DC01 - An Architecture and Framework for A Farmer Data-Sharing Gateway

Host organisation: Università Degli Studi Di Palermo (UNIPA), Italy

PhD Awarding University: Università Degli Studi Di Palermo (UNIPA), Italy

Università degli Studi di Palermo (est. 1806, https://www.unipa.it) is an internationally acknowledged public research institution covering all main fields of study, fostering an interdisciplinary approach. 48 projects have been funded in the Horizon 2020 framework, up from 33 in the 7th Framework. 11 additional projects approved under Horizon Europe and 21 admitted to funding under the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience.
UniPa has a large research infrastructure: ‘ATeN – Advanced Technologies Network Center’, regionally acknowledged, and part of the 2021-2027 National Plan of Research Infrastructures.
The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (DMI) has, in addition to the graduate and master’s degrees in Mathematics and CS, a PhD in Mathematics and CS that includes both theoretical mathematics and basic applied sciences (computer science, BigData, cloud computing, machine learning, multispectral data analysis, mathematical models for neuroscience and biomedicine).

A particular strength of DMI is the analysis of multidimensional data, addressed with deterministic methodologies and Machine Learning-oriented approaches.
PhD students will have the opportunity to complete their studies in universities, companies, institutions and research centres, in Italy and abroad. The primary objective of the PhD is the training of young researchers in the fields of Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and CS, and to create professional figures for the scientific research sector, as well as in industry.

In the three years of the training project, PhD students will acquire 180 credits accordingly: 36 credits – internal doctoral courses; 24 credits – seminars, workshops and schools; 12 credits – tutoring; 78 credits – study and research; 30 credits – final paper. Students are expected to be able to: carry out an independent research activity; coordinate activities with other experts on research/development projects; coordinate small teams; carry out communication activities at an international level.

Eligibility Rules

The applicants need to meet several requirements to be eligible for this position.

Mobility rule: Researchers can be of any nationality, but they are required to undertake physical, transnational mobility (i.e., move from one country to the country of employment) when taking up their appointment. Consequently, applicants for this position will have to move their centre of life to the host beneficiaries’ country. Additionally, researchers shall not have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of their host organization for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the recruitment date. Time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention97 will not be considered for the mobility rule.

Doctoral Candidates (DCs) rule: Applicants at the date of recruitment, must be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree.

Criteria

• Possession of a Master’s degree.
• Being able to meet the admission requirements of the doctorate degree program of the Università degli Studi di Palermo.
• Language Skills: professional, working knowledge of (Scientific) English and ideally basic knowledge of Italian.
• Working knowledge of the following will be considered preferential: Big Data and Cloud Computing; Computational
• Learning algorithms and systems; Internet of Things/Sensors, Actuators integration, and Communication; Programming in a language for data science.

How to apply?

All Candidates must apply electronically and follow the instructions to fill the details and compile the documents in one pdf file, following the order:

• Completed application form (available at above online link)
• Cover Letter
• A detailed Curricula Vitae (CV) of maximum 3 pages
• Master’s degree transcripts that are validated
• Any additional documents that prove the eligibility for the corresponding doctorate degree program
• Proof of sufficient English language skills
• Two Letters of Recommendation
• Proof of current residency/residence country (i.e., official document with the applicant’s name, surname, and address)

Note 1: Please be informed that the application must be written in English.
Note 2: Applicants can apply for up to a maximum of three Doctoral positions.

Employment

All Entrust DCs will be internationally recruited for a period of 36 months, will receive full-time employment contracts, must enroll in a PhD programme, and actively participate in the Entrust Training Programme (as described in the Grant Agreement). Entrust will provide training equivalent to 30 ECTS over the duration of the programme.
The candidate is supposed to study and pass successfully numerous of doctoral courses and to design and execute an advanced research project that will constitute the doctoral dissertation.

Supervisors

• Professor Domenico Tegolo – Università Degli Studi Di Palermo (UNIPA)
• Dr. Biagio Lenzitti – Università Degli Studi Di Palermo (UNIPA)

Secondment Plan

1. Secondment to ENGINEERING Ingegneria Informatica S.p.A. (Italy), in month 15 for 3 months to explore technologies
2. Secondment to Airfield Estate DAC (Ireland), in month 31 for 2 months to test gateway architecture

Intersectoral Secondment supervisors

• Dr. Susanna Bonura – ENGINEERING Ingegneria Informatica S.p.A., Italy
• Dr. Kirstie McAdoo – Airfield Estate DAC, Ireland

Contract Type: Fixed term- 36 months
Contact Term: Full-time

Opening of the Online Application: 14 March 2023
Application Submission Deadline: 07 May 2023

For more information, please contact Professor Domenico Tegolo via domenico.tegolo@unipa.it