PhD in Generational Renewal in Agriculture — Università degli Studi di Catania

Key details

• Host institution: Università degli Studi di Catania
• Location: Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
• Application deadline: July 30, 2026

Funding

Not funded by a EU programme

Funding level (from listing): partial or not via EU framework — confirm on the official call.

How to apply

• Application portal / instructions: Official application link.
• Context on Euraxess: Original listing.

About the position

We invite applications for a PhD position within a research project focused on generational renewal in agriculture, hosted at the Università degli Studi di Catania.

Project Overview

Generational renewal in agriculture is a critical challenge for the sector’s future sustainability, as emphasized by the European Strategy on generational renewal (European Commission, 2025). While existing research has largely examined structural barriers and individual incentives, less attention has been paid to the socio-organizational processes through which renewal actually occurs. This project employs a qualitative and participatory research design, using semi-structured interviews and focus groups, to advance conceptual understanding by integrating insights from relational sociology and rural transition studies. The objective is to develop a theoretical-methodological framework that contributes to the literature on generational renewal in agriculture.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct qualitative research, including semi-structured interviews and focus groups.
• Analyze data using relational sociology and rural transition frameworks.
• Develop and refine a theoretical-methodological framework for generational renewal.
• Contribute to academic publications and project dissemination.

Eligibility Requirements

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in sociology, rural studies, agricultural economics, or a related field.
• Demonstrated interest in qualitative research methods.
• Proficiency in English (spoken and written).
• Willingness to conduct fieldwork in agricultural contexts.

Application Details

For full eligibility criteria and application procedures, please refer to the official call at the Università degli Studi di Catania. No specific salary, dates, or URLs are provided in this description.