The University of Messina co-finances/finances five scholarships within the National PhD Course in Sustainable Development and Climate Change - 40th cycle - A.A. 2024/2025 to IUSS Pavia, via the transfer of no. 1 scholarship DM 629/24 Inv. 4.1 - PNRR Research, n. 1 scholarship DM 629/24 Inv. 4.1 - Public Administration, n. 1 scholarship DM 630/24 Inv 3.3 - Innovative PhDs co-financed by the Irritec company, co-financed by the MUR to the University, and n. 2 scholarships financed by the University.
3 years of studies, 6 curricula, 105 funded scholarships, 30 public and private Italian universities participating in the project, under the coordination of the IUSS University School of Advanced Studies of Pavia:
Politecnico di Bari, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Università degli Studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Università degli Studi di Genova, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Università degli Studi dell’Aquila, Università degli Studi di Messina, Università Cattolica di Milano, Politecnico di Milano, Università Statale di Milano, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS di Pavia, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa, Università di Pisa, Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Università degli Studi di Sassari di Sassari, Università degli Studi di Siena, Università degli Studi di Torino, Politecnico di Torino, Università degli Studi di Trento, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo.
The PhD Course of national interest in “Sustainable Development And Climate Change (SDCC)” established by the IUSS University School of Advanced Studies of Pavia, in agreement with the 30 Italian universities involved, lasts three years and aims to prepare future generations to redesign a resilient society, capable of addressing and managing the problem of climate change in the best possible way, and to rethink sustainable development processes, no longer measured exclusively in terms of mere economic growth. The main objective of the PhD path is the study of the complexity determined by the interrelationships between technological progress, availability of natural resources, migrations, rights, well-being and quality of life of the present and future generations, climate change, territorial specificities, accessibility to water and food.
Through co-financing by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) and the 30 universities involved, 105 scholarships were made available, divided into 6 curricula: Earth System and Environment, Socio-economic Risk and Impacts, Technology and Territory, Theories, Institution and Cultures, Agriculture and Forestry, Health and Ecosystem. From ecology to technology, from economics to engineering, from mathematics to philosophy, from medicine to farming PhD students will have the opportunity to address the problems related to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations Agenda 2030 with long-term tools, strategies and policies, preparing themselves not only to change their lifestyle, but also to be promoters of the construction of a "green" future.
The Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS di Pavia, leader of the project and administrative headquarters of the PhD in Sustainable Development and Climate change, PhD-SDC, together with the Center for Climate Change studies and Sustainable Actions (3CSA) of the Federation of Higher Education Schools (IUSS Pavia, Sant’Anna di Pisa and Normale di Pisa), with the support of the Network of Universities for Sustainable Development (RUS), and the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASVIS), and in agreement with 30 Italian universities adhering to the project, aims to direct research activity towards the great challenges that humanity must face to mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure sustainable development.
Partnerships are planned with various public bodies and private companies.
The Enel Foundation is the first "knowledge partner" of the project.
Candidates who win a scholarship will be enrolled at the IUSS Higher University School of Pavia, administrative headquarters, and will work in one of the universities participating in the project: Politecnico di Bari, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Università degli Studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Università degli Studi di Genova, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Università degli Studi dell’Aquila, Università degli Studi di Messina, Università Cattolica di Milano, Politecnico di Milano, Università Statale di Milano, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS di Pavia, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa, Università di Pisa, Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Università degli Studi di Sassari di Sassari, Università degli Studi di Siena, Università degli Studi di Torino, Politecnico di Torino, Università degli Studi di Trento, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo.
The lessons will be in English and the courses will be held by professors from the thirty universities.
PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 40th CYCLE
The University of Messina co-finances n. 2 scholarships and n. 1 executive position within the PhD Course of National Interest in Artificial Intelligence - 40th CYCLE - A.A. 2024/2025, through the transfer of n. 1 scholarship DM 630/24 Inv 3.3 - Innovative PhDs in collaboration with the Barbera 1870 company, co-financed by the MUR to the University, and n. 1 executive position with the IRCCS Bonino Pulejo at Università Campus Bio-Medico of Rome and n. 1 scholarship DM 629/24 Inv. 4.1 - Public Administration, co-financed by the MUR to the University of Pisa.
The PhD Course of National Interest in Artificial Intelligence is divided into 5 federated PhDs which bring together 61 universities and research bodies. The 5 PhDs have a common basis aimed at the foundations and development of AI, and each has an area of specialization in a strategic sector of AI development and application. Each PhD is organized by a leading university, in collaboration with the CNR:
- Health and Life Sciences, Università Campus Bio-Medico of Rome
- Agriculture (agrifood) and Environmente, Università degli Studi Federico II of Naples
- Security and Cybersecurity in Government and public bodies, Università La Sapienza of Rome
- Industry 4.0, Università Politecnico of Turin
- Society, Università di Pisa
The PhD has a “horizontal component” common to all five federated PhDs, which provides shared training on the foundational aspects of AI. Mandatory courses will be provided on fundamental topics accessible to all PhD students, such as:
- Agent-based and Multi-agent Systems
- Computational Intelligence
- Constraints and Satisfiability
- Human Aspects in AI
- Knowledge Representation and Reasoning
- Machine Learning
- Natural Language Processing
- Planning
- AI in Robotics
- Semantic Technologies
- Vision
and courses on emerging topics related to the theme of Trustworthy AI that characterizes the EU strategy for AI, such as, for example, courses on methods for Explainable AI, Ethics and Law of AI, Safety and Robustness, Fairness, Equity, and Justice of AI systems, Distributed AI, Sustainable AI (in the double meaning of sustainable AI technologies and AI systems that help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN Agenda 2030), Social acceptability and adoption of AI.
