Phd in ENVIRONMENTAL AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

List of courses / activities for the first year

More information The training plan for the first year of the PhD in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology provides for participation in advanced courses activated in the context of the doctorate, participation in seminars and journal clubs proposed each year by the College, specific practical training activities, laboratory or field research activities, joint meetings with PhD students from the other active cycles to encourage the exchange of experiences between participants working in different research areas for experimental approaches and skills. Institutional courses, seminars and Journal Club Meetings proposed by the College are common to the four curricula (some of these are carried out in English), differentiated by course year and cover both basic and innovative research topics in order to present to all PhD students the conceptual, methodological and interpretative complexity of the different scientific disciplines that are part of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology. The training activity common to the 4 curricula is a moment of scheduled meeting between all PhD students and teachers, allowing for in-depth discussions of the topics covered and, last but not least, an exchange of experiences between participants working in different basic and applied research. At the beginning of each academic year, the dates and titles of the seminars held by Italian and foreign lecturers, on topics proposed by the College's Teachers, are defined. The training course is completed with the participation in Conferences and Congresses and with the research activities that each PhD student carries out in individual laboratories related to the tutors, who are responsible for following the scientific training of the PhD student. Each PhD student must achieve at least 12 CFU chosen from the list of courses/activities/seminars or also at other Italian or foreign universities provided they are certified and at least 3 CFU of other training activities chosen by the PhD students and approved by the College. For the specific type of PhD the research activity is carried out mainly in the laboratory and/or in the field, the CFU dedicated to research activities must correspond to at least 45 CFU/year. First year PhD students must follow the basic course for the safety and health of workers "General Training Course for Workers" (4h e-learning). Method of choosing the subject of the thesis The Doctoral Thesis is chosen according to the candidate's project, approved by the Tutor/Tutors and discussed in front of the Board of Teachers. The doctoral thesis must consist of an original and adequate composition, having as object the experimental results and the discussion about the scientific problems of the Research Project. Admission to the second year a) At the end of the first year each PhD student must prepare for the Board of Teachers a summary report of the scientific and training activities carried out, in written form (e.g. material collected, experimental protocols developed, research missions carried out, preliminary results of laboratory or field analysis, work prospects for the following years, any problems encountered; participation in conferences, congresses, courses and seminars followed, and any publications). b) The report in itinere referred to in point a) will also be presented in multimedia form to the Board of Teachers, in public session. At the end of each presentation, the members of the College will open a discussion with the PhD student by asking questions, requests for clarification and offering suggestions on further phases of the project. At the end, the Board will express an opinion on the research and training activities carried out and will express its opinion on the admission or not to the following year. Any request to suspend the PhD course, maximum 1 year, must be adequately justified and submitted to the Board of Teachers for authorization.

List of courses / activities for the second year

More information The training plan for second year of the PhD in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology provides for participation in advanced courses activated in the context of the doctorate, participation in seminars and journal clubs proposed each year by the College, specific practical training activities, laboratory or field research activities, joint meetings with PhD students from the other active cycles to encourage the exchange of experiences between participants working in different research areas for experimental approaches and skills. Institutional courses, seminars and Journal Club Meetings proposed by the College are common to the four curricula (some of these are carried out in English), differentiated by course year and cover both basic and innovative research topics in order to present to all PhD students the conceptual, methodological and interpretative complexity of the different scientific disciplines that are part of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology. The training activity common to the 4 curricula is a moment of scheduled meeting between all PhD students and teachers, allowing for in-depth discussions of the topics covered and, last but not least, an exchange of experiences between participants working in different basic and applied research. At the beginning of each academic year, the dates and titles of the seminars held by Italian and foreign lecturers, on topics proposed by the College's Teachers, are defined. The training course is completed with the participation in Conferences and Congresses and with the research activities that each PhD student carries out in individual laboratories related to the tutors, who are responsible for following the scientific training of the PhD student. Each PhD student must achieve at least 12 CFU chosen from the list of courses/activities/seminars or also at other Italian or foreign universities provided they are certified and at least 3 CFU of other training activities chosen by the PhD students and approved by the College. For the specific type of PhD the research activity is carried out mainly in the laboratory and/or in the field, the CFU dedicated to research activities must correspond to at least 45 CFU/year. Method of preparation of the thesis The Doctoral Thesis is chosen on the candidate's project, approved by the Tutor/Tutors and discussed in front of the Teaching Body. The doctoral thesis consists of an original work, having as its subject the experimental results and the discussion of the Research Project. The Academic Board, taking into account the Tutor’s advice, may authorize the drafting of the final PhD thesis following one of the two models illustrated below: 1. "Classic THESIS": it is organized into Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Bibliography, illustrations, tables and captions, iconographic tables, and all attached materials (project data base, cartographic material , additional and related materials, etc.). It shall indicate the PhD student's direct contribution to research, the degree of originality and innovation of the results achieved. Any scientific papers of the PhD student, coherent with the research project, published and/or in print and/or sent to scientific journals, should be attached. 2. "THESIS paper-based": it collects in an organic way the scientific publications of the PhD Student (already published or approved for the press) on ISI journals, strictly related to the Research Project initially approved, suitably linked by specific chapters and/or paragraphs. The paper shall include a broad introduction, a summary discussion and extended final conclusions, in line with the proposed project. The contribution made by the PhD student in the Research Group should also emerge, if publications are co-authored. The language of the doctoral thesis is Italian, but the Board of Professors encourages doctoral students to alternatively write their thesis in English, in particular for paper-based theses. In any case, PhD students shall guarantee the linguistic quality of the paper. In both cases, the Academic Board also requires PhD students to prepare an "extended abstract" in English (approximately ten pages). Admission to the third year a) At the end of the first year each PhD student must prepare for the Board of Teachers a summary report of the scientific and training activities carried out, in written form (e.g. material collected, experimental protocols developed, research missions carried out, preliminary results of laboratory or field analysis, work prospects for the following years, any problems encountered; participation in conferences, congresses, courses and seminars followed, and any publications). b) The report in itinere referred to in point a) will also be presented in multimedia form to the Board of Teachers, in public session. At the end of each presentation, the members of the College will open a discussion with the PhD student by asking questions, requests for clarification and offering suggestions on further phases of the project. At the end, the Board will express an opinion on the research and training activities carried out and will express its opinion on the admission or not to the following year. Any request to suspend the PhD course, maximum 1 year, must be adequately justified and submitted to the Board of Teachers for authorization.

List of courses / activities for the third year

More information The training plan for the 3rd year of PhD in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology includes participation in advanced institutional courses, participation in seminars and journalistic clubs proposed by the College, specific practical training activities, laboratory or field research activities, joint meetings with PhD students from other active cycles to encourage the exchange of experiences between participants working in different research fields for experimental approaches and skills. The institutional courses, seminars and meetings of the Journal Club proposed by the College are common to the four curricula and deal with both basic and innovative research topics in order to present to all PhD students the conceptual concepts, methodological and interpretative complexity of the different scientific disciplines that are part of environmental and evolutionary biology. The training activity common to the 4 curricula is a scheduled meeting between all doctoral students and teachers, which allows in-depth discussions on the topics covered and, last but not least, an exchange of experiences between participants working in different bases and applied research. At the beginning of each academic year the dates and titles of the seminars held by Italian and foreign teachers, on topics proposed by the teachers of the College, are defined. The training course is completed with the participation in Conferences and Congresses and with the research activities that each PhD student carries out in individual workshops related to the tutors, Each PhD student must achieve at least 9 CFU chosen from the list of courses / activities / seminars or also at other Italian or foreign universities provided they are certified and at least 3 CFU of other training activities chosen by PhD students. In the third year, the research activities will lead to the conclusion that the CFU are reduced to at least 30. At least 18 CFU will be dedicated to writing the theses and publishing the results in international journals. Method of admission to the final examination Two months before sending the the thesis to the external evaluators, each doctoral candidate must present the final results and conclusions of his or her PhD project in multimedia form to the Board of Teachers, in public session. At the end of each presentation, the members of the PhD College will open a discussion with the doctoral candidate by asking questions, requests for clarification and offering suggestions before sending them to the external evaluators. According to the Regulations for PhDs of the Sapienza University D.R. 1123/2019, the Board will express an opinion on the research and training activities carried out and will express its opinion on the admission to the final exam. Admission to the final exam, accompanied by the presentation of the Board will be communicated to the PhD Sector at least one month before the date set for discussion, together with the report of the disciplinary sector for which the PhD candidate opts. The thesis, to which is attached a report of the PhD student on the activities carried out during the PhD and any publications, will be evaluated by at least two assessors, highly qualified professors, appointed by the Board of PhD teachers, including those belonging to foreign institutions. The evaluators will express a written analytical opinion on the thesis and propose its admission to public discussion or postponement for a period not exceeding six months if they consider significant additions or corrections necessary. After this period, the thesis is heard again by the Board of Teachers but is in any case admitted to public discussion, accompanied by a new written opinion of the same evaluators, rendered in the light of any corrections or additions made. Final examination The final exam will take place in public session, in front of a National or International Examining Commission proposed by the Board of Teachers, approved by the Council of the Department of Environmental Biology and appointed by the Rector's Decree and whose composition is defined by art. 18 of the Sapienza University Regulations D.R. 1123/2019. At the end of the discussion, the thesis, with a reasoned written collegial judgment, is approved or rejected. The Examining Committee, with unanimous vote, has the faculty to award praise in the presence of results of particular scientific importance.