University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Funded Ph.D. Positions to Study Public Policy

We are recruiting our 2018 Public Policy Ph.D. Cohort. We have a number of funded graduate assistant positions which include a stipend, tuition, and health insurance. 

The priority deadline for applicants seeking funded positions is Feb. 15th, and we will continue reviewing applications on a rolling basis until all positions are full. To learn more about our program and students see our webpage at https://publicpolicy.uncc.edu/

Dear Colleagues,

The next Applied Economics Meeting will take place in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) the 7th and 9th of June, 2018. You can find additional information in the website: http://encuentros.alde.es/en

We inform you that the deadline for submitting the complete paper has been extended until next 8th March, 2018:

https://editorialexpress.com/cgi-bin/conference/conference.cgi?action=login&db_name=EcuentroXXI

Kind Regards,

Mariam Camarero                                                 Mª Josefa García Grande

Scientific Committee Coordinator                        Local Committee Coordinator

"The Geography of craft beer brewing and consumption: local entrepreneurialism and tourism development” is the title of the next RSAI-GSSI Summer Workshop organized by the Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) area of Social Sciences, in cooperation with the Regional Science Association International (RSAI), the North American Regional Science Association (NARSC) and the University of Toledo.

The event is intended to provide a unique opportunity to pre-doctoral students and early career scholars (Associate Professors or below) to actively participate in a 2-day workshop focused on the role that craft breweries can play in economic and tourism development at a variety of scales - neighbourhood, city, and regional. The last session of the workshop will be dedicated to the pre-doctoral students, who will have a chance to present their research topics and receive feedback from internationally renowned Professors and early career scholars working on similar topics. In addition to that, two relevant case studies will be presented by local entrepreneurs: Apecchio and L’Aquila. Located in the Marche region of Italy, Apecchio is the home to three craft breweries and has used their existence to leverage the village’s tourism industry. L’Aquila is home to two craft brewery (Anbra - Anonima Brasseria Aquilana, and Alkibia). Moreover, the students will have the chance to meet and exchange ideas with the 30 Ph.D. candidates currently enrolled in the “Urban Studies and Regional Science” program at GSSI and 7 postdocs, in an international, multidisciplinary and stimulating environment. GSSI, in collaboration with RSAI and NARSC, will offer 10 scholarships to 2nd or 3rd year doctoral students for an intensive, two-day program with in-depth working sessions on topics related to the practical and theoretical significance of craft-beer brewing in regional development and on local entrepreneurialism. The final aim of this workshop is to provide 10 pre-doctoral and 10 early career scholars (associate professors or below) working on similar research topics with a chance to create a research network on this growing area of research. Favouring informal knowledge exchange (during lunches, social events and a craft beer tasting event) will be an integral part of the workshop. We also plan a number of follow-up activities. These include a special issue of a refereed academic journal and the organization of special sessions at regional science conferences such as NARSC and ERSA. The Workshop format is a 2-day meeting. It includes time for research, discussion and paper presentations – combining conventional parallel workshop sessions, plenary sessions and keynote speeches, where the participants can present their current research projects. 

Call for papers is now open, the deadline for applications is March 31st 2018. 

For more information on the full programme and how to submit your application, please read here: http://www.gssi.it/seminars/seminars-and-events-2018/item/2229-rsai-gssi-summer-workshop-the-geography-of-craft-beer-brewing-and-consumption-local-entrepreneurialism-and-tourism-development

Maria Giulia Pezzi, PhD
Social Anthropology

PostDoc Research Fellow, Social Sciences Unit
GSSI - Gran Sasso Science Institute
Via Michele Iacobucci 2
67100 L’Aquila (AQ), Italy

Dear all,
 
Please see below a Call for Papers for a Special Session at this year's ERSA Congress in Cork:
 
S27 Doing regional science with new sources of big data
 
Convenors: Emmanouil Tranos, Daniel Arribas-Bel, Franciso Rowe
 
The availability of good quality, granular and longitudinal data has traditionally shaped how researchers do Regional Science. During the last 5-10 years more and more new sources of, sometimes, diverse data have become available. Although these data can be called “accidental” as they have not been designed or curated to support urban and regional analysis. They have the capacity to expand the analytical boundaries of regional science. These data tend to be georeferenced; have high level of spatial and temporal granularity; and, involve large population samples. The use of these data does not come without challenges. For instance, although sample sizes may be large, they can also suffer from biases that are difficult to control for; or, they may include noise as they have not been designed to capture urban and regional socio-economic processes. The characteristics of these data, such as their large size and unstructured nature, impose analytical challenges as more traditional methodologies are not always equipped in dealing with these peculiarities. Moreover, there is a growing hype around 'big data', and therefore researchers and policy makers may find themselves under pressure to utilise such data in a rather uncritical manner.
 