Thanks to the coordinated horizontal/vertical articulation, the national doctorate in AI will train researchers, innovators and professionals, both with specializations in the cutting-edge topics of Artificial Intelligence and in important application sectors, but which ensure an integrated and "complex" vision of the ecosystem of AI technologies and solutions, able to address problems with a systemic and multi-disciplinary approach.
AI PhD students will participate in common training experiences and activities, both basic and specialized, offered by the five doctorates federated in PhD-AI.it. To this end, the study plans of PhDs must include an obligation to carry out such activities, even off-site. PhD courses will offer their students coverage for the costs of participating in these activities.
Goals of PhD Course of National Interest in AI:
- building a community of young AI researchers in training distributed at a territorial and disciplinary level, capable of boosting industrial and social research and innovation in the country
- promote the exchange of experiences and multi-disciplinary skills between the network nodes through the educational and research mobility of PhD students
- integrate and strengthen the Italian network of AI research centers, also in relation to the European initiatives of the ICT-48-H2020 Towards a vibrant European network of AI excellence centers program, in which various Italian centers promoting PhD-AI.it participate: Humane-AI, TAILOR, AI4MEDIA, ELISE, AI4EU.
PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN PHOTOINDUCED PROCESSES AND TECHNOLOGIES 40th CYCLE – University of Perugia
The University of Messina co-finances n. 2 scholarships within the PhD Course of National Interest in Photoinduced Processes and Technologies - 40th CYCLE - A.A. 2024/2025, through the transfer of n. 1 scholarship DM 629/24 Inv. 4.1 – PNRR Research, co-financed by the MUR to the University and n. 1 scholarship through University funds.
The PhD Course of National Interest in “Photoinduced Processes and Technologies” is aimed at post-university multidisciplinary training in the field of the mechanisms of processes induced by light radiation and their exploitation in the technological field.
Light is the protagonist of many challenges of modern science, from energy needs to environmental problems to personalized medicine. For this reason, research on photoinduced processes fully fits within the development guidelines and objectives supported by the European community through the PNRR and Next Generation EU.
The training of the PhD students of the course in both theoretical and practical fields is organized over the 3 years of the course for a total of 180 CFU and includes 21 CFU from internationally relevant courses and/or schools organized by the reference associations (Italian Group of Photochemistry, European Photochemical Association, Italian Society of PhotoBiology, European Society for Photobiology), 4 CFU from seminars and research stays in laboratories of universities associated with the PhD and in laboratories of research centres or foreign universities.
The Course aims to train a new class of professionals and researchers who, trained with a multidisciplinary approach, are able to address general issues concerning the interaction between light radiation and materials (natural and synthetic) to maximize their use in different fields and promote a resilient development from a technological and cultural point of view of our society.
Goals of PhD Course of National Interest in Photoinduced Processes and Technologies
Italy boasts a consolidated tradition of research in the photochemical and photobiological fields with national associations (Italian Photochemical Group, GIF and Italian Society of Photobiology, SIFB) that are extremely active and internationally recognized within the reference associations (European Photochemical Association, EPA and European Society for Photobiology). Individually, the research groups active in these fields carry out excellent research that is highly appreciated in the reference communities.
However, at a national level there is no coordinated training initiative which, starting from the excellence in the various fields of photochemistry and photobiology, provides an integrated educational path aimed at guaranteeing the preparation of the next generation of professionals (public and private) capable of optimizing and rationalize the use of light radiation in key areas and facilitate technology transfer.
It is now well known that light radiation is the protagonist of many challenges of modern science, since transformations can be activated selectively and on demand and because radiation is a specific observable. Therefore, the use and exploitation of light radiation allows us to respond in a sustainable way to energy needs, environmental problems and personalized medicine. For this reason, advanced training in PHOTOINDUCED PROCESSES AND TECHNOLOGIES fits fully within the development guidelines and objectives set by the PNRR. The training and research activities of the PhD Course of National Interest in Photoinduced Processes and Technologies were conceived and organized in perfect coherence with the objectives of the PNRR.
The high-level training and research activities, both theoretical and experimental, will allow to acquire solid basic knowledge on photo-induced processes to ensure an effective development of technologies based on the use and exploitation of electromagnetic radiation aimed at facilitating the technological transfer of knowledge and skills, as required by the Education and Research mission of the PNRR.
PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN THEORETICAL AND APPLIED NEUROSCIENCE 40° CICLO – University of Camerino
The University of Messina finances n. 1 scholarships within the PhD Course of National Interest in Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience - 40th CYCLE - A.A. 2024/2025 to University of Camerino, through University funds.
Neuroscience, due to its intrinsically interdisciplinary and intersectoral nature, can achieve excellent results only if the best scientific and cultural resources present in our country's universities and research centres are widely networked. Only through this close collaboration will it be possible to train new generations of researchers who can contribute to the advancement of our country and are competitive on an international level. The establishment of a PhD of national interest in Neuroscience represents an essential stage in the innovation process of postgraduate training.
PhD students will work in scientifically stimulating environments where, in addition to curricular teaching and research into reference laboratories, they will be able to participate in journal clubs, seminars and conferences by external speakers. Aspects related to:
- in-depth analysis of the reference literature
- experimental design
- techniques for carrying out the experiments
- statistical analysis methods of the data collected
- drafting of scientific articles
Since the audience of potential PhD students is international, curricular activities will be carried out in English.
