| Academic Year | 2021-2022 |
|---|---|
| Subject area | Biological, Geological and Agricultural Sciences |
| Cycle | 37 |
| Coordinator | Prof. Massimiliano Petracci |
| Language | English |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Positions | 33 positions. More information in the PhD Programme Table. |
| Application deadline | May 21, 2021 at 12:00 PM (Expired) |
| Enrolment period | From Jul 15, 2021 to Jul 26, 2021 |
| Doctoral programme start date | Nov 01, 2021 |
- Operating centre
- Bologna
- Main Department
-
Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences - DISTAL
- Mobility abroad
- 3 months
- Research topics
- Agronomy, Herbaceous Crops, Flowers and Vegetables Systems, Agricultural Genetics and Agricultural Chemistry
- International Cooperation and Sustainable Development Policies
- Microbial Ecology and Plant Pathology
- Agricultural and Food Economics and Policy
- Agricultural Entomology
- Agricultural Engineering
- Food Science and Biotechnology
- Animal Science
- Tree Production Systems, Fruit, Forest and Ornamental Trees and Grape
- Water-Food-Energy-Sustainable Agriculture Nexus
- Job opportunities and potential areas of employment
- With reference to the professional activities classified by ISTAT (Italian Institute for Statistics), for the Doctoral candidates of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Science and Technology (STAAA) PhD programme different employment opportunities can be recognized in the field of intellectual, scientific and highly specialized job (Big Group II), or in general professions requiring a high level of knowledge and experience in the scientific sector, with the aim to carry out tasks which consist in enriching existing knowledge by promoting and conducting scientific researches, interpreting scientific theories, teaching them in a systematic way and applying them to the solution of concrete problems. The more specific reference is a specialist in the life sciences (2.3.1), with special regard with the broader field of agricultural, environmental and food sciences. The sectors and the types of employment include highly several opportunities: enterprises of the agri-food and environmental sector (and related fields such as the sector of technical products for agriculture), government, producer associations, schools, institutions of research (public and/or private), organizations operating in the field of technology transfer and innovation, organizations dealing with cooperation and development. Given the very broad field of employment, horizontal mobility for this professional figure takes the form of the possibility of moving to other roles in contexts similar to those in which it has gained some professional experience.
- Admission Board
-
Surname Name University/Institution Role email Baraldi Elena Università di Bologna Member elena.baraldi@unibo.it Burgio Giovanni Università di Bologna Member giovanni.burgio@unibo.it Canavari Maurizio Università di Bologna Member maurizio.canavari@unibo.it Dinelli Giovanni Università di Bologna Member giovanni.dinelli@unibo.it Mattetti Michele Università di Bologna Member michele.mattetti@unibo.it Petracci Massimiliano Università di Bologna Member m.petracci@unibo.it Spinelli Francesco Università di Bologna Member francesco.spinelli3@unibo.it Toscano Attilio Università di Bologna Member attilio.toscano@unibo.it Vannini Lucia Università di Bologna Member lucia.vannini2@unibo.it Vittuari Matteo Università di Bologna Member matteo.vittuari@unibo.it Accinelli Cesare Università di Bologna Substitute cesare.accinelli@unibo.it Bosi Paolo Università di Bologna Substitute paolo.bosi@unibo.it Capozzi Francesco Università di Bologna Substitute francesco.capozzi@unibo.it Castellini Alessandra Università di Bologna Substitute alessandra.castellini@unibo.it Falasconi Luca Università di Bologna Substitute luca.falasconi@unibo.it Magnani Federico Università di Bologna Substitute federico.magnani@unibo.it Ratti Claudio Università di Bologna Substitute claudio.ratti@unibo.it Romani Santina Università di Bologna Substitute santina.romani2@unibo.it Sgolastra Fabio Università di Bologna Substitute fabio.sgolastra2@unibo.it Torreggiani Daniele Università di Bologna Substitute daniele.torreggiani@unibo.it
- Learning outcomes
- Thanks to its organization into 10 research topics, the STAAA PhD programme provides the Doctoral candidates with an in-depth knowledge and appropriate skills in the different branches of the agri-food sector. The goal is to prepare high profile experts able to carry out research, knowledge-transfer and management activities at the University, and in other public bodies or private companies. The educational path consists in a common programme, aimed at providing the fundamental research enablers to every PhD candidate to acquire an in-depth knowledge related to scientific communication, organization and functioning of the research. PhD candidates are trained with the basic knowledge for the planning and implementation of the individual research project, and the elaboration of the research results. During the 2nd year, the activities are focused on the development of individual research activities, while during the 3rd year PhD candidates are advised to concentrate on the preparation of thesis.
