Several PhD Positions With Scholarships in Agricultural Technologies, Food, Animal and Biotechnology at University of Molise in Italy

PhD Course in Agricultural Technologies and Biotechnology (DOT1339335). Municipal Doctorate 38th cycle. CUP E59J21007730005:

The PhD course in Agricultural Technologies and Biotechnologies, focused on the agri-food and environmental system codified in Horizon 2020, is focused on the sustainable agriculture, food safety and quality, animal welfare, green economy and environmental law.

Call no. 196/2022 of the Agency for Territorial Cohesion aimed at selecting proposals for “municipal doctorates”, of the 38th cycle, advanced by the aggregations of Municipalities present in each of the Internal Areas, identified pursuant to the “National Strategy of Internal Areas” (SNAI), consistent with the purposes of Ministerial Decree no. 725 of 22 June 2021″. Decree approving the Agency for Territorial Cohesion no. 305/2022.

Art. 1
Purpose of the initiative
Municipal PhD cycle 38 ° with the Municipality of Agnone, as leader of the Aggregation of Municipalities of the Upper Middle Sannio Area, identified pursuant to the “National Strategy of Internal Areas” (SNAI). CUP E59J21007730005.

Art. 2
Call for selection
The public selection is called for qualifications and exams for admission with additional scholarship on a restricted theme, for the PhD Courses, XXXVIII cycle, Academic Year 2022/2023, with administrative headquarters at the University of Molise, indicated below

For this PhD Course, the personal data sheet attached (Annex A) to this announcement – which represents an integral and substantial part – specifies the requirements for admission, the qualifications that can be assessed, the admission methods, the evaluation criteria of the tests, the calendar of the competitive tests, any curricula, the places with scholarship and the research topics related to them.

The start date of the activities is set at February 1, 2023 and the end date at January 31, 2026.
The Administration reserves the right to revoke the competition notice, to suspend or postpone the competition tests or not to proceed with the admission of the winners or to suspend or not to award the scholarships provided for in the announcement itself, due to needs currently not assessable or foreseeable. In particular, the Administration reserves the right not to award scholarships or to suspend the disbursement of the same following the occurrence of unforeseen causes, unforeseeable, which will determine the loss of both public and private funding.

Failure to comply with the rules contained in this announcement will result in exclusion from the competition. This call is prepared in Italian and English, in accordance with the provisions of the regulations in force on the subject and the University Regulations on the subject of PhDs. For any interpretative doubt, it will be necessary to refer to the Italian version.

Art. 3
Admission requirements
Those who hold at least one of the following qualifications may participate in the selection, without limitations of citizenship, age, sex:
a) master’s degree, single-cycle master’s degree or specialist degree;
b) degree of the previous system (old system);
c) similar qualification obtained abroad – recognized as equivalent to the aforementioned second-level academic qualifications, according to the Bologna process or Master Degree level, which gives access to the doctorate in the country of origin, issued by an officially recognized academic institution. Candidates already in possession of the equivalence of the title issued by an Italian University must attach to the application for admission to the competition the relative self-certification (with indication of the extremes of the measure, etc.).

The suitability of the foreign qualification is ascertained by the admission commission to the doctoral course, in compliance with the legislation in force in Italy and in the country where the title was issued, as well as treaties or international agreements on the recognition of qualifications for the continuation of studies. The assessment of unsuitability of the qualification entails exclusion from the tests. In particular, for the purposes of this recognition, candidates must attach to the online application any documentation deemed useful for the purposes of the suitability judgment.

The online compilation of the application involves the implicit request to ascertain the suitability of the qualification obtained abroad. The evaluation of the qualification will be possible only if, from the documents produced, it will be possible to deduce all the necessary information containing the minimum elements for the evaluation (type of title; normal duration of the course; official name of the academic institution that issues the title; date of achievement of the title; grade / judgment of achievement compared to the scale adopted in the reference higher education system) as indicated in the personal data sheet of the chosen PhD Course (Annex A) to which reference is made.

