The Summer School is open to post-doctoral researchers, doctoral students, final year master students and early-career researchers currently working on topics such as new product diffusion, product life cycle of consumer durables, green marketing/ branding, corporate social responsibility, producer responsibility/ responsible marketing, branding and marketing of environmental products and services, consumer purchase and disposal behaviour, etc.

These are just some of the relevant topic areas from the marketing domain which come under the broad scope of e-waste. Therefore, we welcome students from the marketing sciences to participate in the summer school, specially to bring this interdisciplinary perspective.

It will be held from 7th – 12th September, 2009 in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The call for applications closes on 31st May, 2009. More information on www.step-initiative.org/summerschool

What is it about?
The e-waste summer school is a pioneering concept in the research and education on e-waste management, looking at the e-waste issue in its entirety, rather than through the lens of a specific academic discipline. The vision is to provide the foremost platform to young scientists involved in e-waste related research to share their knowledge, interact with experts and develop collaborative partnerships fostering high quality cutting edge scientific research on all areas related to e-waste – from policy to technology to economics to social aspects.

Who is it for?
The Summer School is open to post-doctoral researchers, doctoral students and final year master students and early-career researchers currently working on e-waste related topics. Researchers must
be associated to a university or scientific institution and possess a good knowledge of English.

Why you should apply?
The Summer School incorporates both academic work and practical field visits. Participants will have a chance to:
• Gain a broader perspective on e-waste by having an insight into different aspects of e-waste research beyond their disciplinary focus.
• Get rigorous feedback on their research by having a chance to share their research with highly regarded domain experts from academia and industry and also peers familiar with the e-waste issue
• Develop important skills for research and teaching such as collaborative project management, writing funding applications, doing peer reviews etc
• Visit facilities along the entire life cycle of electronics – from design and manufacturing to smelting and material recovery
• Develop interdisciplinary research collaborations for with an international group of peers Plus, it is timed in a way so that participants can link it with a visit to the World Resources Forum (www.worldresourcesforum.org/) to be held in Davos, Switzerland from 14th – 16th September 2009.

When & where does it take place?
The Summer School will be held from 7th – 12th September, 2009 at the High-Tech Campus in Eindhoven, Netherlands, with a welcome apero on 6th September.

How much will it cost?
Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors NVMP and Philips, the participation fee for the Summer School is € 300 per participant. This includes the full tuition, accommodation, meals and study tours for the entire duration of the Summer School!

Does it get any better?
Yes! There is financial support (although limited) available as travel grants to some participants, based on merit and need.

How does one apply?
Applicants should submit:
• A research paper (2-3 pages / max. 2000 words –excluding references)
• A completed application form
• A CV including list of publications, presentations at conferences etc.

To download the application form and template for the paper, visit www.step-initiative.org/summerschool.

We are especially interested in interdisciplinary research on e-waste, looking at the issue from holistic perspective. Papers from researchers in developing and emerging economies and / or exploring the
challenges and solutions of e-waste management in these countries are also especially encouraged. Topic areas include, but are not limited to:
• International legislations and frameworks
• Country-specific legislations
• Producer responsibility
• Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Design for recycling (DfR) / Eco-design
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
• Take back and collection system models/ Reverse Logistics
• Consumer behaviour for purchase, recycling and disposale of durable goods
• Reuse and recycling of e-waste
• Formal and informal sectors in e-waste management
• Material recovery and disposal technologies
• Technology trends and future products’ disposal
• Global e-waste flows
• Training and Capacity Building

What is the selection process like?
Applicants will be selected on the basis of their paper as well as their application form. The evaluators are interested in the motivation of the applicant for participating in the summer school, the broader research environment of the applicant’s institution, support from peers and professors, and other interdisciplinary and geographic linkages.

Is there a deadline for applications?
Yes! The call for applications closes on 31st May, 2009. We’ll notify the accepted participants by 30th June, and require registrations and payments by 31st July to confirm participation.

Where can I get more information?
On the website: www.step-initiative.org/summerschool
Or send an email to Deepali: sinha@step-initiative.org