- Activities to be carried out by Doctoral candidates
- Doctoral candidates can carry out research activities at the different levels (farm, greenhouse, lab) as required by the specific topic chosen for their thesis. The main instruments available for their researches, divided according to the different main scientific disciplines of the PhD programme, include:
1. Analytical chemistry: HPLC, LC-MS, GC, GC-MS, UV-VIS, IR and mass spectrometers, gel electrophoresis, TG-DTA, isotopic mass 13C/15N, FTIR, ICP-OES;
2. Food analysis: texture analyzer, calorimeters, pilot plant for the high pressure homogenization, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR);
3. “-omics” studies: Real time PCR, DNA sequencers, PCR thermo-cyclers, microarray scanner, Abi-Prism 3100, Rotor Gene – 6000, Genomyx LR e SC, ultra-centrifuges, Nanodrop, DDGE-PCR;
4. Entomology, Plant pathology and Microbiology: laminar hoods, fermentation tools, autoclaves, incubators, optical and electronic microscopes;
5. Agricultural engineering: tools for the investigation of the interaction between the soil and agricultural machineries, pesticide dispensers, tools for the study of the physical-mechanic features of agricultural products, devices for the control of agricultural machineries;
6. Crop physiology: ion selective electrodes, micro-osmometer, chlorophyll meter, suction lisimeters, light scanner, devices for the measurement of 14C radio-isotopes, phloem sensors, gas exchange analyzers;
7. Cartography: building and landscape design software, survey and remote sensing devices. - Research training activities compliant with the Doctoral programme's learning outcomes
- The PhD programme in Agricultural, Environmental, Food Science and Technology requires the compulsory attendance at courses and seminars, which are common to the Doctoral candidates of the 10 research topics, in order to provide a consistent and homogeneous knowledge basis. The courses/seminars (in English language) include:
1. Bibliographic services to support research (4 hours);
2. Philosophy and methodology of scientific research (10 hours);
3. Writing a scientific paper in agricultural sciences (4 hours);
4. How to present a paper in a scientific conference in agricultural sciences (4 hours);
5. Setting up a research protocol (4 hours);
6. Statistical methods applied to agriculture with modern computer applications (25 hours);
7. Advanced statistics (10 hours);
8. Research financing and project design in agricultural sciences (20 hours);
9. Intellectual property rights, enterprise creation, and business plan (20 hours);
10. Academic Writing Course (20 hours);
11. Cycle of seminar held by visiting professors within Department of Excellence programme. In addition, specific seminars (15 hours) are organized within each research topic.
During the three-year period of the PhD programme, the Doctoral candidates with scholarship are required to spend an internship abroad (not less than 3 months, usually 6 months) toward qualified university or research centres, in order to facilitate the exchange and the integration of young researchers in the international scientific community. The course timetable can be viewed on the PhD programme website. - Internationalization features
- The PhD programme in STAAA promotes the internationalization by agreements with research institutions for obtaining a double degree and/or cotutelle and among them active ones are:
i) Framework Agreement among six partner EU universities founding the European Bioeconomy University;
ii) Framework Agreement between the University of Bologna and the National Chiao Tung University - NCTU (Taiwan);
iii) Bilateral-agreement: OUTGOING - International and European Law, Academy of Economy Studies of Moldavia (L. Sangiovanni, 33° cycle), Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (E. Appolloni, 35° cycle) and University of Granada (F. Barbieri, 35° cycle); INCOMING - Universidade do Porto (C. do Vale Correira), Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Sokendai (M. Altaf Satti) and University of Strasbourg (R. Helfer).
The STAAA PhD programme also successfully participates to international funding programmes which allowed the activation of 2 additional positions in the 36th cycle (Programme H2020-Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions-Innovative Training Networks) and 1 in the coming cycle (Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships - JCR Programme). The STAAA PhD programme also works actively to increase the recruitment of foreign PhD candidates, through the information support, the link with institutions/universities from other countries and the cooperation with funding agencies providing scholarships to foreign PhD candidates. Currently, a total of 28 foreign PhD candidates are enrolled in the STAAA PhD programme (25%) and most of them are financially supported by international mobility programmes (e.g., China Scholarship Council). PhD candidates holding a scholarship are obliged to spend a period of research and training of at least three months in foreign universities or research centres. They also participate in research projects of international importance, follow courses in English, and participate in international conferences and schools. - Expected research results and products
- The following research products of PhD candidates in a 5 year period starting from the final PhD thesis defence will be evaluated on the basis of University of Bologna criteria (https://cris.unibo.it/): articles published on ISI/SCOPUS scientific journals, full paper and abstracts published in symposium proceedings, book and book chapters and patents. In order to be admitted to the final exam, it is mandatory that the PhD candidates demonstrate that at least one scientific paper was accepted or published on SCOPUS/WoS Thomson Reuters (ISI) indexed journals. The paper must be coherent with thematic research of their thesis as well as with research activities carried out during the three-year period of the PhD programme. The admission to the second and third year of the PhD programme is based on a collective evaluation (Academic board assisted by the tutors of each PhD candidate). The criteria for admission to the following year will include:
a) the frequency and rating of the planned common teaching activities;
b) the acquired skills in relation to the specific field of research;
c) the ability to acquire the proper methodological scientific approach and to plan and carry out research activities on their own.
- Doctoral programme Academic Board
Name Surname University/Institution Qualification Cesare Accinelli Università di Bologna Professore Associato Elena Baraldi Università di Bologna Professore Associato Paolo Bosi Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario Giovanni Burgio Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario Maurizio Canavari Università di Bologna Professore Associato Confermato Francesco Capozzi Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario Claudio Ciavatta Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario Stefania Dall'Olio Università di Bologna Professore Associato Confermato Diana Di Gioia Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario Giovanni Dinelli Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario Gloria Falsone Università di Bologna Professore Associato Federico Magnani Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario Giuseppina Paola Parpinello Università di Bologna Professore Associato Massimiliano Petracci Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario Giorgio Prosdocimi Gianquinto Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario Luigi Ragni Università di Bologna Professore Associato Claudio Ratti Università di Bologna Professore Associato Santina Romani Università di Bologna Professore Associato Silvio Salvi Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario Francesco Spinelli Università di Bologna Professore Associato Daniele Torreggiani Università di Bologna Professore Associato Attilio Toscano Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario Paolo Trevisi Università di Bologna Professore Associato Lucia Vannini Università di Bologna Professore Associato Matteo Vittuari Università di Bologna Professore Associato
See also
- AMS phD thesis (in Italian) Published