The PhD Programme in Chemical Sciences is structured over a three-year period and includes the participation of doctoral candidates in both training and research activities. These activities are partly common to all candidates and partly tailored to the specific research project of each PhD student.
Training activities include lecture series specifically designed for doctoral candidates, primarily delivered during the first and second years of the programme, as well as seminar cycles coordinated annually by the PhD Board on the basis of specific proposals and incoming mobility programmes involving Italian and international scholars. Doctoral candidates are also encouraged to attend doctoral schools and advanced training courses relevant to their research projects.
Research activities involve the development of a specific research topic proposed by the doctoral candidate in alignment with the objectives of the programme. Under the guidance of a supervisor appointed by the PhD Board, candidates will carry out their research in dedicated laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation, advanced computational resources, and specialised software. Throughout their laboratory activities, doctoral candidates will progressively develop the ability to conduct independent research, while engaging in continuous interaction with their supervisor and peers through regular group meetings.
Doctoral candidates are strongly encouraged to undertake research periods at other institutions and universities, both in Italy and abroad, also benefiting from Erasmus mobility programmes promoted annually by the University.
They are further encouraged to participate in national and international conferences, where they may present the results of their research.
The outcomes of the research activities are expected to be disseminated through publications in high-impact, peer-reviewed scientific journals relevant to the respective fields of study.
Educational Objectives
The PhD Programme aims to train highly qualified and competitive professionals capable of pursuing careers in research laboratories within academia, industry, and both public and private institutions.
Over the three-year period, the Programme ensures the achievement of a high standard of education in both theoretical and experimental domains. The main areas of training include chemical processes and advanced materials, innovative chemical methodologies, the development of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical/food-related products, nanotechnology, energy conversion and information processing, the isolation and structural characterization of active compounds, analytical and toxicological assessment of synthetic and natural products, chemical structural studies, thermodynamics of solution equilibria, and environmental protection and remediation.
Research activities are primarily conducted within the following scientific-disciplinary sectors: CHIM/01, CHIM/02, CHIM/03, BIO/10, CHIM/06, CHIM/08, CHIM/09, CHIM/10, CHIM/11, CHIM/12.
Career Opportunities and Professional Prospects
The PhD Programme in Chemical Sciences aims to equip early-career researchers with advanced organizational skills and the ability to conduct independent research across various fields of chemistry and biochemistry.
Graduates of the Programme will have access to a wide range of career opportunities in both the public and private sectors, including:
- basic and applied research (chemical and biochemical research aimed at fostering scientific and technological innovation, developing new methodologies and application protocols, and designing and characterizing novel products and formulations);
- industrial activities (chemical analysis, quality control, research and development);
- teaching and academic careers;
- professional practice and consultancy (expert advisory roles in pure and applied chemistry, high-responsibility positions in industry, and activities related to the synthesis and characterisation of new materials, as well as sectors such as healthcare and pharmaceuticals, food, environment, energy, safety, cultural heritage, and public administration).
Reference Scientific Areas
The educational framework of the PhD Programme in Chemical Sciences encompasses Scientific-Disciplinary Areas 03 – Chemical Sciences and 05 – Biological Sciences, to which the members of the PhD Board belong.
Within area 03 (Chemical Sciences), the following Scientific-Disciplinary Sectors are represented:
• CHIM/01 – Analytical Chemistry
• CHIM/02 – Physical Chemistry
• CHIM/03 – General and Inorganic Chemistry
• CHIM/06 – Organic Chemistry
• CHIM/08 – Medicinal Chemistry
• CHIM/09 – Applied Pharmaceutical Technology
• CHIM/10 – Food Chemistry
• CHIM/11 – Chemistry and Biotechnology of Fermentations
• CHIM/12 – Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry
Within Area 05 (Biological Sciences), the represented Scientific-Disciplinary Sector is:
• BIO/10 – Biochemistry
While the research activities of doctoral candidates are primarily rooted in one of the aforementioned sectors, they inherently incorporate interdisciplinary elements spanning other sectors within Areas 03 and 05.
Furthermore, the PhD Board includes highly qualified researchers from national research institutions, such as the CNR, as well as from industry. Although not formally classified within specific scientific-disciplinary sectors, their research activities are closely aligned with the thematic areas covered by Areas 03 and 05.