64 PhD Scholarships At The University Of Messina in Italy 2026/2027

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The University of Messina (Università degli Studi di Messina), in Sicily (Italy), is opening the public admission competition for its 42nd cycle PhD programs, for the 2026-2027 academic year. The competition gives access to 15 PhD programs covering the engineering, life, exact, human, social, and legal sciences. The doctorates last three years and begin on 1 November 2026.

The application is made exclusively online via the Esse3 platform, accessible from 25 June 2026 until 24 July 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (Italian time, CEST). Each doctoral scholarship amounts to €16,243.00 gross per year (before social security contributions payable by the recipient), paid monthly. For mandatory research periods abroad, the allowance is increased by 50%. The scholarship is renewed each year subject to a positive assessment of activities.

Candidates from particularly poor and developing countries are exempt from the €30 application fee. In addition, the competition is open with no age or nationality limit.

About the PhD at the University of Messina (42nd Cycle)

• LEVEL: PhD
• DURATION: 3 years, starting 1 November 2026
• APPLICATION: online via Esse3, from 25 June to 24 July 2026
• SCHOLARSHIP: €16,243 gross/year (+50% for mandatory stays abroad)
• APPLICATION FEE: €30 (waived for poor/developing countries)
• NATIONALITIES: all (no age limit)
• HOST INSTITUTION: University of Messina, Italy

The 15 PhD Programs Available at the University of Messina

The number of funded places may be increased if additional funding is secured after the publication of the call:

1. Bioengineering Applied to Medical Sciences — 4 UniMe/MUR scholarships + 1 position without scholarship
2. Applied Biology and Experimental Medicine (3 curricula) — 4 scholarships + 1 position without scholarship
3. Economics, Management and Statistics (in English) — 4 scholarships + 2 executive doctorates (companies) + 2 positions without scholarship
4. Physics — 4 scholarships + 1 position without scholarship
5. Engineering (industrial, information, civil, and architecture) — 4 UniMe/MUR scholarships + several scholarships funded by companies (Zappettificio Muzzi, HYDRAE project, Novamarine, National Cybersecurity Agency) + 1 executive doctorate (Vishay) + 3 positions without scholarship
6. Psychology — 3 UniMe/MUR scholarships + 3 scholarships (University of Catanzaro) + 2 positions without scholarship
7. Chemical Sciences (2 curricula) — 4 scholarships + 1 position without scholarship
8. Cognitive Sciences (2 curricula) — 4 scholarships + 1 position without scholarship
9. Public Administration Sciences — 3 scholarships + 1 position without scholarship
10. Legal Sciences (5 curricula) — 5 scholarships + 1 position without scholarship
11. Political Sciences — 4 scholarships + 1 position without scholarship
12. Humanistic Sciences (4 curricula: philology, anthropology/history, archaeology, philosophy) — 5 scholarships + 1 position without scholarship
13. Veterinary, Biotechnological, and Agricultural Sciences (4 curricula) — 4 scholarships + 1 executive doctorate (Sanypet) + 1 higher apprenticeship position (Falco) + 2 positions without scholarship
14. Sustainability Sciences (in English) — 3 scholarships + 1 position without scholarship
15. Translational Molecular Medicine and Surgery (in English) — 4 scholarships + 2 scholarships (PRONUTRA project) + 2 positions without scholarship

The details of each program (coordinator, department, research topics, type of degree required, examination dates) appear in Annexes 1 to 15 of the official call.

Amount and Financial Benefits

• a doctoral scholarship of €16,243.00 gross per year (before social security contributions payable by the recipient), credited monthly;
• a scholarship renewed each year, subject to a positive assessment of the previous year’s activity program;
• a 50% increase in the scholarship for research periods abroad, with prior authorization from the faculty board;
• for theme-specific scholarships, mandatory periods of stay abroad and/or in a company, specified in the annexes.

The University of Messina doctoral scholarship cannot be combined with another scholarship serving the same purpose.