Main Goals:
- promote a strong interdisciplinarity between the various fields of Neuroscience
- promote national and international collaborations aimed at acquiring work skills in different fields
- build a national network between Universities and Research Bodies operating in the various fields of neuroscience with the aim of creating the synergies necessary for its study
- promote collaboration in research groups, to the extent of acquiring the ability to coordinate complex and competitive projects
- stimulate innovative research based on advanced methodologies and new technologies.
PhD Curricula
Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience:
The mission of the curriculum in Cognitive Neuroscience aims to provide theoretical and methodological training in predominantly cognitive research areas such as perception, language, memory, attention, action, decision making and intelligence. The curriculum extends to the study of deficits in cognitive functions and may have translational gaps. For completeness, the study of cognitive functions is also addressed in interaction with non-cognitive constructs such as, for example, emotions, personality and motivation.
This curriculum is characterized by a highly interdisciplinary approach which, as such, uses models and methods derived mainly from experimental psychology, medicine, linguistics but also from STEM.
The training provided by this curriculum offers both a theoretical and a relevant practical component. Cognitive neuroscience research is carried out primarily in laboratories where human participants are tested using various non-invasive investigation techniques. The most commonly used equipment in cognitive neuroscience research is EEG, TMS, tDCS, eye tracking, and MRI. This allows students who choose this curriculum to be exposed to a wide spectrum of topics and methodologies, many of which can be used in research in other fields as well.
The educational offer includes three types of courses:
- theoretical, on the various areas of cognitive neuroscience (perception, language, etc. and their deficits)
- methodological (statistics, coding, theory)
- practical relating to the use of equipment.
Other skills such as scientific writing, elements of research ethics and open data science will be shared across all curricula.
Neuroscience and Humanities:
In the last three decades, impressive technological and conceptual developments have led the neurosciences of complex systems - a field of study already multidisciplinary in its relationships with mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry - to address topics classically pertaining to disciplines with consolidated belonging to the field of human sciences. What may originally have seemed like a pure cultural trend has given rise to real areas of research and teaching. Examples of this important process of cultural development is the field of neuro-aesthetics understood as the analysis of the brain processes involved in the production and enjoyment of artistic and scientific creative experience. From the understanding of the fundamental processes of plasticity and memory we have arrived at neuro-pedagogy concerned with the development of educational programs inspired by the brain processes that lead to learning behaviours. The study of individual and social decision-making in the context of morality has led to the development of fields such as neuro-economics and neuro-law, inspiring innovative application experiences that have changed the starting disciplines (think for example of neuroleadership and to neuropolitics understood as the study of the neural processes that determine the characteristics of those in charge of a company, a political party or a religious group). The aspiration to investigate even broader knowledge from a cerebral perspective is inspiring fields such as neurophilosophy and neuroethics as well as neuro-literature and neuro-poetry. Despite the criticized oversimplification of the neuro prefix with which they are indicated, these research domains promise to greatly extend the understanding of human nature not so much and not only in relation to single individuals but to the inherently social characteristics of each of them.
Preclinical and Translational Neuroscience:
The program of this curriculum is focused on the need to promote the transfer of neuroscientific knowledge acquired in the laboratory to the clinic, with a translational approach. PhD students will acquire specific skills to bridge the gap between the design, execution and interpretation of experiments on cellular, animal or human models and the challenges of experimental medicine, particularly in the field of neurorehabilitation and drug development.
All activities will be based on the use of innovative data analysis methodologies, from electrophysiology to neuroimaging, from neuropsychology to experimental techniques for the study of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying various functions and disorders of the central nervous system.
Strategic themes are: preclinical neuroscience (genetic and molecular mechanisms of neuropsychiatric diseases); clinical neuroscience (neurology, psychiatry, neurorehabilitation, both of the adult organism and for neurodevelopmental disorders); tools and methods for the analysis of normal and pathological brain connectivity; design and development of hardware and software for the non-invasive recording and modulation of brain activity; identification of biomarkers for neuropsychiatric diseases; study of the gut-brain-axis; identification of new pharmacological targets for neuropsychiatric diseases; computational modelling; machine learning; optogenetics, chemogenetics; design of clinical trials; digital neuroscience, with a focus on telemedicine, telerehabilitation and development of serious games applications for diagnosis and cognitive training; ethics. Basic disciplines such as physiology, pharmacology, neurology, epidemiology, statistics, genetics, neuroinformatics will be part of the teaching in the curriculum. Practical activities include participation in seminars, journal clubs, presentation of reports and research results.
Computational and System Neuroscience:
Computational neuroscience aims to design and employ quantitative methods in neurophysiology and neurobiology. The development of these methods has significantly increased our understanding of the functioning of the nervous system and is clearly becoming vital to the neuroscience community. Expanding training in the application of computational methods to neuroscience problems is a widely recognized need.
PhD students recruited in this curriculum will learn to develop mathematical models and computer simulations for various neuroscientific objectives. The models will be used (1) for basic science: to better understand the development and functions of the nervous system in different animal models and (2) for translational science: to develop wearable and implantable medical devices ("neurotechnologies") to restore and repair nervous systems impaired by neurological disorders or traumatic injuries. This curriculum will provide horizontal skills that can also be used in other curricula of the PhD school.
In particular, the models will be based on biophysics, machine learning, advanced signal processing and will address the neuroscientific problem at different levels.
PhD students will also be exposed to empirical techniques in neuroscience and neurophysiology to strengthen their skills and allow them to experimentally validate their models.
PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN EUROPEAN STUDIES 40° CICLO – UNIVERSITY OF GENOA
The University of Messina co-finances n. 1 scholarships within the PhD Course of National Interest in Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience - 40th CYCLE - A.A. 2024/2025 to University of Genoa, through the transfer of n. 1 scholarship DM 629/24 Inv. 4.1 – Public Administration co-financed by the MUR to the University and n. 1 scholarship through University funds.
PhD course Coordinator: Pr. Maria Eleonora Guasconi
The PhD course aims to deepen the scientific knowledge of the European integration process in its long-term evolution, from a historical, political, economic-social and legal point of view, qualifying itself for a strongly interdisciplinary methodological approach, in the belief that the study of Europe, its history, its public policies, its economic and commercial achievements and its institutions can be effectively addressed through the interaction between the various disciplines, in their different articulations. This approach is explained by the complex institutional architecture of the European Union and its peculiarity compared to other international organizations and to federal states themselves, with the coexistence of elements of an international and associative nature and components of a state and constitutional nature, as well as the complex history of the European construction process, in which multiple factors were intertwined. The knowledge of a Europe on the move, which questions previous territorial arrangements, pluralist, regionalist and 'integrated', which gives space to models of flexible statehood and variations of membership, requires the adoption of a diachronic conception of reality, of a methodology capable of modulating on change and of tools suitable for interpreting European society in the complex phenomenology of its behaviour.
The PhD is divided into three curricula: "History of the idea of Europe and European integration", "European economic and social policies", "Multilevel governance and fundamental rights". Interdisciplinary training will be guaranteed by the organization of live lectures and events at the various associated universities, by online lectures, and by an annual interdisciplinary Summer School in collaboration with the University Association of European Studies (ECSA Italy).
In the past, the European Union has succeeded, even financially supporting high-level training initiatives, in training and recruiting the ruling class that would have the task of advancing the continental integration process within institutions, specialized think tanks, public administrations and the media. An example of this are the Centers of Bruges and Florence: in these schools a new generation of officials was born, and the foundations of a European research and training system were laid. The strategic challenge is to increasingly link universities to this process and to this European network, fully valorising the role of scholars and academic experts alongside and in partnership with European institutions, to train young people who aspire to continue their careers both in the university environment, and in European governance and administrations at various levels, and finally in associations, centres and private activities that interact with the EU on a daily basis.
Collaborations are planned with numerous national, European and international study centres. For example, the following national study centres are mentioned: the University Association of European Studies (AUSE), the Interuniversity Research Centre on European Integration (CRIE), TO-EU Centre for European Studies of the Department of Culture, Politics and Society of the University of Turin, the Centre for Federalism Studies of Turin, the Spinelli Centre of the University “La Sapienza” of Rome, the Einstein Centre for International Studies (CESI), the Centre of Excellence - Punto Europa of Forlì. As regards European and international study centres are mentioned: the Collège d'Europe in Bruges, the Centre européen Robert Schuman, the Centre International de formation européenne (CIFE), the Fondation Jean Monnet pour l'Europe, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, the Robert Triffin International Foundation, the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence, the network of birthplaces of the founding fathers of Europe, the European networks of young scholars.
The University of Messina co-finances n. 2 scholarships within the Associate PhD Program in Ecological Transition - 40th CYCLE - A.A. 2024/2025 to University of Palermo, through the transfer of n. 1 scholarship DM 629/24 Inv. 4.1 – Public Administration and n. 1 scholarship DM 629/24 Inv. 3.4 – Digital Transitions, co-financed by the MUR to the University and integrating scholarship coverage with university funds.
The PhD course in Ecological Transition focuses on issues related to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set in the United Nations 2030 Agenda, which are strategic for addressing the global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, population growth, adequate access to food, education and equal opportunities.
The PhD course in Ecological Transition offers a training program, structured through research and experimental development, aimed at increasing and implementing the culture of environmental, economic and social sustainability in an interdisciplinary and transversal way, to aim at safeguarding the planet and the well-being of its inhabitants.
The PhDs will be trained through a composite approach on transversal aspects related to the theoretical principles of experimentation and analysis of environmental problems that will be integrated with foundations and methodologies specific to specific strategic sectors (e.g. engineering, economics, medicine, agriculture, ecology, mathematics, law, pedagogy and educational sciences, urban planning) and will therefore be trained to examine the problems related to the ecological transition from an interdisciplinary point of view, horizontally integrating sustainability and ecological transition in the development, implementation and evaluations of solutions to environmental problems.
Course goals
The training course aims to develop knowledge, skills and abilities to face the multiple challenges that current society is facing, such as the fight against climate change, sustainable development and ecological transition, contributing to the development of new models (social, economic and ecological) linked to the ecological transition.
Its objectives include: implementation of participatory and shared solutions and strategies aimed at environmental, economic and social sustainability; activation of ecological transition paths; identification of actions that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals set out in the 2030 Agenda; creating an integrated, fair and sustainable approach to teaching and research.
From this perspective, the PhD course in Ecological Transition will also have among its training objectives the achievement of skills identifiable in the perspective of the four pillars identified by UNESCO starting, at least from the 1990s:
- Learning to know: learn to understand and use knowledge, i.e. to use critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making skills in informed actions
- Learning to do: learn to manage the cultural tools to act, i.e. to apply what has been learned to the needs of life
- Learning to be: learn agency, i.e. learn skills of self-awareness, self-esteem, self-confidence and self-confidence, with a view to building identity, valuing oneself, defining one's own objectives
- Learning to live together: learn personal skills which include communication, negotiation and all those skills that define a person as a social being
- Learning to transform oneself and society: understand the complexity of the global dimension as part of daily life in local dimensions, that is, understanding everyone's relationship with the environment and with the people with whom they share the planet. It's about educating global citizenship with awareness of one's environment, with the desire to act by valorising diversity.
