Saturday 31 December 2011

Online Guided Meditation -- Art of living


Meditation: a refreshing 20-minute shower

To experience meditation, you need not go to a remote cave in the Himalayas. You can begin your inward journey with meditation right now. The good news is that, you need not do anything – meditation is not an action, it is an art of letting go without any effort.
Meditation is a highly effective de-stress practice, since it gives relaxation at the sub-conscious level. Synchronization of body, mind and soul happens in meditation. You will feel calmer, happier, more energetic, have clearer thinking and decision-making abilities.
The rest you gain in meditation is deeper than the deepest sleep. Just a few minutes of meditation is equivalent to nearly four hours of sleep. In meditation - your mind is alert, and all other organs are in deep rest. It is said that meditation is the purest form of prayer.

Ready to begin the journey?

  • Just ensure that you will not be disturbed for 10-20 minutes, and that your environment is calm and peaceful. Remove any leather or metal items on your person.
  • Click on an online meditation of your choice, and close your eyes.
  • Simply relax more and more. Repose in the cool, calm, serene depth of your Being.

7 minutes - power de-stress meditation

 

Hara Meditation

   
 
   

A Half hour of deep retreat

 

Guided Meditation - 1

 
   

Guided Meditation - 2

 

Guided Meditation - 3

 

UNIBIOSYS BIOTECH RESEARCH LABS COCHIN Advertisement for the Post of Biotechnologist/Bioinformatician (Trainee)


UNIBIOSYS BIOTECH RESEARCH LABS
COCHIN
Advertisement for the Post of Biotechnologist/Bioinformatician (Trainee)
Applications with complete bio-data along with self-attested photocopies of candidate’s professional certificates are invited from candidates for the post of Biotechnologist/Bioinformatician (Trainee) to work in various research projects. The completed application should reach to: Coordinator, UniBiosys Biotech Research Labs, IInd Floor, Sahaan Arcade, Cochin University Road, Cusat P.O., Cochin, Kerala - 682022 on or before January 15, 2012. A soft copy of the application should also be sent to the following email address: unibiosyslab@gmail.com or unibiosyslab@yahoo.com
Short listed applicants are requested to present themselves for the interview with updated CV and original mark sheets/ certificates in support of their academic qualifications.
Qualifications: Post Graduation degree (M.Sc or equivalent) in Biotechnology/Bioinformatics/Genetics/Molecular Biology/Microbiology/Biochemistry
Age Limit: 30 years
Note:
· No TA/DA will be paid for their appearing in the interview.
· Candidate must provide valid email IDs and contact number in their applications.
· The Institute reserves the right to accept application at any time, and consider candidates of exceptional credentials without applications.
· The selected candidates will be informed by e-mail about the interview date. 

Hands on Training Program on Recombinant Protein Expression and Purification Techniques


Hands on Training Program on Recombinant Protein Expression and Purification Techniques
2nd – 4th February, 2012
Organized by

Department of Biotechnology 
KARPAGAM UNIVERSITY
Coimbatore – 641021

The Training
16s rDNA sequencing is a rapid, accurate and universally accepted molecular tool for bacterial identification. This program will provide hands on training to the individuals/students in bacterial identification through molecular biology and bioinformatics techniques.
The objectives of the training programme are:
1. To provide a hands on platform about the importance of molecular biology techniques in bacterial identification.
2. To provide a complete training for PCR amplification of 16S rDNA from bacterial isolate and sequence analysis techniques for identification of the isolate.
3. To foster the exchange of knowledge and experience among academicians, researchers and professionals. This could enhance the rapid and accurate microbial identification and production of more quality research and development.
Venue
The hands on training program will be held at the Department of Biotechnology, Karpagam University, Eachanari-Post, Pollachi Main Road, Coimbatore – 641 021, which is about 10 km from Coimbatore Railway station, on Coimbatore – Pollachi main road.
PARTICIPANTS
Students undergoing M.Sc./M.Phil./Ph.D. in Botany / Microbiology / Biochemistry / Biotechnology degree from recognized institutions.
REGISTRATION FEE
Participants -------------------------------- Rs. 2000/-
(includes Training manual, working lunch and refreshments)
Accomodation ----------------------------- Rs. 200 Per day
(includes breakfast and dinner)
The participants can pay the registration fee through a crossed bank draft drawn in favour of “Karpagam University”, payable at Coimbatore and shall send the same along with the duly filled registration form on or prior to 30th December, 2011 to:
Dr. Prabu, G.R.
Coordinator – HTP rDNA MIT,
Department of Biotechnology, Karpagam University,
Eachanari (Post), Pollachi Main Road,
Coimbatore-641021, Tamil Nadu, INDIA.
E-mail: prabugajjeraman@gmail.com
Phone: +91-9486402305.
Brochure and registration Form

