Publication of the call: 06/05/2026
Application deadline: by 10/06/2026 (by noon local time)
Admission interviews: 25-26/06/2026 (in person or by videoconference, at the applicant's request to the selection committee)
Publication of ranking lists: by 10/07/2026

Confirmation of the PhD position

Applicants with scholarship: by 23/07/2026 (by noon local time)
Applicants without scholarship: from 24/07 until 07/08/2026 (by noon local time)
Enrolment: Starting from 24/07 until 30/10/2026 (by noon local time)

Total positions: 9

Positions with unibz scholarship: 4
Positions without scholarship: 2
Positions tied to subject-related scholarship: 3

In the academic year 2026/2027, the PhD program Mountain Environment and Agriculture offers 10 possible research topics.

At the following link you can find a list of potential research projects and their corresponding proposed supervisors for curriculum 1 (Sustainable agricultural production systems).  

At the following link you can find a list of potential research projects and their corresponding proposed supervisors for curriculum 2 (Ecology, environment and protection of mountain areas). 

The application for admission must state the preference for one curriculum and for a maximum of 2 research projects. The preference expressed will be indicative of the interests of the applicant and not binding for the selection committee.

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.

As the program is offered in English, candidates must possess adequate English skills (corresponding at least to the upper intermediate level, B2), which will be assessed during the interview. 

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:

1. 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);
2. In the application portal, select the PhD programme and pay the registration fee of 50 € (see instructions in the portal);
3. 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. 

In the case of an Italian university degree  

• The Diploma Supplement relating to the “laurea specialistica” / “laurea magistrale”, or a self-declaration made pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 445/2000 in lieu of the degree certificate, including the list of examinations taken (if the degree has already been awarded), or in lieu of the transcript of records (if the degree has not yet been awarded);  

In the case of a “laurea del previgente ordinamento” or “laurea magistrale a ciclo unico”:  

• The Diploma Supplement relating to the degree, or a self-declaration made pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 445/2000 in lieu of the degree certificate, including the list of examinations taken (if the degree has already been awarded) or a self-declaration in lieu of the transcript of records (if the degree has not yet been awarded).  

In the case of a foreign university degree  

• The Diploma Supplement or degree certificate relating to the master’s qualification, including the list of examinations taken (if the degree has already been awarded) or a transcript of records (if the degree has not yet been awarded); if the documents are issued in a different language, an official translation into Italian, German, or English is required.  

In the case of a foreign long single-cycle degree (i.e. an undivided degree programme entered directly after secondary school and leading to a qualification giving access to doctoral studies):  

• The Diploma Supplement or degree certificate relating toI the qualification that gives access to the PhD programme, including the list of examinations taken (if the degree has already been awarded) or a transcript of records (if the degree has not yet been awarded); if the documents are issued in a different language, an official translation into Italian, German, or English is required.  

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 qualifications and only if indicated in the Diploma Supplement), university where the degree was or will be awarded and date of graduation.  

For qualifications obtained abroad, also: if available, a grading scale issued by the home university must also be provided (indicating the minimum final grade required to obtain the qualification and the maximum final grade achievable). The unavailability of this documentation does not constitute cause for exclusion. unibz reserves the right to request, where necessary, a description of the content of individual courses and/or the number of teaching hours.  

Applicants who have already obtained their foreign qualification must also upload the degree certificate, provided that it has already been issued.13. All applicants are admitted to the public competition subject to verification of compliance with the admission requirements. unibz reserves the right to carry out checks, including random checks,  pursuant to the provisions of art. 71 and subsequent of DPR 445/2000. Applicants may be excluded at any time by reasoned provision of the Rector for not meeting the requirements set out in the present call for applications.  

In the application portal applicants applicants must upload:

• A motivation letter written in English (max. 1 page), stating your preference for research projects (maximum 2) and a detailed motivation for such choice. Briefly present your background. Explain the skills and the methodologies you have already acquired that would entitle you to successfully carry out a PhD program in the research topic(s) you’ve chosen 

• Updated curriculum vitae in English pursuant to the European format, downloadable at the following link
  
• up to a maximum of 2 letters of reference, written in Italian, German or English by a university lecturer or researcher from a research institute.  
• copy of the publications (published, in print or submitted) including the master dissertation (pdf version).

Other (optional) documents to be included in the application if available:

• any English language certificate at level B2 or higher (see the list of certificates recognised by the Language Centre).

Please note: the certificate must not have been obtained more than 5 years before the application for recognition.

The selection committee carries out a comparative assessment of the applicants.
The admission procedure is as follows:

• Applications will be examined ex officio for completeness and fulfilment of the formal requirements.

Applications that meet the basic eligibility requirements will be assessed by the Evaluation Committee, which will award the following points:

• Up to 23 points for the academic qualifications (scientific proximity of the qualification to the PhD in Mountain Environment and Agriculture, as evidenced by the CV, master's degree/grade, motivation letter and other documents and certificates)
• Up to 7 points for the congruence of the curriculum with the theme chosen by the candidate among those indicated in the list of projects available on the dedicated portal.

The Evaluation Committee will then draw up a list of candidates who have reached the minimum score (18/30) to be invited to the interview.

The following elements will be assessed during the interview:

• aptitude for research;
• possession of a language level appropriate to the language of the programme;
• argumentative capacity in relation to the theoretical and methodological hypotheses of the research project presented; English proficiency.

The interview is considered passed if at least 12/20 points are obtained.

The final score is made up of the sum of the scores obtained in the assessment of the documentation and interview. Applicants and candidates who have obtained at least 30/50 points will be eligible. Separate rankings will be drawn up for each curriculum and position tied to a subject-related scholarship.

The final ranking list will be published here. 

• Prof. Sanja Baric
• Prof. Luigimaria Borruso
• Prof. Damiano Zanotelli

To create an application in the portal you need to pay the following fees:

• Administrative fees: € 50 

To confirm your study place, you need to log in to the application portal and pay the following fees using one of the payment methods indicated on the portal by the specified deadline.

• 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.