PhD in Systems Science (Complex Systems & Networks) for Ecology, Animal Movement and Conservation IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca in Italy

IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca is accepting applications for the PhD in Systems Science, specifically the Complex Systems & Networks track, for the 2026/2027 cycle.

This opportunity is especially relevant for students interested in ecological systems, animal movement, conservation, biodiversity monitoring, ecological networks, and other quantitative or computational approaches to biological systems. The track is interdisciplinary and also covers complex systems theory, network science, graph theory, information theory, machine learning, statistical mechanics of networks, and stochastic processes.

Potential research directions mentioned in the post include ecological and interaction networks, collective behaviour, organism-environment interactions, sustainability, and spatial distribution patterns. The programme is suitable for candidates with backgrounds in biology or ecology as well as those from computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, or statistics, provided they have strong quantitative preparation.

The application deadline is 25 May 2026. Applications must be submitted electronically through the IMT online application system. Interviews for shortlisted candidates are scheduled for late June to early July 2026, and the programme is expected to start on 1 November 2026.

Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Andrea Perna at [email protected]. General application questions can be sent to [email protected].