Three Bioinformatics Positions - Computational Analysis of Next Generation Sequence Data


Three Bioinformatics Positions - Computational Analysis of Next Generation Sequence Data

Added on Oct 24, 2011

Job description

Genomic alterations are major determinant of responses to (targeted) therapies in cancer. In fact, the best positive and negative predictors of responses to targeted therapies are alterations in kinases or their direct downstream effectors. To gain insight into resistance mechanisms to therapy and thus better tailor treatment, they are approaching this problem from two different angles. First they have transplanted tumors from mouse models of breast cancer and treated these tumors with a range of (targeted) therapies. Matched pre- and post treatment pairs of resistant and sensitive tumors have been full exon sequenced and are available for analysis. The goal is to detect genomic alterations associated with response to therapy. Second, they have acquired large panels of human tumors, on which they are currently performing kinase exon sequencing. More specifically, they are performing sequencing on 1) 400 samples from the NEO-ALTTO study to find alterations associated with resistance to HER2 targeted therapies; 2) at least 200 colorectal samples and 300 breast cancers (triple negatives and invasive lobular carcinomas) to detect alterations frequently occurring in these patient populations. A very strong feature of all these datasets is that matched controls are available to ensure high accuracy in variant calling. The successful candidates will work closely with the biological groups to develop computational approaches for the detection of mutations and copy number alterations associated with specific cancer subtypes as well as therapy response in human and mouse model-derived tumors.
The project will employ the complementary expertise and tools of three groups participating in the Cancer Systems Biology Center (csbc.nki.nl) at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam: Rene Bernards (Molecular Carcinogenesis), Jos Jonkers (Mouse Models for Breast Cancer) and Lodewyk Wessels (Computational Biology). The position are primarily embedded within the Bioinformatics and Statistics Group (Wessels) (bioinformatics.nki.nl) at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam

Job requirements

They are seeking highly motivated Postdoc and PhD candidates with a degree in bioinformatics or a mathematical discipline with a strong cancer biological interest. Applicants should either have strong modeling/applied statistics skills or strong documented experience in analyzing high-throughput sequencing data. In addition, they strongly value experience in one or more of the following: sequence analysis, machine learning, applied statistics and R, computer science and expression analysis. The candidate also needs to be proficient in a programming language such as Java, Perl or Python, and be comfortable with Linux systems. Fluency in spoken and written English is a strong requirement.

Apply information

Please contact Dr. Lodewyk Wessels, tel. +31 20 512 7987 or e-mail: l.wessels@nki.nl. When applying please ensure you include a CV, list of publications and the names and addresses of at least two persons that can be approached to obtain further information. Also seebioinformatics.nki.nl and csbc.nki.nl for further information.
Closing date: 15 January 2012

Two PhD Fellowships in RNA Bioinformatics


Two PhD Fellowships in RNA Bioinformatics

Added on Nov 3, 2011

Employer description

Center for non-coding RNA in Technology and Health (RTH), http://rth.dk, was established in 2010 to take a multi-disciplinary research strategy in the area of non-coding RNAs. The Center has two open PhD positions in Bioinformatics with putative start 1 January 2012 or as soon as feasible. The duration of each position is three years. New application deadline: 5 December 2011.

Background
Within recent years, it has become evident that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play numerous important roles in the cell. Many ncRNAs contain a characteristic RNA structure, a hallmark that (albeit often at a high computational cost) can be exploited in in silico screens. These screens are in essence based on search for the RNA secondary structure.

Job description

The two PhD projects are motivated in the further analysis of in silico generated ncRNA candidates and the goal is to develop computational methods to predict RNA-RNA interactions with the aim of genome-wide applications and emerging interaction networks containing non-coding RNAs. The projects will focus on constructing methods for RNA-RNA interactions as well as on designing methods for RNA interference while taking the accessibility into account. A part of the projects will involve collaboration with Exiqon A/S on interactions to LNA. It is expected that the methods can gain from the use of the multiple sequences (comparative analysis), available 3D structure information as well as transcriptomic data.

