Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna PhD Scholarship

Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa is one of Italy’s elite public research schools, known for its highly selective, research-intensive doctoral programmes. It offers fully funded PhD scholarships to bright graduates from Italy and abroad, selecting candidates through a competitive examination and immersing them in interdisciplinary research groups and international networks.

The award is fully funded with no tuition fees, providing a doctoral scholarship of roughly 16,000 to 17,000 euros a year (paid in installments) plus a top-up for research stays abroad, for three or four years depending on the programme and renewed annually on a successful assessment. Total support is about 87,991 euros over a three-year programme and about 113,851 over a four-year programme.

Eligibility is open to graduates from Italy and abroad who hold (or are about to hold) a qualifying degree for doctoral admission, are selected by a competitive examination assessing academic background and research aptitude, and have a strong interest in an interdisciplinary, research-intensive environment. You choose a Sant’Anna PhD programme and read its call, submit the online application with all required documents before the deadline, sit the selective admission examination (written and/or oral, sometimes remote), and enrol if admitted. For ambitious researchers, Sant’Anna offers an outstanding, fully funded doctoral experience in Italy.

• Open to bright graduates from Italy and abroad.
• Hold (or be about to hold) a qualifying degree for doctoral admission.
• Selected by a competitive examination assessing academic background and research aptitude.
• Strong interest in an interdisciplinary, research-intensive environment.

• Full PhD scholarship for the duration of the programme, renewed each year.
• No tuition fees.
• Additional allowance for study and research periods abroad.
• Personalised training within the School's research groups and international networks.

• Online application through the programme's call.
• Academic transcripts and degree certificate(s).
• Research statement or proposal as specified by the programme.
• Curriculum vitae.
• Letters of reference and proof of English (or Italian) as required.

• Choose a Sant'Anna PhD programme and read its call for applications.
• Submit the online application with all required documents before the programme deadline.
• Sit the selective admission examination (written and/or oral, sometimes remote); admitted candidates enrol and receive the funded position (confirm the current call).