Official Doctorate in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

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Doctoral Program in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

General Aims
Doctorate Structure
Lines of Research
Doctoral Thesis Directors
Dissemination of results
Admission
Contact
Department in charge of the management of the doctoral programme
Collaborating departments
Received grants

General Aims of the Doctorate

The general aims of the doctoral programme Nanoscience and Nanotechnology are:

To train high quality researchers in priority areas of research in the European and national ambit. Nanoscioence and nanotechnology are two such areas.
To enable postgraduate students to produce and defend their doctoral theses.
To make a significant contribution to advances in research in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology by publishing in top scientific journals and presenting papers at international conferences.
To develop a range of skills which will enable postgraduates, on completion of their doctorate, to demonstrate academic leadership, independence, creativity and innovation in their research. Some of these skills are:
- The ability to contextualize their research within the ambit of international nanoscience and nanotechnology.
- The ability to evaluate and systemize the bibliography needed in each area of research.
- Advanced understanding of the key points in each specific field of knowledge.
- The ability to critically analyze the changes which take place in the context of a given discipline.
- The ability to work with other researchers whilst respecting their contributions.
- Knowledge of the methodology of research. The ability to design and execute research projects.
- The ability to make research applications to the appropriate organizations, such as subsidizing bodies or other institutions or agencies.
- The ability to adequately manage research resources, intellectual property and the commercialization of innovation.
- The ability to correctly communicate research results, both orally and in writing.
To encourage and correlations among the different lines of research in a programme. Because of its very nature, nanoscience and nanotechnology are fields in which development and innovation can only be carried out through multidisciplinary and transectorial alliances.

This doctoral programme is governed by the Royal Decree 56/2005 and carries the 'Distinction of Quality', awarded by the Ministry of Education and Science from the academic year 2006-2007 (ref. MCD2006-00343).

Doctorate Structure

To access to the Doctorate Programme in its research period, it will be compulsory to fulfill the requirements established as admission requirements in the article 19 and fourth additional disposition of the RD 1393/2007. The formation of the student is based on the following points:

Research supervised by a thesis director.
Communication of research results through publication in scientific journals and the presentation of papers at national and international conferences.
Participation in research projects from the application process to the writing of corresponding progress reports.
Participation in doctoral training activities (for example, the doctoral symposia organized by the Catalan government).

The formation period of the doctorate programme is linked to the following Master's degree introduced on the University (in order to the RD 1393/2007):

Master's Degree in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Lines of Research and Directors of Doctoral Theses

Rovira i Virgili University

Thesis Directors

Dr. Ciara O’Sullivan, teacher/researcher ICREA (Dpt. of Chemial Engineering), See: Nanobiotechnology and Bioanalysis
Dr. Ioanis Katakis, university lecturer and lecturer/researcher (Dpt. of Chemical Engineering), See: Bioengineering and Bioelectrochemistry
Dr. Magdalena Constantí Garriga, assistant lecturer (Dpt. of Chemical Engineering)
Dr. Pablo Lozano Sánchez, researcher (Dpt. of Chemical Engineering)

Lines of research which they lead

Basic Research in Bioelectronics, Systems Biology and Nanostructures
Tuning Ultrasensitive Affinity Biosensors Without Adding Reagents
Environmental Treatment with Biocatalytic/Photocatalytic Supramolecular Nanostructures
Administering Medicines Using Liposomes
Fabrication and Functioning of Nanoparticles
Integrating Biosensors into Microsystems
Design of Biocomponents (Aptamers, Fragments of Antibodies) to Optimize Biosensorial Platforms

Thesis Director

Dr. Álex Fragoso Sierra, Ramon i Cajal researcher (Dpt. of Chemical Engineering)

Lines of research which he leads

Basic Research in Bioelectronics, Systems Biology and Nanostructures
Tuning Ultrasensitive Affinity Biosensors Without Adding Reagents
Fabrication and Functioning of Nanoparticles
Integrating Biosensors into Microsystems
Engineering of surfaces and colloids based on supramolecular interactions for the construction of sensors and biosensors

Thesis Directors

Dr. Francesc Xavier Rius Ferrús, university professor (Dpt. of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemisty), See: Group of Chemometrics, Qualimetrics and Nanosensors
Dr. Jordi Riu Rusell, senior lecturer (Dpt. of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry)
Dr. Francisco Javier Andrade, Ramón y Cajal researcher (Dpt. of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry)
Dr. Pascal Blondeau, researcher (CTQC)