Both positions will be in collaboration with people in Center for non-coding RNA in Technology and Health.

Job requirements

The applicant should hold professional as well as personal skills and qualifications as stated below:
  • A master degree in Bioinformatics, computational biology, biology, statistics, or similar.
  • Experience with algorithm development.
  • Experience with Perl or Python (or similar).
  • Experience with C, C++ and/or Java.
  • Possess good interpersonal skills.
  • Be excellent in speaking and writing in English.
The following additional skills will be welcome (but not a requirement):
  • General knowledge of RNA structure and folding, RNA gene search algorithms, and algorithms for structural alignment of RNAs and RNA-RNA interactions.
  • Insight in statistics.

Job benefits

The positions will be filled according to the Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Each post is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

The PhD positions require the applicant to be approved for admission to the PhD programme at LIFE when accepted for the positions.

The average annual salary for PhD students is currently DKK 372 000 (approx. Euro 49 600). In addition, the successful candidates will enter a pension fund scheme as well as paid holidays after one year. Operating costs such as course fees, project expenses, travel and stays abroad, etc. are subsidized by the project.

Apply information

Click here to access the University's online application system.
Applications - in English - should include:
  • Cover Letter applying for and detailing your motivation and background for applying
  • CV
  • Diploma and transcripts of records
  • Other information for consideration, e.g. list of publications (if any), peer reviewed and other
  • Personal Recommendations
  • A maximum of 3 relevant scientific works which the applicant wishes to be included in the assessment.
The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation Executive Order no. 284 of 25 April 2008.
The applications must be received latest by 5 December 2011. Applications received after the closing time will not be considered.
For further information about the post, please contact Main Supervisor:
Prof. Jan Gorodkin, e-mail: gorodkin@rth.dk, phone: +45 3533 4704, +45 3533 3578 (direct).

Two PhD positions in systems biology and/or evo-devo


Two PhD positions in systems biology and/or evo-devo

Added on Nov 3, 2011

Job description

The Helsinki evo-devo research community (Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki University) is looking for two students, preferably biologists, to start two grants for two PhDs in systems biology and/or evo-devo about:
  • Gene network simulations of pattern formation, morphogenesis and morphological evolution of mammalian organs or/and
  • Variational phenomics, 3D morphometrics, development and evolution.
One of the current challenges of evolutionary biology is to understand how genetic variation leads to specific morphological variation (the genotype-phenotype map) and how that process affects the direction of morphological change in evolution. The Salazar-Ciudad group is devoted to address this question by using gene network models and empirical analysis of developmental and variational data.
Programming skills or a willingness to acquire them are required.
The grants are provided through the Finnish academy of sciences. One of the positions is between Isaac Salazar-Ciudad´s Group and Jukka. Jernvall's group and the other is in Isaac Salazar-Ciudad's group. The exact topic of the theses would be discussed in detail after an interview.For an outline of the groups' research:
http://www.biocenter.helsinki.fi/bi/evodevo/group_isaac.shtml http://www.biocenter.helsinki.fi/bi/evodevo/index.shtml
For further inquiries: isaac.salazar@uab.cat

Bioinformatics PhD/PostDoc on Epigenomics -NBIC


Bioinformatics PhD/PostDoc on Epigenomics

Added on Nov 8, 2011

Job description

PhD and postdoctoral positions are available for successful candidates to join the Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics (Brussels).
The candidates, which will work within a bioinformatic environment, will tackle integrative analysis of high-throughput transcriptomics and epigenomics data sets generated using cutting edge next-generation sequencing plateforms (available in host lab). Both fundamental and clinical aspects of human diseases will be addressed.
Postdoc position is funded for 2 years, with possible extension. Screening of applications begins immediately and continues until an outstanding candidate is selected.

Job requirements

Applicants should demonstrated proficiency in programming, and statistics and/or machine learning. Experience with sequence data, genomewide data sets (ChIPSeq, RNASeq,…) will be assets.