Graduating students can also apply for admission provided that they obtain the title by 31 January 2023 under penalty of forfeiture. Graduating candidates are required to send to the administration (PEC: amministrazione@cert.unimol.it), by 3 February 2023, the documentation referring to the achievement of the title, as specified in art. 4. Such candidates shall be admitted subject to conditions.

PhD Course in Agricultural Technologies and Biotechnologies (DOT 1339335):

Coordinator: Prof. Giuseppe Maiorano, e-mail: maior@unimol.it

Overview:

The PhD course in Agricultural Technologies and Biotechnologies, focused on the agri-food and environmental system codified in Horizon 2020, is focused on the sustainable agriculture, food safety and quality, animal welfare, green economy and environmental law.
The PhD course consists of three curricula:

1. Sustainable Plant Production and Protection
   It aims at developing new skills and technologies for a sustainable management and exploitation of the agrarian and forestry ecosystems, preserving biodiversity, reducing the chemical inputs into the agrarian ecosystems (Horizon 2020).
2. Food Science, Technology and Biotechnology
   It aims at forming young researchers who are able to develop innovative technologies and products in the field of food science, technology and biotechnology (transformation, storage and food quality assessment).
3. Welfare, Biotechnology and Quality of Animal Production
   It aims at: developing new skills in the research area of animal production by enabling technology- and biotechnology-based sustainable innovation for the optimization of animal production and welfare; the valorization of products of animal origin, by taking into consideration the economic, regulatory, and safety aspects of foods.

Duration: 01/02/2023 – 31/01/2026

Curriculum: Sustainable Plant Production and Protection

Position with scolarship
A municipal doctorate scholarship with the Municipality of Agnone, as leader of the Aggregation of Municipalities in the Alto Medio Sannio Area.
Theme: Alternative Food Networks and territorial regeneration: the economic potential of short food supply chains in the inner area of “Alto and Medio Sannio”

• Period in Italy of no. 6 months at: Municipality of Agnone, as leader of the Aggregation of Municipalities in the Alto Medio Sannio Area.
• Period abroad of no. 6 months at: University of Granada, Department of Human Geography

Requirements for admission to the competition:

All specialized or master’s degrees, or degrees of the system prior to that introduced with the D.M. 509/1999.
For candidates who have acquired the title abroad, the latter must have equivalent characteristics with those indicated above

Assessable qualifications and related score:

List of assessable qualifications (score up to a maximum of 20/100):

• professional and educational curriculum;
• degree mark or weighted average of the marks obtained in the exams of the program of studies of aforementioned degrees;
• thesis work;
• scientific publications on the themes object of the PhD research activities (max. 3);
• other past activities in the university and research fields;
• any other qualifications that the candidates may consider useful to attach to the application to demonstrate their training and aptitude to research.

Thematic area of the research project proposal and of the interview:

Research proposal (score up to a maximum of 20/100):
Candidates are required to prepare a research project proposal to be submitted along with the application must be dated and signed by the candidate. The project proposal, coherent with second level degree must be on following theme:
Alternative Food Networks and territorial regeneration: the economic potential of short food supply chains in the inner area of “Alto and Medio Sannio”.
Interview
The oral exam and interview (score up to a maximum of 60/100) will consist of the oral presentation of the research proposal and a discussion of the technical and scientific issues related to it. Knowledge of the English language will also be evaluated. Candidates can carry out the presentation and discussion in English.

Assessment criteria and ranking of the candidates:

The assessment of academic qualifications is preparatory to the interview. The results of I evaluation phase will be published, as soon as available on the website.
The maximum score is equal to 100/100, divided into the following sub-scores:

• maximum 20/100 Academic qualifications
• maximum 20/100 Research proposal in written form
• maximum 60/100 Interview and knowledge of English language

Merit ranking: Candidates who score an interview mark of at least 40/60 points will be included in the overall merit ranking.

