RECETO news letter April 2010
April 2010
Contents
1. News from the Board
2. Envirosymp2010
3. RECETO Scholarships
4. Conferences and Symposia
5. Upcoming Ph.D. Courses and Other Relevant Courses
6. Vacancies
7. News about RECETO Names
1. News from the Board
The board is working with several organizational questions. The main question is how the research educational programmes can function as efficient meeting places, networking opportunities and bridges between institutions under the new Ph.D. school structure. Also it appears that the funding to research educational programmes received from the Danish Research Councils is going to stop, and in the future funding is coming from the universities. Hence, new solutions have to be found for funding Ph.D. scholarships between RECETO partners. The different RECETO partners will be contacted during the coming months for reneval of partnership agreements and for discussion of new funding solutions.
Postdoctoral stipends
Nikoline Juul Nielsen has been awarded a RECETO postdoctoral grant for six month to support her project “Plant Metabolomics for the Assesment of Environmental Contamination – A Proof-of-Concept Study on Glyphosate Exposure”. Her employment is at the Department of Basic Sciences and Environment, and during her employment Nikoline will also participate in teaching activities and organization of courses.
New benefits for RECETO students
The board has decided on some new initiatives that RECETO students may benefit from. RECETO students may now apply for a travel grant of 5000 DKK at the disposal of the student, for support for relevant purposes (e.g. travels to conferences, meetings, international courses). The application form will be up soon.
Another offer to students is the opportunity to get your scientific articles reviewed by RECETO-affiliated supervisors before submission to a scientific journal.
Scholar stipends
Two applicants have been granted a scholar stipend of 30.000 DKK. The two scholarship awardees are Christina Aagaard Rasmussen and Karoline Nolsø Aaen. Christina is doing her master thesis at the Faculty of Life Sciences, Copenhagen University, and she will work on a paper with the working title “Synergy of the fungicide epoxyconazole at realistic concentrations”. Karoline is also doing her master thesis at the Faculty of Life Sciences, Copenhagen University, and the working title of her paper is “Development of an anaerobic [3H]leucine incorporation assay for the determination of pollution-induced bacterial community tolerance in copper-contaminated, irrigated soils”
Coming board meetings:
May 4 at the Faculty of Life Sciences, Copenhagen University (KU-LIFE).
The agendas and minutes of board meetings are posted online at http://www.receto.dk/Organization/Board/Minutes.aspx
2. EnviroSymp2010
Nanoparticles in the Environment
Time: 10th and 11th June, 2010
Location: Life Science Faculty - University of Copenhagen
Organizer: Hans Christian Bruun Hansen haha@life.ku.dk
Aims:
Nanotechnology is a new and emerging field with many promising future application. The symposium ‘Nanoparticles in the Environment’ will look at both the advances of nanotechnology, and its side effects on the environment and human health. The main focus will be directed towards PhD students, tutors, MSc student in environmental chemistry, microbiology and toxicology and other interested parties. Participating students will be able to receive 2.5 ECTS credits upon completion of a small workshop. The latter will incorporate elements of knowledge attained from the talks given by academic and industry professionals, along with recent journal publications in the field.
Registration deadline: may 14th 2010
Registration online: www.envirosymp.dk
Fee: 350 DKK in order to cover meal and refreshments.
Credits: 2.5 ECTS (Certificates for participation will be issues at the closing of the symposium)
Further information on the website: www.envirosymp.dk
3. RECETO scholarships
RECETO M.Sc. Merit Scholarships for M.Sc.
A number of scholarships – each DKK 30,000 – have been established to ensure that the best M.Sc. thesis work in the RECETO framework culminates in a fully developed paper that is submitted to a scientific journal. Students who are working on topics in environmental chemistry, microbiology, and toxicology within one or more RECETO research groups can apply for the scholarship at any time. See www.receto.dk
RECETO Postdoctoral Positions
RECETO Ph.D.s can apply for postdoctoral positions of three to six months. The purpose of the postdoctoral programme is to strengthen collaborative research among the research groups within RECETO and to contribute to RECETO educational activities. The next application deadlines are September 1, 2010 and March 1, 2011. See www.receto.dk
RECETO Travel Grants
RECETO Ph.D. students can at any time apply for travel grants to support their participation in Ph.D. courses abroad. Application form coming up soon, see www.receto.dk
4. Conferences and Symposia
MAY
The 2nd international conference on
Research Frontiers in Chalcogen Cycle Science and Technology
Time: 25 may,2010
Location: Westvest 7 - 2611 AX Delft, The Netherlands
Topics:
- Analytics
- Novel bioconversions of chalcogen (S, Se, Te, ...) and metals
- Chalcogen - metal interactions for metal removal
- Biomanufacturing of chalcogen nanoparticles
- Role of metals in biodegradation
- Emerging areas
Organizer:
The 2nd International Congress on Research Frontiers in Chalcogen Cycle Science and Technology is organized by the Pollution Prevention and Control core of the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education (Delft, The Netherlands, see www.unesco-ihe.org).
