1st Call

Application deadline: by 11/07/2024 (by noon local time)
Admission interviews: 17-18/07/2024 (via MS Teams)
Publication of ranking lists: by 05/08/2024

Confirmation of the PhD position - 1st Call

Applicants with scholarship: by 20/08/2024 at 12pm (local time);
Applicants without scholarship: starting from 21/08/2024 until 30/08/2024;
Enrolment: Starting from 21/08/2024 until 31/10/2024 (by noon local time)

Total Positions: 12

1st Call

Positions with university scholarships: 4
Positions with other types of scholarships: 2
Positions MD 630/2024 under PNRR: 2
Positions ESF+: 1
Co-funded by Eurac Research: 1
Positions without scholarship: 3

In the academic year 2024/2025, the Computer Science doctoral school offers 15 research topics.

1st Call

At this link you can find the detailed descriptions (project description + required skills) of all Research Projects and their corresponding supervisors.
Please carefully read the document, consider that you can select up to three projects. You may also propose a topic not included in the list of projects provided. The proposed topic should match the expertise of a Scientific Committee member.

At this link you can find the list of research projects and their corresponding proposed supervisors of the MD630/2024 PNRR positions.

At this link you can find the list of research projects and their corresponding proposed supervisors of the ESF+ positions.

All citizens may apply to be admitted to a PhD program:

• Applicants holding a postgraduate degree as per Italian Ministerial Decree no. 509/1999, a postgraduate degree as per Italian Ministerial Decree no. 270/2004, a degree of the former Italian university system, or an equivalent degree obtained abroad.
• Applicants achieving one of the above-mentioned titles within the enrolment deadline. In this case applicants will be admitted conditionally to the selection procedure, and they must produce the degree certificate within the enrolment’s deadline. If not, their application is considered null and void.

To apply for the position financed by European Social Fund Plus ESF+

• Participants must also be under the age of 35 years, to be understood as up to the day before the participant's thirty-fifth birthday. The requirements must be fulfilled at the time of the deadline of the relevant call for applications (11/07/2024).

The official language of the PhD programme is English. Therefore applicants must have very good knowledge of English.

The proficiency in English will also be assessed during the interviews.

Applications to the selection procedure can be submitted from the date of the announcement of the public competition.

Each application is subject to a payment for administrative expenses (30 €). This registration fee cannot be reimbursed under any circumstances.
In order to apply, you need to follow these steps:

1. Create an account at Application Portal and upload in electronic format a passport-size colour photo and a valid ID (passport or identity card, front/back);
2. In the application portal, select the PhD programme and pay the registration fee of 30 € (see instructions in the portal);
3. Fill in the online form in the same portal and upload the additional required documents (see the specific attachments to the call for each PhD programme).

Completing the application online is the only way to submit the application. Applications will not be considered if:

• incomplete or without compulsory entry qualifications/requirements;
• sent by e-mail.

It is necessary to upload the required documentation for each PhD programme chosen in the portal. A traffic light system indicates complete/incomplete documentation (missing documents will be marked in red).

Only documents uploaded by the deadline will be evaluated. It is advisable to apply online well in advance and to check the portal regularly to take note of any notes concerning missing and/or incorrect documents.

After the deadline, it will no longer be possible to complete/correct incomplete applications.
The University is not liable if the portal is overcharged, due to the net or to the software itself.

To apply to the PhD programme, applicants must include the documentation listed below. Incomplete applications will be excluded from the competition.

Attention: text exceeding the maximum allowed length (if clearly indicated for a document) will not be taken into account! Please respect the format/length indicated.

Diploma supplement or the Master degree diploma together with the transcript of records of all passed exams (=certificate with exams list of Master degree):

• if graduated in Italy: diploma supplement or self-declaration (following the Italian D.P.R. no. 445/2000) of the degree awarded with the exams passed (if graduated) or just with the exams passed (if not graduated yet);
• if graduated abroad: diploma supplement or final degree certificate with exams passed (if graduated) or transcript of records (if not graduated yet) in Italian, German or English.

The above must contain the following information: final grade, exams passed with grade and date of passing, credit points, scientific fields (the latter only for Italian titles), university where the degree was or will be awarded and date of graduation.

