We are happy to announce that seven PhD positions are open for the 38th cycle of the PhD School in Physics and Nanoscience at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. The positions are for three years, starting in November 2022. Interested candidates should apply before July 28th 2022 (1 p.m. CET), following the procedure detailed below.

PhD School in Physics and Nanoscience
The PhD School, addressed to both theoreticians and experimentalists with different backgrounds (physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, etc.), provides students with specialized skills in key areas of physics and nanoscience in order to acquire a transversal knowledge useful for interacting with operators in multi-disciplinary sectors.

Scientific environment
The PhD School is part of a stimulating and interdisciplinary environment that combines academics at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and scientists at the CNR-NANO National Research Laboratory, with additional thriving collaborations that result from international networks such as the MaX Centre of Excellence and the Q-Sort Consortium.

Research topics
This thriving scientific environment covers a vast range of research topics: from quantum sciences and technologies, to graphene and 2D materials, topological and excitonic insulators, battery materials, nano energy-conversion systems, plasmonics, functional surfaces and nanostructured systems, physics of bio (nano) systems, and nano-tribology. Significant efforts are devoted to the development of advanced computational algorithms and methods for condensed-matter and nano-systems, from density-functional theory to many-body perturbation theory, with particular emphasis on high-throughput materials discovery and excited-state phenomena.

A list of suggested topics for PhD theses within the present 38th cycle can be found here. Supervisors include Elisa Molinari, Arrigo Calzolari, Alice Ruini, Guido Goldoni, Paolo Bordone, Marco Gibertini, Daniele Varsano, Andrea Ferretti, Deborah Prezzi, Andrea Bertoni, and Massimo Rontani.

Scholarships
Scholarships are awarded for three years (01/11/2022 - 31/10/2025) with an annual gross salary of about 15’000 €. The grant is increased by 50% for periods spent abroad.

Admission requirements
Italian second level degree (laurea specialistica, under D.M. 509/99 or laurea magistrale, under D.M. 207/04) or Italian degree obtained prior to D.M. 13 509/99, or equivalent qualification issued abroad, (to be) obtained before October 31st 2022.

How to apply
Applications need to be submitted online between July 8th and July 28th 2022 as described here. Instructions on how to fill the application form can be found at this link. If you are interested, you are warmly encouraged to contact one of the tutors who can guide you through the submission procedure.

Selection procedure
Applications submitted before the deadline (July 28th 2022 at 1:00 p.m. CET) will be evaluated and applicants selected for an interview will be contacted as soon as possible. Interviews will then take place at the beginning of September (expected date September 5th). Online interviews are possible.

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
The University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), founded in 1175, is among the oldest universities in the world. UNIMORE, with roughly 27 000 students, is large enough to offer all the facilities one would expect from a major university but small enough to retain a personal and friendly learning environment. UNIMORE is located in two cities with the highest quality of living standards in Italy, in a region with a strong technological vocation. Both Modena and Reggio Emilia are considered important cities of art and culture, and Modena's cathedral and main square are on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage sites.