The Open University - Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn International Ph.D. Program, XXVI cycle - Call for PhD students' applications n. 1/2024

21 May 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli

Research Field

Biological sciences

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Italy

Application Deadline

21 Jun 2024 - 12:00 (Europe/Rome)

Type of Contract

Other

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

N. 6 Ph.D. fellowships are available to carry out interdisciplinary training in Biological Sciences at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn in Naples (Italy).

Applications are invited from suitably qualified postgraduate candidates.

Check on our website https://www.szn.it/index.php/en/tenders-and-job-opportunities/job-calls/ph-d-program/ph-d-program-open-calls , read the instructions, select the project(s) of your interest and apply

Requirements

Research Field

Biological sciences

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Applicants must hold or be in the process of receiving (within July 29th, 2024):

1. an advanced degree such as a Master of Science (M.Sc.) or its equivalent in a scientific area coherent with the project proposed; and, where English is not the applicant’s first language,

2. an IELTS certificate (dated within the last two years) with scores that meet the minimum requirements of 6.5 overall score, and no less than 6.0 in any of the four elements (reading, writing, listening and speaking).

Alternative language certificate accepted: - a degree completed either in the UK or in one of the majority English speaking countries listed below is also considered a proof of English proficiency: • Antigua and Barbuda • Australia • The Bahamas • Barbados • Belize • Dominica • Grenada • Guyana • Ireland • Jamaica • Malta • New Zealand • St Kitts and Nevis • St Lucia • St Vincent and the Grenadines • Trinidad and Tobago • United States of America

The PhD Program is in English. Where English is not the applicant’s first language, he/she must demonstrate sufficient proficiency in the English language to support successful study at research degree standard. Fluency in spoken English will be assessed during the interview and is a strict requirement.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Research Field

Biological sciences

Additional Information
Benefits

Duration of Ph.D. Thesis & Financial Support

Students are expected to complete their thesis within three years, with the possibility of a fourth year without salary, to write up the thesis (should this be necessary). The gross salary is € 16.000,00 per year for three years from which taxes (approximately 18%) will be subtracted. Students are liable to an annual registration fee to be paid to the Open University (not to the Stazione Zoologica).

The Stazione Zoologica will cover the registration fee for three years.

Thesis Supervision

Each student is assigned a Supervision Team before the start of the internship, whose appointment is proposed by the direct supervisor (Director of Studies) and approved by the Open University.

The Supervision Team is composed at least by:

- one direct supervisor (Director of Studies), who will guide the student during the whole thesis work and will supervise the student on a daily basis;

- one External Supervisor, (not belonging to SZN staff), appointed at the beginning of the internship, who will offer an independent assessment of the student progress annually.

It is possible to appoint additional members of the supervision team, as Internal (SZN staff), External (nonSZN staff) Supervisors or Advisors.

Courses and Training

PhD-level training is offered annually (2-3 courses per year) on scientific topics and complementary skills, together with specialized seminars (12-14 per year) offered by scientists invited by the SZN on different topics.

Attendance to courses, seminars and all PhD Program’s events is mandatory. Students are required to follow all training events as well as the seminars and the tutorials before the seminars in order to qualify for the degree. All courses, seminars and tutorials are held in English.

Selection process

Selection procedure

Applicants must specify the chosen project in the application form. They can also provide a second preference option.

A selection Commission appointed by the President evaluates the candidates' applications on the basis of the CV, the quality of the application and the reference letters and selects a short list of candidates to be interviewed.

Candidates will be notified of this first pre-selection and will have two weeks to contact the Director of Studies of the project/s they indicated in the application, to fix an interview to support their candidacy.

The Directors of Studies, at the end of the interviews with the candidates referred to in the previous paragraph, may send to the Commission a letter of interest indicating a preference ranking of the interviewed candidates, who will be admitted to the interview with the Commission. The presence of the candidate in at least one letter of interest is binding for the access of the candidate to the interview.

After two weeks from the communication above, the Commission interviews the candidates indicated in the letters of interest, confirms or not their suitability and draws up a merit ranking of the suitable candidates, who must also present their chosen project/s during the interview, demonstrating their knowledge on the subject.
Proficiency in English will be also tested.

Scholarships will be awarded to candidates usefully placed in the ranking, until exhaustion of the available scholarships, to carry out the project they have chosen.

In the event that several candidates placed at the top of the list have chosen the same project, the project will be assigned to the first in the list. Subsequent students will be able to choose the projects indicated as second choice (if indicated in the preference ranking of the related Directors of Studies) or from published projects not yet assigned to another student. In the latter case, they must first be interviewed by the Director of Studies, who will eventually have to express his/her interest in the candidate. In case of refusal of a candidate awarded a scholarship, this will be assigned to the first candidate placed successively among those deemed suitable and not awarded a scholarship, to carry out the project chosen by he/she in the application. In the event that the two projects indicated by the candidate have already been assigned, they will be able to choose from the projects published and not yet assigned to another student and the procedure will proceed as per the previous paragraph. The qualifications, provided according to the procedures indicated in the announcement, include the academic and professional qualifications consistent with the proposed project/motivation letter and the letters of reference.

The final appointment of the successful candidates is subject to the approval of the Open University. Final candidates are expected to start their internship on October 1st, 2024. 

Additional comments

Special needs

Candidates with disabilities should please detail in the application form, any eventual facility they require to participate in the interview. Every effort will be made to ensure that they can participate on an equal basis with other candidates and all reasonable arrangements requested by disabled candidates will be adopted.

Practical information

The SZN does not offer lodging or financial support for moving expenses, neither parental support. Students are offered practical support for their settling in Naples through the Higher Education & University Liaison Office that can be contacted at phdszn(at)szn.it. 

Website for additional job details

https://www.szn.it/index.php/en/tenders-and-job-opportunities/job-calls/ph-d-pr…

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

6

Company/Institute

Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn

Country

Italy

State/Province

NA

City

Naples, Ischia (NA), Rome and Sicily Marine Centre

Postal Code

80121

Street

Villa Comunale

Where to apply

Website

https://www.szn.it/index.php/en/tenders-and-job-opportunities/job-calls/ph-d-pr…

Contact

State/Province

NA

City

Naples

Website

http://www.szn.it/

Street

Villa Comunale

Postal Code

80121

E-Mail

[email protected]

Phone

+39-081-5833396

STATUS: EXPIRED