Apply information

Informal enquiries, CV (+ ranking and grades during studies) and names of two referees should be send to: Dr. Matthieu Defrance (defrance@bigre.ulb.ac.be) and Dr. François Fuks (ffuks@ulb.ac.be). Faculty of Medicine, Free University of Brussels, 808 route de Lennik, Brussels, Belgium. Tel.: 32-2-555 62 45. Fax: 32-2-555 62 57. Lab website: http://www.ulb.ac.be/medecine/fukslab

PhDGermany - The Platform for Doctoral Positions and Research Opportunities in Germany


           PhDGermany - The Platform for Doctoral Positions and Research Opportunities in Germany

Would you like to do a PhD in Germany? German higher education and research institutions are constantly on the lookout for qualified international doctoral candidates. In the DAAD database, you will find PhD positions specifically for foreign applicants.
Once you have found a PhD offer matching your interests, you can directly apply via the DAAD Portal


Promotion
"Promotion" is the German word for a doctorate and for the process that leads to this degree. Doctoral students (Promovierende or Doktoranden) earn a doctorate by producing a written research paper (dissertation or thesis) and by defending their paper in an oral exam called Rigorosum or Disputation, very similar to a viva (voce). To gain a doctorate, candidates generally have to prove that they hold an academic degree. Many universities offer graduate schools or graduate colleges (Graduiertenkollegs) or even whole doctoral programmes to "promote" the qualifications of their doctoral students and candidates.


                                         PhDGermany - Database


Doctorate Offers found (71):




Tuesday 20 December 2011

Spain PhD Program for International Students 2012 in Life Sciences


Welcome to the CRG / "la Caixa" International PhD Programme fellowships webpage. The way to reach your goals in biomedical science!
Programme description
The "la Caixa" Foundation initiated in 2008 a fellowship programme to offer outstanding students from all over the world the chance of taking a PhD in Biomedicine at the CRG (Centre for Genomic Regulation) This year, 10 four-year fellowships are offered to do a PhD in Biomedicine at the CRG.
The "la Caixa" Foundation is a non-profitmaking organisation, which receives its funding from the third biggest financial entity in Spain, the Caja de Ahorros y Pensiones de Barcelona, "la Caixa". In terms of budget and business volume, the "la Caixa" Foundation is among the ten most important Foundations in the world.
Since 1982, the "la Caixa" Foundation has run various fellowship programmes to enable Spanish students to study postgraduate courses in Spain and other countries. In these twenty-five years, thousands of students have been able to develop their studies thanks to a fellowship from the Foundation.
The "la Caixa" Foundation chose the CRG to initiate this programme because of the excellence of its research projects, the international nature of its scientific teams, the quality of its technological equipment, the inter-disciplinary nature of its projects and the abundance of its articles published in top-ranking scientific journals and media.
The CRG is an international biomedical research institute of excellence, created at the initiative of the Catalan Government, with the participation of the Pompeu Fabra University, and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Its mission is to discover and advance knowledge for the benefit of society, public health and economic prosperity. The CRG is located at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB). Research at the CRG is centered around six scientific programmes, with extensive interdisciplinary collaborations across the following areas:
Eligibility criteria
  • Candidates can be of any nationality.
  • Candidates should hold a university degree by September 2012, and should have a strong commitment for scientific research and an excellent academic record.
  • Applicants working at CRG for more than 3 months before the deadline will not be considered eligible.
If you have any queries about your eligibility to apply, please contact phdprogram@crg.es before submitting an application.
Duration
"la Caixa" fellows are supported for a period of 4 years
Training and benefits
"la Caixa" fellows will benefit from the CRG Research and Training Programme, which includes:
  • International scientific environment. CRG is located in Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), a cluster for biomedical research in southern Europe, which includes several other biomedical research institutions and more than 1000 researchers
  • Advanced research training (training-through research, specific scientific and technology courses and a variety of CRG seminars and CRG/PRBB conferences with international invited speakers)
  • Career development activities (INTERVALS Programme offered to PRBB residents)
  • Cutting- edge advanced core facilities
  • Other initiatives and activities organised by the PRBB and CRG
  • Student community activities (Annual Retreat & Annual Symposium)
  • Internationally competitive salary
How to apply
Selection process
The selection of the fellows will be based on the candidates' academic qualifications and research excellence.
  • Pre-selection: The pre-selection will be based on the candidate's CV, reference letters and on the research interests. Complete applications will be reviewed within a month after the deadline.
  • Oral interviews: Short-listed candidates will receive invitations to visit the CRG for a 3 day period of interviews that will take place 9-14 weeks after the application deadline.
  • Fellowship offers: Offers will be made to the successful candidates shortly after the interview period. Selected students will have two weeks to accept the position and should start their fellowships no later than September 1st.
More details are included in the Call Text.
Groups recruiting in this call
For this call, the CRG group leaders who have expressed interest in recruiting a student are:
Call Calendar
Call opening
November 2011
Call deadline
13th February 2012
Pre-selection of candidates
mid. March 2012
Oral interviews
16-19 April 2012
Notification to candidates
May 2012 (approx.)
Start date of fellowships
September 2012 (approx.)
Related documents and pages
Contact
For any additional information, please contact:
CRG International PhD Programme          
Imma Falero
Academic Officer
Centre de Regulació Genòmica
Dr. Aiguader, 88
PRBB Building
08003 Barcelona
Spain
phdprogram@crg.es

