BGS Urban Geoscience Team Internship

Internship Opportunity
The British Geological Survey (BGS), is part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and is the world’s longest established national geological survey and the UK’s premier centre for earth science information and expertise.
An 8 week internship within the Urban Geoscience Team to produce illustrations and animations for a new interactive webpage which is being developed to highlight the importance of the sustainable use of the ground beneath cities will be available in June based at the Keyworth site near Nottingham.
For more info see:
www.bgs.ac.uk/news/docs/Illustrations_RD.pdf

Unique Opportunity - Following the Cruise of the Betsey, September 2014

The Geological Societies of Glasgow and Edinburgh are offering a unique opportunity for young Earth scientists to follow the journey of Hugh Miller in "The Cruise of the Betsey". On 6 September 2014 Leader, a wonderful old Brixham Trawler built in 1892 (www.trinitysailing.org/vessels/leader/), will set sail from Oban heading north for the Small Isles in a one-week voyage in homage to Hugh Miller and his Hebridean tours, described in his classic book "The Cruise of the Betsey". The boat sleeps 19 people including 4 crew members, and will be filled with an inter-generational mix of geologists, geographers, artists, writers, ecologists, storytellers and historians (including a Gaelic speaker).

The voyage will take the form of a mobile conference during which each participant will apply their own talents and interests in celebration of the achievements of Hugh Miller, and the landscapes, seascapes and cultural history of the Hebrides. The reward for the successful applicants will be to broaden and deepen their appreciation of Hebridean geodiversity, but also to gain new and probably unexpected perspectives on the geology, landscape and people of this beautiful sea-bound realm. The Geological Societies of Glasgow and Edinburgh will fund up to four berths on the boat for young people (aged 16-30) studying Earth science, who have a research interest in the area or in a subject related to Hugh Miller, and a passion for sharing and communicating geology, landscape and/or Hebridean culture to a diverse audience.

Applications need to be submitted by email by 31 March.

For full details please see the description and application form.

Free risk and uncertainty course for NERC-funded PhD students

Cranfield University is running a three day course on Understanding and Communicating Risk and Uncertainty from 11th - 13th February 2014. The course is open to all PhD students within the Environment and Natural Sciences and Engineering. Funded by NERC, the course (including course fee, accommodation and reasonable travel costs) is free of charge for NERC-funded PhD students. 

Upon completion, attendees will be able to:

·         Understand the concept of risk and uncertainty across the environmental domain

·         Use a number of quantitative and qualitative tools to measure risk

·         Identify and apply the appropriate tool to any given risk; measure uncertainty

·         Communicate risk and uncertainty

·         Understand the role of risk-based evidence in policy making

·         Identify evidence appropriate for supporting environmental policy

·         Develop effective strategies for communicating risk and uncertainty

For more details, including the timetable, details of speakers and information on how to register, please click here

PhD Applications for 2014

The first funded PhD studentships are now being advertised for the 2014 intake.

A new system?
You may have noticed that the way in which Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) PhD studentships are organised has changed this year. From now on any NERC-funded studentship will belong to one of 15 Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) institutes or consortia.
Read more on the NERC website
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/available/postgrad/documents/dtp-awards.pdf

What has changed?

• The supervisors for each studentship will come from two or more institutes within each DTP although most studentships are likely to be based at a single institute / university for the majority of the time.
• Some of the studentships will be based at NERC's Research Institutes which include: British Antarctic Survey, British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, National Oceanography Centre and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science.
• Multi-disciplinary approaches to tackle research problems are emminent and the relevance of research to business, policy and society is a high priority.
• Studentships within DTPs will come together as a community for training, research presentations and shared resources.
• Students will gain from a structured training program alongside their research.

Finding a PhD studenship
The studentships will be advertised on principal host websites as well as individual websites and are starting to appear now. Check out the website for each DTP to see the range of projects with funding and application procedures:
The Oxford DTP in Environmental Research
SCENARIO. Postgraduate centre in the SCience of the Environmnet: Natural and Anthropogenic pRocesses, Impacts and Opportunities
ENVISION: Developing next generation leaders in environmental science
The London NERC Doctoral Training Partnership
NERC Science @ Leeds and York - Site for PhD Training in Evnironmental Research (SPHERES)
Central England NERC Training Alliance (CENTA)
Training the next generation of environmental scientists
IAPETUS: Postgraduate Environmental Training NexUS: transforming doctoral students into the next generation leaders in science, industry and policy
Environment East (EnvEast) Doctoral Trainin Partnership
The Cambridge Earth System Science DTP: Multi-disciplinary studies of the solid Earth, its atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere and biosphere
GW4+ - a consortium of excellence in innovative research training
Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet
E3 - Edinburgh Earth and Environment - Doctoral Training Partnership
SPITFIRE - the Southampton Partnership for Innovative Training of Future Investigators Researching the Environment
Adapting to the Challenges of a Changing Environment (ACCE)

