The Scholarship

Notice of Public Exam for the admission to the doctoral research courses of the 26th cycle published in the Official Gazette (hereafter O.G.) No.62 4th Special Series of the 6 August 2010
Last date for the presentation of applications: 24 September 2010.

Article 1 – Implementation
1. There is a public exam for the admission to the 3-year Ph.D. courses – 26th cycle – as per appendix A, with administrative seat at the University of Genoa.
2. The public exam shall proceed according to the following instructions as indicated in appendix A for each course on the basis of:

- qualifications;
- an examination;
- qualifications and an examination;
- qualifications and an interview;
3. According to the present notice, by qualifications we hereby imply: the information contained in the application and in the curriculum vitae, letters of presentation, the research project, other qualifications mentioned under art. 3, paragraph 2, letter d), 3, 4 and 5.
4. The courses are organised in Ph.D. schools. Each School shall have its Director and relative Department or any other relevant coordinating body for research. A Coordinator and a relative Department or any relevant coordinating body for research, the number of places, grants, with the indication of financial sources, any reserved and in excess places for non-EU citizens resident abroad, the main research area in which the winner of the grant shall have to carry out his/her research, for the grants financed by the Ministry under the Ministerial Decree N. 198 of 23.10.2003 and subsequent modifications, shall be determined for the courses. In the case of Schools and the pooling of Ph.D. courses pursuant to Article 2, paragraph 3 of the Regulations of the Doctoral Schools of the University of Genoa, joint certification may be awarded and the referring universities shall however be clearly stated. The sum required for acceptance and for attendance of the courses is stated for each School.
5. The number of grants may be increased on the basis of special agreements with public or private bodies, to be defined before the expiry date of this public notice.
6. The agreements indicated in appendix A have already been drawn up, or are currently being drawn up.
7. The increase in the number of grants can determine an increase in the number of possible Doctoral candidates, although the maximum number of places cannot exceed twice the number of grants of differing kinds which have been activated for the Ph.D. course. The places in excess as per paragraph 4 of art. 6 of the Rules and Regulations for the Ph.D. Schools of the University of Genoa are excluded from this calculation.
8. The information concerning each single course, the timetable, its contents and the test procedures, the research themes and the foreign languages one can chose for the tests, is published in appendix A of the present notice of public exam. Any updates/amendments shall be published on the university internet site at http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/.

Article 2 – Admission Requirements
1. Candidates who – within the expiry date of this public notice – hold a degree  which has been conferred according to the rules and regulations in force prior to the reform of didactic freedom in universities, or a specialist/Master’s degree or an equivalent foreign academic qualification, may apply for the selection procedure without age or citizenship limitations. Candidates who obtain their degree after the expiry date of this notice shall be admitted with reserve as long as they receive their degree within the final date of 29 October 2010.
2. In the case of a degree obtained abroad and judged suitable, if the qualification has not yet been deemed equivalent, the candidate shall require that this recognition be granted for public exam purposes only. In such cases candidates shall also enclose the following documents:
a) a translation of the academic qualifications duly notarized by the Italian diplomatic or consular office of the country in which the qualifications were achieved;
b) a “Dichiarazione di Valore” (Declaration of Worth) of the qualifications drawn up by the same consular body.
3. The decree of equivalence shall be accepted solely for admission to the public exam and to enrol on the course.
4. If the Italian diplomatic or consular office does not provide the documentation in time to apply, one should enclose all the documentation available.
The consequent decree of equivalence shall be accepted on condition that the legal translation and the “Dichiarazione di Valore” (Declaration of Worth) be presented within the deadline for enrolment on the courses for the candidates admitted.