SVNIT National Workshop On Molecular Modeling for Drug Designing | March 13th -17th, 2012


National Workshop On Molecular Modeling for Drug Designing
March 13th -17th, 2012
Under
Bioinformatics Infrastructure Facility of 
Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi 
Special Interest Group on Bioinformatics of 
Computer Society of India

Organized by
Department of Applied Mathematics & Humanities 
Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat

Topics/Contents to be Covered
 System biology and its role in Drug Designing
 Molecule structure representation and visualization
 Structure databases: PDB, CATH, SCOP, FSSP, PubChem
 Molecule Drawing tools: Chemsketch and JDraw
 Structure optimization: Molecular mechanics and dynamics. Force field
 Computational methods in protein folding study
 Protein structure prediction: Homology modeling and threading
 Computational methods in Molecular docking: Protein-protein, drug-protein, DNA-Protein
 Methods in drug designing
 QSAR study
 Case studies.

BARC PhD Program 2012 in Lie Sciences


BARC PhD Program 2012 in Lie Sciences
Government of India
DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY (DAE)
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
PhD Program - 2012
If you are looking for an opportunity to pursue Ph.D. in frontline areas in Basic Sciences in state of-the-art laboratories then BARC is the place for you!
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is a premier Institution for Research & Development (R&D) in Nuclear Science & Technology in particular and Physical, Chemical, Life and Engineering Sciences in general. The Centre has not only been the backbone of the Indian Nuclear Energy Program, but also hasbeen in the forefront of research in basic sciences as well as engineering sciences. Several of its stateof-the-art laboratories and research facilities are unique to it.
BARC conducts a Ph.D. program in basic Sciences such as Physical, Chemical and Life Science under the aegis of Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), a Deemed to be University. The Ph.D. program at BARC consists of course work of one academic year duration followed by research work.
BARC invites applications for its Ph.D. programme in Science Disciplines commencing in August 2012 under the aegis of HBNI. A limited number of Junior Research Fellowships (JRFs), awarded by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), will be offered to those selected for the Ph.D. program. DAE fellowship is tenable for four years. The fellowship amount is `16,000/- per month for first and second year, and `18,000/- per month for subsequent years besides house rent allowance and medical benefits as per rules. The selection process for the PhD program of BARC is identical with that of the OCES/DGFS program of the BARC Training Schools. For information about the latter please visit http://oces.hbni.ac.in/
The selected candidates can also pursue the Ph.D. program with fellowships from other sources like UGC-CSIR, DBT, ICAR, ICMR and other national agencies. A few meritorious candidates may be offered DAE Graduate Fellowship Scheme-Ph.D. (DGFS - Ph.D.) Fellowship. It carries a fellowship of ` 20,000/- p.m. in the first year and ` 24,000/- p.m. in succeeding years.
Selection Process :
Selection for the Ph.D. program is a two-step process: Written Test screening to short-list candidates followed by a Selection Interview of short-listed candidates.
Screening for Physical, Chemical and Life Sciences shall be on the basis of one of the following: (i) GATE-2011/GATE-2012 score or (ii) Written Test-2012 score of the BARC Training School.
BARC Training School Written Test: It is conducted for short-listing candidates for interview for admission to BARC Training Schools (BARC TS). Those who have also applied for admission toBARC TS and have opted for its written test to seek admission to the OCES/DGFS-2012 program of the BARC TS must state their BARC TS application number on the accompanying application form else their application is liable to be rejected. For details about OCES/DGFS-2012 program of BARC TS, visit http://oces.hbni.ac.in/
BARC Training School Written Test in Science disciplines will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2012 at the centres listed in Table-1.
Short-listed candidates shall be called for interview to be conducted in May - June, 2012 at the BARC Training School, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai - 400 094. List of shortlisted candidates and their interview dates will be displayed on the website http://oces.hbni.ac.in/ on April 10, 2012 .
Outstation applicants called for interview will be paid to and fro sleeper class train fare by shortest route, or actual fare, whichever is less.
