General Course Overview
This Ph.D. program (CdD) aims to train highly qualified professionals capable of designing, conducting, and promoting research activities in the fields of biotechnology and smart, sustainable technologies for the management of natural resources, agri-food systems, and the environment at large. This objective will be achieved through training in basic and applied research, providing interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and cross-cutting scientific skills. By combining the principles of the circular economy, the digital transition, and green technologies, these skills will foster vertical and horizontal integration across supply chains. Indeed, while this educational path represents the natural continuation of an academic background in agricultural and food sciences, it integrates biotechnology competencies on one side, and engineering and logistics applied to agricultural and food systems on the other. High-level education is the foundation for building a path aimed at organizational, technological, and cultural innovation within the agri-food sector.
Upon completion of the Ph.D. program, a dual purpose would be achieved: entering highly qualified personnel into the labor market and, simultaneously, expanding knowledge in specific research areas through participation in national and international projects.
Although not classified as an industrial doctorate, the program involves the engagement of production and processing companies operating at both regional and national levels on specific research projects. This is made possible through the direct co-financing of activities by the companies themselves and through participation in regional, national, and international research calls, as documented by the intensive research, development, and "Third Mission" (public engagement) activities carried out by the Department. This approach will, on one hand, promote technology transfer and subsequent innovation within these companies, and on the other, facilitate the employment of Ph.D. graduates by the corporate sector.
Specifically, upon completing their doctoral training, these researchers will be capable of independently designing and implementing research programs, as well as developing critical skills for analyzing new ideas and new or existing processes. The program features two distinct curricula, comprising both shared core training activities and curriculum-specific topics, focusing on:
1. Sustainable agriculture, natural resource management, and biodiversity
2. Innovative technologies for food quality and safety.
Furthermore, given the strong interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary nature within each curriculum—as evidenced by the numerous scientific sectors involved—the training includes mandatory educational activities alongside elective courses to be integrated into individual study plans. These plans can also be supplemented with educational and research activities at external research institutes and other universities, both in Italy and abroad. Generally, training will be conducted within highly qualified operational and scientific facilities for study and research, embedded in a strongly internationalized environment.
Indeed, several external research institutions are involved in the training and research activities through specific agreements with the Ph.D. program; these institutions may fund additional scholarships and host students for research and training activities at their premises. The Doctoral Committee (Collegio Docenti) includes researchers from prestigious research bodies, such as the Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops (CREA Foggia) and the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute (CIHEAM-BARI)—an international institution for postgraduate education and research—as well as a professor from the University of Bari and two professors from foreign universities (University of Cordoba, Spain, and University of Florida, USA).
Moreover, the Department holds various agreements with international universities and research bodies, which include among their objectives the exchange of researchers and Ph.D. students. For the previous doctoral cycle, several joint-supervision (co-tutela / cotutelle) thesis projects were established with foreign universities. Finally, an agreement is currently underway with the Universities of Udine and Catania for shared training activities, which includes the organization of an annual event where students from different cohorts present the progress of their research projects in a conference-style meeting. In this meeting, professors from the involved universities and/or invited speakers open the working sessions with transdisciplinary keynotes, and the scientific committee is entirely composed of students. In line with the pillars of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), social and territorial cohesion will be promoted, alongside gender mainstreaming and integration.
Educational Objectives
The research objectives of this Ph.D. program, aligned with the sustainable development priorities identified by the United Nations General Assembly, the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the PNRR plans, cover two macro-areas: topics related to agriculture, natural resources, and the environment; and more specific areas concerning food processing technologies and processes. Both areas incorporate cross-cutting fields such as green technologies, the ecological transition, and digital innovation.
In particular, this course pursues the advancement of knowledge through training in basic and applied research, carried out within an attractive and critically stimulating institutional environment, where doctoral candidates can acquire the autonomy and responsibility essential for their subsequent professional path. It promotes interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary training opportunities, also through the active participation of enterprises; contributes to strengthening transnational and international relations in the field of research by making a period of mobility abroad mandatory and establishing joint-supervision (co-tutela) doctorates; and provides for the acquisition of transferable (soft) skills to facilitate their application and development in scientific and professional spheres.
It will be fundamental to promote the advancement of knowledge in the fields of sustainable agriculture and the circular economy, renewable energy, technological innovation, food safety and traceability, the digitalization of the production system, the efficiency of production processes, and environmental and territorial protection. Specifically, the program will prepare researchers capable of:
a) Identifying research needs within topics concerning natural resources, agriculture, the environment, and the agri-food system, as well as evaluating their scientific, social, and economic relevance;
b) Conceiving, designing, and independently conducting highly qualified basic and applied research programs, participating in public and private funding calls at local, national, and international scales;
c) Quantifying and budgeting research costs;
d) Writing and critically reviewing scientific publications;
e) Disseminating research findings and knowledge through teaching activities and the presentation of data and results;
f) Transferring research outcomes into public and private sectors;
g) Critically analyzing processes and developing innovative technological solutions;
h) Assessing the impact of innovation on existing processes and estimating cost-benefit ratios of innovations;
i) Evaluating the sustainability of production processes and innovations;
l) Developing management skills for complex processes, either independently or in coordination with other stakeholders;
m) Selecting appropriate appraisal and valuation tools to support public decision-making.
