University of Edinburgh and University of Helsinki Partnership Programme on Forests We invite applications for four PhD projects within the partnership programme on forests between the University of Edinburgh and the University of Helsinki. This programme aims to foster a set of interacting projects tackling challenges in forest and climate across the two universities, with the ambition to promote continued collaborative engagement beyond the programme itself. Key elements of the call A total of four research projects will be supported, two of which are funded and hosted by the University of Edinburgh, and a further two funded and hosted by the University of Helsinki. Each project must be a collaboration between at least one PI from each institution. An existing collaboration is not necessary, but a good, mutual plan for collaboration is mandatory. To ensure meaningful collaboration, appointed PhD students should spend at least 12 months at the collaborating institution, though this can be arranged in a manner that suits the project (i.e. consecutively or non-consecutively). Individual projects will be encouraged to develop mechanisms to enhance collaborations across the four successful projects. Eligibility for the doctoral candidate positions The positions are restricted to early career researchers who are starting their doctoral dissertation projects. The appointments must be made for full four years. Projects must be designed so that the doctoral degree can be finished within the four-year time. The appointed doctoral candidate must comply with the admission and eligibility criteria for doctoral education at the hosting university. Research themes and selection criteria Applications are invited on the following themes: 1. Climate change impacts on forest ecosystems 2. Mitigation of climate change via forests 3. Modern tools for observing forests in future Proposals will be evaluated primarily according to (1) scientific excellence, (2) relevance to the themes, and (3) added value of the collaboration, though other criteria, including a clear plan for the student to gain expertise from both universities, will also be considered. Proposals that clarify opportunities for interactions among projects across these themes would be particularly welcome. Available funding University of Edinburgh lead: £15,009 (stipend) & £5,400 (RTSG + travel allowance) annually (for each of two positions). University of Helsinki lead: Annually €40,000 for each doctoral candidate, directed to the host unit towards the salary costs of the doctoral candidate. The 4-year full time contracts will be made according to salary categories at University of Helsinki, and will be complemented with competitive travel funds from Doctoral School and other sources. The PI needs to show some resources to be able to support the student in travel and material costs. Deadline for submissions The deadline for submission of proposals is 31 July. Applicants will be notified of decisions by mid-August, allowing for advertising of PhD student opportunities in September 2020 with an expected start date of January 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter. There will be a launch of the Forests programme at the University of Helsinki (Think Corner) on 8th December 2020, to which successful PIs will be invited together with the recruited PhD students. Proposal structure and guidelines Please use the following structure for PhD proposals. All sections should be completed. 1. Introduction and project justification (1 page) Significance of the research project, how it fits to the given topic(s), novelty or added value to science 2. Implementation: objectives and methodology (3 pages) Objectives, methods, data to be used/collected, critical risks if any 3. Time frame and milestones (1 page) Specific tasks and division of work, schedule for project implementation (incl. the visits to other institution) 4. Expertise of applicants and complementarity among them (0.5 pages) Description of research environment, how the project is linked to previous research by the PIs, justification for choice of collaborator and how they complement each other 5. Comparative advantage of the Edinburgh-Helsinki partnership, plan for promoting interaction across the two universities (0.5 pages) What will be the added value of this collaboration, how will mobility improve the outcomes of project, means of facilitating interactions 6. Other sources of funding (available and potential) (0.5 pages) Plans for supporting the project by existing funding, potential other funding sources 7. 2-page CVs of the applicants including key papers The page lengths given for each section are suggested guidelines, and can be exceeded if needed, especially if including figures or diagrams. Submission Please submit proposals by email to: University of Edinburgh: Jaboury Ghazoul, jaboury.ghazoul@ed.ac.uk University of Helsinki: Jaana Bäck, jaana.back@helsinki.fi Further enquiries can be directed to Jaboury and Jaana This article was published on 2023-11-21
