The Ph.D. course focuses on the “soil-food-human health” axis. Thanks to heterogeneous and complimentary expertise, it guarantees the adoption of a holistic approach involving features of soil chemistry and biochemistry, horticulture and floriculture, including protected and soilless crops, food biotechnologies, farming agro-technologies, biochemistry and molecular biology, including clinical ones, diet, human microbiome and diseases; functional foods; analytical chemistry and agricultural economy. The Ph.D. students will acquire an integrated overview of the above-mentioned axis, paying attention to the need for the modernization of the agri-food sector toward sustainable choices.
The Ph.D. course trains job titles that may work in both research centres and private companies that provide services and products for agriculture, food, environment and health.
PhD PROGRAMME IN SOIL AND FOOD SCIENCES:
CUN Scientific Areas: 02 – Physical Sciences, 03 – Chemical sciences, 05 – Biological Sciences, 06 – Medical sciences, and 07 – Agriculture and veterinary sciences.
Scientific Subject Codes: AGR/01, AGR/02, AGR/04, AGR/13, AGR/15, AGR/16, BIO/11, BIO/12, CHIM/01, CHIM/10, FIS/07, MED/09, and MED/38
Coordinator: Prof Fabio Minervini
Administrative office: Department of Soil, Plant and Food Science
PEC: disspa@pec.uniba.it
Duration: 3 years
Curricula:
1) Food microbiology, technology, safety, and chemistry (Scientific Subject Code: AGR/01, AGR/04, AGR/15, AGR/16, AGR/19, BIO/11, BIO/12, CHIM/01, CHIM/10, FIS/07, MED/09 and MED/38)
2) Agricultural chemistry (Scientific Subject Code: AGR/01, AGR/02 and AGR/13)
Total number of positions with fellowships n. 3:
Position n.1:
Project: AGRITech : “National Research Centre for Agricultural Technologies” CUP: H93C22000440007; CODE: CN00000022 – Spoke 7 “Integrated models for the development of marginal areas to promote multifunctional production systems enhancing agroecological and socio-economic sustainability”, within the National Research Centre for Agricultural Technologies”
Call for tender: PNRR Initiative, Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.4 “Strengthening research structures and creation of R&D” national champions “on Key enabling technologies” DD MUR N. 3138 of 16/12/2021 funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU,
Title Scholarship: High added-value food items from by-products, surplus, and agro-industrial waste materials (curriculum 1: Food microbiology, technology, safety, and chemistry)
Research activity description: The current project aims to valorize by-products, surplus, and agro-industrial waste materials that are abundant in marginal areas, through tailored biotechnological and/or technological processes. Innovative food or dietary supplements will be ideated starting from processed by-products, surplus, and wastes.
Position 2
Project: AGRITech : “National Research Centre for Agricultural Technologies” CUP: H93C22000440007; CODE: CN00000022 – Spoke 7 “Integrated models for the development of marginal areas to promote multifunctional production systems enhancing agroecological and socio-economic sustainability”, within the National Research Centre for Agricultural Technologies”
Call for tender: PNRR Initiative, Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.4 “Strengthening research structures and creation of R&D” national champions “on Key enabling technologies” DD MUR N. 3138 of 16/12/2021 funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU.
Title Scholarship: Innovative and sustainable solutions for soil management in marginal areas (curriculum 2: Food microbiology, technology, safety, and chemistry)
Research activity description: The activities aim to develop innovative sustainable soil management strategies to improve soil ecosystem services in marginal areas applying principles of circular economy: reduce the risk of erosion, increase organic content and biodiversity and mitigate soil salinization and contamination.
Position 3:
Project: AGRITech : “National Research Centre for Agricultural Technologies” CUP: H93C22000440007; CODE: CN00000022 – Spoke 9 “New technologies and methodologies for traceability, quality, safety, measurements and certifications to enhance the value and protect the typical traits in agri-food chains”, within the National Research Centre for Agricultural Technologies”
Call for tender: PNRR Initiative, Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.4 “Strengthening research structures and creation of R&D” national champions “on Key enabling technologies” DD MUR N. 3138 of 16/12/2021 funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU.
