Researchers based in Malta are being invited to participate in new COST actions which have just been published online. COST anticipates and complements the activities of the EU Framework Programmes, constituting a 'bridge' towards the scientific communities of emerging countries.  

COST actions are thus 'bottom-up' approaches to research and will facilitate networking and other events. There are no funds for research as such but researchers are reimbursed for expenses in conjunction with flights and accommodation to COST meetings. It is very simple to apply for and can create excellent contacts, leading to preparation for future grant proposals eg as in FP.  It is particularly suitable for young researchers as well.

To date over 150 Maltese researchers are already taking part in COST actions. For further information contact the national contact point or Dr Janet Mifsud.

Consultation on the State of the Socio-Economic Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in Europe
15 April - 15 June 2013

The European Commission proposals for the multi-annualframework for research and innovation Horizon 2020, discussed and modified by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, have structured research funding into interdisciplinary blocks defined as 'societal challenges'. In this new structure, a new role for SSH is being envisaged. SSH are seen as core building block for realising the Vision 'Europe 2020': an 'integrated approach' will replace previously existing dedicated funding streams. With a view to this unprecedented role that has been assigned to SSH research in Europe, the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU has decided to dedicate a specific
conference to this discussion.

The conference's steering committee has decided to launch an online consultation on how to shape the roles of SSH in 'Horizon 2020'. The objective is to learn more about the current situation and the ambitions of the research community, but also to identify the needs and structural problems of specific fields, with an emphasis on their potential to contribute to the success of the Vision Europe 2020.

The consultation is being circulated to the wider SSH research community, irrespective of whether individuals or institutions are already active in EU-funded research. Results of the consultation will be made publicly accessible online (in an anonymised format, unless you explicitly state otherwise). They will also provide valuable input for the planned Vilnius declaration on 'Horizons for Social Sciences and Humanities'.

Please send your answers/statements via email until 15 June 2013. Your statements will be archived in anonymised format (unless explicitly stated otherwise) in a database at the Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius. A report will be published on the conference website and made widely available to the conference participants.

Please indicate your position/standpoint: e.g. individual researcher, representative of research institution, representative of association, etc. and your fields of research!

1. SSH research is often conducted in disciplinarily defined contexts. This may be an obstacle in a problem-driven research environment (“societal challenges”). Can you give examples of how your own research area has been involved in (a) opening up to other research fields, (b) translating findings and/or methods to or from other academic fields, (c) contributing to the emergence of new, cross-disciplinary fields, and/or (d) transcending, with its results and insights, the fields of academic research?
2. The research agendas of the different subfields of SSH are very heterogeneous. What are the broad research questions, new methodological or theoretical developments, or generally new approaches that are high on your own research agenda? Which ones are high on the research agenda of your field? Where do you see potential contributions to societal relevance?
3. 'Horizon 2020'will provide new opportunities for SSH to contribute to new research on 'societal challenges'. What are the potential contributions from your field? Please specify the “societal challenge/s” to which contributions from your research community are most likely, and suggest successful steps in this direction, if possible.
4. Do you foresee (or have you experienced) obstacles that may prevent you and your research community from making contributions to the 'societal grand challenges' approach? Please provide specific indications.
5. In order to foster a more integrative approach that would also benefit the SSH research communities, what would you consider the most important incentives that 'Horizon 2020' could provide?

The International Ocean Institute offers
The Elisabeth Mann Borgese Bursary 2013

The International Ocean Institute (IOI) is once again offering the Elisabeth Mann Borgese Bursary (EMB Bursary) consisting of a sum of Euros 3,500 (Euros three thousand five hundred only) which may be used in furthering research studies over the period of a year.

The 2013-2014 Bursary will be awarded to one person/research team carrying out postgraduate studies/research in ocean/marine/maritime related studies at the University of Malta. Staff or students are to be registered with the University of Malta where research in the relevant fields is carried out.

The EMB Bursary was established by the International Ocean Institute as a means of demonstrating recognition to the host country of the IOI – Malta – for hosting the IOI Headquarters and providing facilities for staff and offices. The Bursary also constitutes a further recognition and acknowledgement of the role of Prof. E. Mann Borgese, founder of IOI, and of her considerable achievements; the Bursary is financed through the IOI’s Women, Youth and the Sea Programme. Further information and application forms may be accessed through the IOI Website or obtained by sending an email to IOI Headquarters. The application deadline is Friday 20 July 2013.

