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

UCL Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) is running a free one day conference on Tuesday 13th April which will feature the work of group on projects associated with research funded by various UK research councils. The conference is free but you have to register. It is also the day before the UK’s annual conference on GIS called GISRUK which is on the 14-16 April. The GISRUK conference is chargeable and details can be got from the CASA conference site.

If you want to come to the one day CASA meeting “Advances in Spatial Analysis & e-Social Science”, then please go to the registration site at http://www.casa.ucl.ac.uk/conference/ and register.

You can get to the GISRUK site from http://gisruk2010.spatial-literacy.org/registration/

If you need any more information about this meeting email christiane.morgan@ucl.ac.uk.

The programme for the CASA meeting is listed below

Session One (AM)

Online exploration of cultural regions, migration and ethnicity using the geography of personal names  – Paul Longley & Pablo Mateos

Spatial Interaction Models for Higher Education – Alex Singleton & Ollie O’Brien

The Dynamics of Skyscrapers: Scaling, Allometry, and Sustainability – Michael Batty

Development of an urban growth model using high-resolution historical data – Kiril Stanilov

Session Two (PM)

The research frontier in urban modelling: the agenda and the challenges – Alan Wilson

On-line Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Network Data and Road Developments – Tao Cheng

Twitter Tags and Real-Time Visualisation of Complex Geographic Data with MapTube – Richard Milton

Tales of Things and Electronic Memory ­ Creating and Mapping The Geography of Everything – Andrew Hudson-Smith

Panel Discussion with Mike Goodchild, Keith Clarke, David Maguire, Carl Steinitz

Coffee at convenient points is provided, but lunch is not.

Afterwards, there will be a reception in the Wilkins Building Jeremy Bentham Room.

The School of Geography and Centre for Spatial Analysis and Policy (CSAP) at Leeds University, would welcome applications from individuals of (or with potential of) international standing who will complement and strengthen existing expertise in any of the following areas: demography and population geography; regional science and spatial economics; quantitative social policy (including health, deprivation, education and crime); geocomputation.

You will be developing or will already have an impressive track record of achievement within the broad area of spatial analysis and policy and be prepared to conduct innovative research of international significance through funded research projects, produce high quality publications, supervise postgraduate research students and teach students at all levels.

Lecturer – University Grade 8 (£36,532 – £43,622 p.a.)

Senior Lecturer – University Grade 9 (£44,930 – £52,086 p.a.)

Reader – University Grade 9 (£44,930 – £56,916 p.a.)

Informal enquiries to Professor John Stillwell, tel: +44 (0)113 343 3315, email: j.c.h.stillwell@leeds.ac.uk or Professor Adrian Bailey,  tel: +44 (0)113 343 3322, email: a.j.bailey@leeds.ac.uk .

Applications and more info: http://hr.leeds.ac.uk/jobs/ViewJob.aspx?CId=4&JId=651

Chair in Spatial Analysis and Policy

School of Geography, University of Leeds

The School of Geography, rated sixth in the 2008 RAE Ranking, is seeking applications from individuals of international standing who will complement and strengthen existing expertise in the Centre for Spatial Analysis and Policy (CSAP), one of the School’s research clusters, in any of the following areas: demography and population geography; regional science and spatial economics; quantitative social policy (including health, deprivation, education and crime).

For more information, please see: http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/jobs/index.html

Informal enquiries to:

Prof John Stillwell, School of Geography, tel +44 (0)113 343 3315, email j.c.h.stillwell@leeds.ac.uk <mailto:j.c.h.stillwell@leeds.ac.uk>  or

Prof Adrian Bailey, Head of School, tel +44 (0)113 343 3322, email a.j.bailey@leeds.ac.uk <mailto:a.j.bailey@leeds.ac.uk> .

Closing date: Friday 20th February 2009

Interviews likely to take place: Thursday 19th March 2009