Article 3 – Application for Admission
1. Applications for the selection procedure shall be submitted by means of the online procedure available at the address http://servizionline.unige.it/studenti/post-laurea/dottorato, by 12 o’clock (Italian time) of 24 September 2010 (expiry date of the public notice).
2. Applications shall report (self-certification) – under the candidates’ responsibility and at the risk of exclusion from the public exam – the following information:
the applicant’s full name, tax code, date and place of birth, place of residence, contact telephone number and postal address chosen for the purposes of this selection. Foreign nationals should supply an address in Italy, otherwise that of their Embassy in Italy as agreed place of domicile. Tax codes can be omitted by foreign applicants if unavailable, though this should be clearly stated;
the title of the Ph.D. course, of the doctoral School, and, if required, the specialization the candidate is applying for. The candidate may present his/her application for admission to no more than two courses or specializations in the same School. Please note that a separate application must be made for each course and/or specialization chosen. Applications submitted after 12 o’clock of 24 September 2010 shall not be taken into consideration.
the applicant’s citizenship;
the type of degree held, date, grade and name of the awarding University or the equivalent qualifications granted by a foreign University, as well as the documentation in which its equivalence has been granted or the request of equivalence issued for admission purposes solely as per art. 2, Should the candidate graduate after the expiry date for admission to the public exam selection procedure, as long as he/she holds a degree within and not later than 29 October 2010, he/she shall be admitted to the selection procedure with reserve and shall, at the risk of exclusion from the public exam, complete the application by means of self-certification of the awarded degree to be presented to the Servizio Alta Formazione, also by fax to the following number +39 – 010 – 2099539 enclosing a copy of a valid document of identity, within and not later than 29 October 2010 (postmarks will not be accepted as proof of posting);
a statement whereby the candidate agrees to attend the doctoral course full-time, as per indications of the Teaching Body;
(only for the public exam selections that involve an interview) a statement whereby the candidate shall indicate the foreign language he/she wishes to prove knowledge of during the interview;
a statement whereby the candidate undertakes to communicate each/any change in residence or address in time;
(only for foreign students participating in selections based on an interview) adequate knowledge of Italian language.
3. The following documents should also be attached by means of the on-line procedure:
a) an identity document
b) the candidates’ curriculum vitae et studiorum duly dated and signed.
This curriculum may include all the information relevant to the subject themes of the doctoral course the candidate has applied for. This information, for example, may concern: previous research and/or work experience, any other qualifications (school qualifications included), certifications, publications, patents, etc.
4. For the research doctoral courses for which the admission selection is based on qualifications or on qualifications and an interview, or on qualifications and an examination, candidates shall also indicate in their curriculum: the title of their dissertation and a synthetic description of it, as well as a list of the examinations sat, the grades and, if possible, a brief description of the relative syllabuses.
5. For the research doctoral courses for which admission is based on qualifications or qualifications and an interview or on qualifications and an examination, candidates shall also attach by means of the online procedure:
a) at least one letter (and not more than three) of presentation of the candidate signed by a university lecturer or an expert in the subject;
b) a signed research project concerning one or more of the research areas of the doctorate applied for, as in Appendix A (maximum 10 pages);
c) a statement of actual knowledge of English language; foreign nationals may also state their knowledge of Italian language;
d) any other qualifications relative to the subject areas of the research dealt with in the course, papers shall not be more than 10 pages long.
6. Please refer to appendix A for information on other documents required for single courses or specializations.
All documents must be uploaded in PDF format.
7. The documents as per the previous paragraphs 2, 3 and 5 may be in either Italian or English. Please refer to appendix A for information on the submission of the documents in other languages.
8. The statements in the curriculum vitae et studiorum are deemed to be substitute certifications or formal declarations before a commissioner of oaths. Should rules and regulations concerning substitute statements NOT be applicable (Decree of the President of the Republic No. 445/2000 and subsequent amendments) candidates shall nonetheless take civil, administrative and legal responsibility for the statements reported in their curriculum vitae. This Administration reserves the right to ascertain the truthfulness of such statements – as governed by laws in force. Candidates who make false statements shall automatically be excluded from enrolment and any grants awarded shall be retroactively withdrawn. Further administrative and/or penal sanctions foreseen by the laws and legislation in force may also be applied.
9. The University Administration cannot be held responsible for documentation which goes astray due to mistaken indications of residence and postal address given by the candidate and / or due to the fact that the candidate has not communicated any changes or has communicated them too late. Furthermore, this office cannot be held responsible for any mistakes in postal or telegraphic delivery.
10. The university reserves the right to enforce, even after the public exam is over, sanctions which exclude candidates who have failed to comply with or meet up to requirements herein established.

Article 4 – Admission Procedures
1. Selective assessment for admission to the research doctoral courses is mainly concerned with establishing the candidates’ aptitude for scientific research and is carried out by each commission in the following manner:
a) in selections based on qualifications, the Commission shall previously establish the criteria for the comparative assessment of the qualifications, also to determine their suitability;
b) in the selections based on qualifications and an interview, the assessment of qualifications shall be carried out by the Commission according to the previous point a).
Before the interview, the relative list of candidates shall be posted in the areas indicated in art. 5, paragraph 5.
The interview will include the illustration of the research activities the candidate is interested in, also on the basis of previous activities stated in his/her curriculum vitae et studiorum, without prejudice to any different instructions described in appendix A. The pass mark for the oral test is at least 40/60.
During the interview the candidate shall also prove his/her proficiency in a foreign language.
c) in the selections based on tests, the selective assessment consists of a theoretical and/or practical test, relative to the subjects and to any other indications described in appendix A, and an interview. The pass mark for the theoretical and/or practical test is at least 40/60.
The interview will consist in the discussion of the first test and the description of the candidate’s research area of interest, also on the basis of previous activities stated in his/her curriculum vitae et studiorum, without prejudice to any different instructions described in appendix A. The pass mark for the interview is at least 40/60.
During the interview the candidate shall also prove his/her proficiency in a foreign language.
d) in the selections based on qualifications and tests, the assessment of qualifications shall be carried out by the Commission in accordance with the terms in point a).
Before the exams, the relative list of candidates shall be posted in the areas indicated in art. 5, paragraph 5.
The test based on theoretical and/or practical contents and the interview will take place according to indications as per point c).
2. Whatever the type of public exam, should candidates obtain equal marks, grants shall be awarded on the basis of their income, as per the Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers 9 April 2001, whereas, for places without a grant, priority shall be given to the youngest candidate.
3. In order to sit the tests, candidates shall be asked to exhibit one of the following identity documents:
a) an identity card;
b) a driving licence;
c) a passport;
d) a post office card;
e) a gun licence.