At the end of the Bursary period, the awardee is to present a brief/paper of the attainments of the funded research to the IOI. This may be eligible for publication in the IOI's Ocean Yearbook and may also form the basis of a public presentation held as part of the World Ocean Day Celebration of IOI, the following 8th June, or on any other occasion deemed appropriate by the IOI.

Previous winners of the EMB Bursary since 2010 have worked on diverse research areas within the scope of marine and maritime related studies at the University of Malta. Past work has focussed on proposed stakeholder managed Marine Protected Areas in Malta; the collection of genetic data on the bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus, with the aim of understanding the population variation within the central Mediterranean region and working on species preservation; and to the study of the concept of State of Disembarkation in the context of migration law and its links to principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Past winners of this award have come from diverse backgrounds in geography, genetics, and maritime law.

Researchers and research institutions interested in applying for the latest FP7 Marie Curie Intra-European, Outgoing and Incoming Fellowships for Career Development (IEFs, IOFs and IIFs), a specific package of EU grants amounting to €223 million, can already start submitting their applications via the Participants Portal.

Applications are to be made jointly by a researcher and the foreseen 'host organisation', as well as, where applicable, a 'return host institution'.

The IEFs, intended to encourage exchanges among European research centres, count on a total indicative budget of €134 million – individual grants can be awarded for a maximum of two years. The IIFs and the IOFs, a tool for synergy maximisation overseas among world-class researchers, both supported by €44.5 million, cover costs – such as researcher's salary, activities, publications, patents, consumables, travel costs, etc. – for a maximum of three years in either Europe or abroad.

They are all particular schemes within the Marie Curie Actions, an EU research fund managed by the REA since June 2009.

Further information is available at the REA's dedicated web page.

Project Support
31 May 2013

Zadar, Croatia
19-21 June 2013

The MakeLearn International Conference 2013
Keynote Addresses, Academic Leadership Forum (19 academic leaders)
Editors’ Panel (editors of 19 journals)
Business Excellence Forum, and high-quality research paper presentations in concurrent sessions which cover most of the key areas in engineering, management and business (program-in-brief).

All submissions MUST be made online. The first order of business upon entering the website is to create a login account, which includes a username and password. The 15 February submission deadline is quickly approaching - so please go online at http://makelearn.issbs.si/e-registration.php for creating your username & password, and then upload papers/abstracts.  

Accepted papers are to be included in the MakeLearn 2013 Conference Proceedings in CD form. Authors of selected full-length papers will be given the opportunity to revise their papers for possible inclusion in a future issue of 19 highly regarded academic journals according to the guidelines for publication and editorial decision as specified in each journal. Conference registered delegates will have opportunity to meet F2F with editors of 19 academic journals.

Conference Theme
Active Citizenship by Knowledge Management & Innovation

Important Dates
Full Paper/ Extended Abstract Submission Due: 15 February
All submissions MUST be made by online registration and submission system.
Notification of acceptance: 15 March
Final (Revised) Paper Submission due: 15 April
Early Registration: 1 April (€300; Student Registration Fee €180)
Regular Registration: 10 June (€400; Student Registration Fee €240)
Conference Dates: 19-21 June
Doctoral Students' Workshop: 21-22 June

Online Registration with Payment
The MakeLearn conference policy requires one unique author to be registered for each paper accepted for presentation and publication. If you are an author or co-author on more then one accepted paper, each paper must have one unique author registration to be accepted for conference presentation and publication.

Venue and Accommodation
Conference will be held at the premises of the University of Zadar in Zadar, Croatia. Situated in the heart of the Adriatic, Zadar is the urban centre of northern Dalmatia as administrative, economic, cultural and political centre. The archipelago of about 300 islands, 5 national parks and 3 nature parks with untouched nature classifies Zadar and its surroundings at the very top of the Croatian tourist offer. Please click here for more information regarding the venue. Conference hotel Kolovare**** is offered for a special price to all conference participants. More information on accommodation is available online.

Doctoral Students' Workshop will be held on 21-22 June.
The workshop provides a great opportunity for doctoral students, young researchers and postdocs to gain new knowledge and skills on academic writing for publishing scientific papers in international journals.