Expected career and professional opportunities
The PhD in Ecological Transition will be able to play the role of sustainability and ecological transition manager as he/she will have acquired the technical, economic and managerial skills and abilities that will allow him/her to both promote and manage highly complex and multifaceted processes and activities aimed at designing and implementing sustainable strategies for ecological transformation, in line with the sustainable development objectives of the 2030 Agenda.
The PhD in Ecological Transition will have a highly innovative and multidisciplinary professional profile, which will allow him to exercise “interdisciplinary” leadership, which is essential for the creation of “learning forums” between different stakeholders on shared environmental policies and on “multi-level” network systems, which are progressively positioned on specific “collaborative platforms”.
The acquisition of these skills and abilities will provide access to numerous potential career opportunities. In particular, we mention: research and training institutions; “Think tanks”; public administrations at all levels; companies in the commercial, agricultural, industrial and service sectors; non-governmental and non-profit organizations; “Community-based” and “Backbone” Organizations; management consulting and community program consulting firms; international bodies.
The University of Messina finances n. 3 scholarships within the PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN PSICHOLOGY 40th CYCLE – In Convention with University of Catanzaro, through the use of University funds.
Educational goals
Scientific evidence has highlighted the opportunity to use an integrated approach, both for prevention and for intervention on psychological distress, given the correlation with various biological and neuropsychological aspects.
The integration of the most recent developments in neuroscience and “behaviour analysis” represents a scientific challenge that is proving to be increasingly valid for a broader and more complete understanding of the processes and for making the task of psychologists working in the clinical and educational fields easier and more effective.
The aim of the PhD course is to train young researchers capable of carrying out research projects in the psychological field, with reference to the analysis and understanding of cognitive and behavioural processes and related disorders.
In particular, the aim is to train scholars capable of analysing the systemic relationships of the main cognitive and emotional-motivational processes with biological and social processes, monitoring their development throughout the life span.
General Organization
At the beginning of the cycle, the Teaching Board, having analysed the research proposals presented by the doctoral students, appoints a tutor teacher for each PhD student from among the teachers of the Board with the task of directing him in the research activity and in the preparation of the final thesis. The PhD thesis must clearly include a research project on the specific themes of the PhD and must be agreed with the Teaching Board considering the specific interests and aptitudes of the PhD students.
The theoretical courses will take place in the first and second year of the PhD at the two universities.
Every year there are hours of Individual Study aimed at writing a research article on a topic agreed with the tutor teacher. The PhD student will be able to attend conferences and carry out the internship in Italy and/or abroad even during the first and second year. In this case, the PhD student will still be required to follow the lectures via videoconference.
By the end of the third year, the PhD student will be admitted to the final exam only if he/she has:
- attended national and international conferences for at least 120 hours
- presented as a speaker at least 1 research paper at national or international conferences
- presented no fewer than 2 posters at national or international conferences
- completed an internship period lasting a total of 6 months
- have co-authored no fewer than 3 research papers
- obtained the favorable opinion of their tutor teacher regarding the final paper.
PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN POLAR SCIENCE 40th CYCLE – University of CA’ FOSCARI in Venice
The University of Messina finances n. 1 scholarship within the PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN POLAR SCIENCE 40th CYCLE – University of CA’ FOSCARI in Venice, through the use of University funds.
Changes and evolution of polar systems: processes, feedback mechanisms and interactions on a global scale
The Earth system is highly interconnected. The research activities of the thematic area are aimed at deepening knowledge of the processes and interactions between the different components of the climate system and assessing their responses to global changes. A more robust and holistic understanding of the polar system is necessary to guide future climate policy decisions.
The study of the characteristics of the polar atmosphere is fundamental in order to study the biogeochemical cycles of natural chemical species, the long-range transport processes of pollutants and climate-altering compounds and the feedback mechanisms triggered by atmospheric warming and the interaction of the Atmosphere with cryosphere and oceans.
The cryosphere constitutes a rather fragile portion of the Earth system, made even more vulnerable by climate change. The study of snow and ice, their chemical composition, their real extent, as well as the main physical parameters, the evolution of permafrost and the impact that increasing degradation has on the atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere both at a regional and global level is carried out with multidisciplinary and interconnected research activities.
The hydrosphere is largely made up of the oceans that affect the Earth system in all areas, storing and redistributing fresh water, heat, climate-altering gases, and other particulate and dissolved substances. Oceanographic research supports more accurate forecasts on global impacts thanks to the study of the chemical-physical properties of the seas and oceans, their movements, energy exchanges with the atmosphere, the organisms that live in them and the geological structure of ocean basins. Polar limnological environments are studied both as sentinels for climate change and to study the responses of their short food webs to changes themselves, including anthropogenic perturbations.
Polar ecosystems are an important reserve of natural resources and can partially mitigate the effects of climate change by which they are threatened today. The study of biodiversity and resilience to global changes with an ecosystem approach, which integrates the influence of environmental factors, interspecific relationships at community level and socio-economic aspects, is a challenge for effective and sustainable management of natural resources.
Main ERC sectors:
• LS8 - Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology
• PE4 - Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences
• PE10 - Earth System Science
• SH2 - Institutions, Values, Environment and Space
• SH7 - Human Mobility, Environment, and Space
PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN FOOD SYSTEM 40th CYCLE – University of Turin
The University of Messina finances n. 1 scholarship within the PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN FOOD SYSTEM 40th CYCLE – University of Turin,through the use of University funds.