Eligibility
a. Qualifying Degree and other academic qualifications:
Those having M.Sc. in Physics/ Chemistry/ Biology or related science subjects with minimum 60%* marks in MSc as well as in BSc are eligible to apply. Applicants for Physics discipline should have Physics and Mathematics up to BSc or at subsidiary and/or ancillary level in case of five years integrated MSc. Applicants for Chemistry discipline should have Mathematics up to XII std and Physics up to BScor at subsidiary and/or ancillary level in case of five years integrated MSc. Applicants in Physics and Chemistry opting to be considered on the basis of GATE Score should have a valid GATE Score in Physics and Chemistry respectively. For Biology and related disciplines MSc in Agriculture, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Genetics, Botany, Zoology, Plant Science, Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology, Entomology, Food Technology, Animal Science, Life Sciences and Biosciences. MSc applicants in Life Sciences should have Physics or Chemistry or Biochemistry or Agriculture Chemistry up to BSc or at subsidiary and/or ancillary level in case of five year integrated MSc with minimum of 60%* aggregate marks in MSc as well as in BSc. Applicants in life sciences opting to be considered on the basis of GATE Score should have valid GATE Score in Life Sciences or Biotechnology. Those having MSc with specialization in subjects like Fisheries, Horticulture, Forestry, Agronomy, Animal Husbandry, Marine Biology and Home Science etc and BE/BTech/MTech in Biotechnology/Genetic Engineering are not eligible.
*A minimum of 60% marks means the marks as per the ordinance of the respective university.
Those whose final results of qualifying degree are awaited can also apply. In the event of selection, mark sheet of final result confirming eligibility as above, should be submitted by Nov 30, 2012.
b. Age limit: The candidates desirous of availing DAE Junior Research Fellowships should have been born on or after August 1, 1986. Age limit is relaxable by three years for OBC and by five years for SC/ST applicants. Physically challenged persons are eligible for an age relaxation of 10 years over and above their respective category.
c. Nationality: Applicant must be a citizen of India.
How to Apply:
Make two copies of the accompanying application form, affix a passport size photo on each and mail to:
BARC-Ph.D. Programme-2012,
DEO, Recruitment-IV,
Training School Complex,
Anushaktinagar, Mumbai - 400 094.
The application enables you to register for the OCES/DGFS-2012 Written Test of BARC Training School (BARC TS). In case you opt for it, a letter of admission to the Written Test Centre of your choice fromTable-1 will be mailed to you. However, even if you do not receive admission letter, you can proceed to your chosen test center with a copy of the application and proof of mailing it.
Table-1: Written Test Centre Code for BARC Training School Written Test (OCES/DGFS-2012)
Centre---Code
Ahmedabad 01 Coimbatore 06 Jaipur 11 Patna 16
Bengaluru 02 Delhi 07 Kolkata 12 Roorkee 17
Bhubaneswar 03 Guwahati 08 Lucknow 13 Thiruvananthapuram 18
Chandigarh 04 Hyderabad 09 Mumbai 14 Varanasi 19
Chennai 05 Indore 10 Nagpur 15
Those who wish to apply only on the basis of GATE-2012 should apply only after declaration of GATE-2012 result. Candidates who have opted to take the Science Written Test and who also wish to be considered on the basis of their GATE Score, can also submit their GATE score at a later date to the address mentioned above. All candidates who have appeared for BARC TS Written Test should mention
the Application Number allotted to them while communicating their GATE score
Important Dates
Last date of receipt of application for those opting for written test in Science Disciplines 16.1.2012
Written Test 26.2.2012
Last date of receipt of application for those not opting for written test and receipt of GATE Score 31.3.2012
Interview Schedule to be displayed on website 25.4.2012
Selection Interview 22.5.2012 onwards

Download BARC-PhD-2012 Application Form :http://oces.hbni.ac.in/download_phdForm.php

Thursday 15 December 2011

APPLYING FOR A RESEARCH DEGREE


APPLYING FOR A RESEARCH DEGREE

Universities offer a range of research degrees, the most common of which are M Phil and PhD. In comparison with US Universities, the UK/ Australian/NZ M Phil and PhD are almost exclusively research-based with only a small element of teaching, usually in relation to specific research skills.  Thus, students accepted on to these programmes will spend most of their time undertaking research, either independently or as part of a larger team.  This research will be guided by one or two supervisors-academics-who are specialists in the students chosen subject.