Other Activities
As part of MakeLearn tradition, several activities are planned to further stimulate the exchange within the many social events of the MakeLearn 2013. There will be plenty of time and opportunity to meet and visit with conference participants prior to the end of the conference. The MakeLearn International Conference encourages participants to bring their spouse or guest to the conference to enjoy the social activities that are provided. Multiple networking breaks, welcome reception, business luncheon and business dinner, and visits with entertainment are planned to provide you with ample opportunity including a board trip to Kornati Islands. See details on the website.  

The European Commission, DG HOME is today launching the multimedia competition 'Migrants in Europe' which is open to art and communication schools and universities.

The competition aims to give young artists and communicators an opportunity to reflect on the contribution of migrants to the European society today.

The competition is open to students following formal education in art and media communication.

There are three categories in the competition:

• poster
• photography
• video.

for Maltese Citizens Only

Applications are invited from Maltese citizens for the 24th programme at the IMO International Maritime Law Institute, Malta to be held from September 2013 to May 2014.

The course is at postgraduate level leading to a Master of Laws (LL.M) and places particular emphasis on the international regulatory law relating to maritime safety and port protection of the marine environment. It also covers the commercial law aspects of shipping. A unique feature of the course is the provision of comprehensive training in the development and drafting of maritime legislation.

Only persons already in possession of a university degree in law with a high standard may apply.

Application forms as indicated below should be submitted to the Scholarships Section at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Valletta from 0800hrs to 1200hrs and 1400hrs to 1600hrs:
(a)    MFA Application Form
(b)    a Curriculum Vitae
(c)    a copy of the degree(s) obtained
(d)    a University transcript detailing results and grades obtained
(e)    IMLI Application Form.

Alternatively applicants can also apply through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Scholarship portal www.scholarships.gov.mt. Kindly note that this portal requires e-ID certification. E-ID registration details may be obtained from www.mygov.mt. Those applying through this portal are to make sure that (c), (d) and (e) above have to be handed in as a hard copy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Applications from Government and Parastatal employees and from the Private Sector will not be considered unless recommended by their Head of Department/Parastatal Organisation/employer respectively.

Closing date for these scholarships is by not later than noon of Friday 21 June 2013.

Successful candidates may be required to enter into a contract to serve the Government or the Private Sector of Malta upon completion.

Late applications will not be considered.
The Board’s decision will be final.

Systematic reviews enable a reliable assessment of current evidence that are increasingly used to inform policy and practice.They are reliable and reproducible and are accepted as original research by high impact journals.

on Tuesday 2 July   
0900hrs to 1330hrs
in Room 4/5 Mater Dei Hospital

Dr Josip Car MD PhD, an Editor of the Cochrane Collabration will deliver the training. Dr Car is Director of the Global eHealth Unit, School of Public Health at Imperial College London, and Director of Public Health and Primary care at Imperial College Healthcare Trust. He is also an editorial advisor to the British Medical Journal,Board member of the Journal of Global eHealth, and co-Director of the London (NW) NIHR Comprehensive Local Research Network. He has served as an expert adviser to the OECD, WHO, WorldBank and Global Fund.

During the training, he will be assisted by Dr Myra Tilney from the Department of Medicine.

Topics covered include question formulation, protocols, developing a plan to conduct your review, PRISMA guidelines, critical appraisal, as well as some aspects of meta-analysis and synthesis of non-numerate data. There is the possibility of a second workshop session for interested participants.

This unique opportunity to learn how to plan and execute systematic reviews,provided by an Editor of the  Cochrane Collaboration will be conducted once only. Places are limited.Please register with Ms Jeanette Magrin by email to reserve a place, indicating whether you would be interested in a ‘clinic  session’ to explore specific areas.

The ESPON CU (Coordination Unit) is looking for two trainees to join its international team, preferably starting in September 2013.

The CU is offering a five-month period of training for young academics in the final stage of their university studies related to territorial development and planning, geography, regional economics, European studies, political science and/or other relevant fields.

The work in the CU is organised in three clusters each dealing with a key area of the implementation of the ESPON 2013 Programme:

1. Programme, Finance and Budget
2. Project Development and Coordination
3. Capitalisation, Publication and Analysis.

Call for Papers
'Intelligent Investigation - Challenges & Chances'
Brussels 19-20 September 2013

Papers are invited for presentation at a workshop on 'Intelligent Investigation – Challenges & Changes' which is being held in Brussels on 19 and 20 September 2013 as part of the SMART Project. The workshop programme will include presentation of interim results from the SMART project, invited keynotes on key issues relating to smart surveillance technology, panel discussions, and presentation of papers selected from this call for papers.

