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HomeMolecular sciences for earth and space (MOSES)

Molecular sciences for earth and space (MOSES)

The Ph.D. program in “Molecular Sciences For Earth And Space” (MOSES) aims to provide the critical tools to understand the different aspects of Molecular Sciences applied to the study of Earth and Space with special reference to climate change and the processes underlying the origin and evolution of life. Topics of particular note are: the interaction with electromagnetic radiation and the information that can be obtained from it with respect to both the Earth’s atmosphere and space, the formation of molecules in the universe and their evolution to complex molecular systems as well as their transformation and destruction, and the chemical reactivity of the Earth’s atmosphere in relation to pollution.
With this in mind, students in the MOSES doctoral program are trained in the use of both experimental and theoretical methodologies, ranging from organic synthesis to spectroscopic investigation, chemical reactivity, and photochemistry, also applied to the study of non-equilibrium processes. The training of MOSES doctoral students is carried out in research groups of international scientific prominence in various fields of molecular modeling (the methods for calculating electronic structure, spectroscopic properties, thermochemistry and kinetics, including solvent effects and multiscale models, photochemistry and dynamic processes) and experimental methodologies (physical chemistry of biological processes, eco-friendly catalysis, organic synthesis). In addition to the opportunity to interact with active research groups at the Southern High School, Federico II and the Scuola Normale Superiore, doctoral students have access to a wide network of national and international collaborations, with both experimental and theoretical groups. In this context, MOSES doctoral students have the opportunity to participate in projects and collaborations, which offer unique opportunities for educational growth, international visibility of research activity, and ultimately postdoctoral career prospects. In particular, there is a focus on the various aspects of state-of-the-art computational protocols, ranging from the design and development of new modeling techniques and their application to research topics of molecular aspects in the various fields of chemistry, biology, and geology not only in terms of accuracy and reliability of simulations, but also with respect to the efficient use of computational resources to reduce the energy impact of high-performance computing. Educational activities are spread over four years in order to allow continuous contact between teaching staff and doctoral students. Teaching activities are more concentrated in the first year of the course, while, in the following three years, doctoral students are engaged in conducting research and periodically reporting on its progress, both in individual interviews and in periodic seminar meetings. The MOSES Ph.D. was established as an innovative doctoral program with a highly international and interdisciplinary characterization with the aim of attracting the best students and constantly involving leading international experts on doctoral topics in the teaching activity in addition to scholars working at foreign university sites that are part of the College. Web page, notices and supporting materials are in Italian and English. It is planned for each doctoral student to spend up to one year (even divided into several quarters or semesters) at foreign university and research institutions. The languages of the doctoral program are Italian and English; courses and seminars can be taught in either language. Therefore, the MOSES Ph.D. aims to provide its students with a cross-disciplinary preparation such that the methodologies learned can be applied to new topics and to train researchers and professional figures who are able to adapt to new situations and effectively deal with the new challenges posed by scientific and technological progress, promoting agreements and conventions with research and development centers or institutes and with public or private, Italian and foreign entities, companies and industries operating in the fields of interest.
Course objectives:
The MOSES doctoral course aims to delineate highly qualified researchers and professional figures who, strengthened by a highly multidisciplinary education and already accustomed to interacting with professionals from heterogeneous fields, are capable of tackling complex issues in the field of molecular sciences applied to the study of earth and space that best fit the problem at hand while employing innovative state-of-the-art tools for complex molecular systems. Educational objectives also include a special focus on how the earth’s environment, in the totality of its physical, chemical and biological characteristics, is strongly affected on both local and global scales by the effects of human action. The objectives of the Course are to learn knowledge, critical thinking skills and management autonomy in the following benchmark research topics:
– laboratory studies, both experimental and theoretical, ranging from spectroscopic investigation to organic synthesis, chemical reactivity, and photochemistry;
– astronomical observations ranging from identifying molecules in the interstellar medium to characterizing planetary atmospheres;
– atmospheric observations ranging from pollutant identification and quantification;
– astronomical/astrochemical modeling ranging from deriving the abundance of chemical species in different astrophysical environments to inferring their physical properties;
– Modeling the chemistry of the Earth’s atmosphere.