Article 5 – Examining Commissions and their Functions
1. The Chancellor, at the request of the Teaching Body, appoints, by personal decree, the commission which will carry out the selective assessment of the candidates. The commission is made up of 3 members chosen from among university lecturers and tenured researchers to which a maximum of 2 experts, who may also be foreign nationals, chosen from public and private research institutions and structures, may be added.
2. Each examining commission shall establish the assessment criteria before viewing the applications and documentation submitted by the candidates.
3. At the close of each oral examination session the examining commission will draw up a list of the names of the candidates examined and their respective marks. The list, after having been undersigned by the President and Secretary of the commission, shall be posted the same day on the faculty or department notice-board where the exam took place.
4. Once the exams have all been completed, the commission shall draw up the general list of successful candidates based on the sum of the marks achieved by each candidate in the single tests.
5. The final lists shall be announced on 1 of December 2010, and will appear solely on:
- the notice-board of the relevant research Departments/structures;
- the notice board of the Servizio Alta Formazione;
- on the Internet address
http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/
No information whatsoever shall be posted to candidates’ domicile.

Article 6 – Admission to the Courses
1. Candidates are admitted to the courses according to the order in which they appear on the final list until all available places have been assigned.
2. Candidates successfully positioned in the final list for a place in more than one doctoral course/specialisation shall choose only one of them, under penalty of expiration, according to the terms indicated in article 8.
3. The places, with or without a grant, which are reserved for non-EU citizens resident abroad and which have not been assigned, shall be added to those available to EU citizens.
4. Research grant holders adequately positioned on the final list shall be admitted to the courses without being entitled to a grant. They shall nevertheless maintain their research grant.
Nonetheless, the total number of candidates admitted to the courses shall in no case exceed the total number of places available, except for the places in excess as per paragraph 4 of art. 6 of the Rules and Regulations for the Ph.D. Schools of the University of Genoa.
Article 7 – Grants
1. Grants are assigned according to the order of the final pass list.
2. Candidates who have been assigned the right to a grant may, in relation to the number and type of grants available, choose one among the various grants according to the order of the final pass list.
3. Candidates with equal grades will be granted funds on the basis of their incomes, as per D.P.C.M. 9 April 2001.
4. However, candidates who have been awarded a grant for a doctoral course – albeit for a single year – may not benefit from a second one.
5. The simultaneous use of other study grants is not allowed, except for those awarded by national or foreign institutions which integrate student research activities or training by means of trips abroad.
6. The annual gross amount including social security expenses to be paid by the recipient of each grant is 13.638,47 Euros.
7. The amount of the doctoral grant shall be increased by 50% for study periods abroad. Furthermore, the graduate student has the right to the reimbursement of the cost of the cheapest return travel ticket during the three years of the course. Study periods abroad cannot exceed half the length of the course.
8. Study grants enjoy fiscal concessions referred to in art. 4 of Law No. 476 of 13.08.1984.

Article 8 – Application schedule and contents
1. Candidates who have been admitted to the doctoral courses shall hand in or send their enrolment applications to the university Administration according to the following deadlines.

1 December publication of final lists and opening of enrolments
9 December  last date for candidates who have been assigned a grant to enrol
10 December  publication of the remaining grants/posts on the website http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/
15 December  last date to enrol for candidates admitted to the courses without a grant and for candidates who have taken over the remaining grants/posts published with a notice on 10 December;
16 December  publication of the list of any other remaining grants/posts on the website
http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/
21 December  last date to enrol for candidates who take over any remaining grants/posts published with a notice on the 16 December;

The abovementioned dates are binding under penalty of expiration and postmarks shall not be deemed acceptable as proof of posting.
If applications are not sent in within these dates, it will be considered as a withdrawal from the course and grant.
Applications may be sent in advance by fax to +39 -  010-209 9539
Any remaining posts after the 21 December will be made known in the same ways as above.