This call for abstracts for a Special Session during the ERSA 2018 Conference aims to exemplify applications, but also the challenges of using new sources of big data for urban and regional analysis. Specifically, we welcome submissions around the following points:
- Empirical applications of the of new sources of big data in regional science.
- Studies bridging the gap between traditional sources of (small) data (e.g., censuses) and new sources of (big) data
- Applications and experiences in which big data is used to inform policy decisions
- Studies that quantitatively explore the strengths and weaknesses of big data for spatial economic analysis.
 
Registration details: https://ersa.eventsair.com/QuickEventWebsitePortal/58th-ersa-congress-cork-28-31-august-2018/ersa2018/ExtraContent/ContentSubPage?page=2&subPage=3
 
Abstract submission deadline: 28th February
Abstract submission: https://ersa.eventsair.com/PresentationPortal/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2FPresentationPortal%2F58th-ersa-congress-cork-28-31-august-2018%2Fsa
 
Special Session: https://az659834.vo.msecnd.net/eventsairwesteuprod/production-ersa-public/3f4e19a775124b588ede218c9c08dedd
 
Best regards,
Emmanouil, Dani and Franciso

Seminário | Da Ciência Regional à Medicina do Território

No dia 19 de fevereiro, realiza-se o seminário " Da Ciência Regional à Medicina do Território", pelas 15h00, na sala Novo Banco. 

Entrada gratuita, sujeita a pré-inscrição em www.tinyurl.com/cienciaregional 

Cartaz (pdf) 

Dear All,

Please let me draw your attention to 2 lectureships in Statistical Science (Education and Research) at the University of Exeter.

Job title Lectureship in Statistical Science (Education and Research) Job reference P57874 Date posted 06/02/2018 Application closing date 13/03/2018 Location Exeter Salary The starting salary will be from £34,520 up to £42,418 on Grade F, depending on qualifications and experience Job category/type Academic Job description These new full-time posts are available immediately on a permanent basis.

The University of Exeter is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities. We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, with 98% of our research rated as being of international quality in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. The University of Exeter has over 22,000 students and 4600 staff from 180 different countries, and achieved a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2017. The University is making significant investment in data intensive research. In addition to these posts, and a new professor of Statistical Science to be appointed this year, the University has established an Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence with the recruitment of eight new academic staff across statistics and computer science. The University has also recently become a member of the Alan Turing Institute.

Statistical Science at Exeter, a core component of the Department of Mathematics, is renowned for developing and applying methodological research to address some of today's most important societal challenges, including climate change, environmental risk, weather forecasting, air quality and global health. There is a strong record of enhancing the impact of research through engagement with external partners, both within the UK and internationally. Examples include the UK Met Office, the World Meteorological Organization, the World Health Organization, and leading financial organisations such as Willis Towers Watson.

We are seeking to appoint two lecturers in Statistical Science, specialising in the application of methodological research in environmental modelling and/or environmental health.

These posts will be based in Exeter and/or at our Penryn Campus, near Falmouth, taking account where possible of your preference. The posts come with additional funding for travel to enable the post holder to interact with researchers at both campuses and with The European Centre for Environment & Human Health (www.ecehh.org) which is located in Truro, close to the Penryn campus. Between the posts there will be teaching responsibilities at both the Exeter and Penryn campuses.

https://jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VACANCY_ID=244027KqZy&WVID=3817591jNg&LANG=USA

The Stan Czamanski Prize 

Deadline:  March 31, 2018 (contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

The Stan Czamanski Prize is awarded by the Regional Science Association International in memory of Professor Stan Czamanski, an early recipient of a Ph.D. in regional science (1963), a member of the University of Pennsylvania regional science faculty (1963-1966), a member of the regional science faculty of Cornell University (1966-1988), and a past-president of the Regional Science Association (1975-1976).