Good luck to all those applying for a 2014 PhD from the UK YES Network

New funded PhD studentships - Application DEADLINE 6th December 2013

Oxford University Earth Sciences Department PhD studenships

STFC and EPSRC Studentships

The Department has two STFC-funded studentships for 2013-14 entry. These are open to home applicants, or EU applicants who have lived in the UK for three years or longer.
The following projects are available:
Project EARTH-13-AH2: Planetary core formation – new isotopic constraints
Project EARTH-13-AH4: The Origin of the Moon: a stable vanadium isotope perspective
Project EARTH-13-BW1: Volatile loss from planets and asteroids
Project EARTH-13-BW2: An experimental study of the chemistry of planetary core formation
The Department has one EPSRC-funded studentship for 2013-14 entry. This is also open to home applicants, or EU applicants who have lived in the UK for three years or longer.
The following project is available:
Project EARTH-13-BW3: Provenance of non-metallic inclusions in steel using trace elements

How to Apply

You may apply online, or request a hard copy of the application pack, on the University Graduate Admissions website.
Applications should be submitted by Friday 6 December 2013.

http://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/graduate_admissions/stfc_studentships

Field Geologist Job Advert - British Antarctic Survey

Field Geologist

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS), part of the Natural Environment Research Council, aims to undertake a world-class programme of scientific research, and to sustain for the UK an active and influential regional presence and a leadership role in Antarctic affairs.

The geology of British Antarctic Territory has been investigated for the last 50 years, initially at a survey level, followed by more targeted field campaigns to address specific problems. BAS is currently remapping large areas of the Antarctic Peninsula combining new field data with archive resources. There is a requirement for a field geologist to strengthen the existing team of geologists and geophysicists.

The Antarctic Peninsula preserves the geology of a continental margin arc and strong evidence of links to South America at least as far back as the Ordovician. The geology is dominated by arc-related granitoids, volcanic rocks and thick sedimentary sequences.

The ideal candidate would have expertise in undertaking field geology campaigns in challenging environments. They should be confident to work in a range of geological settings, familiar with mapping volcanic, plutonic, metamorphic and sedimentary sequences, and be able to make interpretations on the tectonic and environmental setting.

They will be responsible for producing geological maps at a variety of scales based on new fieldwork, combined with archive field data; they will also develop and prepare their own field campaigns. Further duties will include conducting petrographical, geochemical and geochronological analysis to support the fieldwork. It would also be advantageous to have an understanding of remote sensing methods to support the fieldwork, e.g. aeromagnetic data, spectral mapping. The ability to write scientific papers, forge new collaboration and contribute to future grant proposals is an essential component of the post.

Qualifications: PhD and Degree in Geology

Duration: Open - Ended Appointment

Salary: Salary will be in the range of £26,450 to £29,710 per annum. We offer a generous benefits package including a pension scheme, free car parking, flexible working hours and 30 days annual leave per annum.

On-line application forms and further information are available on our website at www.antarctica.ac.uk/employment

These are also available from the Personnel Section, British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET. Tel: (01223) 221508.

Please quote reference: BAS 103/13

Closing date for receipt of application forms is 15th September 2013

Interviews are scheduled to be held on.w/c 23rd September 2013

http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/employment/vacancies/job.php?JobID=870

Environmental Young Entrepreneurs Scheme

Places now available for the 2013 competition

·  Do you want to stand out from the crowd and gain skills your peers don't have?

·  Do you want to improve your employment prospects and earn more?

·  Do you want to know how to make money from your research and be an entrepreneur?

 

If your answer to any of these questions is 'YES' then the Environment YES competition is for you!
Environment YES is an innovative scheme for researchers in environmental science. Its aim is to increase entrepreneurial awareness in the environmental science community.
The Environment YES scheme is run as a competition, and is like a blend of the popular UK TV shows 'Dragons' Den' and 'The Apprentice'. Teams of early-career researchers attend a three-day workshop where they are given training and guidance on innovation and how to commercialise their research and become an entrepreneur. The training the teams receive is worth around £5000.
At the end of the three-day workshops, teams present and pitch their ideas for an imaginary environmental start-up company in competition with each other. The winning teams from each workshop are invited to a final where they compete for a prize of £1000.
Places on the Environment YES scheme are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The competition is entirely free to enter, and NERC will cover travel and subsistence costs for participants attending the workshops and final. More information about Environment YES

Key dates
Briefing session: 6 August 2013, Nottingham (one member of each team needs to attend this session).
Workshops: 9-11 October 2013, Oxford; 6-8 November 2013, Lanarkshire, Scotland (applicants to the scheme should state which workshop they would prefer to attend).
Final: 2 December 2013, London.

Eligibility

Environment YES is aimed at individuals who are in the early stages of their research career, for example PhD students or those in their first or second post-doctoral research appointment. They should be working in the environmental sciences.

How to apply

Simply complete and submit the Environment YES applicationform 

Further information
For further information please follow the relevant links below.

·  Introduction and detailsfor the Environment YES scheme

·  Last year's Environment YESwinning team

·  Examples of science ideaswhich have been used previously in the competition

·  Frequently asked questions

·  The YES Application formand an example workshop timetable/ agenda