Interview calendar:

Date: 16 January 2023 ore 10:00 a.m. (Rome Time); the agenda of the interviews will be defined by the Selection Committee depending on the number of candidates admitted to oral exam.
Place to take the oral exam in presence: Università degli Studi del Molise, Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Aula F. Silvestri – 2° f., Via F. de Sanctis s.n.c., 86100 Campobasso (CB), Italy.

PhD Course in Biology and Applied Science (DOT197K79Z):

Coordinator Dr. Filippo Santucci de Magistris e-mail: filippo.santucci@unimol.it

Area – 01 – Mathematics and Informatics; Area – 03 – Chemistry; Area – 05 – Biology; Area 08 – Civil Engineering and Architecture; Area – 09 – Industrial and Information Engineering; Area – 13 – Economics and Statistics

The course aims at preparing highly qualified intersectoral scientific researchers in the field of biology and technologies related to the security of civil structures and infrastructures, security of the information, data analysis, and the processing of information. It is divided into two curricula: Biology and Applied Sciences.

Positions with scholarships Project-National Biodiversity Future Center – NBFC CUP H73C22000300001
Topic: “Meta-data dissection through bioinformatics-based approaches to characterize rhizosphere biodiversity of tree species in urban areas”
Curriculum: Biology
Term abroad of 6 months at an institution to be defined

Requirements for admission to the competition:

All specialized or master’s degrees, or degrees of the system before that introduced with the D.M. 509/1999.
For candidates who have acquired the title abroad, the latter must have equivalent characteristics of a second-level degree to those indicated above.

List of assessable qualifications (score up to a maximum of 25/100):

• curriculum vitae et studiorum;
• graduation mark; in the case of participation in the selection before graduation, the weighted average marks of the passed exams;
• other educational qualifications which can be deduced from the curriculum vitae et studiorum: specialization diplomas; attendance of post-graduate specialization courses; documented research activity at universities and research centers; prizes and awards obtained during the study; participation in Erasmus programs; internship and abroad activities; work experiences, internships and training in companies; I and II level masters; research grants
• maximum of three peer-reviewed scientific publications and a maximum of five participations in national and international conferences with written contributions, oral presentations, or posters.

Research proposal (score up to a maximum of 25/100):
Candidates are required to prepare a research proposal, according to the template (see annex n°5) to be submitted along with the application.
The project proposal, coherent with its own second-level degree, must be written on the topic “Meta-data dissection through bioinformatics-based approaches to characterize rhizosphere biodiversity of tree species in urban areas”, belonging to the curriculum Biology.
The research proposal may encompass graphic elements and could be divided into paragraphs containing a summary, the state of the art, the objectives, the methodology, the techniques and the related technological resources, a temporal framework of the different research phases, the expected objectives and their impact in the reference scientific area.

Scholarships:

The available scholarships will be allocated according to the order of the competition ranking. In the event of a tie, for places with a grant, the assessment of the economic situation pursuant to the decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of 9 April 2001 and subsequent amendments and additions will prevail; for places without a grant, preference will be given to the youngest candidate, in compliance with the provisions of art. 3, paragraph 7 of Law no. 127/1997.

All scholarships, financed by external subjects, will be paid to the assignees subject to the actual collection by the University of the relative sums. The University assumes no responsibility for delays in the payment of scholarships financed by external subjects to the recipient candidates, in the event that such delays depend on causes attributable to the external subjects.
The scholarships have an annual duration and, for the years following the first, must be renewed subject to admission to the following year by the Board of Professors.

The scholarship starts from the beginning of the Course or, in case of deferred start of attendance, from the actual beginning of the same. Starting from 1 July 2022, the annual amount of the scholarship for attendance at PhD courses, is set at € 16,243.00 gross of social security charges borne by the percipient, pursuant to Ministerial Decree no. 247 of 23 February 2022.
The payment of the scholarship is made in deferred monthly installments.
The scholarship is paid exclusively to those who do not have, in the calendar year of use of the scholarship, a gross annual income higher than the amount of a scholarship year equal to € 16,243.00.

