Nomination of excellent MSc students The MSc programme directors will nominate candidates for the ‘Research Master Track’. If you belong to the target group, then contact your MSc programme director and express your interest. Such expressions of interest can be submitted from 1 December 2014 – 16 January 2015. Contact VLAG Graduate Programme Your own programme director or dr. Fré Pepping, Managing director VLAG: [email protected]; phone 0317-485751. Food structure, digestion and health Information sessions will be held on Tuesday 16 December and Wednesday 7 January (lunch period). Plan your research career by writing your own PhD proposal! The Graduate School VLAG (Advanced studies in Food Technology, Agrobiotechnology, Nutrition and Health Sciences) is a partnership between Wageningen University, Maastricht University Medical Center+, and five research institutes: TNO, NIZO Food Research, WUR Food & Biobased Research, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment RIVM and RIKILT – Institute of Food Safety. • Do you excell as MSc student and dream of an academic career that starts at a renowned research group at Wageningen University? • Do you want to write your own PhD proposal in the field of ‘Food structure, digestion and health’? • Do you prefer to choose your own supervisor(s) at one or more of the eleven VLAG research groups? Then read this brochure! Participating groups: Wageningen University - Department Agro-Technology & Food Sciences Cluster Food Sciences: 1. Food Chemistry, Prof. H. Gruppen 2. Food Microbiology, Prof. M.H. Zwietering 3. Food Process Engineering, Prof. R.M. Boom 4. Food Quality and Design, Prof. V. Fogliano 5. Physics and Physical Chemistry of Foods, Prof. E. van der Linden Cluster Bio-molecular Sciences: 6. Microbiology, Prof. W.M. de Vos 7. Physical Chemistry and Colloid Sciences, Prof. J. van der Gucht Cluster Nutrition Sciences: 8. Nutrition & Health, Prof. F.J. Kok 9. Nutrition, Metabolism & Genomics, Prof. S. Kersten 10.Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour, Prof. C. de Graaf 11.Toxicology, Prof. I.M.C.M. Rietjens VLAG Research Master Track Research theme ‘Food structure, digestion and health’ This VLAG programme offers 20 excellent MSc students from several MSc programmes of Wageningen University the opportunity to follow a special track during the second half of the 1st year (2014 – 2105) and the 2nd year of their MSc programme (2015 – 2016). The VLAG community is unique as it covers all aspects of food structure, digestion and health. Using systems biology based on in vivo, in vitro and in silico approaches, the nutritional sciences have unravelled many of major relationships between nutrition and health. Understanding the physiological pathways that control the uptake and conversion of nutrients from the gut into body tissues gives unprecedented insight in the processes that affect the bioavailability of individual nutrients and the nutritional needs of individual human beings. This is being extended by the microbiological sciences, which characterise and strive to understand the human microbiome; essential in understanding of the impact of diet and the personalised response to food. The technological sciences now have control over the structure of food products down to the nanometer, and can prepare foods that have specific digestion behaviour, and characterise and quantify their behaviour in vivo and in vitro. Eligible MSc programmes: MFQ = Master Food Quality Management MML = Master Molecular Life Sciences MFS = Master Food Safety MNH = Master Nutrition and Health MFT = Master Food Technology MBT= Master Biotechnology The programme is funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and aims to create an inspiring education and research environment for talented young researchers. Prospective PhD-candidates have the freedom to choose their own research topic, their own supervisor, and to write their own research proposal that fits within the research theme ‘Food structure, digestion and health’. In this Graduate Programme we challenge young, creative scientists to combine these fields, and realise a breakthrough in the integration of our insights to improve personalised healthy choices. The VLAG management team and the MSc programme directors will select 20 MSc students in February 2015. Assessment will be based on: Target group • A personal statement (which includes motivation) and cv This programme targets MSc students who are highly motivated to start a scientific career. The selection of 20 MSc students will take place after period 2 of the academic year 2014 – 2015 (end of January 2015). • The grades in the BSc plus the grades of the MSc courses so far • An interview The programme will be incorporated in your regular MSc programme and consists of the following course elements: Planning • VLAG Research on Food Structure, Digestion and Health: introduction, orientation and The major part of this programme takes place in the 2nd year of the MSc programme, however the Introduction Programme, the Orientation and the Rotations will start in period 4-6 of the academic year 2014 – 2015. This requires careful planning for the last months of the first MSc year. rotations (6 ECTS, will be registered officially in the MSc programme) • Academic Research Proposal Training (ARPT, 12 ECTS in period 3 & 4, see YEI-60312) • Discipline specific PhD courses and national/international congresses • Two MSc theses (a major and a minor, 60 ECTS) At the end of the research master track (July 2016) four candidates will be selected to carry out a 4-year PhD project at one of the 11 VLAG research groups that participate in this programme. Selection is based on the scientific quality of your PhD research proposal as judged by external reviewers, exam results, personal motivation and recommendations. Graphical representation of the regular 2-year MSc programmes, and the individual Research Master Track. 1st MSc year Regular MSc programme Regular MSc courses Master Track Academic Skills Block VLAG Intro and Rotations Research The participants whose proposals are not selected will be guided to adjust their proposal for external funding opportunities and/or encouraged to apply for vacant PhD positions at the participating groups. 2nd MSc year Regular MSc courses  Specific for Research Master Track MSc Major Thesis Internship PhD courses; conferences MSc Major Thesis  Regular MSc courses Coaching writing research proposal, ARPT MSc Minor Thesis  Regular thesis and internship