Authors wishing to submit their contributions should upload an extended abstract of max 1200 words by 15 July 2013 here. 

More details on the Call for Papers can be found online.

The SMART Project is being carried out by a consortium of nineteen partners and is supported by the European Union within the Seventh Framework Programme. Automated recognition of individuals and/or pre-determined traits or risk factors lie at the basis of smart surveillance systems. SMART examines legal and social implications of the use of smart surveillance. The Department of Information Policy & Governance, Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences at the University of Malta is co-ordinator of the SMART project and the Department of Cognitive Science of the University of Malta also carries out research as part SMART. For more information about SMART please visit the website.

The editorial board of Xjenza, the Journal of the Malta Chamber of Scientists, is inviting manuscripts in the form of communications, research articles and review articles in all branches of science and the humanities. Xjenza welcomes submissions from young scientists including junior faculty and students, as well as senior professors and scientists.

One of the aims of Xjenza, besides highlighting the exciting research being done nationally, is to provide training for graduate students and young researchers in the art of scientific publishing in a peer-reviewed environment. Xjenza highly encourages student involvement in the preparation of manuscripts. Submission of manuscripts from international scientists is also welcome.

For the second issue, the Editorial Board is requesting original articles based on research work, dissertations, projects and reports. News and book reviews are also welcome. The journal will be published in October of 2013. In order to allow time for double-blind peer-review and the editorial process, the submission deadline for the second issue is Friday 9 August, 2013.
 
Author and submission guidelines are available at www.xjenza.com.

Contact
Editor-in-chief, Prof. Giuseppe Di Giovanni

19th European Workshop on String Theory
Bern, 2-6 September, 2013

The new European Union COST program 'The String Theory Universe' (MPNS COST Action MP1210) is organising its first conference in September. The conference is dedicated to all aspects of superstring, supergravity and supersymmetric theories. It will include five review talks (speakers to be announced when confirmed) and shorter research talks. Registered participants may submit contributions.

Website

The Humanities, Medicine and Sciences (HUMS) Programme invites all academics to submit abstracts for consideration in respect to the HUMS Annual Meeting scheduled for Friday 18 October 2013. This meeting will be a thematic one where accepted presentations will concentrate on various aspects of TRAVEL.

Submitted abstracts should be brief with not more than 500 words of text. All submission should be forwarded by email by 23 September.

Next October, Malta will be hosting the 23rd Alzheimer Europe International Conference with the motto 'Living well in a dementia-friendly society'. This conference will bring together healthcare professionals, dementia care researchers, family caregivers, individuals with dementia, policy makers and national Alzheimer associations. It will offer a unique opportunity to learn about the latest developments in diagnosis and treatment, improvements in the quality of care, approaches to building dementia-friendly communities, and issues relating to national dementia strategies.

Special registration rates for Maltese delegates and daily registration rates are also available.

Click here to download the registration form.

Closing date for registration: 31 August 2013

The conference is under the patronage of the President of Malta.

Further information including the preliminary programme is available online.

Following the success of the First Levantine Symposium in 2010, the organisers are delighted to announce that the Second Informal Conference on the history and peoples of the Levant will take place in Izmir on Friday, 31 October 2014 with an optional visit to Chios on 2 and 3 November 2014.

Click here for details.

For further information contact
Professor Henry Frendo [email]
or a member of the organising committee.

Student with a Business Plan?
'ERASMUS for Young Entrepreneurs'
is the programme for you!

'Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs' is a project financed by the European Union. It aims at helping aspiring entrepreneurs to acquire relevant skills for managing and growing a company by working with an experienced entrepreneur in another EU country for 1 to 6 months.

If you have a clear business idea and if you would like to set up your own business in the future, talk to Malta Enterprise, the 'Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs' might be the programme for you!

Spent this summer a number of weeks with an experienced entrepreneur, get a stipend from the EU, and learn all the relevant soft skills to be able to run your business!

Benefits for You:

• learning from an experienced entrepreneur in another EU country how to best start and manage an SME
• no sector restrictions, in other words any type of business is considered
• practical and financial assistance, such as match-making, induction before going abroad, logistical and local support during the stay, and a European Union grant to assist with the travel and subsistence costs during the stay abroad
• development of international connections and knowledge about foreign markets
• benefit from possible co-venturing opportunities and the development of cross-border markets
• gain of insights into a different cultural and organisational setting/workplace
• get to understand the regulatory framework in another EU country.

Click here for details.