover educational expenses such as tuition, housing and/or other educational expenses. This is in addition to already consolidated private educational loans. Consolidating your private educational loans with EdFed allows you to lower your monthly payment significantly by lengthening the term of your loans, while receiving a low variable interest rate. This is possible even if your private educational loans are held by more than one lender or are of different types.

Source and more info: edfed.com