An opportunity exists at the University of Melbourne for a PhD candidate to consolidate and extend our understanding of Australia’s pre-20th century climate through recovering and rehabilitating early instrumental observations. We are looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate to analyse early instrumental data for south-eastern Australia as part of a broader Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage project. This landmark project brings together a team of Australia’s leading climate scientists, water managers and historians with the common goal of reconstructing south-eastern Australian temperature, rainfall and atmospheric pressure over the past 200–500 years using palaeoclimate, documentary and early instrumental data.

The PhD project will involve ‘rescuing’ meteorological observations from 1788 to 1860 from a variety of sources, quality controlling and homogenising these observations, and analysing the results using state-of-the-art statistical techniques. Data accessed during this project will help develop the longest running instrumental climate records in Australia, providing us with a foundation for assessing climate variations in south-eastern Australia over the past 200 years. These extended records of temperature, rainfall and atmospheric pressure variability will allow better planning for water storage and improved testing of climate model simulations.

This prestigious Australian Postgraduate Award Industry (APAI) award includes an annual tax-free scholarship of $26,140 and additional research support funding of $6,000 per year. It will provide the candidate with an outstanding research project with direct industry linkages, including the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Murray Darling–Basin Authority, Melbourne Water and the UK Met Office. To be considered for this position you should have:

· First class honours science degree (e.g. meteorology, physical geography, atmospheric science)

· Demonstrated knowledge and experience using climate data
· Demonstrated ability (or clear potential) to liaise, collaborate and interact with a range of scientists and industry professionals
· Capacity to work independently while contributing to core project objectives
· Outstanding written and oral communication skills
· Skills using a range of computer software eg. Office, specialised scientific programs, statistical packages, online content management systems and databases
· Australian or New Zealand citizenship or be an Australian permanent resident and not be receiving similar funding from a commonwealth government program
· Availability to commence this full time opportunity no later than 1 March 2010

To apply for this position, please forward your curriculum vitae and complete academic transcript, together with a one page statement on why you want to undertake graduate study in this project, no later than Friday 16 October 2009 to Professor David Karoly ( dkaroly at unimelb.edu.au) and Dr Joelle Gergis ( jgergis at unimelb.edu.au).

1) Coastal Policy and Planning, Public Land Division. Oct/Nov ‘09-January ‘10. Environmental science background preferred. Coordinate summer environmental activities along the coast.

2) Integrated River Health, Sust. Water, Envt. & Innovation Division. 3-4 months work on Integrated River Health Projects. Contribute to the VIC strategy on Healthy Rivers, Estuaries and Wetlands, work on a stream condition study.

3) Groundwater and licensing, Water Entitlements and Strategies Div. Obtain and validate groundwater data over the summer break. Hydrogeology, data/statistics background.

For all of these contact Garry Stock in Employment Strategies, DSE, garry.stock “at” dse. vic.gov.au  ph 9 6378216. There are copies in the OEP office.

4) For undergrads, go to dse.vic.gov.au and enter “cadetship” or go here to see about the DSE cadet scheme, which recruits high potential science students from VSE and 1st year university, supports them with a $9000 yearly stipend, and employes them at end of university study. Deadline, 1st October.

Over at Australian Conservation Foundation, if anyone is interested in an internship please contact Lee Tan L.Tan “at” acfonline.org.au who is the Asia Pacific coordinator.Lee is particularly looking for an intern for policy development on climate change in the Asia-Pacific region

http://amonline.net.au/eureka/index.cfm?objectid=4B58B449-F1B2-11DD-959AD5FF41FC23E0

Details are here.

Further details can be found at http://www.riversymposium.com/.

Details at http://www.business.vic.gov.au/vicprize

Read the letter from Gavin Jennings – Minister for Innovation

The Chevening Scholarship offers graduates and young professionals the opportunity to study at UK universities. The Scholarship includes a return economy airfare to the UK from any Australian city, all compulsory academic fees, a monthly stipend, book allowance and thesis allowance.

For details, please see the flyer and the British Council website http://www.britishcouncil.org/au-educationuk-scholarships-postgraduate-chevening_scholarships.htm

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, the international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization, invites applications for its fellowship program. Human Rights Watch is known for its impartial and reliable human rights reporting on over 70 countries worldwide, its innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in affecting the policy of the US and other influential governments toward human rights abusers.

Unrestricted Fellowships
Alan R. and Barbara D. Finberg Fellowship – Established in memory of Alan R. and Barbara D. Finberg, early supporters of Human Rights Watch, this fellowship is open to graduates (at the Master’s level) in the fields of law, journalism, international relations, or other relevant studies. Other relevant disciplines may also be considered.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Fellows work full-time for one year with Human Rights Watch in New York, Washington, D.C., or London (Aryeh Neier fellows will work full-time, for an additional year, at the ACLU). Fellows monitor human rights developments in various countries, conduct on-site investigations, draft reports on human rights conditions, and engage in advocacy aimed at publicizing and curtailing human rights violations. Past fellows have conducted research and advocacy on numerous different issues in countries all over the world. A few recent examples are: a project on the rights of Iraqi refugees in Syria and Lebanon; on violations of the rights of girls in juvenile custody in New York State; on corporal punishment of children in southern public schools in the US; on the rights of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal and India; on abuses against Sri Lankan migrant domestic workers; and abuses committed in the context of the Naxal conflict in Chhattisgarh state, India.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Applicants must have exceptional analytic skills, an ability to write and speak clearly, and a commitment to work in the human rights field in the future. Proficiency in one language in addition to English is strongly desired. Familiarity with countries or regions where serious human rights violations occur is also valued. Depending on the fellowship for which they wish to apply, prospective fellows must be graduates of law, journalism, international relations, or other relevant studies, or must provide evidence of significant, comparable, relevant work experience (please see our Frequently Asked Questions section for the specific requirements of the various fellowships.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

The salary for 2008-2009 fellows is $48,000, plus excellent employer-paid benefits. The salary for 2009-2010 is currently under review and may be increased.

Applicants are responsible for compiling complete application packets which must include the following:

cover letter
résumé (curriculum vitae)
two letters of recommendation
at least one unedited, unpublished writing sample
an official law or graduate school transcript (applicants in one-year graduate programs should supply an undergraduate transcript with a list of their graduate school courses)

Complete applications (including transcripts and recommendations) for Fellowships must be received no later than October. Applications should be sent by e-mail, under single cover and as PDF files, to  fellowship at hrw.org with the name of the fellowship you are applying for in the subject line.

Applicants must be available for interviews in New York from early November to mid-December. Inquiries may be directed to the Fellowships hotline at (212) 290-4700 x312, or to fellowship@hrw.org. Please click here for more information.

Faxing Parts of Your Application

Applications must be submitted by e-mail, under a single cover and in PDF format. However, under truly extenuating circumstances and only with prior written approval from us, you may send in an application or part of an application by fax, by the deadline of October. Lateness of an application does not constitute extenuating circumstances. Faxed applications will not be accepted without prior written approval from Human Rights Watch.