One Ph.D. Position in Forest Ecology Call for Applications Structured Education Quality Assurance Freedom to Think The Lehmann-Haupt International Doctoral Programme I. Announcement of the Scholarships and brief Description of the Programme The transdisciplinary Lehmann-Haupt International Doctoral Programme is a joint project between Ilia State (ISU) and Georg-August- of Göttingen (UGOE) which gives 12 Ph.D. students from various scientific fields the opportunity to pursue their doctoral projects within a structured Cotutelle-based framework. The Ph.D. students will undergo supervision and conduct doctoral studies (coursework, seminars, trainings etc.) at ISU in /Georgia and UGOE in Göttingen/Germany (research period at UGOE 12 months in total). The programme provides disciplinary and transdisciplinary skills trainings as well as cosupervision by two professors (one of each university) with excellent expertise in their relevant research fields. Upon successful completion of the doctoral project a Ph.D. degree by each of the two universities (double degree) will be awarded. Funding granted by the German VolkswagenStiftung and the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia allows the allocation of full scholarships (500 Euro per month) to each of the 12 participants (maximum until December 2021). Research-related expenses incurred by conference participation and field studies can be covered as well. II. Discipline and proposed Research Subjects One scholarship is announced in the discipline Life Sciences Forest Ecology. The proposed research topics are: - Modelling Forest Ecosystems in Space and Time in the Caucasus - Functional Diversity and Conception of Forests along environmental Gradients in the Caucasus - Ecology of Chestnut The supervisors are Prof. Aleksandre Gavashelishvili (ISU) and Prof. Holger Kreft (UGOE). The respective Ph.D. programme at ISU is Life Sciences Ecology. III. Eligibility Criteria / Prerequisites To be considered eligible to apply the following criteria has to be met by the applicant: Master s degree (preferably in Forest Ecology or related fields) or equivalent academic qualification enabling to doctoral studies in the country, in which the academic degree/qualification was awarded. 1/4
English language proficiency of at least B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and capability of conducting doctoral studies and thesis writing in English. Statistical software familiarization Preliminary data preparation Another Ph.D. project with a research subject corresponding to the chosen topic has not been started yet. Otherwise the Ph.D. project must not last for more than one year before the date of application submission. Full-Time Commitment: Only candidates who will devote their full time to their Ph.D. project will be admitted to the programme. In return for the full scholarship the programme s participants are expected not to seek additional non-academic employment alongside their Ph.D. project. In the framework of this Call for Applications, persons with disadvantaged backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply and, in cases of equal qualification, aptitude and expertise, they will be given preferential consideration in selection. The Lehmann-Haupt International Doctoral Programme promotes equal opportunities and inclusion for all participants regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or ideology, disability and chronic illness, ethnic and social background. The actions aim at facilitating the access to the participants with disadvantaged groups and special needs. ISU and UGOE recognize that faculty, staff, and students need an environment in which they are respected and valued for their contributions in order to work and study effectively. This applies irrespective of their age, (dis)ability, gender, sexual orientation or identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, ethnic origin, and religion and belief. IV. Submission of the Application and Deadline Applications must be submitted in English. Documents issued in languages other than English can only be recognized if submitted in combination with a notarially certified translation. Applications must be submitted by E-Mail to: doctoralschool@iliauni.edu.ge by the end of the application deadline. Please indicate International Doctoral Programme in the subject line. The application documents (see below under VI.) must be scanned and compiled into one PDF (one e-mail attachment only!). Other file formats will not be accepted. The application deadline is 9 March 2018, 12:00 p.m. Georgian time (GET). Please note that only complete applications submitted by the end of the application deadline will be considered. 2/4
V. Selection Procedure 1. Pre-Selection Phase Complete applications which meet all formal criteria will be evaluated by the prospective supervisors of both universities. The pre-selection phase is based on the submitted application documents only. The main criteria at this stage will be the academic quality and research experience of the applicants as well as their English language proficiency. All applicants will be informed via e-mail after the pre-selection phase has been completed. Shortlisted candidates will receive an invitation to an interview with the prospective supervisors. Upon receipt of the invitation the candidates must confirm their availability for the personal interview. The preselection phase will prospectively take place until 13 March 2018. 2. Selection Phase The selection phase will consist of personal interviews with the applicants shortlisted after the pre-selection. The interviews will be held with the prospective supervisors in person and/or via Skype. After all interviews have been conducted the candidates will be ranked in order to choose the 12 participating Ph.D. students. The interviews are anticipated to take place from 14 to 21 March 2018. 3. Admission Phase Upon acceptance of the offer by the candidate, the enrolment and admission procedures will get started. The programme participants will get enrolled at both universities and will be admitted to the respective doctoral programmes/schools.