PopFest is an annual population studies conference for postgraduate students organised by fellow postgraduates. PopFest has been organised by various universities with the support of sponsors for nineteen years. The twentieth PopFest is to be held at Loughborough University from the 21st – 23rd June and will reflect on the past 20 years of population studies and look forward to the challenges facing population studies in the next 20 years.

Professor John Stillwell from the University of Leeds will be the keynote speaker for the event reflecting on increasing ethnic diversity of the UK population over the last 20 years. Professor John Stillwell’s research interests include internal and international population migration, geographical information systems (GIS), and regional development and planning.

Sir Jonathon Porritt, founder director of “Forum for the Future” and former chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission will deliver a plenary exploring the “next 20 years”, considering future challenges to populations. Sir Jonathon is an environmentalist and writer, dedicating his time to advising, campaigning, broadcasting and lecturing.

The call for papers is now open – deadline for presentation abstracts and proposals for poster presentations is 20^th March 2012 – these should be submitted to Popfest2012@lboro.ac.uk

More details about the event including details on registration, travel and accommodation can be found on the PopFest website: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/gy/popfest/index.html

Geographical, social and area type mobility:  trajectories of selective sorting over time by health status and ethnic group

ESRC White Rose DTC Network Studentship – University of Leeds, School of Geography

Session 2012-2013 – Closing Date 17 February 2012

Principal Supervisior: Dr Paul Norman, University of Leeds

Co-Supervisor: Dr Dimitris Ballas, University of Sheffield

For Further details, contact Paul Norman – Tel: +44 (0)113 34 38199, Email: p.d.norman@leeds.ac.uk

ESRC WHITE ROSE DTC NETWORK STUDENTSHIPS 2012/13

Collaborative Excellence in International Research

ESRC WR DTC Network Studentships Available at the University of Leeds

ESRC White Rose DTC Network Studentships promote collaboration across Yorkshire’s leading research universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York. Each university is offering 4 ESRC WR DTC Network Studentships in Session 2012/13.  Each student project will be supervised by two members of academic staff, one each from two of the partner universities. Students will register at one university but will have access to the research facilities of the partner institution and will be part of one of the four research networks which span all three universities. The studentships provide academic fees (£3,732 in Session 2011/12) together with a maintenance grant (£13,590 in Session 2011/12) and a contribution towards research expenses.

Network: BEYOND THE RIOTS:  SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL ORDER, URBAN GOVERNANCE AND DISORDERLY ELITES

Policing Social Disorder and Urban Unrest (Leeds based)

Supervisors: Professor Adam Crawford, University of Leeds;

Dr Layla Skinns, School of Law, University of Sheffield

Network: social and demographic change in britain

Geographical, social and area type mobility:  trajectories of selective sorting over time by health status and ethnic group (Leeds based)

Supervisors: Dr Paul Norman, School of Geography, University of Leeds;

Dr Dimitris Balls, Department of Geography, University of Sheffield

Network: SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL CHANGE:  CROSSING BOUNDARIES

Negotiating transitions in mental health social work:  process, outcome and identity (Leeds based)

Supervisors: Professor Dawn Dowding, Institute of Health and Social Work (School of Healthcare), University of Leeds;

Dr Mark Hardy, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of York

Network: RETHINKING THE SOCIAL PRODUCTION, LOCUS AND IMPACT OF BIOSCIENCE

Bioscience and the Ageing Society (Leeds based)

Supervisors: Professor Anne Kerr, School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds;

Professor Andrew Webster, Department of SATSU/Sociology, University of York

Potential applicants should consult http://www.leeds.ac.uk/rsa/postgraduate_scholarships/ESRCWRDTCNetwork-info for further information on the application procedure or email: pg_scholarships@leeds.ac.uk

Postgraduate Scholarships Office

University of Leeds

Leeds LS2 9JT, UK

Tel: +44 113 3434077

Email: pg_scholarships@leeds.ac.uk

http://scholarships.leeds.ac.uk

A Ph.D. studentship is available commencing end September 2010 for three years to create an updated methodology for the creation of a new area classification that will be employed on the 2011 Census of the Population, when the output data are made available. The current classification can be viewed as the ‘OAC interactive map’ at www.areaclassification.org.uk.