Title Scholarship: Omics to support food safety, authenticity and/or traceability (curriculum 1: Food microbiology, technology, safety, and chemistry)
Research activity description: Omic methods (genomics, trascriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc…) will be applied to food chains to guarantee food safety, authenticity and/or traceability. Data collected through omics will feed a data hub platform, to lay the basis for creating models to predict food quality, thus preventing frauds, and enhancing the value of the typical traits in agri-food chains.
Application requirements:
The selection will be made following the art. 6 typology B of the call.
The examination will be based on the evaluation of candidate qualification, proposed project, oral interview, and foreign language knowledge checking (English).
Admission tests for foreigners:
Foreign candidates can choose Italian or English language for their admission exam.
During the oral exam, applicants should also prove knowledge of the Italian language.
The exams will be distinct for each curriculum and the respective rankings will merge into a single final ranking that will give the title to access.
The places available will be assigned, among the various curricula, according to the order in the ranking of merit,
until the places are exhausted.
The places, which have not been assigned due to lack of suitable candidates in one curriculum, will be assigned to
candidates found to be suitable for the other curriculum, based on the score obtained in the general ranking.
Admission exam dates and time:
Qualification: 2nd January 2023 h. 12:00 am
Proposed project: 3rd January 2023 h. 9:00 am
Oral interview: 4th January 2023 h. 10:30 am c/o Room X, Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, Giovanni Amendola 165/A. 70126, Bari
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Candidates holding one of the following qualifications are eligible regardless of their citizenship and age:
-degree awarded under the system “vecchio ordinamento” in place prior to the one introduced by MinisterialDecree(D.M.) no. 509 of 03 November 1999, amended by Ministerial Decree (D.M.) no. 270 of 22 October 2004;”laurea specialistica” or “laurea magistrale” (second cycle degree);
second-level academic qualification (“titoli accademici di secondo livello”) awarded by Institutions belonging tothe AFAM (“Alta Formazione Artistica e Musicale”) sector;
-master’s degree awarded abroad, recognised as such solely for the purpose of admission to the competition.
A)Admission to the selection for the candidates with an academic degree conferred abroad
Those in possession of a degree from a foreign university which has not yet been declared equivalent to an Italiandegree will have to apply for their equivalence solely for the purposes of admission to the Ph.D. programme forwhich they intend to apply.
In such case, in order to allow for assessment of the qualification, application for participation must be accompanied,by the following documentation:
•(In the case of Italian and EU citizens) Self-certification, according to D.P.R. 445/2000 and subsequentmodifications, of the academic qualification obtained with details of examinations, the relative results and thelegal duration of the programme.
•(Non-EU citizens) A certificate attesting to the academic qualification obtained with details of examinations, therelative results and the legal duration of the programme together with a translation into Italian and/or english.The translation must be signed under the applicant’s own responsibility in order to allow the qualification to berecognized.
The suitability of qualifications obtained abroad will be evaluated by the Judging Commission in accordance with the regulations in force in Italy and in the country where the qualification was obtained and relative treaties and international agreements on the recognition of qualifications for the continuation of studies.
In case of admission to the Ph.D. programme, applicants must submit, within 60 days from the date of registration, the following documentation:
•Curricular qualifications translated into Italian and legalized by the relevant Italian diplomatic or consularrepresentations abroad;
•“Certificate of equivalence of qualification” of the foreign qualification issued by the relevant diplomatic orconsular representations abroad. Alternatively, the Certificate of comparability of the foreign universityqualification issued by the ENIC-NARIC centre in Italy (CIMEA) may be presented, containing all theinformation necessary for the assessment of the qualification.
For the purposes of entry into Italy, citizens of non-EU countries resident abroad must register on the Universitaly portal and apply for an entry visa (post-graduate visa type D) to the Italian Embassy or Consulate competent for the territory.
