The Jacobs Foundation invites qualified candidates to apply for the Research Fellowship program in 2018. This program is designed for early and mid-career researchers who wish to improve the quality of life for children in regards to their learning, development, and living conditions. Applicants should be involved in the research and study of fields such as educational sciences, psychology, family studies, political sciences, medical sciences, linguistics, neurosciences, economics, media studies, and sociology. Candidates who undertake an interdisciplinary approach to development and learning, and those that blend genetic, neurobiological, behavioral, epigenetic, and social levels of analysis will be given preference.

Fellows are selected based on overall talent and innovation. Funds to qualified candidates will be awarded directly to their home research institution and can be utilized for three years. These funds may cover salary and any resources supporting the fellow’s research, such as equipment, travel, trainee or assistant salaries and support, and technical assistance.

Fellows also receive a wide range of non-monetary benefits. These include the support of a broad, connected group of other fellows, as well as the use of Jacobs Foundation’s’ Conference Center Marbach Castle at Lake Constance in Germany. This facility can be used for short-term group workshops and retreats, along with networking and alumni events.

Fellows will be selected based on the extent of their creativity and research accomplishments, as well as demonstrated potential. Applications will also be scaled based on the international relevance of the fellow’s work and the alignment of their research goals with those of the Jacobs Foundation.

The ideal candidate will be relatively new to his or field of study, having received a degree no more than fifteen years ago. Funding amounts range from 150,000 CHF to 400,000 CHF, depending on academic level. Up to eleven fellowships are awarded for young scholars who received a PhD no more than seven years ago, with two to three fellowships awarded to older, mid-career researchers.

All application materials must be submitted by March 18, 2018. A curriculum vitae, listing all scientific publications, research plans, and relevance to the mission of the Jacobs Foundation, along with references, must be submitted. A confidential letter of recommendation from the candidate’s department head or other senior researcher must also be supplied. All materials and questions can be directed to fellowship@jacobsfoundation.org.

The post Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowship Program appeared first on Studycor.

Who doesn’t want to be happy? There are plenty of self-help books and so-called experts who promise us the “secret(s)” of happiness. But how much of what they offer is backed by science and high quality research? In “The Science of Happiness,” a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) offered by the University of California Berkeley, you will learn about the ground-breaking science of positive psychology. This cutting-edge, interdisciplinary field explores the roots of what it means to live a happy and meaningful life and how to achieve it. As a student in the course, you will engage with practical lessons from this field and learn how to use research-supported strategies in your own life to foster happiness. The course’s main lesson is this: That happiness is inextricably linked to having strong social connections and contributing to something bigger than yourself. You will be exposed to ideas from psychology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and others which have supported the science behind positive psychology.

Most importantly, the course provides students with practical strategies for nurturing their own happiness. You will get to try several research-backed activities to foster social and emotional well-being and identify how your happiness changes as the course progresses.

The main instructors for the course are Drs. Dacher Keltner and Emiliana Simon-Thomas – leading authorities in the field of positive psychology who strive to make the coursework fun and personal. Throughout the course, they will occasionally be joined by guest experts, including Barbara Fredrickson, Paul Ekman, Sonja Lyubomirsky, and John Kabat-Zinn. The class will discuss themes such as empathy, mindfulness, and gratitude.

“The Science of Happiness” begins 4 September 2017 and lasts eight weeks. It is free to attend, but if you desire a Verified Certificate for successfully completing the class, then you will have to pay $49. Health professionals can take this class and earn continuing education credits for their participation. Watching the lectures and completing the assignments will take approximately four to five hours each week, and you will be given two exams: a midterm and a final. To learn more about the course, read student reviews, and register, click here.

The post Eight-Week Online Course on Positive Psychology from the UC Berkeley appeared first on Studycor.