PhD in Electronics, Telecommunications, and Information Technologies Engineering

Academic Year 2023-2024
Subject area Engineering Studies
Cycle 39
Coordinator Prof. Aldo Romani
Language English
Duration 3 years

Application deadline: Aug 22, 2023 at 11:59 PM (Expired)

Second PhD Call for Applications, with scholarships funded by NRRP and other funds

Enrolment: From Sep 15, 2023 to Sep 21, 2023

Doctoral programme start date: Nov 01, 2023

39 PNRR PhD Call for Applications

Application deadline: Jun 20, 2023 at 11:59 PM (Expired)

PhD Call for Applications, with scholarships funded by NRRP and other funds

Enrolment: From Jul 28, 2023 to Aug 21, 2023

Doctoral programme start date: Nov 02, 2023

39 PNRR PhD Call for Applications
Operating centre
Bologna
Main Department
Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi" - DEI
Associated Departments
"Ercole De Castro" Advanced Research Center on Electonic System- ARCES
Research topics
  • Analog and digital circuits and electronic systems
  • Analysis and simulation of semiconductor devices
  • Applications of Information technologies: smart cities, smart grid, etc
  • Cyber-physical systems
  • Communication theory and its applications
  • Telecommunications architectures, systems, and networks: wireless, cellular, fixed / mobile terrestrial / satellite, wired and optical
  • Electromagnetic theory, antennas, antenna systems, beamforming, electromagnetic characterization of materials, channel propagation models
  • Nearand Farfield wireless power and information transmission
  • Internet-of-Things and applications
  • Electronic devices and micro-/nano-electronics
  • Electronics for telecommunications
  • Power electronics, power converters and semiconductor devices
  • Embedded systems
  • Energy harvesting
  • Information theory and its applications
  • Intelligent sensors
  • Micro and nano-technologies
  • Microwave Photonics
  • Microwave and millimetre wave circuits and systems
  • Navigation and positioning systems and applications
  • Network control and management: software defined networks
  • Performance evaluation of communication networks
  • Statistical signal processing and its applications
  • Ultrasonics
  • Wireless power and data transfer
  • Science of Creative Thinking with Applications in the ICT Domain
  • Precision agricolture and IoT circuits, systems for pervasive monitoring
  • Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces
  • Quantum information technologies
Job opportunities and potential areas of employment
The tight relation of the ETIT program with the industrial environment is inherent to the topics of the PhD program, which are characterized by a rapid evolution of technologies, strictly related to base and applied research. Industries (national and international), research institutes (national and international), public agencies and administration and service providers have shown a high level of appreciation for the ETIT PhD graduates and represent their natural placement target. In particular, ETIT PhD degree holders have excellent opportunities in being employed in high-tech industries, as well as in research and development industrial departments and institutions. The competences of ETIT graduates are not only appreciated in ICT companies and institutions, but also in all of those companies making significant use of ICT technologies and services, e.g. computer networks, machine-to-machine communications, wireless communications, sensor networks, embedded systems, distributed computing systems, digital electronics, RFID systems, ecc.
Admission Board

Appointed by RD n. 709/2023 Prot n. 149534 on Jun 02, 2023

Call for further PhD Positions
Appointed by Rectoral Decree n. 1069/2023 Prot. n. 0228174 of 07/08/2023

Surname and Name University / Institution Role email
Costanzo Alessandra Università di Bologna Member alessandra.costanzo@unibo.it
Fiegna Claudio Università di Bologna Member claudio.fiegna@unibo.it
Pasolini Gianni Università di Bologna Member gianni.pasolini@unibo.it
Chiani Marco Università di Bologna Substitute marco.chiani@unibo.it
Romani Aldo Università di Bologna Substitute aldo.romani@unibo.it

* The following shall take part in the work of the Examination Board as expert members for positions linked to specific research topics:

  • Andrea Donadel - NXP SEMICONDUCTORS NETHERLAND B.V. BRANCH OFFICE ITALIA

Call for applications
Appointed by Rectoral Decree n. 709/2023 Prot. n. 149534 of 02/06/2023

Surname and Name University / Institution Role email
Costanzo Alessandra Università di Bologna Member alessandra.costanzo@unibo.it
Fiegna Claudio Università di Bologna Member claudio.fiegna@unibo.it
Pasolini Gianni Università di Bologna Member gianni.pasolini@unibo.it
Chiani Marco Università di Bologna Substitute marco.chiani@unibo.it
Fuschini Franco Università di Bologna Substitute franco.fuschini@unibo.it
Romani Aldo Università di Bologna Substitute aldo.romani@unibo.it
Learning outcomes

The objective is to prepare researchers able to autonomously perform scientific and industrial research, to innovate, and to manage complex projects. The program covers research topics related to: Electronics, Telecommunications and Electromagnetic Fields. The Electronics area covers the study of electronic devices, circuits and systems, microelectronics, micro-and nano-technologies, analog and digital systems, electronic systems for actuation and monitoring, modern hw/sw computing systems. The Electromagnetic Fields area covers topics related to microwaves and optical systems, antennas and propagation, theory of electromagnetic fields applied to electronics and telecommunication systems and devices. The Telecommunications area covers the study of telecommunication systems and networks (wireless/cellular, terrestrial/satellite, wired/optical networks), and associated devices. The Ph.D. program focuses also on ICT topics, including multimedia applications and related services.