The workgroup "Environmental Biotechnology" of the Nederlandse Biotechnologische Vereniging aims to inform its members about the latest developments of biological processes for the treatment of pollution, reuse
of resources from waste and the implementation of clean production. See also: http://www.unesco-ihe.org/Research-Frontiers-in-Chalcogen-Cycle-Science-and-Technology.
Fee and Deadline:The registration fee is:
Full registration: Before May 15th 2010: 100 €
After May 15th 2010: 150 €
One day registration: 75 €
Developing countries*, Students** and NBVMembers:
Before May 15th 2010: 50 €
After May 15th 2010: 100 €
(*) Participants must be resident in a developing country
(**) Students must include a letter of their institution or supervisor.
Application:
Return application form by fax or e-mail to:
Denys Villa Gomez
UNESCO-IHE
Department Environmental Resources
Fax : + 31 15 212 2921
e-mail:
For further information see the flyer here
SETAC 2010; Meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: "Science and Technology for Environmental Protection"
Seville, Spain, 23-27 May
This conference includes the session E2:
"Environmental impact of amendments on soil ecology and soil organic matter quality"
Conference topics are:
Climate change and environmental quality
Environmental chemistry
Emerging pollutants
Ecotoxicology
Handling, monitoring and remediation of pollution
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Management (LCM)
Marine environment
Nanomaterials
Risk assessment and regulation
Here you find further information of the meeting
Course organizers are
Francisco J. González-Vila and
JUNE
6 th International Symposium of Interactions of Soil Minerals with
Organic Components and Microorganisms
Time: June - 1st July 2011
Location: Montpellier, France
The Web site is now open http://www1.montpellier.inra.fr/ISMOM2011/. It
will be updated from time to time.
International Humic Substances Society
“Humic Substances and the Maintenance of Ecosystem Services”
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, 27 June - 2 July 2010
Topics of the conference will be on
- The role of humic substances & NOM in ecosystems
- Physical, chemical and biological properties
- Carbon stabilization processes: humification & highly refractory forms
- NOM as driver and tracer of terrestrial C fluxes
- Production, recycling and innovative applications
- New analytical approaches
- Humic substances & NOM in aquatic systems
- Water treatment
Notice:
Deadline for travel Awards application: December 1st, 2009
Deadline for submission of abstracts: January 15th, 2010
More information is available at the homepage
download flyer
AUGUST
19th World Congress of Soil Science: Soil Solutions for a Changing World
1-6 August 2010 in Brisbane, Queensland Australia, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
The conference theme "Soil Solutions for a Changing World" provides a tremendous opportunity for a broad range of presentations – we urge you to share your research, experiences and knowledge with members in Brisbane.
The congress covers topics of
- Soils in Space and Time
- Soil Properties and Processes
- Soil Use and Management
- The Role of Soils in Sustaining Society and the Environment
Call for Papers
Papers must be submitted by 31 October 2009 to be considered.
Download the Congress flyer and get more information at the homepage of World Congress of Soil Science.
Environmental Effects of Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials: 2010
August 2010: Sunday 22 - Thursday 26, Clemson University - South Carolina
Description: Nano 2010 will provide a venue for presentation and discussion of current research on these issues. The interdisciplinary mix of environmental scientists, toxicologists, material scientists, and engineers should provide for a robust discussion in a creative atmosphere. This meeting is the fifth annual international meeting on this topic following the success of previous meetings held in the United Kingdom and, most recently, Nano 2009 held in Vienna.
Registration: Registration Fees:
Professionals:
Early Registration for Professionals: $590.00
Registration for Professionals July 1 - August 15, 2010: $690.00
On-Site Registration: $790.00
Students:
Early Registration for Students: $300.00
Registration for Students July 1 - August 15, 2010: $400.00
On-Site Registration: $500.00
Early Registration closes: June 30, 2010
Online registration opens: May 1, 2010
Further information: http://www.clemson.edu/public/nano2010/
5. Upcoming Ph.D. Courses and Other Relevant Courses
2010
MAY
Mixed effects models in ecologyCoimbra, Portugal, 17-21 May
More information and registration at the homepage
Training researchers to commercialize research (NOVA, 4 ECTS)
Two periods: 5 days in may and 5 days in September
Visit the homepage of Tress and Tress for more info
Coping with the challenges of a PhD study (Tress and Tress , 2 ECTS)
Comprehensive 3-day training, 31 May – 2 June
(E-mail: ) or visit their homepage www.tress-tress.com
Philosophy of science and research ethics
What is this thing called science?
