Student at III year

Aim of the seminar

This seminar has two objectives.

The first is to provide a comprehensive ‘map’ of the main forms of reasoning, or types of inference.

The second is to discuss the form of reasoning that seems to be the most characteristic of the empirical sciences, namely abductive reasoning.

Brief description of the speaker’s professional background

This course is designed as a brief practical introduction to the Python programming language, specifically for students with a biological background. It consists of four lectures covering the basics of the programming language, followed by hands-on exercises aimed at understanding specific simple examples of usage and analysis. No prior experience in programming is required; however, the course is intended for students genuinely interested in using Python in their research work. Deliverables: provide students with basic knowledge and a working methodology to further explore programming through more advanced courses and studies. 

The advanced course is instructed by the same Professor teaching the basic course.

This course is tailored for third-year Ph.D. students who have already obtained the Certificate of Achievement from the basic course and seek to refine their academic writing skills, specifically for grant application purposes. Additionally, it aims to enhance their proficiency in delivering research findings through PowerPoint presentations. Throughout the course, there will also be an in-depth exploration of various grammatical structures, including contrast, comparison, cause-effect relationships, probability/possibility, confirmation, reintroduction, particularization, and speculation.

The course will be divided into 2 modules:

i) How to write a Horizon Europe ERC (starting investigators) or NIH grant:

• Understanding the ERC objectives and requirements for starting investigators;

• Developing a compelling research idea that aligns with ERC criteria, emphasizing novelty, feasibility, and potential impact;

• Structuring the proposal to effectively communicate the research plan, including title, acronym, abstract, background, preliminary data, objectives, methodology, expected outcomes, risk mitigation, and timeline;

• Demonstrating the capability of the research team and the research environment to successfully conduct the proposed project;

• Addressing the impact, significance, innovation  of the proposal, as well as the environment, deliverables, and milestones.

ii) How to present data effectively in PowerPoint:

• Language: how to sound natural and calm (e.g., choice of words, pronunciation/enunciation)

• Signposting; intonation, emphasis, pausing, body language, eye contact, audience engagement, slide transition;

• Background, gap in knowledge, central hypothesis, and objectives;

• Describing tables and figures using contrastive and comparative structures:

• Clarifying, reinforcing, explaining ideas or concepts;

• Concluding remarks and future perspectives.

Evaluation and certificate of merit

The course evaluation comprises two critical elements:

• hands-on grant writing exercise centered on the Ph.D. student's thesis preliminary data;

• PowerPoint presentation showcasing their research outcomes.

The teacher will assess the successful completion of both assessments. Successful completion of both assessments will earn the student a Certificate of Achievement at the C1+ level.

The course is aimed to define the rules for the development of patents, for the protection of intellectual property and related exploitation. During the course are also developed the principles of applications of technology transfer with particular reference to the organizational model of spin-off.