Call for proposal Doctoral Fellowships in Imaging Technology for Biology and Medicine by the joint Biomedical Imaging Initiative of EPFL and ETHZ (NCCBI)
1.
A cover page, stating the title of the thesis project, names and addresses of the advisors, performance sites, and the biomedical imaging disciplines involved.
2.
A description of the Ph.D. project (3 pages maximum), addressing the high-risk high-yield potential of the project (background, biomedical significance, innovation), the potential of yielding paradigm-shifting imaging advances, including an outline of the research (including some aspects of riskmanagement) and teaching plan (draft outline of lectures and courses to be attended) and specifying biomedical collaborations that will be involved in this project.
3.
CV of the advisor and co-advisor with publication list of the last 5 years.
4.
(If available): Curriculum vitae of the Ph D student interested in such a
fellowship.
5.
A justification how this project will exploit the synergies between EPFL, ETHZ and PSI (including specifics on the importance for and benefit to each advisor's laboratory).
6.
The application must be signed and dated by both advisors.
Background
The National Competence Center in Biomedical Imaging (NCCBI) is an initiative in biomedical imaging, recently
launched by the ETH domain [i].
Its mission is to advance imaging technology in Switzerland beyond institution-specific investments and activities. The NCCBI serves to develop synergies among the academic institutions involved and to coordinate imaging investments within the ETH domain.
The formation of NCCBI is based on two geographical centers, namely the ETHZ and PSI along with affiliated institutions represented in the Zurich Center of IMaging Science and Technology (CIMST) on one hand, and the EPFL along with affiliated institutions represented in the Centre d'Imagerie BioMedicale (CIBM) on the other hand. In an initial phase of its implementation, funding has become available for a joint doctoral program in biomedical imaging to enhance the collaboration within the ETH domain and with affiliated academic institutions.
Scope of the call
The initial budget allows for funding of 12-14 Ph.D. fellowships assuming an average duration of 3.5 years (based on the current pay line of the SNF) in the area of developing high-risk, high-yield imaging advances that will be used to resolve biological and medical questions of importance and have high paradigm-shifting potential in biomedical research.
While the research can be carried out anywhere in Switzerland, the program requires that one Ph.D. advisor be from ETHZ or EPFL and a co-advisor from the other school or from PSI, and the Ph.D. project be of substantial interest and benefit to both labs implicated. Research areas covered include novel biomedical imaging instrumentation, revolutionary ancillary technological developments, as well as innovative imaging methods, including but not limited to image/signal processing, synthesis and
characterization of novel reporter molecules/approaches for imaging, covering aspects of imaging from molecular complexes to live organisms, transgenic animals and humans.
The graduate student funded by this program will be registered with the doctoral school or equivalent of the advisor, but is expected to obtain credits at EPFL and ETHZ.
The stipend will cover graduate student salary at the current level of the SNF and a total of up to 5000 CHF travel allowance for presenting progress on the project at international conferences.
Application requirements
The application should contain
Projects with one advisor performing at one site are not admissible.
Submission
Applications for these fellowships should be addressed to 'nccbi [AT] cibm.ch'. While the program is of an ongoing nature, and applications will thus be considered on an ongoing basis, the deadline for this call is May 19th, 2008 and applications will be reviewed and decided upon every 6 months until all funds are committed.
The National Competence Center in Biomedical imaging (the Center, the NCCBI) is one of the competence centers decided by the ETH Board and represents a national initiative in biomedical imaging of the ETH Domain. Biomedical imaging research within the scope of the center is defined as the process of non-destructively obtaining information from biological samples with spatial localization, ranging from molecular complexes, to cells and tissue cultures, from insects and mice to humans. The mission of the center is to advance the development of biomedical imaging in Switzerland above and beyond to institution-specific investments and activities to advance imaging technologies to the highest standard providing a leading edge to biomedical researchers.
Therefore, the center supports multidisciplinary and multi-institutional activities of special topicality, importance and urgency that are unlikely to gain support through regular funding mechanisms, i.e., the center will focus on supporting high-risk high-yield scientific projects that are advancing biological imaging to open for biomedical researchers new research horizons and capabilities. Of particular interest are efforts that lead to paradigm-shifts and/or new technologies in biomedical imaging to render previously untestable biological hypotheses of importance into testable hypotheses.