Time: 5 Days 3 hours: 20/5-11/6 (20/5, 21/5, 3/6, 4/6, 11/6)
Location: Forest & Landscape, Rolighedsvej 23 - 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Objective
The aim of the course is to give an introduction to the methodological, philosophical and ethical problems in scientific research. The course seeks to enhance the capability of participants to formulate the methodological foundation of their thesis work, review their approach used and reflect on research ethics, including good research practice guidelines and the relation between research and society, including science communication.
Participants will gain basic knowledge in philosophy/theory of science, especially with regard to applied natural and social science within LIFE relevant disciplines (e.g. forestry, agronomy) and in particular with a view to select themes from the participants’ PhD projects. Emphasis is on actual scientific practices, e.g. observations, measurements, experiments, validation as well as conduct and values in research training.
Duration
Each day of lectures/workshop lasts about three hours (13-16) and there are five days over four weeks. In between course days, work is to be expected on the essay (and as such it will be an integral part of own research and writing). The course is to be held five afternoons (Thursday and Fridays).
Attendance (5 days of 3 hours): 15 hours
Reading of literature: 10 hours
Course essay: 50 hours
Presentation and evaluation of reports by participant: 5 hours
Credits and evaluation
3 ECTS credits. After Day 4 and two weeks participants must hand in a course essay (which is the intention can be used as part of the PhD thesis’ methodology part). At Day 5 of the course each participant presents his or her essay and get feedback from least one other participant, and vice versa. Final evaluation as passed/not passed.
Responsible teachers and contact persons
Christian Gamborg (course leader), Peter Sandøe, Erik Dahl Kjær
Course secretaries: Isabelle Skarvig and Sofie Kobayashi
Registration
Deadline: 10/5. Contact course secretary Isabelle Skarvig, e-mail:
JUNE
Health Risk Assessment II: Challenges in Risk Assessment
7 - 11 June, 2010
RA-COURSES/Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Find more information on the course webpage.
Plant Nutrients in Terrestrial Ecosystems - Acquisition and Turnover
7th - 18th of June 2010, Faculty of Life Science , Copenhagen Denmark.
Deadline for registration: 5th of May 2010. Contact Lisbeth Axelsen .
Respondable teachers: Jakob Magid & Jan K. Schjoerring, Department of Agriculture and Ecology.
Credits: 6 ECTS, 3 week intensive
Teaching Contents: The course is mainly theoretical, with an emphasis on literature review, focused topic discussions, modeling exercises, as well as seminars given by specialist researchers and by the students themselves.
The following topics will be covered:
• Nutrient requirements of plants and uptake mechanisms
• Soil organic matter, C and N cycles. Pitfalls and gaps in methods and knowledge
• Fertilizers: lesson learned from soil chemistry and plant physiology
• Rhizosphere effects in relation to macro- and micro-nutrients as well as contaminants
• Focus: a critical review of soil and plant testing
• Food quality and soil fertility (biofortification)
Additional information: http://www.agri.life.ku.dk/English/AGREC/activities/Phd_courses.aspx
Biogeodynamics and Earth System Sciences (IVSLA)
Summer school
11 - 18 June 2010
Link to the course: www.istitutoveneto.it/bess/program.htm
Estuarine Ecology
14-18 June 2010
University of Groningen, Yerseke, The Netherlands
Find more information about the course on the course homepage.
Environmental Systems Analysis (EAWAG)
Summer school
21 - 25 June 2010
Link to the course: www.eawag.ch/about/standorte/index_EN
6th International School of Conservation Biology (iSCB)
23 June - 1 July 2010
Link to the course: www.hbd1885.hr/iscb/
GEOSTAT 2010 Summer School (Plasencia, Spain)
27 June - 4 July 2010
Link to the course: geostat2010.info/flyer
GISLERS - Bridging GIS, Landscape Ecology, and Remote Sensing for Landscape Planning
Summer School
29 June - 9 July 2010
Link to the course: www.edu-zgis.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=347&Itemid=278?=en
Soil degradation, Erosion and Restoration (NOVA, 4 ECTS)
7 – 16 June 2010.
