Apply (2026)
PHD ADMISSIONS · A.Y. 2026/2027
Cycle XLII admission procedures
Applications and reference-letter submission for the two Cycle XLII second-session procedures are now closed. The selection procedures are underway for six PhD scholarships across UNICAM programmes and one scholarship in the National PhD Programme in Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience, all funded by Regione Marche. Online interviews are scheduled for 26 and 27 October 2026. Final rankings have also been published for both first-session admission procedures.
IMPORTANT · SECOND SESSION ONLY
Specific eligibility requirements for regional scholarships
In addition to the ordinary PhD admission requirements, candidates who applied through either second-session procedure were required to meet all the following conditions on the date they submitted their application:
Admission qualification already awarded. Applicants were required to already hold the degree required for access to the PhD. Applications based on a degree expected to be awarded later were not eligible for these procedures.
Employment status. Applicants were required to be inactive, not in employment or unemployed, in accordance with the requirements of the regional funding programme.
Residence or domicile in the Marche Region. Applicants were required either to be resident in the Marche Region or to have been domiciled in the regional territory for at least six months.
Age. Applicants were required to be under 36 years of age.
Recipients of these scholarships may not be simultaneously enrolled in another university programme during the PhD. Specific obligations concerning research activities, mobility and regional funding also apply. Articles 2, 3 and 9 of the relevant official Call remain the authoritative source for eligibility and funding conditions.
UNICAM Second Call · eligibility requirements → TAN Second Call · eligibility requirements →
01 · SECOND CALL · UNICAM SCHOLARSHIPS
Five PhD Programmes · Six Research Topics
The UNICAM Second Call concerns six scholarships, each associated with a specific Research Topic. Annex 1 provides the full project descriptions, curricula, supervisors and additional requirements. The separate TAN Second Call is presented below in the dedicated Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience section.
| PhD Programme | Scholarship code | Research Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biotechnology | CHEMREG 1 | Polymeric Materials with Antibacterial and Reparative Activity for Advanced Ophthalmic Devices: Production via Electrospinning and Therapeutic Applications |
| Computer Science and Mathematics | CSMATHREG 1 | Process-Driven Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twins for Autonomous Production Systems |
| Legal and Social Sciences | LEGREG 1 | GeoWood Marche – Geographical Indications, Design and Innovation to Enhance the Competitiveness of the Marche Wood and Furniture Sector |
| Life and Health Sciences | LIFEREG 1 | Light Therapy and Alzheimer's Disease: Effects on NREM Sleep Microstructure and a Clinical Study of Neurophysiological Biomarkers |
| Life and Health Sciences | LIFEREG 2 | Interconnected Microbiota and Brain: Innovative Postbiotic-Based Strategies for Healthy and Resilient Aging |
| Physics, Earth and Materials Sciences | PEMSREG 1 | Lightweight/insulating eco-sustainable composites based on alkali-activated binders for construction applications |
Positions covered by the procedures: six funded scholarships under this UNICAM Call. No positions without a scholarship are available in this procedure. One additional Regione Marche-funded scholarship is covered by the separate TAN Second Call.
02 · APPLICATION PROCEDURE · CLOSED
Applications and reference-letter submission are closed
Applications were completed in English and submitted exclusively online through two different PICA procedures for the UNICAM Second Call and the TAN Second Call. The application deadline and the subsequent deadline for reference letters have now passed. Candidate dashboards may remain accessible for applicants to consult their submitted application, but no new applications can be submitted through these procedures.
APPLICATION & PAYMENT · CLOSED
The deadline for completing the application, paying the non-refundable €20 fee for each application and finalising the submission procedure expired on 22 October 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Italian time. Only applications that were finally submitted within the deadline can proceed to the selection procedure.
SUBMITTED APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
Submitted applications included the required identity document, CV, a short hypothetical research project in English consistent with the selected Research Topic, a motivation letter in English or Italian and any other documents and declarations required by the relevant Call and PICA form. The research proposal is relevant to the evaluation and binding for the research activities that may subsequently be carried out.
REFERENCE LETTERS · CLOSED
Up to three reference letters could be requested after final submission through the dedicated PICA function. They were recommended but not mandatory. The deadline for referees to submit requested letters expired on 23 October 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Italian time.
UNICAM PICA candidate dashboard → TAN PICA candidate dashboard → UNICAM Call, Annex 1 & guidelines →
Use the PICA dashboard corresponding to your submitted application. The relevant official Call and subsequent notices always take precedence over screenshots or general examples in the application guidelines.
03 · SECOND-SESSION TIMELINE
Key dates and next steps
22 October 2026 · 1:00 p.m.
Closed. Deadline for final submission of applications and payment of the €20 fee for each application.
23 October 2026 · 1:00 p.m.
Closed. Deadline for receipt of any reference letters submitted by referees through PICA. The appointment of the selection committees and the online interview details are now available on the relevant official Call pages. The general UNICAM Call also includes an amendment to the selection committee appointment published on 23 October; the subcommittees and interview dates and times remain unchanged.