It is planned for each doctoral student to spend up to one year (even divided into several quarters or semesters) at foreign university and research institutions. The languages of the doctoral program are Italian and English; courses and seminars can be taught in either language. In fact, one of the main objectives that the doctoral program in MOSES sets itself is the creation of researchers and professional figures who, at the end of the training course, in addition to knowledge of a technical nature, have acquired critical judgment skills, scientific maturity, independence and flexibility such that they can continue their post-doctoral research activities in the most prestigious academic institutions and the most advanced research laboratories in Italy and abroad.
Scholarships: each year SSM puts up for competition for this doctorate 4 scholarships of 19,000€ each plus 2 others of the same amount funded by the Scuola Normale Superiore. Additional fellowships may be added under bilateral agreements with other academic and research institutions.

Admission: admission to the doctoral program is by competitive examination based on qualifications, letters of introduction, research project and interview. Those who hold a master’s degree, or an equivalent degree awarded in Italy or abroad, may participate in the competition.

Selection is made through evaluation of the candidate’s submitted qualifications and proposed research program, as well as an English-language interview. A “short list” of those admitted to the oral examination will be published. The number of places put up for competition is determined each year by the relevant bodies of SSM and indicated in the relevant notice.

Nadia Rega, Ph.D.
Full Professor of Physical Chemistry
Department of Chemical Sciences
University of Naples Federico II
Via Cintia I-80126 Napoli, Italy
nadia.rega@unina.it
&
Area MOSES Coordinator
Scuola Superiore Meridionale
Largo S. Marcellino 10, I-80138, Naples, Italy
n.rega@ssmeridionale.it

Nadia Rega
University of Naples Federico II (UniNa)

Vincenzo Barone
Normal High School

Malgorzata Biczysko
University of Shanghai, China

Paola Caselli
Max Planck, Garching, Germany

Cristina De Castro
UniNa

Claudio De Rosa
UniNa

Michael J. Frisch
Gaussian Inc, CT, US

Concetta Giancola
UniNa

Xiaosong Li
University of Washington, WA, US

Paola Manini
UniNa

Ana Belen Munoz Garcia
UniNa

Alessio Petrone
UniNa

Cristina Puzzarini
University of Bologna

John Scalmani
Gaussian Inc, CT, US

John Talarico
UniNa

Nicholas Tasinato
Normal High School

Marco Trifuoggi
UniNa

37th Cycle

  • Edward Buttarazzi
  • Silvia Di Grande
  • Gabriele Iuzzolino
  • Eugene Romano
  • Attila Tortorella
  • Rachele Zunino

38th Cycle

  • Raoul Carfora
  • Olga D’Anania
  • Susan Mohammadi
  • Yolanda Rusconi
  • Lina Marcela Uribe Grajales

Educational activities are spread over four years in order to allow continuous contact between teaching staff and doctoral students. Teaching activities are more concentrated in the first year of the course, while, in the following three years, doctoral students are engaged in conducting research and periodically reporting on its progress, both in individual interviews and in periodic seminar meetings.

The teaching activities of the first year are structured on the basis of compulsory courses with final examination (“pillar” courses) for a total of 24 CFUs (one CFU, university educational credit, consists of 6 hours of frontal teaching + 18 hours of individual study or, alternatively, 24 hours of study, research work, seminar activity). These courses, which are general in nature, are intended to develop common languages and skills among learners generally from different educational backgrounds. They are to be chosen from the following table of educational offerings. In addition to these courses, monographic courses (at least for 6 CFUs) may be added, which are indicated gradually by the Teaching Board. Some of them are shown in the table below. Training may be supplemented with courses borrowed from other SSM doctoral programs, with courses taught at UniNA, at SNS, and at other Italian and foreign locations, with specific doctoral schools, with participation in national and international conferences or workshops, subject to the approval of the Coordinator and/or the Academic Board. The total teaching load, for each student, must be 240 CFUs to be achieved over the four years of the doctoral program.

Seminar activities are also planned during which students can discuss specific aspects of doctoral work, invited lectures by faculty from outside the college, and activities in scientific training and management and exploitation of research results.

