PhD in Engineering and Information Technology for Structural and Environmental Monitoring and Risk Management – EIT4SEMM

The following learning, teaching and research areas have been identified:

• Physical models (analytical and numerical), system identification
• Structural mechanics
• Fluid mechanics, hydrology and soil mechanics
• Geomatics and autoID
• Process safety and loss prevention
• Remote sensing and earth observation systems
• Climate change monitoring and control
• Positioning systems
• Sensors and actuators, interoperability and dependability
• Communication and sensor networks, Internet of Things, Web of Things
• Energy harvesting and power management
• ICT techniques for energy efficiency in buildings and cities
• Nondestructive tests, methods and technologies
• Signal and image processing, computer vision
• HW/SW design of embedded systems
• Machine learning applied to structural and environmental monitoring
• Advanced information processing methodologies, wearable computing, high performance computing
• Information management, big data, crowd sensing, data availability, data privacy and security
• Data modeling, data analysis/uncertainty, learning and cognitive analytics, prediction, decision support
• Domain specific platforms and services
• Modeling and simulation methodologies and tools for complex systems
• Safety, risk analysis and management
• Resilience and resilience engineering
• Logistics (in ordinary and extraordinary conditions)
• Optimization schemes/strategies
• Reliable systems design and project based learning
• Environmental multi-source pollution and control
• Sea pollution control and coastal management
• Emergency management and communication
• Circular economy and circular resource management

Call for Application, NRRP Call and NRRP Call - Further PhD Positions
Appointed by RD 830/2022 Prot. n. 0127511 of 30/05/2022
Confirmed by RD 1103/2022 Prot. n. 0162873 of 17/07/2022
Confirmed by RD 952/2022 Prot. n. 0357333 of 02/12/2022

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

• Gennaro Monacelli - CNH Industrial Italia SPA
• Enzo Castellaneta - Builti Srl
• Francesco Del Litto - Versalis SpA
• Paolo Stabellini - Edilteco SpA

The primary objective of the PhD program is to acquire the necessary skills to carry out highly qualified research activities in the field of structural and environmental monitoring and management. This requires i) knowledge on civil, chemical, material and environmental engineering to understand models as well as their evolutionary key indicators and also ii) knowledge of the key enabling technologies offered by the  information engineering, with in particular the new paradigms for the implementation of systems based on sensors miniaturization, wireless connectivity and Web of Things. Students from civil and environmental engineering will receive specific training on information engineering as detailed in ii) and vice versa those students coming from the fields of information engineering will receive main training on point i), with the objective of promoting a multidisciplinary competence to the PhD students as well as to improve the development of their soft skills.

The scientific activities of the PhD students is configured mainly in theoretical and experimental development of a research topic of particular relevance in the context of the chosen monitoring and management area, also in collaboration with other universities and/or research centers of international renown as well as with industries. A thorough understanding of the bibliographic reference (i) is a necessary condition for the development of the PhD research, moreover (ii) the PhD thesis has to provide an important numerical and experimental activity of the processes investigated. To perform the experimental activity, the PhD students have access to the laboratory hosted by the Interdepartmental Centre “E. De Castro” (ARCES , www.arces.unibo.it):

• SHM: electronic systems and wireless sensor networks prototyping, anti-vibration table; static and dynamic large scale testing facilities, laservibrometer;
• ARES: sensor modeling and characterization, cad stations, probe stations, climatic chamber, and profilometer for precise surface topography analysis for applications on MEMS directly on-wafer;
• LYRAS: analog circuits and sensor interfaces;
• MARS: IoT, Web of Things and Interoperabiity of Embedded Systems.

The PhD students will have access to the Computational Mechanics Laboratory of the DICAM Department which is equipped with advanced computing systems and software packages. The access to HPC resources will be obtained through the participation to the competitive calls published by CINECA (e.g. PRACE calls).
For research and development issues in collaboration with companies/industries partnerships are possible. The training usually occupies 40% of the time and is focused primarily (but not exclusively) in the first year whereas the remaining time is mainly devoted to research, which is mainly concentrated in three semesters, from the third to fifth. The last six months are mainly focused dissemination activities and the final paper preparation.

The planned training activities are dedicated to the acquisition of fundamental knowledge in the fields characterizing the PhD program. This is achieved participating to seminars and specialized courses, organized by the DICAM, DEI, DISI, MAT departments and by ARCES center, as well as within the other PhD programs of the University of Bologna. Of particular interest will be the seminars organized at national level by research organizations and associations working in the field of monitoring and prevention (eg. INAIL, AIPnD, etc.). The participation in national and international conferences is strongly suggested. The training courses are calibrated for each student in relation to the previous career of studies and, as anticipated, are aimed at providing interdisciplinary skills. Knowledge in the general areas for the PhD program such as mathematical tools for numerical modeling and signal processing, is considered basic and essential. Such knowledge will be identified by the student along with his advisor and following the indications given by the Advisory Board of the PhD program. Common complementary training to all doctoral students will cover European funding schemes, intellectual property and scientific writing. These courses will run within the first two years of training. The training of doctoral students is normally completed by a period abroad, not less than six months, at universities and/or research centers. Moreover, the students will be encouraged to join the international projects participated by their supervisors. Examples of currently running projects are: CONNECT, RIA, ECSEL, Building and district level monitoring and actuaton for energy efficiency (2017-20); CONVERGENCE, FLAG-ERA call, Tema: High Efficiency Sensor Networks.
The thesis is prepared in English.

The announcement of selection for the admission at the PhD course will be disseminated at the international level via the research networks of Advisory Board members. It will also be given high visibility to the competition by using both local (AlmaLaurea) and international (ResearchGate, EngineerOxy, Linkedin, etc.) web channels. In order to foster the participation of foreign students, the admission test (carried out by evaluation of the curriculum vitae, qualifications certificates and an oral interview), will be held in English or Italian. At the moment there are no positions fully dedicated to foreign students, but there is full readiness to support national and international funding in such directions.
Courses and specific seminars offered to the PhD students, as well as meetings of the Advisory Board and the communication between the PhD coordination team and the PhD students, will be held in English language.
Except for particular situations, all the PhD students must take training activities in international research centers and laboratories (located in foreign countries) for periods of 6 to 18 months. Their period abroad is aimed at the acquisition of experimental and /or modeling techniques and skills in general which are complementary to those developed at the home University in Bologna; also it allows you to frame in a suitable international framework, methods and ideas, the research themes developed.
It 'also provided the exchange of foreign doctoral students for periods of at least six months, both in the context of the same partnerships, both in the context of specific international agreements (ERASMUS, Projects H2020, CSC, CONFAP, etc.). As such, three MSCA PhD student have been already enrolled.

In addition to the final thesis, the ability of the student to carry out research activity should be documented by some presentations at international congresses as well as by some papers published in first rank international scientific journals for the research fields of PhD programme. The development of national and international patents is greatly appreciated.