Coordinator
Maria Luisa Amodio
Members of the Academic Board
Marzia Albezio
Lerina Aversano
Antonietta Baiano
Alessandra Barlaam
Nicola Bellantuono
Luciano Beneduce
Antonio Bevilacqua
Antonia Carlucci
Mariangela Caroprese
Sergio Castellano
Giancarlo Colelli
Giulia Conversa
Maria Rosaria Corbo
Biagia De Devitiis
Laura De Palma
Antonio Derossi
Antonio Elia
Zina Flagella
Francesco Fornelli
Matteo Francavilla
Giuseppe Gatta
Giacinto Salvatore Germinara
Beatrice Giannetta
Marcella Michela Giuliani
Angela Libutti
Francesco Lops
Concetta Lotti
Rosaria Maria Teresa Marino
Annalisa Mastroserio
Giovanni Messina
Giovanni Giuseppe Normanno
Sandra Pati
Enrico Vito Perrino
Maurizio Quinto
Antonella Santillo
Agostino Sevi
Mario Soccio
Giuseppe Spano
Antonio Stasi
Antonia Tamborrino
Rosaria Viscecchia
Members from foreign universities and other institutions
Pavlos Tsouvaltzis, University of Florida (USA)
Maria Teresa Sanchez, Universidad de Cordoba (Spagna)
Hamid El Bilali, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM-BARI)
Pasquale De Vita, Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CREA)
PhD Student Representative on the Board
La Commissione Didattica del Corso di Dottorato di Ricerca BISMART supporta il Coordinatore del Corso nell’organizzazione e nella gestione delle attività didattiche, svolgendo funzioni istruttorie, di coordinamento, operative e di supporto al flusso di informazioni verso/dagli studenti.
Composizione
prof.ssa Laura de Palma (presidente)
prof.ssa Maria Luisa Amodio
prof.ssa Giulia Conversa
rof. Giuseppe Gatta
prof.ssa Rosaria Marino
Il Gruppo di assicurazione della qualità del Corso di Dottorato di Ricerca BISMART sovrintende ai processi fondamentali della AQ del percorso formativo, con particolare riferimento alla rilevazione delle opinioni dei dottorandi e alla consultazione delle PI.
Composizione
prof. Antonio Bevilacqua (presidente)
prof.ssa Maria Luisa Amodio
prof.ssa Marcella Giuliani
prof.ssa Sandra Pati
prof.ssa Rosaria Viscecchia
Training and Course Activities
- Information systems and experimental data processing
- Advanced statistics
- Green economy: economic, social, and environmental aspects
- Research Methods: theoretical aspects and applications to the agri-food sector
- Trends in analytical techniques for quality and safety controls in the agro-food sector
- Precision Livestock Farming: challenges and opportunities
- Impact of microbial communities in food and environment
- Parasitic contaminants of raw vegetables and fruits and public health
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Enzyme assays in plant cell extracts: a practical approach
- Machine vision for food quality inspection
- Basics of programming
- Microstructural analysis of food and agricultural products
- Sustainable agriculture and food production
- Synchrotron radiation: basics and application in environmental samples
- Molecular biology techniques: applications in animal, plant, and microbial genetics
- Microbial Processes for the Valorization of Agro-Food and Industrial Waste
Other educational activities (seminars, laboratory and research activities, interdisciplinary multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary training): - Laboratory activities
- Language proficiency/advanced language training
- Advanced IT/computer skills training
- Research management and knowledge of European and international research systems
- Valorization and dissemination of results, intellectual property, and open access to research data and products
- Fundamental principles of ethics, gender equality, and integrity
- Seminars
In order to optimize the procedures for authorization and reimbursement of missions for participation in scientific initiatives in Italy and abroad, it is necessary to follow the following steps:
- Send an email, preferably with at least seven days' notice, to the Coordinator and the secretariat requesting authorization for the mission, in accordance with the designated tutor. If available, attach the event flyer or other documentation related to the initiative you intend to participate in.
- Once you have received approval from the Coordinator via email, send the authorization request form training activities for PhD students request form reserved for doctoral students to the Administration and Accounting Service - email grazia.sepielli@unifg.it for the necessary internal procedures. The form should be completed and signed in each section.
- For the mission, it is possible to request a cash advance, for which the form must be completed and attached to the aforementioned mission assignment
- At the end of the mission, submit the duly signed reimbursement request form to the Administration and Accounting Service – email grazia.sepielli@unifg.it, along with all the original supporting documents for the mission.
- Travel, meal, and accommodation expenses, receipts, and invoices must be submitted in their original form, accompanied by boarding passes, even if electronic.
Authorization for the mission is always necessary, regardless of any subsequent request for expense reimbursement
The PhD program requires a mandatory period of training abroad, whose activation procedure should be addressed to the University Doctoral Office.