Joint graduate school for data science sponsors its first projects
The Helmholtz Association, the Einstein Center Digital Future (ECDF) and the universities of Berlin are creating a new PhD programme in Berlin for the field of data science. Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin is involved in several of the projects. The first training positions are already advertised.
The international graduate school HEIBRiDS is being funded with six million euros. It aims at training PhD students who are researching matters that demand not only great expertise in computer science but also specialised knowledge in other disciplines. The PhD students will acquire a deep understanding of the complex relationships between specialised knowledge, algorithmic skills and application-oriented methodologies.
The graduate school will offer at least 25 doctoral students four years of training. Being organised across several locations, the PhD students can benefit from joint educational offerings and a networked research environment. The interdisciplinary subjects are overseen by supervisor teams comprising one researcher from the Helmholtz Association and one from the Einstein Center ECDF. This year, HZB offers at least two doctoral positions.
The graduate school will draw on the participating institutions’ scientific expertise. Within the Helmholtz centres of the capital region, this expertise spans the fields of medicine, energy research, transportation, geosciences and climatology. The Einstein Center Digital Future researches the core technologies of digitalisation, from digital health and digital industry to the digital humanities.
Application
Click here to see the advertised PhD projects of HEIBRiDS (central recruitment for all Helmholtz-Centers will be managed through the MDC website). Please apply by March 3, 2018.
- Bright prospects for tin perovskite solar cellsPerovskite solar cells are widely regarded as the next generation photovoltaic technology. However, they are not yet stable enough in the long term for widespread commercial use. One reason for this is migrating ions, which cause degradation of the semiconducting material over time. A team from HZB and the University of Potsdam has now investigated the ion density in four different, widely used perovskite compounds and discovered significant differences. Tin perovskite semiconductors produced with an alternative solvent had a particular low ion density — only one tenth that of lead perovskite semiconductors. This suggests that tin-based perovskites could be used to make solar cells that are not only really environmentally friendly but also very stable.
- Joint Kyiv Energy and Climate Lab goes liveHelmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy established on 27 November a Joint Energy and Climate Lab.
- How carbonates influence CO2-to-fuel conversionResearchers from the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society (FHI) have uncovered how carbonate molecules affect the conversion of CO2 into valuable fuels on gold electrocatalysts. Their findings reveal key molecular mechanisms in CO2 electrocatalysis and hydrogen evolution, pointing to new strategies for improving energy efficiency and reaction selectivity.