* At this stage also the individual supervision agreements and the scholarship agreements will be set up for each single participant. All administrative procedures are expected to be completed by 30 March 2018. *In case foreign (non-georgian) educational documents have been submitted with the application: Please note that the admission to doctoral programmes/schools at ISU is subject to the recognition of the relevant academic degree certificates and their supplements (transcripts of records, grading scales etc.) by the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE) of Georgia! Admission and thus the participation in the Lehmann- Haupt International Doctoral Programme cannot take place if for any reason the certificates and their supplements cannot be recognized by the NCEQE. VI. Required Documents A complete application must consist of the following documents*: - Completed and signed Application Form - Letter of Motivation (max. 2 pages) - Research Proposal incl. personal skills, motivation, research justification and feasibility, innovation (6-10 pages) - Curriculum Vitae indicating any science-related skills, relevant previous research, professional or other experience 3/4
- Copy of a Proof of Identity (ID Card or Passport) - Copies of relevant Academic Degree Certificates/Diploma and their Supplements (Transcripts of Records, Grading Scales etc.), if issued in languages other than English a notarially certified translation into English is required as well - If available: Abstracts of relevant Publications - List of at least two Academic References (at least Ph.D. Holder) with Contact Data - Valid Proof of English Language Proficiency of at least B2 according to the CEFR. Accepted certificates and scores are: TOEFL minimum score 513 (Paper-based Test) or minimum score 75 (Internet-based Test); IELTS minimum score 5; Cambridge FCE Certificate; Cambridge BEC Vantage Certificate; PTE minimum grade General Level 3; PTE Academic minimum score 59; Michigan ECCE or a result of at least 65 out of 100 points achieved in the English language test for admission to Ph.D. studies at ISU. o Alternatively, if a Bachelor s or a Master s Programme has been completed in English, the relevant academic degree certificate can be presented as proof of English language proficiency. In case the Bachelor s or Master s programme has taken place at a Georgian educational institution it must be explicitly stated in the certificate that English was the language of instruction. A List of Publications can be attached optionally. *All documents must be submitted in English. Documents issued in languages other than English can only be recognized if submitted in combination with a notarially certified translation into English. 4/4
The Lehmann-Haupt International Doctoral Programme One Ph.D. Position in Forest Ecology Application Form Please send your application consisting of the completed and signed application form and the required documents scanned and compiled into one PDF (other file formats will not be accepted) until 9 March 2018, 12:00 p.m. Georgian time (GET) to: doctoralschool@iliauni.edu.ge Please indicate International Doctoral Programme in the e-mail subject line. Only complete applications submitted by the end of the application deadline will be considered! I. Personal Data Surname First Name Sex Nationality Date of Birth Address Phone/Mobile E-Mail Skype Account II. Academic Qualification 1. Master s Degree (Please include a notarially certified copy of the certificate in your application!) Scientific Field / Discipline Grade Date of Award Title of the written Thesis 1/4
2. Bachelor s Degree (Please include a notarially certified copy of the certificate in your application!) Scientific Field / Discipline Grade Date of Award Title of the written Thesis 3. Other academic Qualification (Please include a notarially certified copy of the certificate in your application!) Scientific Field / Discipline Grade Date of Award Title of the written Thesis III. English Language Skills Level of English Proficiency according to CEFR English Language Certificate Yes No If ticked Yes please include a notarially certified copy of the certificate in your application and answer the questions below. Type of Certificate Score Date of Issue Academic Studies completed in English? Yes No If ticked Yes please include a notarially certified copy of the certificate in your application and answer the questions below. Academic Degree/ Qualification Name of the Programme Study Period (dd/mm/yyyy-dd/mm/yyyy) 2/4
IV. Please indicate the Research Topic and the Supervisors you are applying for. Research Topic Supervisors V. Currently ongoing Ph.D. Projects Are you currently already pursuing a Ph.D. degree? Yes No If ticked Yes please answer the questions below. Discipline Title of the Thesis Supervisor(s) Starting Date Your application submitted to Ilia State contains information which is classified as Personal Data or even Special Category Data, according to the definitions stated in the Law of Georgia on Personal Data Protection. We hereby inform you that the provided data will be processed internally for the purpose of considering your application. On the respective legal basis of Georgian laws these data may be partially published (e.g. on the ISU website for a duration of 32 days) or transferred to third parties whenever necessary. By signing this application form you confirm to have noted and agreed with the before described use of data. I confirm to have noted and accepted Ilia State s policy of data use. Furthermore, I confirm that all information provided by this application is correct and complete. Place, Date Signature 3/4
Checklist of included Documents: Completed and signed Application Form Letter of Motivation Research Proposal Curriculum Vitae Copy of a Proof of Identity (ID Card or Passport) Copy of Master s Degree Certificate (incl. Transcripts of Records, Grading Scales) in English Copy of Bachelor s Degree Certificate (incl. Transcripts of Records, Grading Scales) in English Copy of another Academic Degree Certificate (incl. Transcripts of Records, Grading Scales) in English Abstracts of relevant Publications (if available) List of References with Contact Data Valid Proof of English Language Proficiency of at least B2 according to the CEFR List of Publications (optional) 4/4