26–27 October 2026 · Online interviews
Interviews are scheduled exclusively online for candidates admitted to the shortlist. Dates, times and Webex meeting rooms have been published. Shortlists will be published on the relevant official Call page as soon as available. Candidates must continue to monitor the official page for any changes.
CHEMREG 1 – 26 October at 14:30 CET · Webex room →
CSMATHREG 1 – 26 October at 14:30 CET · Webex room →
TANREG 1 – 26 October at 15:00 CET · Webex room →
LEGREG 1 – 26 October at 16:30 CET · Webex room →
LIFEREG 1–2 – 27 October at 09:00 CET · Webex room →
PEMSREG 1 – 27 October at 11:00 CET · Webex room →
CSMATHREG 1 – 26 October at 14:30 CET · Webex room →
TANREG 1 – 26 October at 15:00 CET · Webex room →
LEGREG 1 – 26 October at 16:30 CET · Webex room →
LIFEREG 1–2 – 27 October at 09:00 CET · Webex room →
PEMSREG 1 – 27 October at 11:00 CET · Webex room →
28 October 2026 · provisional
Expected publication of final merit rankings, subject to changes communicated on the relevant official Call page.
31 October 2026
Deadline for acceptance of awarded positions. Applicants with foreign qualifications must also meet the specific document-submission requirements described in Article 9 of the relevant Call by this date.
1 November 2026
Mandatory starting date of the PhD Programme.
Official notifications: selection committee appointments, amendments, interview notices, shortlists, any changes and final rankings are published on the relevant UNICAM Call page. Candidates must monitor the correct page regularly; publication constitutes official notification.
IMPORTANT · FOREIGN QUALIFICATIONS
Check the 31 October documentation deadline
Applicants who obtained their admission qualification abroad must provide the required CIMEA documentation (comparability and verification) or a Declaration of Value, together with the additional qualification documents specified in Article 9 of the relevant Call. The required recognition documentation must be issued and sent to dottorato@unicam.it by 31 October 2026, under the conditions and consequences set out in the Call.
The Calls also require first- and second-cycle degree documentation and transcripts, with official translations where applicable. Applicants should verify immediately whether they can obtain all documents within the specified timeframe.
UNICAM Second Call · Article 9 → TAN Second Call · Article 9 →
04 · FIRST SESSION · UNICAM PHD PROGRAMMES
Main Cycle XLII Call for Applications
APPLICATIONS CLOSED · FINAL RANKINGS PUBLISHED 21 SEPTEMBER 2026
The first-session application deadline expired on 24 July 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Italian time. The selection interviews have been completed and the final merit rankings were published on 21 September 2026. Candidates should consult the official results and accompanying notices for the applicable acceptance and enrolment instructions. The recently closed Regione Marche Second Call above is a separate selection procedure with different eligibility requirements and deadlines.
First-session rankings & official notices → First-session admission details → First-session PICA portal · closed →
05 · NATIONAL PHD PROGRAMME · SEPARATE PROCEDURES
Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience
SECOND SESSION · APPLICATIONS AND REFERENCES CLOSED · INTERVIEW 26 OCTOBER · FIRST-SESSION FINAL RANKINGS PUBLISHED
Applications for the second-session selection concerning 1 Regione Marche-funded scholarship in Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience closed on 22 October 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Italian time, and the deadline for reference letters expired on 23 October 2026 at 1:00 p.m.. The selection procedure is underway. The available Research Topic is Chronic pain and neurodegeneration: a translational approach to understanding biological mechanisms and developing innovative therapeutic strategies. The online interview for shortlisted candidates is scheduled for 26 October 2026 at 15:00 CET. The selection committee and online meeting details have been published; the shortlist will be published on the official TAN Call page as soon as available. Final merit rankings for the TAN first-session procedure have also been published.
TAN Second Call & documents → TAN interview · Webex room → TAN PICA candidate dashboard → TAN first-session rankings →
CHECK THE CORRECT ADMISSION PROCEDURE
Different Calls have different requirements and application portals
UNICAM Second Call – Regione Marche scholarships: applications for six scholarships across five PhD Programmes closed on 22 October 2026 at 1:00 p.m., and the reference-letter deadline expired on 23 October 2026 at 1:00 p.m.. The selection procedure is underway. Selection committees and online interview details have been published, while shortlists will be published on the official Call page as soon as available. Interviews are scheduled for 26–27 October.
First UNICAM Call: applications closed; final merit rankings published on 21 September 2026. Follow the acceptance and enrolment notices associated with that Call.
National PhD Programme in Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience: applications and reference-letter submission for the separate second-session Call concerning one Regione Marche-funded scholarship are closed. The online interview for shortlisted candidates is scheduled for 26 October 2026 at 15:00 CET. Final rankings for the TAN first session are also available on its original Call page.
Interested in other PhD opportunities?
Explore the UNICAM PhD Programmes and consult News & Calls for further admission opportunities, official notices and updates.