In case of doubts about the qualification validity, the University also reserve the right to request the “Certificate of equivalence of qualification” to those who have obtained a qualification in a European Union country.
B)Admission to the selection for candidates who have not yet received the degree
Candidates who are going to obtain the qualification necessary for entry to the Ph.D. programme may also apply ifthey are to obtain their qualification by and no later than January, 31 2023. Failure to gain the relevant qualificationsby this date will result in exclusion from the call.
These candidates will be admitted sub condicione and no later than January 31, 2023 must send by PECuniversitabari@pec.it the self-certification (or certification in the case of qualifications obtained abroad) with dateand handwritten signature, accompanied by a copy of a valid photo identification document indicating:
-the name of the university issuing the qualification;
-date of completion of the qualification;
-type of qualification (specialist/master/old cycle degree, second level academic degree issued byinstitutions belonging to AFAM);
-final result.
Candidates who, for whatever reason, do not communicate the obtainment of the relevant qualification by the deadlines indicated or who send incomplete, incorrect applications, by different means or to different addresses other than those indicated above will be excluded from the call.
Those who have already benefited, even partially, from a scholarship for attending a doctoral course will also be excluded from participation.
SCHOLARSHIPS:
The scholarships available in accordance with the profiles attached to this call, as well as those potentially added in accordance with Article 1, will be awarded with the Rector Decree in order of the merit ranking lists of each PhD course.
The annual scholarship is of € 16.243,00 subject to INPS social security contributions. The duration of the scholarship is equal to the entire duration of the programme.
The scholarship will be paid in deferred monthly instalments and the maximum total annual gross income limit necessary in order to qualify for a scholarship is set at € 16.000,00 (sixteenthousand/00).
The determination of this income limit includes income from property and assets as well as income of any other nature.
Exceeding the income limit will lead to the loss of the right to the scholarship for the year in which the excess occurs and obliges the repayment of any monthly payments already received.
The scholarship cannot be combined with other scholarships or grants, except for those intended to supplement research during stays abroad.
The scholarship cannot be awarded in the case of a suspension of more than thirty days, or exclusion from the programme.
During the programme the doctoral candidate may, for research needs, be authorized by the Coordinator for periods of up to six months, or by the Academic Board (Collegio dei Docenti), for periods of more than six months, to complete a period of study in Italy and/or abroad or to carry out an internship with either public or private bodies.
The amount of the scholarship is increased by 50% in the case of periods spent abroad.
Those entitled to a scholarship must, at the time of application, submit a declaration of expected gross personal income as well as declaring the absence of any eventual incompatibilities as outlined in the present article. Scholarship beneficiaries will be required to set up an INPS contribution profile, enrolling in the “Gestione separata” scheme of that Institute.
Scholarships shall be subject to tax relief provisions in accordance with Art. 4 of Law 13.08.1984 No. 476.
In any case the special provisions in each specific financing agreement for the scholarship, remain valid.
It is understood that, if a scholarship is declared ineligible for funding following verification by the competent ministerial office, the candidate registered in the post corresponding to that scholarship will be declared forfeited.
APPLICATION AND ENTRY TO THE CALL:
The application for participation in the selection must be submitted using only the appropriate procedure made available to ( log in here Apply now or Register on pica and apply online here APPLY NOW) no later than 19 December 2022 at 12.00 (Italian time CET), under penalty of exclusion from the selection.
Access to the procedure takes place on the PICA portal (Integrated University Competition Platform) which can be accessed upon registration or with SPID credentials, as indicated in the Guidelines. Applications received in a different way will be considered unvalid.
The registration fee for the competition is € 50.00; for foreign applicants residing abroad, no payments due. The
entry fee is non-refundable for any reason.
The candidate must pay the fee by clicking on the “Paga con Pago PA” button and choosing as the payment method:
•Credit/debit card: for card payment
•Current account: for direct debiting your account
•Other payment methods: such as PayPal or Satispay
Candidates wishing to participate in more than one call must submit multiple applications each showing the relevantqualifications and necessary attachments along with payment for each individual application made.