Each University and each department or school will have its own policies and procedures for admitting students to research degrees and you should check these carefully before applying.  There are also some general points, which you might like to consider if you are planning to apply for either an M Phil or PhD.

A successful applicant for an M Phil or PhD will need to demonstrate academic excellence and the potential to undertake independent, original research.  Academic excellence usually means a good first class honours degree (Bachelors level) and possibly a similar level of performance in a Masters degree.  Many departments will insist on a Masters degree prior to acceptance but some will consider outstanding students straight from a Bachelors degree.  If it is not clear what would be expected in your chosen                                         subject, contact the relevant University department to enquire prior to application.  You may also be asked to take an English Language test (IELTS or TOEFL) but other tests such as GRE are not usually required.

In addition to academic excellence, you also need to demonstrate your research potential.  This is usually achieved by writing a research proposal, which outlines the type of research, which you wish to undertake.  Before you start to produce such a proposal you need to think carefully about what really interests you – if successful you will spend the next two or three years working on this topics so you must be committed to it.

Once you have identified something, which is of interest to you, the next stage is to identify a University department and members of staff who share your interests.  An MPhil or PhD. Requires supervision from a specialist academic and unless your chosen departments has such a specialist they will not be able to supervise.  Read University or department prospectuses carefully to identify there research specialisms and if you are not certain whether they can offer supervision, you might consider contacting them with an informal enquiry.

Once you have identified an appropriate department, you should prepare a research proposal.  This document should usually be between 1000 and 2000 words in length.  It must specify a particular topic, identify an interesting research question and explain why the chosen topic is original.  You should also include some discussion of relevant research to date (from existing literature) and some indication of how you would expect to undertake this research.  Thus, a typical research proposal might look something like this:-
  1. Introduction

Statement of the research topic, why it is important and why it is original.

  1. Review of relevant previous research

Overview of existing theoretical and empirical works relevant to your topic, identifying, where relevant, the gaps in existing knowledge.

  1. Research Methods

Outline the way you expect to

  1. Expected Contribution

State briefly how you expect the results of your research will contribute to knowledge in your chosen subject.

Your research proposal needs to demonstrate that you understand your subject area, that you are familiar with relevant literature and that you can identify an interesting and important topic for research.

You will then complete the university application form (available from us)  and send this to us along with a copy of your research proposal, copies of your transcripts for bachelors and masters degrees (if relevant) and references form academics who have taught you.  If you have taken an English Language Test, include a copy of your results.  If you provide all that information, your chosen department will be able to evaluate your application and give you an answer within a month or so.

Should you have any other queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Good Luck

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE (SOP) GUIDELINES


STATEMENT OF PURPOSE (SOP) GUIDELINES
The SOP is an essay that you must write clearly stating your intention to go overseas. This is your chance to tell the universities and colleges you have chosen why you are applying and why they should want you as a student.
Admission tutors will want to know why you are interested in your chosen subjects. A good personal statement is important- it could help to persuade an admission tutor to offer you a place.  Hiding facts and dishonesty, must be avoided at all costs. The statement must be impressive and not more than an A4 sheet.
Mentioned below are 10 guidelines that you can use to draft a good statement of purpose. These guidelines are not intended to stifle your creativity in the least, but merely to give you a sense of direction on terms of the content required.
1.       Why you have chosen the course that you have listed.
2.       Why you are interested in the subject.
3.       The family’s academic background would be worth a mention if you feel that it has been a influencing factor in your academic career.
4.       Briefly mention past academic background.
5.       Particular interest you have in your current studies.
6.       Also mention all projects, research, internship, and training undertaken during period of study.
7.       In case of relevant work experience kindly establish connection with course of study.
8.       In case of students from business families, if you have worked part time or full time with the family business, highlight the scope and application of proposed course of study in relation to the family’s business interest.
9.       Your future plans with relevance to the course. In addition you need to explain why studying will help you to achieve your goals.
10.   Conclusion.
TIPS:
Ø  Use short crisp sentences.
Ø  Change para to reflect a new idea or topic and keep paragraphs short.
Ø  Use double space between the paras.
Ø  Avoid complicated language. Remember simplicity will have more impact.
Ø  Be clear in what you say.
Ø  Avoid repetition of the same idea in different words to fill space.
Ø  Demonstrate you have done your research and know what you want.