This provides an excellent opportunity to address a range of important methodological issues with geodemographic classifications, and to build better visualisation methods for dissemination that will maximise engagement and create more opportunities for public feedback. As such, the key research deliverables of this award will be: to evaluate alternate clustering methodologies that create more stable assignments of areas into clusters; to design new geographically sensitive methods of measurement that inform the underlying indicator variables used to create the classification; to develop and evaluate new modes of dissemination which better utilise web based technology and new advances in GIS.

The successful candidate is likely to have a background in GIS or computer science, and will have as a minimum an upper second or first class degree. The applicant will be a home (UK) or EU student. Applicants should email a curriculum vitae and supporting statement to Professor Paul Longley at the Department of Geography, University College London: plongley@geog.ucl.ac.uk. The closing date for applications is Friday 27 August 2010, with interviews planned for the following week.

PhD studentship opportunity at University College London in migration statistics and modelling.

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PHD Studentship – (ENFOLD-ing – Explaining, Modelling and Forecasting Global Dynamics), –

UCL Department / Division

Department of Geography

Specific unit / Sub department

Migration Research Unit/CASA

Duration of Studentship

3 Years

Stipend

£15,290 plus £3,390 tuition fees per annum

Vacancy Information

ENFOLD is a multidisciplinary, five year modelling project funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC: £2.9 million FEC) spanning seven UCL departments. It will develop new forms of complexity science to address the most difficult of human problems: those involving global change where there is no organised constituency and whose agencies are largely regarded as being ineffective. ENFOLD addresses problems arising from the fact that that global systems tend to be treated in isolation from one another. Their characteristically unexpected dynamics are thus due to the aspects of coupling and integration between them that are all too often ignored. To demonstrate these dynamics and develop appropriate policy responses, ENFOLD will study four related global systems: trade, migration, security and development aid. Integrated and coupled models will be developed, whose dynamics can be described in the language of complexity theory, including chaos, turbulence, bifurcations, catastrophes, and phase transition. The programme will apply spatial interaction models to trade and migration; reaction diffusion to conflicts and terrorism; and network models to international trade, migration and crime. These models will be extended to incorporate new events, such as the emergence of new entities, including countries, coupling them together in diverse ways. A generic framework will ultimately be developed for a coupled global dynamics spanning many spatial and temporal scales, pertaining to different systems whose behaviours can be both quantitatively and qualitatively simulated. Models will be developed which incorporate all these ideas into a global intelligence system to inform global policy makers about future events. Several UK government departments as well as global businesses are partners in this project.

Studentship Description

The role of the Migration PhD studentship within ENFOLD will be:

1. To review and engage with the literature on general theories of migration and more specifically that on migration forecasting models

2. To identify, collect, systematise and analyse relevant international migration statistics as required by the project

3. To assist in the programming and database effort for the migration model in ENFOLD

4. To develop and test several models of global migration dynamics

Person Specification

The applicants should possess a good honours degree (1st Class or 2:1 minimum) in any of the following disciplines: Economics, Statistics, Physics, Mathematics, Finance, or in any social science program with a strong quantitative component within Geography, Sociology, Epidemiology/ Public Health, GIS, Spatial Analysis or any other closely relevant subject area. An MSc in one of these areas or/and knowledge in econometric and statistical analysis is highly desirable. They should also have excellent quantitative research skills in social sciences including a good command of statistical analysis and programming knowledge of relevant packages (R, SAS,SPSS). As well as strong motivation to conduct independent research on the field of migration and basic knowledge of contemporary issues on migration.

Eligibility

The studentship is subject to funding restrictions please refer to the following link:http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/students/Pages/eligibility.aspx.

Candidates should submit an application for graduate study to UCL Registry (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/admission/graduate-study/application-admission/) and should send a duplicate, along with a CV and cover letter, to Dr Pablo Mateos via email top.mateos@ucl.ac.uk.

Contact name

Dr Pablo Mateos

Contact details

p.mateos@ucl.ac.uk

UCL Taking Action for Equality

Closing Date

30 Jun 2010

Latest time for the submission of applications

30th June 2010

Interview date

Mid July 2010

Studentship Start Date

1st October 2010

The Department of Geography at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) has the following award available for those wishing to commence their studies in September 2010.