Activities to be carried out by Doctoral candidates

PhD candidates' activity is mainly focused on the following two areas:

  1. training through research
  2. training through structured training courses and specific workshops and seminars.

Training through research: the aim of this activity is to increase the know-how of the PhD candidates through research activities related to the specific research programs identified and designed by the PhD Board on the basis of the Supervisor proposals. PhD candidates dedicate a large part of their time to perform high level research activities under the guidance of their supervisor and in the context of larger research groups.

Participation to structured courses and specific workshops. The aim of this activity is that of complementing the knowledge background of the PhD candidates through ad-hoc courses on specific topics related to their field of research proposed by the PhD program board, as well as additional seminars and workshop related to the topics of the PhD program. A significant part of the training through courses aims also at broadening the PhD candidate perspective and knowledge base by providing courses on main and interdisciplinary topics. and at acquiring transversal soft-skills.

Research training activities compliant with the Doctoral programme's learning outcomes

Training activities are planned throughout the PhD program, aiming to complete and complement basic knowledge, and above all to support the acquisition of methods and knowledge necessary to carry out research under the chosen theme. This is achieved mainly through ad hoc courser proposed by the PhD program board, and specialized seminars delivered by professors of the University or external guest lecturers, invited as part of national and international research collaborations. Lectures and laboratory courses cover advanced topics of the PhD course, and often have a highly multi- disciplinary character. Students may also participate, subject to authorization by the PhD Board, to master-level courses. Graduate students' training also makes use of educational activities coordinated at national or international level (e.g. PhD Schools), generally organized for teaching advanced topics to students from different universities. A research period abroad is ordinarily spent by PhD students, with the objective of acquiring wider research methodologies. Furthermore, the University of Bologna organises basic training on research and IPR management, third mission, exploitation of research results, and business development. Overall, in three years, students have to spend at least 180 hours in training or equivalent activities documented by an officially final test. At the end of each academic year, the PhD Board will evaluate the training program for each student. An updated calendar of the graduate courses offered to students is regularly published on the PhD official web site.

Internationalization features
  • Mobility period abroad optional but ordinarily pursued by PhD students.
  • Dissemination of the course abroad through contacts and international collaborations of all the ET-IT and DEI professors.
  • More than 10% of ET-IT students have foreign degrees.
  • Agreements with European and non-European universities: (i) ET-IT members promoted a framework agreement with National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), The Republic of China for doctorates in co-tutorship with many PhD courses of the University of Bologna, specifically with ET-IT doctoral research projects in co-operation with the International College of Semiconductor Technology (NCTU); (ii) university agreements with the consortium Una Europa Doctoral Programme in Cultural Heritage (Una-Her-Doc) with partners Freie Universität Berlin, University of Edinburgh, Uniwersytet Jagiellonski, KU Leuven, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Helsingin Yliopisto - University of Helsinki.
  • ETIT welcomes foreign students within specific international mobility and training programs (e.g. China Scholarship Council, fully supporting Chinese students to attend the ETIT doctorate).
  • Participation to university programs (e.g. Marco Polo Program) to support PhD students' mobility and training abroad.
  • Research and/or teaching collaborations with: ETH Zurich, Imperial College London, CTTC Barcelona, UPC Barcelona, UCLA, UCSD, KU Leuven, Univ. De Aveiro, Univ. Of Erlangen, TU Munich, U. of Colorado, DLR Munich, CEA-LETI, Oulu Univ., Georgia Tech, U. of Bristol, NTNU Trondheim, KTH Sweden, MIT, TU Eindhoven, Southampton Univ., Penn State Univ.
  • Participation of PhD students to international conferences and PhD schools is encouraged.
Expected research results and products

Expected outcomes of the PhD activities are:

  • Relevant scientific and technical results
  • Publications on peer-reviewed highly-ranked international scientific journals;
  • Publications and participation to international high-quality scientific conferences;
  • Generation of new IP;
  • Strengthening and generation of international collaborations (mainly through the research periods spent abroad);
  • Knowledge transfer to other PhDs and Researchers through seminar and workshops.