THE LETTER OF REFERENCE (LOR) GUIDELINES


What should it contain:
Ø  How long referee has known the applicant and in what capacity.
Ø  Realistic assessment of the applicant’s intellectual capacity.
Ø  What he consider to be the applicant’s major abilities, strengths and weaknesses.
Ø  Motivation and suitability for the programme applied for.
Ø  The applicant’s ability to communicate in English.
Ø  Assessment of ability to work independently such as examples of projects handled.
Ø  Special attributes that the referee may have noticed in the applicant at a personal level.
Ø  Any other comments that would help the faculty make a decision on the applicant’s suitability for the programme.
Ø  In addition to the above, leadership skills, capacity to reason logically, presentation skills. Level of teamwork, ability to work hard and meet deadlines may be commented on.

Research Proposal Guidelines


Research Proposal Guidelines
Title:
This should be specific and precise. It should not be more than 2 to 3 lines long, and should indicate that one intends to do/ find out.
Ø  Determine which field of science, math, or computer science you are most interested in:  it is vital that you choose to work on something that you are truly interested in and curious about. You will get more out of the research, it will be more fun, and you will have a better chance of sticking with it over an extended period of time. You will have to do literature searches into the general area of science to develop broad ideas of what is already known and what open research questions exists in a particular field of science; you will then begin to narrow the focus of your interests in order to develop a set of possible research questions.
Ø  Proposed research question: this needs to be as specific as possible in whatever field of study you choose. Depending on which area of science you choose to work, you will sit down to determine a realistic your topic of interest is. You will also have to estimate how much of time commitment is likely to carry out your project.
Ø   Brief descriptive title of proposed research: a direct statement of your research goal.
Ø  Reason for research: Why is it important to find an answer to the question?
Ø  Background information on your topic: Provide a summary of information you have found concerning your topic. Thinks of thing like research that has already been done in the field, question remaining from any prior research, brief highlights of any  theory/theories that may exist to explain the phenomenon, etc. You must show that you have looked through the literature and have found the latest updates in your area of study. Normally people don’t get funded if they are ‘reinventing the wheel.’
Ø  List of references relevant to your topic: Keep a running list of all references as you work though the literature. You will be required to have this list for your final paper, and chances are you will need to go back to certain references throughout the entire research experience. This includes all text books, reference books, journal articles, internet sources, private communications with teachers or professors, etc.
Ø  Any hypothesis relevant to your research that you are specifically investigated: Describe/explain main points of what you expect to happen in your research based on literature.

Format 2:
Research Proposal is a brief (up to two pages) overview of your research paper, giving the sufficient information about the work you have done, about the way you did it and the value if this work.
As any other research work, Research Proposal has its own format. Its peculiarities are as follow:
ü  A language simple enough for a non-specialist to understand the major points of the paper.
ü  Absence of references, unusual terms, scientific jargon.
ü  A proposed researched question should be determined by one field of science.
ü  Proposed researched question should be as specific as possible.
ü  Research Proposal should contain the following parts:
Ø  Title: A brief precise phrase rendering the main problem of your Research Proposal (up to 80 character spaces including).
Ø  Abstract: A clear summary of the work you have done, throwing light on purposes, theoretical background of the question under consideration and experimental approach (up to 10 typed lines).
Ø  Historical Background: A section where you describe your predecessors’ deeds in the field you are studying now. Note that all information taken different sources is to be referenced.
Ø  Objective: An explanation of your paper’s value, naming concrete purposes to achieve.
Ø  Technical Approach: A description of the actual work you are planning to accomplish and concrete ways of doing it (theoretical and research basis).
Ø  Bibliography: A reference list where you name all sources you have referred to or cited. Note that the items should go in an alphabetical order.

Samples: