The research topics pursued by the students largely reflect the strongly interdisciplinary nature of the PhD program, confirming the attractiveness of its educational offer. This appeal is further evidenced by the fact that over the last three cycles, approximately 35% of enrolled students have come from other universities, as well as by the growing number of externally funded scholarships through agreements (around 35%).
During the 2024/2025 academic year, there has been a high level of doctoral student mobility, not only through direct participation in national and international conferences, but also through research stays abroad lasting three months or more. In fact, seven students spent extended research periods in the United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, and the USA. Most of these stays were made possible by joint projects and/or collaborations established by the supervisors. The University increases the scholarship amount for a three-month period for research stays abroad, acknowledging the importance of international experience in the doctoral students’ educational and professional development.
However, this support partially limits the opportunities for international stays for those doctoral students who do not benefit from university-funded scholarships, making the supervisors’ research funds essential for those spending more than three months abroad. It is also important to note that research-related expenses—such as materials, specific equipment, analyses, and experiments—are not covered by the doctoral students’ own funds but must be fully supported through resources made available by the supervisors, either from external or departmental funding. Although this funding model is well established, it entails certain limitations: the lack of autonomous funding for doctoral students directly affects the diversity and innovativeness of possible experiments, restricting both the types of studies and the research topics that students might independently decide to pursue.
In order to attract the best candidates, the University scholarships have been increased by €7,000 per year, using funds from the MUR DSTC Department of Excellence program for the five-year period 2023–2027, granted to the Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, which serves as the reference department for the PhD program.
Education and Training Activities
During the 2024/2025 academic year, 10 institutional courses were offered, taught by members of the PhD Board or by other University professors. In addition, students benefited from around 20 seminars organized by the reference department or in collaboration with other departments of the University. Some PhD students also participated in advanced training programs at national and international research infrastructures.
The activities of first-year students focused on strengthening their education and acquiring the skills necessary to develop their research projects. In the second year, the students concentrated on developing their specific research projects, further consolidating their training, and preparing scientific papers. Finally, during the third year, their work was dedicated to completing their research projects and writing their dissertations and scientific publications.
The selection of institutional courses to attend is carried out in consultation with the supervisor, ensuring both the doctoral student’s personal interests and the coherence of their educational path.
Scientific Output
Scientific output has been significant. During the 2024/2025 academic year, students from the last three cycles (38th, 39th, and 40th) collectively participated in and presented their research findings at 103 national and international conferences and published 51 indexed papers, with an average of 4.5 research outputs per student. Participation in conferences has been considered a key element in enabling doctoral students to engage with the most advanced state of the art in their respective research areas.