-------- Original Message -------- Subject: VIB International Ph.D. Program 2009 Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:29:59 +0200 From: Mark Veugelers <Mark.Veugelers@vib.be> To: Mark Veugelers <Mark.Veugelers@vib.be> Dear VIB-colleague, In 2009, VIB will again support 4 talented, international students to obtain a Ph.D. as part of VIB’s International Ph.D. Program. We are again launching a call to all VIB group leaders to submit interdisciplinary projects, involving a promoter and a co-promoter from two different VIB departments, for the VIB International Ph.D. Program Projects can be submitted, starting tomorrow, through a web form, available on the VIB website (http://www.vib.be/VIB/EN/Ph.D.+program/Projects+for+Group+Leaders/). The project proposals will be made accessible to prospective candidates on the VIB website in parallel with the worldwide advertisement of the program in November 2008 (time-schedule – see below). *_Background (See also www.vib.be/phd <http://www.vib.be/phd>) _* The framework for the 2009 call will be similar to the previous calls, whereby each group leader can be involved in two project proposals: once as a promoter and once as a co-promoter. Project proposals for VIB’s International Ph.D. Program must be interdepartmental and interdisciplinary, addressing a biological question that needs the expertise of different research groups to be solved. *Project proposals should aim for a 50/50 distribution between two VIB-labs *and include 1) a well defined scientific problem or biological question, 2) clearly stated, ambitious, but not unrealistic goals that can be reasonably achieved by 1 student within 4 years, and 3) a brief but clear description of how the proposal incorporates knowledge and expertise from 2 VIB Departments. The work distribution between the two labs should be explicitly stated. Please also indicate whether there has already been collaborative research performed relevant to the project. Since the project proposals are also aimed towards students, complex terminology and long texts should be avoided (project proposals cannot be longer than 1500 characters, not counting spaces). Applications for the VIB International Ph.D. Program are limited to non-Belgians currently living abroad. Applications from candidates who have been working in Belgium in the year leading up to the application deadline will not be considered. Candidates should hold a university degree or satisfy equivalent requirements to start a doctoral program at a Flemish university. VIB will provide financial support to the selected Ph.D. candidates for 2 periods of 2 years towards a Ph.D. degree after 4 years. Students apply by filling out an application form, downloadable from the VIB website. In their application, prospective candidates will indicate and argument their top three choices from the available projects without ranking them. The Group Leader Committee will be responsible for evaluating the applications and selecting the best candidates. The top 15 candidates will be invited for an interview. Out of this applicant pool, the top 4 will be selected for the VIB International Ph.D. Program. Accepted candidates will have a promoter and a co-promoter from a different VIB department. The Ph.D. degree would be from the university of the promoter. The non-selected students form a reserve waiting list which can be tapped into. VIB will support the interview travel costs and salaries of the selected Ph.D. students (2 periods of 2 years). Progress of accepted candidates will be evaluated after two years. Continuation of financial support will depend on the results obtained. Bench fees for the Ph.D. students must be supplied by the host departments or groups. 15 July 2008 Call for interdepartmental projects (3 months). 27 October 2008 Deadline for project submission. 1 November 2008 International advertisement of the program and projects. Call for applications (3.5 months). 15 February 2009 Deadline for applications. 13 March 2009 Selection step 1: evaluation of written applications and selection of candidates for interviews. 11-14 May ^ 2009 Selection step 2: interviews of candidates from step 1 and selection of 4 top candidates. June-Sept 2009 Candidates choose promoters and start work in their department or group. For more information, contact the GLC-representative from your department or, alternatively, Mark Veugelers (Mark.Veugelers@vib.be <mailto:Mark.Veugelers@vib.be>). -- Yves Van de Peer, PhD. Professor in Bioinformatics and Genome Biology Group Leader Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Genomics VIB Department of Plant Systems Biology, UGent Ghent University Technologiepark 927 B-9052 Ghent Belgium Phone: +32 (0)9 331 3807 Cell Phone: +32 (0)476 560 091 Fax: +32 (0)9 331 3809 email: yves.vandepeer@psb.ugent.be http://bioinformatics.psb.ugent.be/