Find more information and application forms at the homepage
SAFE summer school: Hands-on LC-MSMS analytical chemistry of phytochemicals
PhD School of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Aarhus University
21 June - 2 July, 2010
Knowledge of advanced chemical analysis i a necessary tool in research on bioactive natural compounds from plants both when focus is on the compounds' health effects and their defense properties against insects, weeds and diseases. Analytical chemistry can of course be studied in books, -but with practical laboratory work you will learn much more. The cours will take place in a well equipped laboratory at Aarhus University, Flakkebjerg, Denmark. Three LC-MSMS apparatuses will be availeble for the students during the course and the use of the equipment will be taught by our experienced technicians. Techniques on the practical preparation of natural samples will be trained as well.
The course will include
-
Preparatory reading of course literature (sent by mail to the participants no later than two months before the start of the intensive part of the course)
-
Participation in a ten-days on residential course at Research Centre Flakkebjerg
-
Hand-in of a report no later than two weeks after the ten-days residential course
Lecturers
Inge S. Fomsgaard, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Aarhus
Senior Scientist Niels Henrik Hyttel Spliid, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Aarhus
Laboratory Technician Anne G. Mortensen
Laboratory Technician Bente Laursen
Laboratory Technician Kirsten Heinrichson
PhD student Jonas Lekfeldt
Other visiting lecturers will be announced later
Course venue
The course venue is Research Centre Flakkebjerg, situated in Southwest Zealand, 10 km south of Slagelse, 100 west of Copenhagen. Research Centre Flakkebjerg hosts two departments of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University.
Complete adress of the venue is:
Department of Integrated Pest Management,
Research Centre Flakkebjerg
Forsøgsvej 1,
DK-4200 Slagelse
Tel: +45 89993500
Course coordinator: Inge S. Fomsgaard, Tel. no. +45 89993610 or +45 22283399, E-mail
Download the flyer
Understanding peer-reviewed publishing, 1 day (Tress and Tress, 1 ECTS)
3 June 2010, Munich, Germany
Visit the homepage of Tress and Tress for more info.
Publishing in peer-reviewed journals, 3 days comprehensive training (Tress and Tress, 3 ECTS)
7 – 9 June, Munich, Germany
Visit the homepage of Tress and Tress for more info
Practical Training School on Microencapsulation
June 29 - July 2, 2010, Dijon, France .
Organizer: Bioencapsulation Reserach Group
Fees: Industrial 2000 euros, academic 800 euros and students & young researchers 500 euros.
Contact: http://cost865.bioencapsulation.net/2010_Dijon
Payment information: http://cost865.bioencapsulation.net/2010_Dijon
Online registration: http://cost865.bioencapsulation.net/2010_Dijon
Farming and food systems as social ecological systems - integrated assessment for resilience and adaptive capacity
13-19 June, Finland
Deadline for registration: 19 April
Course responsible: Prof. Juha Helenius, Helsinki University
The overall aim of the course is to introduce PhD students with
conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches of studying farming
and food systems as social ecological systems, and integrated assessment
for sustainability of these.
The key learning goals include conceptual modelling of agri-food
systems as social ecological systems, tools for their integrated
assessment, and resilience and adaptive capacity as key parameters of
sustainability of such systems. Along the rationale of the NOVA
agroecology network (see e.g. Francis et al. 2003), an emphasis is in
applications relevant not just to mainstream systems, but also to
organic/ecological systems.
Course description
The course consists of a pre-course assignment 1-31 May, and an intensive course 13-18 June.
Fees and registration information can be found on the course homepage.
AUGUST
Remediation of Contaminated Soils - MSc and PhD Course
9 - 27 August, 2010, Copenhagen, Denmark
NOVA/LIFE course.
More info on the homepage.
RECETO / STAiR PhD summer school: Direct analytical methods for determining exposure and fate of organic chemicals in soils and sediments
August 22nd- 28th, 2010 (6 ECTS - to be confirmed)
Location: Aarhus University, National Environmental Research Institute,
Department of Environmental Chemistry and Microbiology, Roskilde, Denmark.
Research on soil and sediment contaminants is traditionally based on exhaustive extractions and total contaminant concentrations that in many instances are poor measures for contaminant exposure, effects and fate processes. The scope of this summer school is thus to present and discuss a range of conceptual and analytical approaches aiming at a more direct determination of environmental exposure and fate processes. Ideally, such approaches are suited for the direct determination of the relevant measure at the site of interest. Examples include (1) equilibrium partitioning techniques directed at exposure parameters such as freely dissolved concentrations
and chemical activity, (2) passive sampling devices for the measurement of diffusive and convective fluxes and (3) the application of isotopic enrichment or selected DNA/RNA as indicators for ongoing biodegradation. The lectures will not only present a diverse suite of “direct methods”, they will also inspire and challenge the students to develop and select direct methods for their own research. Some of the techniques will be demonstrated and applied in hands-on exercises. The students will either prepare an oral presentation prior to the summer school or write a report after the summer school.