1 x Full PhD Studentship to award to a student to work on the Department’s Healthy Environments Research Programme (HERP). Applications are encouraged utilising quantitative and/or qualitative methodologies in the following broad areas:

• Relationship between availability of alcohol and alcohol-related harm
• Discrimination and health
• Environmental determinants of diet and/or physical activity
• Spatial/urban planning policy, the built environment and health

Successful candidates will be expected to undertake a project in these broad areas with the precise focus developed in collaboration with the lead supervisor, Dr Steven Cummins. To discuss an application contact Stephen at s.c.j.cummins@qmul.ac.uk

The above Studentships cover full fees (overseas or domestic) and a maintenance grant (at relevant Research Council rates), for three years. Some teaching contribution may be required as part of the Studentship.

Deadline for applications: applicants who wish to be considered for a one of the above Studentships must be received by College no later than 4pm on Friday 12th February 2010.

It is anticipated that interviews for short listed candidates will be held in early March.

The Centre for Global Health, Population, Poverty, and Policy at the University of Southampton School of Social Sciences, in conjunction with the ESRC are holding a Seminar on Fertility and Poverty, focusing on micro and macro linkages.

The seminar takes from on the 28th and 29th of January.

A limited number of bursaries are available to UK students wishing to attend and willing to submit a poster. the closing date for bursaries is 4th January.

Details regarding registration, the programme and bursaries can be found here.

The annual PopFest conference, a conference specifically open to postgraduates from all disciplines across the social
sciences studying any aspect of population, has announced a call for papers for its 2010 conference in St. Andrews.

Full details of the programme are still to be confirmed but will include: parallel sessions running over three days, poster presentations, keynote speaker addresses, and this year will offer an innovative panel session, allowing with contributors drawn from a range of backgrounds (e.g. public sector and charity) showing how aspects of population studies might be applied in different contexts.

The first call for papers has now been made, and is open to all postgraduate researchers engaged in the study of human populations from any social science discipline. Submissions for works-in-progress or completed reports are all welcome.

Themes might include, but are certainly not limited to:
*Health and populations
*Migration
*Reproductive and sexual behaviour
*Social participation and active citizenship
*Fertility and contraception
*Childhood and youth
*Innovative data uses and methodological approaches in population studies

Oral presentations will be 15 minutes long with 5 minutes for questions. There will also be one dedicated poster session.

For full details of the event including a downloadable call for papers, submission guidelines, how to register, how to arrange accommodation, travel information, information about the area and details of the organising committee, please visit: www.popfest.org.uk

You can also register for email updates about the event, and contact the organisers directly with any questions via popfest2010@st-andrews.ac.uk

The Faculty of Medicine Graduate School, University of Glasgow are offering the following fully-funded PhD studentship with Prof. R Mitchell and Dr. Jamie Pearce.

Physical activity in green space: a mechanism for reducing health inequalities?

Having a lot of ‘green space’ (such as parks or woodlands) in your neighbourhood is thought to be health promoting. Inequality in health between richer and poorer people was recently shown to be smaller in areas with a lot of green space than in areas with less. Researchers assume that some of the health benefits of green spaces stem from their capacity to encourage people to be physically active. However, since information about how people use their green spaces and how much exercise they undertake is rare, this assertion remains unproven. This studentship will exploit newly available survey data which describe attitudes to, and activity in, local green spaces in Scotland.

The aim will be to examine the role of physical activity as a mechanism by which green space enhances health and potentially narrows health inequalities. The precise aims and methods will be developed and agreed between the supervisors and student, but the general approach will be quantitative. The studentship presents an excellent opportunity for multi-disciplinary training in researching physical activity, public health and health inequalities, and quantitative methods.

Applicants should hold a first class or upper second class degree in a relevant, numerate social science or clinical discipline (e.g. health sciences, sociology, psychology, geography, economics) . A master’s qualification in a relevant discipline would be an advantage.

More details on the project, the supervisors and the departments involved is available from Prof Mitchell (r.mitchell@clinmed.gla.ac.uk) or Dr Pearce (jamie.pearce@ed.ac.uk).

Details on how to apply here

Closing date for applicants 4th July 2009.