Are you a Doctoral Student? FYI Applications are due on 16 September 2013. Southern African Young Scientists Summer Program 2013-14 The Southern African Young Scientists Summer Program (SA-YSSP) offers doctoral candidates the opportunity to develop research skills in systems analysis and its application to policy and management. The program takes place in South Africa from 24 November 2013 to 22 February 2014. Apply by 16 September 2013. The SA-YSSP is a three-month program held during the Southern Hemisphere summer, November to February. Modeled on IIASA¹s Young Scientists Summer Program<http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/education/yssp/About-the-Program.en. html> (YSSP), the SA-YSSP is now in its second year. It makes IIASA¹s unique research and training opportunities more accessible to young scientists focused on systems approaches to issues facing developing countries, and connects researchers in Southern Africa with IIASA experts and the IIASA global research network. The program is open to advanced PhD students studying in South Africa, a Southern African Development Community (SADC)<http://www.sadc.int/about-sadc/overview/> nation, or one of IIASA¹s 20 National Member Organization (NMO)<http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/about/nationalmembers/National-Member- Organizations.en.html> countries, whose research is compatible with the 19 research themes<http://www.iiasa.ac.at/sa-yssp/themes> defined by the supervisory teams in the general areas of Risk & Governance, Energy & Climate Systems, Ecosystems & Water, and Population, Health & Aging. Funding for travel and living expenses is available. Program Details<http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/education/sayssp/About-the-Program.e n.html> Research Themes<http://www.iiasa.ac.at/sa-yssp/themes> Apply Now<http://www.nrf.ac.za/funding_overview.php?fid=207> ³Participating in the SA-YSSP was one of the best experiences of my life. I had the opportunity to work with multiple supervisors and expand my network, focus on research concerning pressing issues, make lifelong friends from all over the world, and experience South Africa¹s rich culture.² Valentina Prado Lopez (SA-YSSP 201213) International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis<http://www.iiasa.ac.at/> | South African Department of Science and Technology<http://www.dst.gov.za/> National Research Foundation<http://www.nrf.ac.za> | University of the Free State<http://www.ufs.ac.za/sa-yssp> The South African National Research Foundation (NRF) has partnered with IIASA to offer a second year of a pioneering doctoral-level research program modeled on IIASA¹s successful Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP). The Southern African Young Scientists Summer Program (SA-YSSP) is currently accepting applications from doctoral students from IIASA¹s twenty National Member Organization (NMO) countries<http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/about/nationalmembers/Full-List-of -Members.en.html>, Southern African Development Community member states<http://www.sadc.int/member-states>, and South Africa, to spend three months (from 24 November 2013 until 22 February 2014) at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa<http://www.ufs.ac.za>, working with mentors from South Africa and IIASA on a research project related to their thesis work. Applications are due on 16 September 2013. Researchers from IIASA and South Africa will work in teams to supervise one or more SA-YSSP participants. These supervisory teams have jointly defined 19 research themes<http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/education/sayssp/themes/2013-14-SA-YS SP-themes-supervisors.en.html> that will serve as the basis for the participants¹ work. These themes fall into 4 interdisciplinary clusters: Risk & Governance, Energy & Climate Systems, Ecosystems & Water, and Population, Health & Aging. Funding to cover travel to Bloemfontein and living expenses while there is available for successful applicants. Details of the program and the research projects are available at the IIASA website<http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/education/sayssp/About-the-Program.e n.html>. More information about the venue is posted at the UFS website<http://conferences.ufs.ac.za/default.aspx?DCode=720>. The application form and procedures can be downloaded from the NRF website<http://www.nrf.ac.za/funding_overview.php?fid=207>. Please circulate this information widely to doctoral departments in IIASA member countries and SADC member countries, and forward it to appropriate candidates, collaborators, and mailing lists. Many thanks for your help. Please let us know if you have any questions. Sincerely yours, Maggie Goud Collins Ulf Dieckmann Joanne Bayer IIASA Secretary Co-Chair, CBAT YSSP Dean & Co-Chair, CBAT IIASA¹s Capacity Building and Academic Training Team (CBAT) Key links: SA-YSSP information on the IIASA website: http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/education/sayssp/About-the-Program.en.html SA-YSSP information on the UFS website: http://conferences.ufs.ac.za/default.aspx?DCode=720 Call for applications on the NRF website: http://www.nrf.ac.za/funding_overview.php?fid=207 ------------- The SA-YSSP program application deadline has been extended, we strongly encourage doctoral students to apply To get a sense of the research experience, they might check out the IIASA blog entry recently posted by Valentina Prado describing her SA-YSSP experience. It can be found at http://blog.iiasa.ac.at/2013/08/29/the-southern-african-yssp-my-experience/ Links to more information, including applications, can be found below. We encourage applicants to contact the supervisors for projects in which they're interested, in order to better prepare the required project descriptions. Contact information, and project guidance, can be found at http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/education/sa-yssp/2013-14-SA-YSSP-themes-sup ervisors.en.html