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Inaugural Competition for Otto Häusser Fellowship

26 October 2009

TRIUMF is pleased to announce the establishment of the Otto Häusser Postdoctoral Fellowship, a two year appointment with a possible one-year extension with the aim of recognizing the achievements of outstanding recent Ph.D. recipients by providing opportunities to enhance the visibility of their research both within their field and to the community at large. TRIUMF invites those who have completed or expect to receive their doctoral degrees within one year of their application to apply.

The Fellow is given time to review TRIUMF's research program, and is free to participate in any aspect of it. In addition to a salary, the Fellow receives a $5,000 annual research supplement.

The Otto Häusser Postdoctoral Fellowship places great emphasis on leadership and communication. The selected Fellow should demonstrate the potential for leadership in their field as evidenced by their doctoral work as well as a capacity for communicating the significance of their work through presentations and other forums.

The recipient of the Fellowship has the freedom to choose to work in any major TRIUMF research program:  Accelerator Science, Materials & Molecular Science, Nuclear Medicine, Nuclear Physics, Particle Physics, and Theory (for more information TRIUMF's research programs, please visit: http://www.triumf.ca/research/research-topics).  To enhance the visibility of their research, Fellows will have ample opportunities throughout their year appointment to make presentations on their research findings both at TRIUMF and its member universities.

Although the main focus of the Fellowship is research oriented, an outreach component has also been incorporated. The Fellow will be expected to contribute to TRIUMF outreach efforts such as participating in TRIUMF Saturday Morning Lectures, visiting local schools to interact with students and teachers, or giving seminars.

This Fellowship honors the late Dr. Otto Häusser (1937-1998), a man who made considerable and lasting contributions to TRIUMF and to Canadian physics. His quest for pushing our understanding of the shell model in nuclear physics and for finding evidence for quark degrees of freedom in nuclei led him to develop state of art detectors like the 8pi gamma-ray spectrometer, the MRS focal plane polarimeter, the Chargex facility and the world's most advanced polarized 3He target at that time, which he used as a polarized neutron target at TRIUMF, Los Alamos and Desy. He conceived and built the TRINAT facility, one of the first radioactive atom traps.  He combined a deep understanding of physics at any level, a quest for excellence in experimental techniques, data analysis and theoretical interpretation of measurements with an insatiable curiosity and a passion for science which he was able to convey in superb pedagogical presentations. His outstanding achievements in more than three decades of research in Canada have had few equals and his commitment to excellence and life-long learning is a quality TRIUMF expects the recipients of this Fellowship to strive for.

For more information about the Fellowship and the application and selection process, click here.

The deadline for applications is: December 1, 2009.

 

-- By T.I. Meyer, Head, Strategic Planning and Communications