The University of Turin and the associated universities, in relation to the PhD course in "Food System", carried out in agreement pursuant to art. 3 co. 2, lit. a) of the above-mentioned Ministerial Decree. 226/2021, as regulated by this contract, refers to:
PhD course educative goals:
The PhD in Food System is a highly specialized figure capable of competently addressing the current challenges that the food system is facing.
The educational objectives of the PhD course are:
- Train the student in the knowledge of scientific and research approaches to produce safe foods from a hygienic and health point of view, of quality from a chemical, nutritional and sensorial point of view, and sustainable
- Provide the student with the technical-scientific tools and personal skills to manage food production processes
- Enable the student to carry out projects focusing on the proposed research topics with particular attention to the organization and management of a scientific experiment.
The topics of the PhD course, according to which the parties undertake to guarantee training and research activities: Food science and technology, Food microbiology, Food chemistry, Agricultural economics, Human nutrition.
Type of activity carried out by PhD students:
The PhD students will carry out technical-scientific research activities in the laboratories of the associated universities, using modern and cutting-edge technologies. These will concern food analysis from a microbiological, nutritional, chemical and technological point of view, as well as addressing challenges for improving production processes to make them more sustainable from an environmental, economic and social point of view. In addition to laboratory and experiential activities, the student will have to follow educational-training activities, organized at a national level, on topics of relevance to the professional figure. Finally, research activities in foreign institutions and universities are planned. Given the highly applicative nature of the topics addressed, research periods could also be envisaged at companies in the food sector to test the hypotheses studied and thus increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
Research training activities planned for PhD students in line with the training objectives of the PhD
- transversal alignment: linguistic skills, approaches to scientific experimentation, big data management and analysis, digitalisation, etc.
- vertical training activities, i.e. focused on relevant aspects in some specific areas of research in the food system: molecular mechanisms of host-microorganism-pathogen and probiotic interaction, advanced metabolomics, second-generation sequencing and study of the microbiome, molecular structure of food components and their influence on nutrient absorption, advanced and applied rheology, etc.
The internationalization elements of the PhD:
The consortium of universities offering the national PhD in Food System has a network of collaborations with universities located on all continents. Collaboration with these academies is developed through framework collaboration programmes, joint diplomas and student exchanges for periods abroad.
The internationalization of the PhD course will also be based on the participation of a significant number of foreign professors and researchers in the teaching staff. Possible collaboration with EIT Food is also being explored for the provision of training activities on improving meta skills and entrepreneurial capacity, an initiative that could lead the national PhD to also receive accreditation from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
Products and results expected from the research activities of the PhD students:
- Scientific publications in high impact journals
- Patents
- Innovative start-ups.
Career opportunities and potential areas of employment for the PhD:
- Universities
- Research Institute
- Private sector, both as an employee of a company in the food sector, but also as an individual entrepreneur
- Domestic and international government agencies.
PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN LIFE COURSE RESEARCH 40th CYCLE – University of Florence
The University of Messina finances n. 2 scholarship within the PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN LIFE COURSE RESEARCH 40th CYCLE – University of Turin,through the transfer of n. 1 scholarship DM 629/24 Inv. 4.1 – Public Administration, co-financed by the MUR integrated with University funds, and n. 1 scholarship through University funds.
Target:
the PhD course of national interest in “Life Course Research” aims to create an alliance between scholars in the socio-demographic, psychological and biomedical fields to promote an interdisciplinary approach to research on life course transitions and to establish a national research school that will allow the training of a new generation of researchers according to a holistic perspective, which uses rigorous and innovative methods and approaches based on empirical analysis.
Adopting a holistic perspective to the study of the life course means recognizing that individuals' past experiences and exposures, including those in utero, influence their current status in different life domains (health, geographic mobility, family, work, and socioeconomic position); that events in one life domain (illness, job loss, divorce) can influence all others; and finally, that the historical period in which people live influences the likelihood, timing, and sequence in which the major phases of the life course are experienced.
From a holistic perspective, an individual's life course does not appear as an arbitrary chain of events. On the contrary, the accumulation of experiences (positive or negative) “directs” people towards a certain life trajectory, making other options less likely.
The aim of the PhD of National Interest in “Life course research” is to provide students with the theoretical and methodological skills necessary to analyse the life course according to a holistic and interdisciplinary perspective.
Theoretical Framework:
The life course perspective allows us to study in an organic way how the events that mark the life of individuals in their main phases of growth, maturation and decline manifest themselves and change over time and space, and which link individual biographies together.
Human life, from conception to death, developing along a path that passes from the perinatal period, to childhood, to adolescence, to adult life and then to old age, has often led to a study segmented into phases along the course of the ages.Biomedical disciplines have articulated it through changes in vital processes and different predisposition to pathologies through biochemical, biological-molecular, physiological, genetic, pharmacological, epidemiological, pediatric and gerontological investigation techniques; developmental psychology and social psychology have identified the phases of development from childhood to senility, describing the trajectories and mechanisms of intra- and inter-individual change that explain changes in behavior and its neurobiological substrates, accounting for pathways of resilience or vulnerability. Demography has determined the probabilities of elimination by death at different ages starting from birth according to various differential aspects, also quantitatively describing family and reproductive dynamics and the ways in which the generations of children succeed those of their parents; sociology has investigated the interrelations between life course events and economic and social context.
The theoretical framework of reference, which allows these disciplinary traditions to be integrated into a single founding perspective, is the life course according to a biopsycho-social approach.