2. The winners, besides stating his/her personal data and indicating the course and the School chosen, shall also state the following in their applications:
a) that he/she has not enrolled in any other doctoral course or other study course which assigns an academic qualification, even from another University.
The grant holders shall also declare that:
b) they have never before been awarded grants for doctoral studies;
c) their total gross annual income will not exceed € 13,000.00. Alternatively, candidates should forfeit the grant if their income is greater than this amount (incomes are calculated on all kinds of incomes or emoluments);
d) they will not add this grant to any other grant whatsoever except for those awarded by national or foreign institutions which may help to integrate the doctoral research activities with trips abroad;
e) they agree to return the grant payments they may have received if they exceed the income limit.
3. Enrolment applications should also include:
a)  a photocopy of an identity document, back and front;
b)   a passport photograph;
c)  (only for those who do not benefit from a grant) the receipts of the payment of the first instalment of the enrolment and attendance fee equal to € 436.62 (comprising the cost of revenue stamp), and the regional right-to-study tax as per art. 4 L.R. (Regional Law) 24.01.2006, No 2. The above-mentioned payments may also be done by means of the on-line procedure. Study-grant holders should just attach a € 14.62 revenue stamp onto their application.

Article 9 – Withdrawals and Prohibitions
1. Enrolment on another course which assigns an academic qualification, even from other Universities, is not allowed.
2. Failure to obtain admission to the following year or exclusion due to serious default or unsuitable research activity results, in relation to the procedures established by the Teaching Body, shall cause the withdrawal of the grant and the obligation for the student to return the instalments already received for that year.
3. Doctoral students who forfeit their grant during the year owing to a higher income, but who continue their studies, shall return any grant instalments already received for that year.
4. Doctoral students with grants who drop out of the course during the year have the right to keep the portion of the grant which corresponds to the period of activity, if and only if the Teaching Body states that the students’ activities up to that moment were regular and fruitful.
5. Candidates who are found to have made false statements shall be excluded from the course. Criminal punitive measures for the issuing of false documentation and untruthful statements may also be applied.

Article 10 – Access and Attendance Fees
1. Graduate students who do not benefit from a grant shall pay access and attendance fees in two instalments as follows:
the first instalment together with the regional right-to-study tax as per art. 8, paragraph 3, lett. c), shall be paid on enrolment.
the second instalment, specified in appendix A) for each School/course, shall be paid by 30 June 2011.
2. University fees and taxes, including the aforementioned regional tax, may vary yearly according to the decisions made by the relevant Authorities. The total of the second instalment for each School is established yearly for all the functioning cycles.
3. If payments are not carried out according to the above mentioned terms, interest shall be paid on arrears.

Article 11 – Organisation of the Courses
1. The course starts officially on 1 of January 2011 and lasts three years.
2. Graduate students are required to perform their curricular activities, full-time, in accordance with the procedures established by the Teaching Body.
3. With the approval of the Teaching Body, doctoral students may take part in research activities carried out by the University provided they are in line with their academic studies.
4. Regardless of the subject theme chosen by the candidate as per the aforementioned art. 3, paragraph 5, letter b), during the course the doctoral student shall carry out the research assigned to him/her by the Teaching Body.
5. Prior to the Teaching Body’s approval, doctoral students may undertake support teaching as per art. 33 of the University Statute.
6. Doctoral students may take leave of absence from the course in the following cases which shall be fully and duly certified: maternity, paternity, illness,  postgraduate Master degree attendance. Absences may be made up at the end of the course. Should this prove unfeasible, graduate students shall sit the final doctorate examinations in the following Ph.D. cycle. Should the course interruption last more than 30 days, grants shall be immediately withdrawn.
7. The provisions stated under the above paragraph withstanding, graduate students who discontinue the doctoral course in order to attend a Postgraduate Master degree should notify their intentions and also the final date of the course. In this case the period of interruption cannot be less than 9 months.
8. Each year doctoral students shall present a detailed written account of the activities carried out and present it to the Teaching Body and if required, discuss it according to the procedures established by the Teaching Body. Then the Teaching Body, after conferring with the tutor, shall draw up a resolution and proceed to admitting the students to the following year. Should a student’s performance be insufficient, they shall ask the Chancellor to issue an order to exclude the student from continuing the course.
9. Before the beginning of each course, the graduate students who have been successfully admitted as per the above paragraph shall apply for enrolment for the following year. Students shall also – if required – enclose a copy of payment receipts as per art. 10, paragraph 1, letter a).

Article 14 – Availability and Information
1. This notice of public exam is available on the website of the University of Genoa at the following address http://www.studenti.unige.it/dottorati.

Application Deadline : 24 September 2010

Web Link

http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/XXVI/generale/en/