Calls and application
FUTURE PHD CANDIDATES
Calls and application procedure
Learn how UNICAM PhD admission works, how to prepare and submit an application, and what happens during the subsequent selection procedure. Check the current Call carefully: different admission sessions may have different requirements, deadlines and application portals.
UNICAM · SECOND SESSION
Applications open
Six Regione Marche-funded scholarships across five UNICAM PhD Programmes. Application deadline: 22 October 2026, 1:00 p.m. Additional regional eligibility requirements apply.
UNICAM · FIRST SESSION
Final rankings published
Applications closed on 24 July 2026. Final merit rankings were published on 21 September 2026. Successful candidates should follow the applicable acceptance and enrolment instructions.
NATIONAL PHD · TAN
Second-session applications open
One Regione Marche-funded scholarship is available in Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience. Applications close on 22 October 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Final rankings for the TAN first-session procedure have also been published.
IMPORTANT
Always follow the official Call for your admission session
The official Call, its annexes, amendments and institutional notices govern the selection. Application instructions must be read together with the corresponding Call. Requirements, available positions and deadlines may differ between admission procedures and sessions, even within the same PhD cycle.
CURRENT OPPORTUNITY · SECOND SESSION
Marche Region-funded PhD scholarships: what you must know
The Cycle XLII second session consists of two separate admission procedures. The UNICAM Call offers six scholarships across five PhD Programmes, while the National PhD Programme in Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience offers one additional scholarship. Each scholarship is linked to a specific Research Topic described in the relevant Annex 1. Neither procedure offers positions without a scholarship.
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION
Applicants must:
• already hold the required admission qualification;
• be inactive, not in employment or unemployed, under the applicable regional rules;
• be resident in the Marche Region or have been domiciled there for at least six months;
• be under 36 years of age.
• already hold the required admission qualification;
• be inactive, not in employment or unemployed, under the applicable regional rules;
• be resident in the Marche Region or have been domiciled there for at least six months;
• be under 36 years of age.
All these requirements must be met on the date the application is submitted, not merely by the beginning of the PhD.
ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS FOR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
The regional scholarships require full-time commitment, research activities consistent with the funded project, mobility abroad for a period of three to six months, and compliance with the applicable regional funding obligations. Simultaneous enrolment in other university programmes is not permitted.
PROGRAMMES, TOPICS AND APPLICATIONS
For the UNICAM Second Call, you may submit a separate application for each PhD Programme of interest, up to a maximum of three applications. Within one Programme, you may select up to two available Research Topics and rank them in order of preference. The TAN Second Call offers one scholarship linked to one specific Research Topic and uses a separate application procedure. A €20 fee is required for each application. Consult the relevant Annex 1 before applying.
KEY DATES · ITALIAN TIME
22 October 2026, 1:00 p.m. · Application submission and fee payment deadline
23 October 2026, 1:00 p.m. · Deadline for receipt of any reference letters
26 and/or 27 October 2026 · Remote interviews
28 October 2026 · Expected rankings, subject to change
31 October 2026 · Acceptance deadline and applicable documentation requirements
1 November 2026 · Mandatory PhD starting date
23 October 2026, 1:00 p.m. · Deadline for receipt of any reference letters
26 and/or 27 October 2026 · Remote interviews
28 October 2026 · Expected rankings, subject to change
31 October 2026 · Acceptance deadline and applicable documentation requirements
1 November 2026 · Mandatory PhD starting date
Apply · 6 UNICAM scholarships → UNICAM Second Call and documents → TAN Second Call and documents →
SECOND SESSION · FOREIGN QUALIFICATIONS
Your admission degree must already be awarded
Applicants with foreign qualifications must already hold their admission degree when applying. For enrolment, the relevant Call requires CIMEA comparability and verification documentation or a Declaration of Value, together with the other qualification documents specified in the Call. The required recognition documentation must be issued and sent to dottorato@unicam.it by 31 October 2026.
Degree certificates, transcripts and official translations may also be required. Check immediately whether you can obtain and submit all the documents within the prescribed deadlines.
01 · OFFICIAL CALL
Read the Call and all annexes
Before preparing an application, read the complete Call for Applications, research fields and topics, application guidelines and any amendments or notices. The Call establishes the available positions, eligibility requirements, deadlines, evaluation criteria and all binding conditions.
02 · PROGRAMME AND RESEARCH AREA
Choose the correct Programme and Research Topic
Identify the PhD Programme, curriculum, research field and Research Topic or Topics consistent with your qualifications and research interests. Carefully check any limits on the number of Programmes, preferences or applications established by the relevant Call.
Second session: the UNICAM Call offers six specific Research Topics across five PhD Programmes. A separate application is required for each Programme, up to three applications, and up to two Research Topics may be selected within the same Programme where available. The TAN Call offers one scholarship for the specific Research Topic Chronic pain and neurodegeneration: a translational approach to understanding biological mechanisms and developing innovative therapeutic strategies.
03 · ONLINE APPLICATION
Access the application platform indicated in your Call
Applications are submitted through the PICA online platform indicated in the relevant official Call. The two second-session selections use different application procedures. Always check that the platform address corresponds to the Call for which you wish to apply.
UNICAM Second Call · Applications open
Use this procedure for the six Regione Marche-funded scholarships across the five UNICAM PhD Programmes. Complete and submit your application, including payment of the €20 fee, by 22 October 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Italian time.
