The Doctorate course in Marine Sciences, Technology and Management focuses on a wide range of interdisciplinary topics, all aimed at advancing knowledge in the broad field of marine sciences and the management of marine-related projects. The research topics currently being investigated by our PhD students encompass:

• Marine Conservation and Sustainability: Research on marine protected areas, sustainable exploitation of natural resources, and the restoration of ecosystems such as coral reefs and oyster beds. This line of research includes the use of advanced materials, ecological and biotechnological approaches for conservation, and cutting-edge techniques like DNA sequencing for biodiversity monitoring.
• Coral Health and Restoration: Several projects focus on coral resilience, restoration techniques, and the impact of diseases and climate change on coral ecosystems. From exploring preconditioning techniques to enhance coral thermal tolerance to studying coral diseases and coral bleaching mitigation strategies, these projects aim to advance our knowledge with the final aim of safeguarding coral reef ecosystems.
• Marine Geomodelling and Habitat Mapping: The PhD students working on this research line, related to the field of marine geology, use state of the art technologies and techniques to model and characterize the seafloor from geomorphological, ecological and sedimentological perspectives. The product of such research have the potential to aid marine spatial planning and management for several purposes like geo-hazard, climate change, marine protected areas and restoration projects.
• Marine Bioprospecting and Cosmeceutical Development: This line investigates the potential of organisms proper of the marine environment, such as mangroves and algae, for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. PhD students explore the bioactive compounds produced by marine species, aiming to discover sustainable alternatives to synthetic materials and to develop new therapeutic and cosmetic products.
• Sustainable Luxury and Consumer Behavior: Research in this field examines how to integrate sustainability into luxury goods, focusing on consumer perceptions, behavior, and acceptance of eco-friendly products. This includes an exploration of marine polymers for luxury packaging and textiles.
• Human-Animal and Sociocultural Interactions: PhD students involved in ethnographic research investigate the sociocultural dimensions of invasive species management, as well as the impact of human activities on marine ecosystems and wildlife.
• Advanced Materials for Marine Applications: PhD students are developing sustainable materials for applications such as underwater robotics, reef protection, and cosmetics. This includes exploring biodegradable materials and intelligent polymers that can support marine restoration efforts.

The Call for Applications, the Online application guide, and the FAQs on how to take the admission test are available at the links below. Please read the Call for Applications, the Description sheets for each PhD program, the list of Project-based scholarships, the Online application guide, and the FAQs carefully.

Here are some additional suggestions relevant to your application.

Selection procedure 

The selection procedure consists of two phases: 

1. Assessment of qualifications, research project, and publications.
2. oral test (videoconference)

Assessment of qualifications

Qualifications are assessed by the Selection Board before the oral examination. To access the oral examination no minimum score in the assessment of qualifications is requested. The Selection Board will evaluate:

1) Grade of bachelor’s degree: max 3 points 

2) Grade of master's degree (second cycle): max 7 points 

2bis) Grade of old system degree or single-cycle second level degree: max 10 points

3) Publications in extenso (already published or accepted by the publishers) and conference papers, of the last two years: max 4 points

4) Participations in post-degree masters, training courses, advanced courses, specialization schools, or any other second degrees: max 2 points

5) Certification of joint research and analysis max 2 points

6) Certification of training periods and/or research periods abroad of at least two months: max 2 points 

The Selection Board reserves the right to evaluate periods of less than 2 months if such for early return due to documented force majeure limited to COVID-19'. 

For those students who have not obtained their degree yet, the score of points 2 or 2bis will be replaced with the assessment of the average mark of the examinations: 

- Students with master's Degree: max 7 points

- Students of old system degree (obtained under the laws in force prior to Ministerial Decree no. 509/1999) or single-cycle second level degree: max 10 points

Research project: during the competition registration procedure, the candidate must upload, in addition to the titles, also a research project, in Italian or English. The research project must be consistent in terms of topics and disciplinary areas with the lines of research present in the PhD Program and with the proposals for the scholarships. It should be noted that the research project is the first hypothesis of the candidate, it will not necessarily coincide with the PhD research that will see the fundamental contribution provided by the comparison with the faculty and the host institution.

Proposal characteristics: length 8,000-10,000 characters (spaces included, bibliography excluded), consisting of the following parts: 

- Title, abstract (about 400 characters), theoretical background and state of the art, objectives/hypotheses or research questions, methodology, expected results.

- Bibliography. 

Candidates will need to show methodological rigor, expository clarity, argumentation, critical assessment, and deepening of problems.

Information about the oral examination

Oral test interview language: During the oral exam, knowledge of the English language will be assessed. The examination may be taken in Italian or English at the choice of the candidate. 

Oral exam: the oral exam involves a discussion of the research project proposed by the candidate and its relevance to the field of study identified by the doctorate.

Scholarship

The amount of the PhD scholarship is €16,243.00 per year, gross of social security contributions to be paid by the scholarship holder. The amount of the scholarship is increased by 50% for the period of stay abroad. The scholarship does not include any accommodation arrangements.

Students who are selected for the research project without the scholarship can apply for the “DSU: Diritto allo Studio”. For further information see the link below:

https://www.unimib.it/servizi/studenti-e-laureati/diritto-allo-studio-tasse-150-ore/benefici-diritto-allo-studio

Additional Information

For any questions on administrative and technical issues relating to registration for the call, please contact: dottorati@unimib.it 

For any questions on scientific issues, please contact the prospective supervisor, the Responsible for the chosen curriculum, or the Coordinator of the PhD Course.

IT: https://www.disat.unimib.it/it/didattica/dottorato-scienze-marine-tecnologie-e-gestione

EN: https://www.disat.unimib.it/en/study/phd-marine-sciences-technologies-and-management

The University of Milano-Bicocca and the DISAT department are committed to making a significant contribution to the social and economic development of the local area.

For this reason, DISAT staff are actively involved in corporate consultancy related to various multidisciplinary issues connected to environmental sciences, including geological, ecological, biological, physical, and chemical fields.

Further information on the procedures for establishing Contracts and Agreements can be found at the following link:
https://www.unimib.it/ricerca/valorizzazione-della-ricerca/collaborazione-territorio/contratti

Below, the research areas and related consultancy activities are described.

Work in progress...