PhD in
Sustainable Energy and Technologies
With this PhD programme we train young researchers in the field of sustainable use of resources in the production systems of energy, of buildings, in energy final utilisation, in the development of products and in manufacturing.
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Course description
The admissions process aims at selecting candidates with an outstanding academic profile, a strong interest in the topics dealt with and the ambition to develop a career in scientific research, either in academia or for private or public organisations.
The 3-year programme includes training to strengthen specific skills and gain knowledge about the efficient and sustainable use of resources and energy in households and buildings, power generation, manufacturing processes, transport and agriculture. Besides training, students will design a 3-year research project under the supervision of a team of lecturers and researchers aiming at exploring the field and providing an original contribution to science in the fields related to the PhD programme, such as energy production from renewable sources, thermophysics of buildings, biofuels and bioenergy, energy storage, environmental and industrial fluid mechanics, clean mobility and powertrains.
Given the interdisciplinary nature of the research carried out in the Faculty of Science and Technology, we welcome prospective candidates from various academic backgrounds. The ideal candidates are Engineering graduates, but the programme is also suitable for Architecture, Physics, Maths and Chemistry graduates.
Through these training activities, a PhD candidate can develop the skills to design, organise and manage highly innovative basic and applied research projects. At the same time, students will also develop methodological rigour, the ability to interpret and disseminate results, the skills to deepen and develop their knowledge independently and the ability to work in a group in an interdisciplinary context.
The Scientific Committee includes internationally renowned scientists from Italian and foreign Universities. The international research training and the skills developed during the doctoral programme will help PhD candidates meeting their career aspirations, both inside and outside research institutions.
At a glance
Duration of the programme: 3 years
Courses will be taught in English
Places available: 4 with scholarship + 1 without scholarship
Scholarships awarded per year 28,0000 €
Campus: NOI Techpark Bozen-Bolzano
Programme Structure
The core topics of the PhD programme are:
- Technical and economic Energy Efficiency and Sustainability (EES) in end uses, including buildings and industrial production processes, from the user to a regional scale
- Energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality in buildings, from design to control
- Energy efficiency in production processes
- Management of energy consumption at district level, optimization of district heating systems
- Renewable Energy and Energy Conversion Technologies (RECT)
- Exploitation of renewable energy sources (particularly biomass and biofuels, hydropower and others), environmental and industrial fluid mechanics and development of the related technologies
- Efficiency in thermal processes, energy generation, and technologies for industrial and civil cogeneration (electrical and fluid power machines)
- Energy storage solutions, fuel upgrading, energy recovery, energy vectors, novel mobility and powertrains in the automotive, industrial and agricultural sector
- Sustainable production and supply chain management
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Circular Economy in Production and Supply Chains
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Decarbonization and Life Cycle Engineering
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Eco-intelligent Production Processes and Factories
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Smart, Resilient and Human-Centric Production
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Sustainable Operations and Supply Chain Management
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A specific focus is laid on the peculiar contexts of the Alpine territory of South Tyrol, but also its integration in the international context.
The admitted candidates will design a study plan with their supervisor in order to define the purpose of their research project and the necessary steps to implement it, after compiling a comprehensive literature review. Candidates will then have to regularly verify and, if necessary, update, their research and study plan, taking into account the development of the project itself and the latest developments in their field of research. During the course, particularly during the first year, candidates will regularly attend classes specifically designed for postgraduate students and also technical workshops and specialised lectures by researchers and specialists in the chosen disciplines.
The stages of the PhD
The doctoral programme is divided into four stages which end after 6, 12, 24 and 36 months, respectively. In stage 1, the candidate defines the research area, the specific topic, the research question and the methodology. In stage 2, in the second half of the first academic year, candidates will gain all the required skills and knowledge to carry on their research project and start their investigations. In stage 3, which indicatively starts with the second year, candidates are expected to apply the approaches and the acquired methodologies and skills in order to tackle their research questions and disseminate the early results by presenting them at national and international conferences. In the fourth and last stage, in the third year, candidates will have to collate the results of their research project and write a paper in an International peer-reviewed Journal and their doctoral thesis.
Fieldwork abroad
During the three years of the PhD programme, candidates are required to commit full-time to the PhD and the programme will include both working on the research project and learning activities. Students are also required to carry out part of their research in another University or Research Centre abroad, for at least three months and up to a year. This is an extremely valuable opportunity for a PhD candidate to study specific aspects of their research in depth under direct supervision of world experts in their chosen research topic. It's also an opportunity to carry out research in highly stimulating and competitive contexts, while exchanging ideas with other scholars and establishing an early network of colleagues in the world of research.
Partner universities and research centres
The Faculty of Science and Technology has established partnerships with many universities and research centres in Italy and abroad.