The transition from the first year to the second year is decided on the basis of the submission of an articulated research project including a three-year work plan discussed in an interview attended, for each doctoral student, by at least three members of the College, who may ask the doctoral student, in addition to a discussion of the project itself and any scientific articles she/he may have submitted or published, to discuss the seminar courses she/he has taken, and the way in which she/he intends to develop her/his future research.

The transition from the second year to the third year takes place on the basis of the discussion and approval of an indicative but detailed outline of the thesis, which the doctoral student proposes to develop, and the discussion of submitted or published articles.

The transition from the third to the fourth year takes place on the basis of the presentation and discussion, and then approval by the tutor, of the thesis to be refined and completed during the fourth year.

First-year teaching activities are spread over two terms: November-January and March-May.

In particular, the teaching and training activities (totaling 80 CFUs + 160 CFUs for the thesis) must be advanced in nature. Participation in seminars, workshops and research groups will be widely favored and encouraged. The training activity is specifically organized as follows:

Year I: compulsory coursework teaching (total 24 CFU), attendance of laboratories, active participation in conferences and seminars organized by the doctoral program or other university and research institutions, preparation of the articulated research project for the transition to the 2nd year of the program (14 CFU) – Tot. 60 credits.

Year II: Active participation in conferences and workshops organized by the School or other academic and research institutions; research progress presentation days in the presence of mentors and the college; research work in preparation for the Tot thesis. 60 credits.

Year III: Seminars presenting current research in the presence of mentors and the college and active participation in lectures and workshops; research work to the thesis-Tot. 60 credits;

Year IV: completion and thesis writing (60 CFU).

The research and teaching topics are as follows:

  • molecular spectroscopy
  • computational spectroscopy
  • Computational chemistry applied to chemical reactivity
  • atmo-/astrochemical modeling
  • Chemical-physical systems for experimental atmo-/astrochemical modeling
  • Organic chemistry of prebiotic processes
  • synthesis and transformations of complex organic systems under extreme conditions
  • Bioorganic chemistry in extreme systems and conditions
  • Organic photochemistry and the evolution of excited states
  • Modeling of photoinduced pre-biotic processes and their dynamic out-of-equilibrium behavior
  • Modeling ultrafast reactivity and interconnected transient spectroscopy techniques (femtochemistry)
  • Chemistry and physics of surfaces and interfaces
  • astrobiology

Ad hoc courses will also be provided to fill any gaps for students, such as:

  • Organic chemistry (for physicists, astronomers, and geologists)
  • astronomy (for chemists, physicists, geologists and engineers)
  • photochemistry and photophysics
  • elements of computational modeling
  • elements of quantum mechanics
Astrochemistry and molecular astrophysics (Astrochemistry and molecular astrophysics)
60 hours, 1st year
The course aims to provide SI with basic and advanced knowledge of astrochemistry, including the
theoretical description and application of state-of-the-art experimental and computational techniques used in this discipline. The Ph.D. student at the end of the course will have acquired in addition to this knowledge the critical sense necessary for understanding and organizing a research activity in astrochemistry.
Experimental and theoretical chemistry for sustainability (Experimental and theoretical chemistry for sustainability)
40 hours, 1st year
The course aims to provide the basic and cutting-edge knowledge of modern experimental and theoretical chemistry put at the service of sustainability issues in today’s society. The course consists of two modules: the first covers techniques for the synthesis and characterization of molecules of environmental and industrial interest; the second covers theory and computational methodologies useful for the study of environmentally sustainable catalysis and chemical and photochemical reactivity in general. The Ph.D. student at the end of the course will have acquired in addition to this knowledge the critical sense necessary for understanding and organizing a research activity aimed at the synthesis or characterization, both experimental and theoretical, of molecular systems and materials in a sustainable manner.
Biological chemical-physics (Biological chemical-physics)
40 hours, 1st year
The course aims to provide basic and advanced knowledge of physical biological chemistry, including a focus on primordial earth chemistry and biology. This course covers both experimental and computational content, including a description of the theoretical basis and application of experimental techniques and the theory of computational techniques useful in biology and biochemistry. The Ph.D. student at the end of the course will have acquired in addition to such knowledge the critical sense necessary for understanding and organizing a research activity in biological chemistry-physics.
Seminars
Throughout the doctoral program, students will be strongly encouraged to attend seminars organized as part of the Southern High School project. These seminars will be
organized in series on a weekly basis and are conducted by invitation by internationally renowned faculty and researchers from national and international Academies and Research Institutions. These seminars aim to deepen the core subjects of the doctoral course (astrochemistry, atmospheric and environmental chemistry, physical biological chemistry, photochemistry) and promote connections and interdisciplinarity with other Areas of the School (astrophysics, astrobiology, life sciences). Students also have the opportunity to attend seminars hosted in the various departments of the Federico II and the Scuola Normale Superiore. Most of these seminars are organized in a mixed mode (in-person and telematics).
Laboratory activities
During the first year, doctoral students are expected to attend for a period of about three months each two laboratories of their choice at two research groups at the University of Federico II. Attendance at an experimental laboratory and a theoretical-computational laboratory is encouraged. The choice of such laboratories is made at the beginning of the year as the outcome of discussions between the doctoral student and the Coordinator, also together with other members of the Faculty Board, and following verification of the availability of the host research group. During these periods, the doctoral student will have the opportunity for highly specific internships for the purpose of also maturing the choice of research project. During the decided research pathway starting in the second year, and throughout the duration of the doctoral program, the student will have the opportunity to attend the mentor’s reference laboratory on a daily basis, being the
PhD course with a distinctly experimental character. Depending on the project, the Ph.D. student will have the opportunity to attend laboratories for chemical synthesis, spectroscopy, chemical-physical characterization, and theoretical-computational activities. These laboratories may be among several at the Federico II University and/or the Scuola Normale Superiore, or at the institutions at which the doctoral student will carry out the research of his or her project and the planned periods abroad.