 The annual prize is awarded to author of the best Ph.D. dissertation proposal judged to exemplify the philosophy and approach of Professor Czamanski, as described below.

1. The US$1,000 prize is awarded to the student and a plaque to the student’s advisor.
2. The selection will be made by a panel of three persons: a senior and long-standing member of the regional science community, a representative of the field of Regional Science at Cornell and a member of the RSAI Council. 
3. Students writing dissertations on problems in regional science from around the world are invited to enter the competition, in the spirit of Stan’s all-embracing philosophy.

 To be eligible, the dissertation proposal must have been defended and approved during the past 12 months.

Each applicant will submit the following:

1. A statement in six pages or less that clearly sets out the research question(s) and issues to be addressed, approach to be used, and product expected from the dissertation research. The six-page limit is exclusive of references, tables and figures. This text and references should be in 12 point or larger font and single-spaced. In addition, a summary (maximum one page) describing the intellectual merit of the proposed research and why the proposed approach may be regarded as implementing Professor Czamanski’s philosophy and approach, as described below.
2. A curriculum vita of no more than two pages.
3. Copies of the candidate’s transcripts for all graduate study. Unofficial copies are acceptable.
4. A separate, confidential letter from the dissertation supervisor assessing the quality and significance of the proposed dissertation research.

Philosophy and Research Approach of Professor Stan Czamanski

In his Introduction to Regional Science (Prentice-Hall, 1975, p. 2), Walter Isard wrote:

“In brief, regional science as a discipline concerns the careful and patient study of social problems with regional or spatial dimensions, employing diverse combinations of analytical and empirical research.”

Professor Czamanski’s research exemplified the analysis of social and economic problems with regional and spatial dimensions. In doing so, he chose judiciously the right combination of analytical and empirical research methods from his tool box to address the specific issue at hand.  

Dissertation proposals submitted for the Stan Czamanski Prize will be judged with regard to how the student proposes to bring an appropriate combination of analytical and empirical methods to bear on a social and economic problem with spatial or regional dimensions, and how this combination of methods is expected to deliver greater insights into the problem in question.

Description:

The objective of the course is to provide a (not so short) introduction to spatial econometrics. Students will learn how to model and incorporate spatial dependencies into their empirical analyses. The course will cover basic as well as more advanced concepts ranging from the different typologies of spatial data, through the definition of connectivity in space (spatial weights matrices), to a comprehensive treatment of various spatial econometric models, both cross-sectional as well as panel. Estimation methods presented will include MLE (maximum likelihood), GMM (generalized method of moments), GLS (generalized least squares), and GS2SLS (generalized spatial two-stage least squares). The latter part of the course will deal with special topics such as panel data models, and various testing procedures.

Instructor:

Gianfranco Piras, Associate Professor of Economics, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.

Organization:

The courses are organized into a format that includes morning (theoretical) lectures and afternoon computing lab and applications sessions. 

Material:

Suggested readings include: Kelejian H.H. and Piras G. (2017) “Spatial Econometrics, 1^st Edition”, Academic Press.  Additional readings will be provided during the course. 

Applications:

Application Period Opens:  January 8, 2018                          

Extended Application Deadline:  April 23, 2018   

Acceptance Notification:  Two days after application received

Confirm Participation by April 27, 2018

Important Dates:

Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae and a brief statement of interest to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Applicants will be screened for suitable levels of preparation and background, and placed into the course on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Fees:

Course fees are $3,000. Fees cover course tuition, lunches and course material. Submitted fees will be non-refundable. Accommodation and other living expenses are not included. A block of rooms will be reserved at nearby hotels at a discounted rate.

Location:

The course will be hosted by West Virginia University’s Regional Research Institute located at 886 Chestnut Ridge Road, Morgantown, WV, United States 26506.

Course information can also be found at the RRI website at: http://rri.wvu.edu/.

A course flier is attached for distribution to others you know who might be interested.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution.
West Virginia University is governed by the West Virginia University Board of Governors and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy
Commission. E. Gordon Gee is the 24th president of West Virginia University