Target group:
PhD students within environmental chemistry, environmental engineering, soil science and ecotoxicology. Post Docs and M.Sc. students can also apply (second priority).
Teachers:
Lectures will be given by (international) experts, list to be announced.
Course fee:
2500 dkr will cover accomodation in two-bed rooms, breakfast and a summer school dinnner.
Further information and registration:
Register at the RECETO homepage and find more information at the STAiR homepage.
This Summer School will be organized by Senior Scientists Philipp Mayer () and Kilian Smith () from Aarhus University as well as Professor Jan Åke Jönsson (Lund University) within the framework of the Ph.D. programs RECETO
(www.receto.dk; Copenhagen University) and STAiR (www.stair.agrproject.dk; Aarhus University) as well as the EU project MODELPRO BE (www.modelprobe.ufz.de).
Download the summer school flyer.
9th International NCCR Climate Summer School "Adaptation and Mitigation: Responses to Climate
29 August – 3 September 2010, Grindelwald, Switzerland
The NCCR Climate, Switzerland's centre of excellence in climate and climate impact research, invites young scientists to join leading climate researchers in a scenic southern Swiss Alpine setting for keynote lectures, workshops and poster sessions on the occasion of the 9th NCCR Climate Summer School 2010.
The topics covered at the NCCR Climate Summer School 2010 will include:
- Emission scenarios and the future of the global climate
- Economics of climate change: an overview
- Assessing costs and benefits of climate change
- Adaptation and Mitigation: instruments, strategic aspects and implementation
- Climate policy and international negotiations.
The summer school is open to young researchers (PhD students and Post-Docs) worldwide. Participation is highly competitive and will be limited to a maximum of 70. The registration fee (1'200 CHF) includes half board accommodation, excursion and teaching material. A small number of grants will be available for students from developing countries.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 19 DECEMBER 2009
Successful applicants will be notified in February 2010.
Contact: University of Bern, , Zähringerstrasse 25, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland, Telephone +41 31 631 31 45, Telefax +41 31 631 43 38.
Find more information at the homepage of NCCR
Applied statistics with R for the agricultural, life, and veterinary sciences (NOVA, 6 ECTS)
6 days August, 2010
Find more information about the course and application forms at the homepage
ICBM Summer School on "Coastal Systems"
August 15th - 27th, 2010, ICBM-Terramare, Schleusenstraße 1 - D-26382 Wilhelmshaven
Institution: Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), University of Oldenburg .
Application
The summer school is open to young scientists with a background in marine sciences. Priority will be given to PhD students in the second or third year of their work, but
also applications by other PhD students or young Post Docs are welcome.
The deadline for application is May 15, 2010. Please, send your application to direktor@icbm.de including a CV (max. 1 page) and a motivation letter (max. 1 page)
describing your scientific background and your personal expectations from attending the summer school. The successful applicants will be contacted in June.
Fees: The fee for the two weeks is 130 EUR including accommodation in multi bed rooms and coffee breaks.
Contact: . Phone +49 0441 798 5344 .
6. Vacancies and Positions
RECETO Postdoctoral Positions
RECETO Ph.D.s can apply for postdoctoral positions of three to six months. The purpose of the postdoctoral programme is to strengthen collaborative research among the research groups within RECETO and to contribute to RECETO educational activities. The next application deadlines are September 1, 2010 and March 1, 2011. See www.receto.dk
7. News about RECETO Names
Two new PhD projects have been commenced that are associated with RECETO:
Maj-Britt Andersen has started as a PhD student at the University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Basic Sciences and Environment.
Project title: Azole Fungicides as Synergists in the Aquatic Environment.
Supervisor: Associate professor Nina Cedergreen.
Nichlas René Van Weezel has started as a PhD student at the University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Basic Sciences and Environment.
Project title: Chemical Profiling of Polar and Semipolar Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in Crude Oil and Refined Petroleum Products.
Supervisor: Associate Professor Jan H. Christensen.
New student assistants in RECETO
Paolo Bruschi has been employed to assist the RECETO secretariat editng and updating the homepage. If you have something you want to have on the RECETO homepage or if you have any comments write an email to RECETO receto@life.ku.dk or Paolo Bruschi ()
Denisa Cupi has been employed to help the RECETO secretariat to organize and arrange the next Envirosymp2010 in May 2010
Is there news you would like to contribute?
Feel free to send this newsletter to your co-workers or others who may be interested in RECETO.
If you have comments or suggestions about the homepage, please send a mail to .