Lines of research which they lead

Development of Chemical Sensors Based on Carbon Nanotubes
Development of Microchips and Nanochips for Ecotoxicological Studies

Thesis Director

Dr. Tània Gumí Caballero, lecturer (Dpt. of Chemical Engineering)

Lines of research which she leads

Development of microinstruments of selective membranes

Catalan Institute of Chemical Research

http://www.iciq.es/

Thesis Director

Dr. Francisco Javier de Mendoza Sans, university professor, head of the ICIQ group and lecturer/researcher

Lines of research which they lead

Self-Association and Self-Assembly
Chiral Recognition and Catalysis
Interactions between Protein-Ligand and DNA Ligand

Thesis Director

Dr. Pau Ballester Balaguer, ICREA research lecturer, head of the ICIQ group and lecturer/researcher

Lines of research which he leads

Thermodynamic Characterisation of Self-Assembly Processes
Design and Synthesis of Artificial Systems for Studying Processes of Molecular Recognition and Evaluating the Strength of Intermolecular Interactions Involved
Development of Molecular Sensors

Thesis Directors

Dr. Emilio J. Palomares Gil, ICIQ group and lecturer/researcher
Dr. Eugenia Martínez Ferrero, ICIQ researcher

Lines of research which they lead

Design and Synthesis of Artificial Systems for Studying Processes of Molecular Recognition and Evaluating the Strength of Intermolecular Interactions Involved
Development of Molecular Sensors

Thesis Director

Dr. Anton Vidal, ICIQ group and lecturer/ ICREA researcher

Lines of research which he leads

Self-Association and Self-Assembly
Chiral Recognition and Catalysis
Thermodynamic Characterisation of Self-Assembly Processes
Design and Synthesis of Artificial Systems for Studying Processes of Molecular Recognition and Evaluating the Strength of Intermolecular Interactions Involved

Thesis Director

Dr. Mònica Campàs Homs, IRTA researcher

Lines of research which she leads

Development of biosensors for toxins of aquatic media
Use of microalgues as nanostructures for the development of biosensors

Thesis Director

Dr. José Ramón Galán Mascarós

Lines of research which he leads

Structural and functional models of active centers in metalloproteins
Multifunctional molecular materials with electric, optic and/or magnetic properties combination

IMICROQ

http://www.imicroq.com

Thesis Director

Dr. Sergio Martínez Montequín

Lines of research which he leads

Integrating Biosensors into Microsystems

Thesis Director

Dra. Katia Uliaque Cugat

Lines of research which she leads

Integrating Biosensors into Microsystems
Design of Biocomponents (Aptamers, Fragments of Antibodies) to Optimize Biosensorial Platforms

Thesis Director

Dr. Michelle Muccini, head of research group at Institute for Nanostructured Materials of the Consiglio Nazionale of Bologna

Lines of research which he leads

Materials and devices for organic photovoltaics
Photonic field-effect technology for light emission and sensing
Advanced optical nanoprobes based on confocal laser spectro-microscopy
Bioelectronic interfaces and nanostructures

Dissemination of results

Doctoral Theses

Admission

Maximum number of students: 15
Criteria for admission and selection

The fulfilment of the established conditions, as a requirement of admission in the 19th article and 4th addicional order of the RD 1393/2007, is necessary to be able to entry at the Doctorate Program while its research mode.

Specific criteria:

The students who credit the official master's degree in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology for the URV will be able to register in the official studies of doctorate.

The students who do not credit an official master's degree in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology for the URV, but have a similar degree, or an official degree in Chemical, Physical or Biological Sciences, Chemical, Mechanical or Electronic Engineering, Science and Technology of the Materials and Medicine, or some similar degree, their process will be studied by the organ responsible for the POP once the students have credited that expire with the legal requirements to accede to the studies of doctorate. This review will take place in the maximum space of 15 days after the notification on the part of the student to the coordinator of the doctorate of the will to accede to the studies of doctorate, or from the presentation of the request of inscription to the studies of doctorate on the part of the pupil in the secretary of the department responsible for the studies of doctorate.

On the basis of the review of the process, the organ responsible for the POP will establish if the studies credited by the student allow him to accede directly to the studies of doctorate, or if it is necessary that the student obtains the master's degree in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology for the URV. In the latter case there will be meant the recognition of the maximum number of subjects already dealed by the pupil that are considered to be equivalent to subjects already dealed by the student that are considered to be equivalent to subjects given inside the master's degree in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.