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PhD in Agricultural, Environmental and Food Science and Technology

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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

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.

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

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

PhD in Agricultural, Environmental and Food Science and Technology

Massimiliano Petracci

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Claudio Ratti

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