The research activity is carried out by each doctoral student under the supervision of a thesis director assigned by the College at the transition from the first to the second year. The thesis supervisor is chosen both from within and outside the College itself. The thesis director designated by the college can be joined by a second thesis director chosen possibly also by activating the institution of co-tutorship by agreement.

The transition from the first year to the second year is decided on the basis of the presentation of an articulated research project including a state of the art and a three-year work plan discussed in an interview attended for each doctoral student by at least three members of the college, who may ask the doctoral students, in addition to the discussion of the project itself and the papers they have prepared for the seminar courses they have taken, to read a bibliography relevant to their future research.

The transition from the second to the third year will take place on the basis of the discussion and approval of an indicative but detailed outline of the thesis that the doctoral student proposes to write and a chapter.

The transition from the third to the fourth year will take place on the basis of the presentation and discussion, and then approval by the thesis director, of an additional thesis chapter and a detailed table of contents.

The Ph.D. in “Molecular Sciences for Earth and Space” was established as an innovative doctoral program with an international and interdisciplinary characterization with the aim of attracting the best students and constantly involving leading international experts on doctoral topics in the teaching activity, in addition to scholars working at foreign university sites that are part of the College. Web page, notices and supporting materials are in Italian and English.

It is mandatory for every doctoral student to spend at least six months at foreign academic and research institutions. The languages of the doctoral program are Italian and English; courses and seminars can be taught in either language.

The Ph.D. provides for and fosters extensive faculty and student mobility, also stimulated by the scientific ties of the college members with various prestigious international and foreign institutions. Among these we point out in particular:

  • Physical and Theoretical Chemical Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
  • King’s College London, UK
  • Astronomy Department, UCL, UK
  • Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universitat Hannover, Germany
  • Université Gustav Eiffel, France
  • Université de Rennes 1, France
  • Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany
  • Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Germany
  • 6Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
  • ELTE Eötvös Lorànd University, Budapest, Hungary
  • Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Universidad de Valladolid, Spain
  • Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
  • University of Washington, Seattle, USA

SSM organizes cross-curricular activities for doctoral courses on major information systems, including specialized ones. In addition, computer skills are given attention in courses and seminars devoted to sources and methodology (seminars are held, at the University Library System, to train doctoral students in the critical use of digital resources and seminars to familiarize students with tools such as reference managers and spreadsheets, etc.). Courses and exercises devoted to the use of the main quantum chemistry programs will be given by various lecturers.

Course Duration: 4 years
Scholarships: each year SSM puts up for competition 6 scholarships of €19,000 each.

Each fellowship is supplemented by additional funds for research activities in Italy and abroad.