The PhD scholarship is subject to the payment of INPS social security contributions under separate management pursuant to art. 2, paragraph 26, of Law no. 335 of 8 August 1995 and subsequent amendments, to the extent of two thirds to be paid by the University of Molise and one third by the scholarship holder. PhD students enjoy the protections and related rights. Scholarship recipients will have to enroll in the INPS separate management.

The winners of the scholarships undertake, at the time of acceptance of the scholarship, not to exceed, for each year of enjoyment of the scholarship, this income limit, the determination of which contributes income of patrimonial origin, as well as emoluments of any other nature, including those of an occasional nature. The income refers to the tax period relating to the calendar year of greatest use of the scholarship.

Scholarships cannot be combined with research grants or other scholarships in any capacity awarded, except with those granted by national or foreign institutions useful to integrate, with stays abroad, the training or research activity of the PhD student.
The amount of the scholarship is increased, for the period of stay abroad ordinarily provided, to the extent of 50%, for a maximum period of 12 months, 18 in the case of co-guardianship or doctorates in associated form.
The scholarship has an annual duration and is renewed, for each year of the course, provided that the doctoral student passes the verification for the transition to the following year.

Those who have already benefited from a scholarship for the Doctorate in Italy cannot apply to use it a second time.
Starting from the first year, each PhD student is guaranteed a budget for research activities in Italy and abroad, of an amount equal to 10% of the scholarship, in addition to the scholarship and within the financial resources existing in the budget of the subjects accredited to current legislation.
This budget is not provided for scholarship holders from foreign states or beneficiaries of financial support under specific mobility programs in relation to the provisions of the specific regulations.

Procedures and deadlines for submitting applications for admission to the selection process:

The application for admission to the selection must be submitted exclusively through the online procedure on the Student Portal which can be accessed from the homepage of the site https://www2.unimol.it/ (“Portale dello studente e servizi online”). No paper documentation must be sent to the offices.
The online registration procedure is active from 5th December 2022 and closes on 5th January 2023. It is therefore recommended to start the process well in advance so that it can be completed by the deadline.

Applications received after the deadline indicated or that are not transmitted in the manner and within the terms of this article will not be considered valid.
On the student portal of this University the candidate shall:
1) if never been registered at this University, submit (from the “Registrazione” button on the left-hand menu) a new registration, at the end of which the procedure releases new personal keys (username and password) which can be printed from the appropriate function (the manual containing the instructions for the registration to the Portal is available on the University website);
2) if already a registered user, directly perform the login by using the personal keys (username and password) already in their possession.
Candidates who have already registered and who have lost their access credentials to the Portal can request them – by appointment – from the Student Secretariats (Campobasso, Pesche and Termoli offices) or, if they entered a personal e-mail address during registration which is still active, they can recover them using the “Recupero Password” function from the homepage of the Student portal: in this case the system will automatically send the credentials to the candidate’s personal address.

To register for the selection, the candidate (after accessing his/her personal page via the “Login” function and entering his/her credentials) must click on the “Menu” function in the top right-hand corner.
From the “Menu” they shall enter the “Secretariat” area and click on the “Admission tests” function: on this page they will search for the competition they wish to enroll in.

Foreign candidates must also submit their pre-enrolment application via the Universitaly portal.
The application to participate in the selection process includes all the annexes which form an integral part of it and is drawn up in the form of self-certification, pursuant to Articles 46 and 47 of Presidential Decree 445/2000 and subsequent amendments, and it is valid as such for all legal purposes. The application submitted by the applicant must contain all the elements necessary for assessing the qualification presented and for verifying its accuracy. Failure to include even one element will prevent the qualification from being assessed.