For qualifications obtained abroad, also: scale of grades awarded by the home university (with a minimum final grade to obtain the qualification and a maximum final grade achievable). Unibz reserves the right to request a description of the contents of the single courses and/or teaching hours where necessary.

• Curriculum Vitae (CV) in English (preferably according to the European format that can be downloaded here. The CV must be updated with data and information for the current year.
• Presentation letter – Attachment A (in English in PDF format: you must use this template). Highlight your reasons for applying to the PhD program in Computer Science, your reasons for choosing unibz (in particular the Faculty of Engineering) and your career prospects after completing your PhD. Include a brief discussion of your general research interests, the questions and objectives you are interested in, and add a summary of the skills you have already acquired (e.g. in master’s level research), as well as the techniques and methodologies you are interested in learning and applying in your PhD research.
• Research proposal – Attachment B (in English in PDF format: you must use this template). In this document, you must indicate up to a maximum of three preferences among the research projects selectable from the list published in the call (see section ‘Research projects – details’). You may optionally also indicate another research topic that particularly interests you, considering the research topics addressed by the current members of the PhD College. You will in any case have to develop a single project proposal. The proposal should therefore include:
• The title of the research project you intend to carry out, together with an outline of the project, including;
  a) a discussion of the state of the art.
  b) aims and objectives of the planned research.
  c) a discussion of the research methodology.

Other documents (facultative) to be included in the application if available:

• A PDF file of up to three of your best publications (excluding theses).
• up to a maximum of two reference letters written in English by supervising academics or researchers from research institutions, describing the type and quality of work carried out (letters must be signed). Alternatively, reference letters can be sent by e-mail directly from the references to phd.engineering@unibz.it (please indicate in the subject line of the e-mail "Reference - Name Surname of candidate").
• For the scholarships funded by external partners (FBK and Ministry), separate ranking lists will be established containing candidates who are also eligible according to the general ranking and who in addition indicated a preference for such scholarships and have a scientific profile that is particularly suited to the specific topics associated to these scholarships.

Selection is based on:

• the assessment of each candidate's profile based on the curriculum vitae, academic qualifications, cover letter and research project proposal.
• the congruence with the research themes defined by the faculty for the present call;
• an evaluation of the letters of reference and publications; and
• an interview.

The following points are awarded:

• Up to a maximum of 45 points for the CV, qualifications and publications, distributed as follows:
  • Qualifications, other qualifications, and work experience (up to 30 points);
  • Experience abroad, participation in summer schools and conferences, contributions to research projects, scholarships (up to 9 points);
• Up to a maximum of 6 points for Publications 
• Up to a maximum of 6 points for reference letters;
• Up to a maximum of 14 points for the cover letter and research proposal on the basis of congruence with the research topics proposed in the call.

The Selection Board will select the best candidates based on a comparative evaluation. Candidates who obtain a score of at least 45 points in the evaluation of the admission documentation will be admitted to the next stage of the selection, which will consist of an oral interview in which knowledge of the English language will also be assessed. Remote interviews must take place via video call (MS Teams).

• A maximum of 35 points can be obtained for the oral interview.

The final score is the sum of the score obtained in the evaluation of the documentation and the score obtained in the oral interview. The maximum score obtainable is 100.

Candidates who obtain a minimum score of 70/100 in the assessment will be considered eligible. The ranking of successful candidates for admission to the PhD programme is defined by the final score calculated as above. The best eligible candidates are admitted to the course according to the number of places available with and without a scholarship, in the order of their ranking. The remaining eligible candidates will be placed on a waiting list. Candidates on the waiting list will only be admitted to the course if an already admitted candidate withdraws from the course.

Applicants interested in the additional topic-related scholarship CHRIS2People: develop methods to increase population health in the Val Venosta based on the CHRIS study may make an explicit request to the Selection Committee in order to allow it to assess their specific suitability.

Fees amount to € 189

In order to confirm your study place, you need to log on to the application portal and pay the tuition fees (€ 189) which includes the provincial tax for the right to study of € 173 and a revenue stamp of € 16. by one of the methods indicated on the portal by the deadline indicated above.

If you do not respect this deadline, you will automatically lose your study place. If, by paying the instalment you have confirmed the study place, there will be no refund of the tuition fees unless you are a non-EU applicant resident abroad and you do not receive the necessary documents from the Italian authorities in your country.