Within academia, our university has long-established partnerships with the following institutions:
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, specifically, the School of Architecture and the Built Environment - Division of Building Technology, and the School of Chemical Science and Engineering - Division of Chemical Technology (Stockholm, Sweden)
- University of Western Australia, School of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering (Perth, Australia)
- Strathclyde University of Glasgow, Energy System Research Group (Glasgow, Scotland)
- Technische Universität Wien, Vienna (Austria)
- Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (USA)
- University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado (USA)
- EPFL, Lausanne (Switzerland)
- Bioenergy 2020, Graz (Austria)
Other partners include research centres in the public and private sector. Among these, some are linked to the territory of South Tyrol, like Eurac and the Fraunhofer Italia Research.
People
PhD Programme Coordinator: Prof. Michele Larcher (photo)
Student Representative in the Lecturer's Committee: Lars Jakobs
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Studying at unibz
Living in South Tyrol, Housing, Scholarships and more
Coming to unibz from Abroad
Application procedure, Visa, Residence permit and more
Application and Admission
You can find key information to apply and gain admission to this PhD Programme. Detailed information are available below in the general and specific calls (PDF).
In order to gain admission to the PhD programme, you will have to demonstrate competence in the languages of the PhD programme.
1st Call
Publication of the call: 27/03/2025
Application deadline: by 29/04/2025 (by noon local time)
Admission interviews (online): to be defined by 30/05/2025 (via MS Teams)
Publication of ranking lists: by 16/06/2025
Confirmation of the PhD position - 1st Call
Applicants with scholarship: by 01/07/2025
Applicants without scholarship: from 02/07/2025 to 17/07/2025
Enrolment: Starting from 02/07/2025 until 31/10/2025 (by noon local time)
Total Positions: 5
1st Call
Positions with scholarship: 4
Positions without scholarship: 1
In order to apply to this programme you need one of the following qualifications:
- 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 (university level education of at least five years).
If you have not yet achieved one of the above mentioned titles within the enrolment deadline, you will be admitted conditionally to the selection procedure and you must produce the degree certificate within the enrolment’s deadline. If not, your application is considered null and void.
Prerequisites for admission to the doctoral programmes are an appropriate educational and/or cultural background and/or experience in the research. Qualifications in the field of interest of the PhD programme are preferred.
The Commission reserves the right to decide and to assess whether or not previous qualifications are suitable for admission purposes.
The official language of the PhD programme is English. Therefore applicants must have very good knowledge of English (corresponding at least to the upper intermediate level, B2).
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 (50 €). This registration fee cannot be reimbursed under any circumstances.
In order to apply, you need to follow these steps:
- 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);
- In the application portal, select the PhD programme and pay the registration fee of 50 € (see instructions in the portal);
- 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 (possibly following the EU format that can be downloaded here). The CV must be updated with all data and information of the current year;
- A motivation letter in English (max. 1 page).
Other documents (facultative) to be included in the application if available:
- Up to a maximum of 3 letters of reference, written in Italian, German or English by a university professor or researcher from research institutions;
- List of the candidate's publications (published, in press or submitted) with relevant links.
Selection of candidates and criteria for assessing test and / or qualifications:
The preferable requisites for admission to the PhD programme are related to an appropriate educational, cultural, or working background within the research themes of the PhD programme. Degrees in engineering and architecture are preferable.
The evaluation of candidates for admission will consider:
- the curriculum and the qualifications presented;
- the letter of motivation;
- the interview.
Candidates will be invited to an interview during which the profile of the candidates will be assessed on its quality and its correspondence with the research areas of the PhD programme.
During the interview, the knowledge of the English language will be also assessed.
The selection process consists of three stages:
- Candidates' applications are first examined for completeness and eligibility by the central offices of unibz.
- Complete applications meeting the basic admission requirements are then assessed by the Selection Committee, which will consider: curriculum vitae, applicant's cover letter, qualifications (including any publications), and the appropriateness of the applicant's profile/interests and the research areas of the PhD programme. The Selection committee will then draw up a list of candidates to be admitted to stage 3 of the selection process.
- Each candidate will be interviewed to assess his/her basic technical knowledge and skills in one or more research areas of the PhD programme. During the interview, the candidate’s knowledge of English will be also verified. Video conferencing, is allowed for the interview.
- The Selection Committee will select the best candidates on the basis of a comparative evaluation.
The following scores will be awarded:
- up to 15 points for: the applicant’s CV, cover letter and further qualifications,
- up to 15 points for the interview
The final score is the sum of the previous points, with a maximum of 30, and will be used to define the priority list and the access to the grants. The lowest score to be admitted in the rank-list is 18/30.
The ranking list will be published here.
To confirm your study place, you need to log in to the application portal and pay the following fees (€ 250 in total) using one of the payment methods indicated on the portal by the specified deadline.
- Administrative fees: € 50
- One-off registration fee: € 200, including a € 16 revenue stamp
If you fail to meet this deadline, you will automatically lose your place. Once you have confirmed your place by paying the instalment, there is no refund of tuition fees unless you are a non-EU applicant living abroad and you have not received the necessary documents from the Italian authorities in your country.
There are no other fees to be paid.
1st Call
CALL GENERAL PART (PDF): EN – IT – DE
CALL SPECIFIC PART (PDF): EN – IT – DE
For further questions contact us by phone at +39 0471 012800 or send us an e-mail: phd@unibz.it