TAN Second Call · Applications open
Use the separate TAN procedure for the Regione Marche-funded scholarship in the National PhD Programme in Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience. The same application and fee deadline applies: 22 October 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Italian time.
04 · APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
Complete the application and upload all required documents
Enter the personal and academic information requested by the platform and upload all mandatory documents in the format and language established by the Call.
Depending on the Call and Programme, documents may include:
• a valid identity document;
• curriculum vitae;
• academic qualifications and transcripts;
• research project or proposal;
• statement of purpose or motivation letter;
• documentation relating to foreign qualifications and translations;
• publications or other supporting material permitted by the Call.
• a valid identity document;
• curriculum vitae;
• academic qualifications and transcripts;
• research project or proposal;
• statement of purpose or motivation letter;
• documentation relating to foreign qualifications and translations;
• publications or other supporting material permitted by the Call.
Second session · Specific application documents
For both second-session procedures, complete the PICA application in English. Prepare a research project in English, consistent with the selected Research Topic, and a motivation letter in English or Italian. Upload the required identity document, CV and any other documents indicated by Article 7 and the relevant application platform. The research project will be considered during evaluation and will be binding on the research activities subsequently carried out.
05 · REFERENCES
Enter your referees correctly
Where the procedure permits or requires references, enter the current email addresses of professors or researchers familiar with your academic and research work.
The platform may send an automatic request to each referee. Contact referees in advance and check any separate deadline for submission of references established by the Call.
Second session · Reference-letter deadline
For both second-session procedures, up to three referees may be nominated after final submission through the dedicated PICA function. Reference letters are recommended but not mandatory. Referees must submit their letters through the online procedure by 23 October 2026, 1:00 p.m. Italian time. Candidates should not upload reference letters as ordinary attachments.
06 · APPLICATION FEE
Pay the application fee where required
When required, complete payment using the procedure indicated in the Call and online application. The amount, payment deadline, refund conditions and any rules relating to multiple applications are established by the relevant Call.
Verify that the payment status has been correctly acquired by the application platform before completing final submission.
Second session · €20 for each application
The fee is mandatory and non-refundable. Payment and final submission must both be completed by 22 October 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Italian time. For the UNICAM Second Call, candidates applying to more than one PhD Programme must pay the fee separately for each application.
07 · FINAL SUBMISSION
Sign and submit the application
Saving an application as a draft does not constitute submission. After checking every section, complete the final submission and any signature procedure required by PICA.
Follow the authentication and signature instructions displayed by the platform. An application is valid only when the required final submission procedure has been successfully completed.
Second session · Complete all submission steps
After paying the application fee, return to PICA and complete the Sign and Submit procedure. SPID authentication does not require a separate signature, but final submission remains mandatory. For other access methods, follow the signature instructions displayed by the platform.
08 · SUBMISSION CONFIRMATION
Verify successful submission
After submission, check that the application is shown as submitted in your dashboard and retain the confirmation, application PDF and application identification number.
The identification number may subsequently be used in shortlists, interview notices, rankings and other official communications instead of the candidate's name.
09 · CHANGES AND WITHDRAWAL
Modify or withdraw an application
During an open application period, a saved draft can normally be reopened and modified until final submission.
After final submission, changes or withdrawal are possible only where and in the manner permitted by the relevant Call and application platform. Follow the official procedure rather than sending an informal replacement document.
10 · SELECTION PROCEDURE
Evaluation and interviews
The selection procedure may include verification of eligibility and evaluation of qualifications, curriculum, research proposal and motivation, followed by an interview for candidates admitted to the subsequent stage.
Evaluation criteria, minimum scores, interview language, format and calendar are established by the relevant Call and subsequent official notices.
Second-session Calls · Selection dates and format
Both second-session procedures include an initial evaluation of the application and research proposal, followed by remote interviews for shortlisted candidates on 26 and/or 27 October 2026. Shortlists, interview timetables and online meeting details will be published through the relevant official UNICAM Call page. The published timetable constitutes official notification.
11 · OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS
Shortlists, interviews and rankings
Shortlists, interview calendars, corrections, final rankings and subsequent notices are published on the official institutional pages indicated by the relevant Call.
These publications may constitute official notification. Candidates should monitor the institutional pages regularly and should not rely solely on receiving individual email communications. Final rankings for both Cycle XLII first-session procedures have now been published.
12 · SUPPORT
Technical and administrative support
For questions concerning eligibility, documentation or the admission procedure, contact the Advanced Studies Office. For technical problems with PICA, use the technical support service indicated on the relevant application page.
During an open application period, request assistance well before the deadline and include the PhD Programme, application identification number where available, and a clear description of the issue. TAN applicants should use the support link available on the dedicated TAN PICA procedure.
AFTER THE SELECTION
Check the results and follow the acceptance instructions
Candidates awarded a position must follow the acceptance and enrolment instructions within the deadline established by the Call or subsequent official notice. Failure to complete the required steps within the prescribed deadline may result in loss of the position.
Second-session Calls: awarded positions must be accepted by 31 October 2026. The acceptance form will be provided to selected candidates by the Advanced Studies Office. The PhD Programme must begin on 1 November 2026. Candidates should also complete the required online enrolment and submit all documents under the conditions of the relevant Call.