The PhD course of national interest in “Life Course Research” was born from the need to accurately describe life paths and the crucial events that characterize them according to a holistic and transdisciplinary perspective, on the basis of individual predispositions, the socio-economic conditions of individuals, and their location in space and time.
The University of Messina finances n. 3 scholarship and n.1 position without scholarship within the PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN TEACHING & LEARNING SCIENCES: INCLUSION, TECHNOLOGIES; EDUCATIONAL, RESEARCH AND EVALUATION 40th CYCLE – University of Macerata,through the transfer of n. 1 scholarship DM 629/24 Inv. 4.1 – Public Administration and n. 1 scholarship DM 629/24 Inv. 4.1 – Cultural Heritage both co-financed by the MUR integrated with University funds, n. 1 scholarship through University funds and n. 1 without scholarship.
The PhD of National Interest in “Teaching & Learning Sciences: Inclusion, Technologies, Educational Research and Evaluation”, with administrative headquarters at the University of Macerata, has as its main objective the training of researchers, male and female researchers, professionals, capable of mastering educational and pedagogical sciences, analysing the themes of empirical and experimental educational research, didactic design, evaluation, inclusion and use of technologies in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspective, in order to contribute to greater effectiveness and inclusiveness of training and professional development systems and contribute to faculty development. The PhD aims to represent a national and international point of reference in this field of study, which integrates training and research in scholastic and socio-educational environments and in university contexts, through a network of laboratories and research centres made available by the universities Italian and/or foreign and by the other national institutions participating in the initiative.
The PhD of National Interest in “Teaching & Learning Sciences: Inclusion, Technologies, Educational Research and Evaluation”, aims to train the next generation of professionals, professionals, experts and experts in the field of educational research, inclusion teaching, educational technologies, docimology and evaluation, the meeting and interaction between general teaching and disciplinary teaching (both for the humanities and for the STEM disciplinary area), faculty development and teacher training. This purpose, in accordance with the evolution of the regulatory framework following the application of Law no. 79 of 2022 and consistently with the purposes of the PNRR in the field of training and recruitment of teaching staff (Mission 4, investment area 2.1), aims to acquire useful skills to improve the quality of the teaching-learning process in different educational-training-didactic contexts.
PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN PRECISION MEDICINE 40th CYCLE – University of Palermo
The University of Messina finances n. 1 scholarships within the PhD Course of National Interest in Precision Medicine - 40th CYCLE - A.A. 2024/2025 to University of Palermo, through University funds.
In the Italian context of innovation in the Health sector, the systematization of major skills and Key Enabling Technologies at the service of National and European objectives represents one of the major challenges for growth. The investments of the PNRR (Mission 4 Component 2) aimed at creating Research and Innovation process chains – ranging from basic research to technology transfer – involving networks between Universities, Research Centres and Institutions and Companies, and which have identified research in the field of Innovative Diagnoses and Therapies for Precision Medicine among the priority objectives of the Country, have been included in this framework. In fact, complex diseases, including monogenic diseases (rare diseases), polygenic diseases (cardiovascular and metabolic diseases) and cancer are the main causes of mortality in the world, for which the incidence and mortality rate are estimated to increase in the coming decades. The complexity and etiopathogenetic and prognostic heterogeneity of these pathologies make the application of precision medicine imperative, which addresses individualized pathways for diagnosis and treatment, to obtain an optimal clinical outcome.
Therefore, using a holistic and multidisciplinary approach, supported by the use of transversal KETs and overcoming the classic sectoral training paradigm, it is now necessary to create Higher Education paths, which also allow studying the molecular mechanisms of non-communicable diseases, identifying potentially prognostic and pathogenic disease biomarkers to develop innovative strategies for personalized prevention, prediction, diagnosis, monitoring and precision therapeutic planning measures. This approach requires, alongside biomedical skills, to strengthen training in the field of enabling technologies 4.0 applied to health, which allow the training of new professionals capable of applying the skills learned for the acquisition of broad-spectrum omics data, the complex processing of big data, the development of advanced predictive experimental/computational models, the study of the most advanced methods of precision diagnostics, the development of innovative and personalized therapies, the design of cutting-edge devices of interest to the market, the development of prevention strategies and the clinical validation of new diagnostic/therapeutic solutions.
Under this premise, the establishment of a PhD of National Interest in Precision Medicine is proposed with administrative headquarters at the University of Palermo, which is also the proponent of the project “HEALITALIA - Health Extended Alliance for Innovative Therapies, Advanced Lab-research, and Integrated Approaches of Precision Medicine” funded under the PNRR (Mission 4 “Education and Research” Component 2 “From Research to Business”) which represents the first Italian multidisciplinary research network of Universities, IRCCS and Businesses to support translational research for advanced diagnoses and therapies in the fight against cardiovascular, metabolic, rare diseases and cancer.
The University of Messina finances n. 1 scholarships within the PhD Course of National Interest in Marine Sciences: Technologies and Management - 40th CYCLE - A.A. 2024/2025 to University of Milan “Bicocca”, through University funds.
The PhD in Marine Sciences, Technology and Management (MTM) is a consortium PhD offered by the University of Milano-Bicocca and the Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. The PhD aims to identify and attract the most promising students to form a dynamic and diverse community and transform them into visionary scholars, innovative researchers and creative leaders in the field of marine sciences. The two Research Institutions intend to share their expertise on the principles of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (SDG14, SDG16, SDG13, SDG12, SDG9, SDG8 and SDG7). The PhD is in line with the European Union's Starfish 2030 Horizon Europe program, coordinated by Italy, and with some of the marine issues addressed by the nascent National Biodiversity Center: Node 1 and 2. The PhD intends to promote the objectives of the national recovery and resilience plan (PNRR), particularly those contained in Missions 1, 2 and 4.