All candidates are admitted subject to verification of the declarations made for being admitted to the selection process announced by the present notice, and to any stage of the selection procedure, even after registration. The University of Molise reserves the right to carry out checks in accordance with art. 71 et seq. of D.P.R. 445 of 228.12.2000. If, following verification of the self-certifications produced, the qualification possessed does not comply with the requirements or the declarations produced are untrue, the University may at any time, by reasoned decision of the Rector, exclude candidates from the selection procedure or from the PhD course, without prejudice to the resulting criminal liability. In this case, should the candidate be excluded after admission to the course, he/she shall also be required to pay compensation for any scholarship payments received.

After the expiry of this call (January 5th , 2023) it will not be allowed to vary or integrate in any way the attachments uploaded to the Portal. Candidates are asked to submit their application online well in advance of the deadline for the competition. It is the candidate’s responsibility to check that the computer procedure has been completed correctly. No claims will be accepted in respect of malfunctions of the computer system due to overloading experienced by candidates close to the deadline. The University Administration has no responsibility in case of dispersion of communications, dependent on inaccurate indications of residence, address or e-mail by the aspirant, from failure or late communication of the change of the same, nor for any telematic problems not attributable to the fault of the Administration itself.

Documents to be attached (each of the documents listed in the table below must be uploaded as a single PDF file, please note that the size of each file uploaded to the Portal cannot exceed 60 MB):

MANDATORY DOCUMENTS TO BE UPLOADED TO THE PORTAL

Application for admission to the selection
drawn up in accordance with Annex 1
Scanned valid ID with photograph front and back scanning
Documents* attesting the completion and awarding of both first and second cycle degrees.
The documents must include:

1. University which awarded the qualification;
2. Type of degree (laurea magistrale/ magistrale a ciclo unico/ old system etc.);
3. Name of the degree course;
4. Class of degree (only for degrees awarded in Italy);
5. Date the degree was awarded;
6. Final mark.
   
7. Type of certification
8. Italian Public Universities
   Self-certification** pursuant to art. 46 and 47 of the D.P.R. n. 445/2000, dated and signed, of the possession of the access requirement requested in the form of the chosen PhD course. A fac-simile of self-certification can be found on the University website – section Doctorates – forms;
9. Ue/extra Ue Universities
   the certificate, the Transcript of Records of the Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree or the Diploma Supplement, if present.
10. Italian Private Universities
    as an alternative to the certificate, they may attach self-certification or the Diploma Supplement, if present.
    
    For applicants who are yet to obtain their second cycle degree by the date they apply
    Academic Transcript of Records, including the full list of the exams taken and the related marks. Please also indicate the related CFU or ECTS (if provided by the education system of the Country in which the degree will be awarded). The record must include the “media ponderata dei voti degli esami“ (weighted average, only for graduate students enrolled in Italian Universities).
    Curriculum vitae
    A fac-simile that the candidate can use is available on the University website – Doctoral section – forms.
    
    Research project proposal or abstract
    (as required by the chosen PhD programme)
    A fac-simile that the candidate can use is available on the University website – Doctoral section – forms.
    
    ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS THAT CAN BE UPLOADED TO THE PORTAL
    Other assessable qualifications
    which candidates may possess
    indicated in the form of the chosen PhD course and considered useful for the selection.
    

• Documents must be written in Italian, English, French, Spanish or German. In case of documents written in any other language, the official Italian and/or English translation is required. To be accepted, the translation must be issued by the awarding University or by other relevant authorities. Any other supporting document, listed in the PhD programme table, shall be written in English.
  ** According to current legislation, the University must reject certifications issued by other Italian public administrations. Therefore, academic degrees must be attested only using self-certificates if awarded by Italian public universities.

The online registration procedure is active from 5th December 2022 and closes on 5th January 2023. It is therefore recommended to start the process well in advance so that it can be completed by the deadline.

Applications deadline: 05/01/2023