Admission Requirements for the University of Messina PhD

Eligible to take part in the University of Messina doctoral competition, with no age or nationality limit, are persons who:

• hold, as of the call deadline, a Master’s degree (laurea magistrale/specialistica), a single-cycle degree, or a foreign qualification deemed equivalent and recognized as suitable for admission to the PhD;
• or will obtain this qualification no later than 31 October 2026 (failing which admission is forfeited in the event of success in the competition).

The suitability of the foreign degree is assessed by the examination committee, solely for the purposes of selection. The language requirements vary by program: most science programs require a good knowledge of English, while programs in the humanities, legal, political, and administrative sciences generally require a knowledge of Italian (sometimes a minimum B1 level). Three programs are entirely in English (Economics, Management and Statistics; Sustainability Sciences; Translational Molecular Medicine and Surgery).

Application Procedure for the PhD at the University of Messina

The application to the University of Messina PhD program is submitted only online via the university’s Esse3 platform. International candidates must create an Esse3 account via the registration procedure (available in Italian or English). The documents to attach (in PDF), along with a copy of a valid identity document, are:

1. Curriculum vitae;
2. Declaration of residence/domicile (form provided);
3. Self-certification of the degree (or, for foreign degrees, the degree certificate with transcript and official translation into Italian or English issued by the home university);
4. Master’s thesis;
5. Any publications;
6. Professional experience;
7. Other qualifications;
8. Research project (where provided for in the program annex).

A candidate may apply to several programs by submitting a separate application for each, but will have to choose a single program if admitted to more than one ranking.

Application Fee and Exemption

The payment of a €30 participation fee via the PagoPA system (or by bank transfer for candidates residing abroad) must be made no later than the closing day of the call, under penalty of exclusion. This fee is non-refundable.

Candidates who are nationals of the countries on the list of Ministerial Decree No. 176 of 24 February 2026 are exempt. This list includes many African countries, notably: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Comoros, DR Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Chad, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia, as well as countries in Asia and other regions (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Haiti, Nepal, Myanmar, Syria, Yemen, Timor-Leste, etc.). The full list is annexed to the call.

Examinations and Selection

Admission is by qualifications and examinations, out of 100 points: assessment of qualifications and the research project (maximum 40 points, of which a minimum of 24 is required to access the oral stage), then an oral examination (maximum 60 points, minimum 36 to pass). Only one program (Humanistic Sciences) includes a written test (scheduled for 1 September 2026). The oral examinations take place mainly online (via Microsoft Teams) or in a mixed format, between late July and early September 2026 depending on the program. During the interview, knowledge of the required language (often English, or Italian where applicable) is verified. The minimum overall score to be eligible is 60/100. The general ranking is finalized by rectoral decree and published on the university’s website, with the force of official notification.

Enrollment Fees After Admission

Upon enrollment, every admitted candidate (Italian or foreign, with or without a scholarship) pays a regional tax of €156 (€140 regional tax + €16 stamp duty). Admitted candidates without a scholarship are exempt from university contributions. Admitted candidates with a scholarship pay an annual contribution calculated according to income brackets (ISEE). Foreign candidates who are non-residents and do not generate income in Italy pay a flat annual contribution of €750.

Visa and Enrollment for Foreign Candidates

Foreign candidates who need a visa to stay in Italy must register on the Universitaly portal, request pre-enrollment in the PhD, and follow the visa procedure. Holders of a degree obtained outside the EU must provide a statement of comparability (CIMEA/ENIC-NARIC) or a Dichiarazione di Valore issued by the competent Italian diplomatic mission. Non-EU nationals must also produce a copy of their residence permit within ten days of its issuance.

Important Dates

• 25 June 2026: applications open on the Esse3 platform;
• 24 July 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (Italian time, CEST): deadline for submitting applications online;
• Late July to early September 2026: written (humanities, on 1 September 2026) and oral examinations, according to each program’s schedule;
• 31 October 2026: deadline for obtaining the required degree for candidates still completing their studies;
• 1 November 2026: start of the doctoral courses.

Since the application countdown is calculated from the official publication of the call, it is advisable to check the exact deadline on the University of Messina portal before finalizing your file.

FAQ – University of Messina PhD (42nd Cycle)

Contact

For any questions about the PhD at the University of Messina, please contact [email protected].

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