Students will have the opportunity to use state-of-the-art laboratories located both at the Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences and at the Italian Institute of Technology. The infrastructure of the MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Center), a research center for higher education located in the Maldives, created by an agreement between the University of Milano-Bicocca and the Maldives, will also be made available. The complementarity of the laboratories of IIT and Bicocca will also significantly expand the educational growth of students, giving them the opportunity to acquire a cultural background that cannot be achieved without the consortium form envisaged for the doctorate. PhD students will have the opportunity to attend, depending on their training project, international research institutions, including, but not limited to: University of Leeds, The University of Liverpool, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, Universidad de Valencia, The Maldives National University, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), University of Helsinki, University of South Pacific, Bar-Ilan University, University of Edinburgh, University of York, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Harvard University, Cambridge University, University of Dubai. Each student will be supervised by two professors or researchers from the University of Milano-Bicocca or the Italian Institute of Technology, as well as a training period of at least 6 (six) months at a foreign institute. The training program includes at least two publications in international journals with impact factor (ISI) and a thesis written in English.
The main topics of the PhD are: marine biodiversity; marine ecology and biology; marine landscape ecology; ocean processes and global change; international sea law; sustainable use of marine resources; peaceful settlement of maritime disputes; integrated management of the coastline; ocean technology; polar law; marine biogeochemical cycles; dynamics and restoration of coastal ecosystems; computational modeling; political, cultural and social geography of the sea; ocean literacy and ocean citizenship; coastal and maritime tourism; environmental vulnerability and conflicts; marine renewable energies; ocean physics; new materials; chemical oceanography; oceanographic psychological-social determinants of attitudes and behaviors in favor of the environment, biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, animal welfare, economic opportunities arising from the marine world.
Once the training course is completed, PhD students will be able to access the world of work as managers in the many sectors offered by the blue economy, including those related to sustainability issues in the marine environment, reducing the impact of the economy on the oceans and coasts, the circular economy, reducing pollution and increasing resilience to climate change and reducing the ecological footprint. Each PhD student is expected to complete at least 100 hours of teaching during the PhD course and a total of at least 8 CFU, of which at least 2 CFU of interdisciplinary teaching provided by the University PhD School and at least 4 CFU of specific teaching provided by the PhD Course.
PhD COURSE OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN PEACE STUDIES 40th CYCLE – University of Rome “La Sapienza”
The University of Messina finances n. 1 scholarships DM 629/24 Inv. 4.1 – Public Administration within the PhD Course of National Interest in Peace Studies - 40th CYCLE - A.A. 2024/2025 to University of Rome “La Sapienza”, co-financed by the MUR integrated with University funds.
The PhD program of national interest in Peace Studies is a place of interdisciplinary and innovative training and research on the issues of conflict and peace. The first of its kind in Italy, it was created on the initiative of RUniPace, the Network of Italian Universities for Peace (CRUI Network). The Network inspired its institutional values, interdisciplinary planning, constructive interaction between universities and between the university world and Italian society in the broader sense, taking into account the founding values of the Universities that are part of it and of the CRUI that unites them. There are undergraduate and master's degree courses in Italy, research centers dedicated to the study of peace and for peace, important initiatives at every level of university life: this project makes it possible to develop specialist knowledge at doctoral level, search for high qualification, practices and transversal skills useful for identifying and preventing situations of potential conflict. The participating universities aim to develop in Italy, in a lively interaction with thematic projects already launched at an international level, higher education in the fields of peace, human rights, studies on conflict and peace, disarmament and construction of inclusive and sustainable societies.
The PhD program of national interest in Peace Studies refers in its founding project to the values of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Union system and the Italian Constitution, to the various international cooperation agreements to which Italy is a party, to the articulations of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the UN 2030 Agenda and to local policies for peace, common well-being and quality of life. An immediate reference is also to the priority areas of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and the National Research Plan (PNR), to the dissemination of knowledge of the issues and areas of study and research relating to peace in universities, in public administrations and in other highly innovative professional paths.
The overall objective of this project is to promote interdisciplinary and transversal high-level training and research paths capable of providing innovative perspectives and developing a field of study that can have a significant and positive impact on a society that must deal with a natural and anthropic environment in continuous and rapid transformation. For this reason, the PhD program is organized into 10 training curricula.
In summary, the PhD program of National Interest in Peace Studies aims to provide high-level, interdisciplinary training, capable of promoting collaboration between Italian and international universities and responding to the challenges of a rapidly transforming society and natural and anthropic environment. Inspired by universal values and sustainable development objectives, the PhD program focuses on the issues of conflict and peace, significantly contributing to the construction of a more just and peaceful society through advanced research and the practical application of the skills to be acquired through the 10 training curricula.
Curricula
a)Curriculum 1 - Technology, sustainability and peace b) Curriculum 2 - Identity, memories, religions and peace c) Curriculum 3 - Human rights, peoples' rights and peacebuilding d) Curriculum 4 - Peace education and migration e) Curriculum 5 - Architecture and landscape of peace f) Curriculum 6 - Space, territories, resources and narratives from the perspective of peace g) Curriculum 7 - Economy of peace h) Curriculum 8 - Imaginaries of peace in literary, artistic and philosophical cultures: socio-anthropological dynamics, legal aspects and conflict criticism i) Curriculum 9 - Restorative justice, transitional justice and non-violent transformation of conflicts j) Curriculum 10 - Dynamics, processes and actors in international relations.
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