Dottorato con enti e imprese
Doctoral programs conducted in collaboration with institutions and businesses represent a strategic opportunity to strengthen the link between academia and the manufacturing world. This type of program allows doctoral students to combine scientific research with concrete market needs, promoting innovation and technology transfer.
Through the direct involvement of companies and public or private institutions, industrial or joint doctoral programs foster the development of highly qualified professionals capable of tackling complex challenges with an interdisciplinary approach focused on solving real-world problems. Businesses, for their part, benefit from access to advanced expertise and cutting-edge research results, thus enabling them to improve their processes, products, and services.
Collaboration methods between institutions and the PhD program
Collaboration within the doctoral program can be achieved through:
funding a scholarship;
funding an apprenticeship;
establishing a doctoral program in partnership with (industrial) companies, which may include places reserved for company employees;
establishing a doctoral program in partnership or consortium with national and international universities and research institutions.
Funding a scholarship
Ministerial Decree 226 of December 14, 2021, redefined the rules for the accreditation of doctoral programs in Italy, enhancing the involvement of public bodies and businesses and paving the way for industrial and innovative doctoral programs.
Institutions and businesses can initiate or consolidate scientific collaboration with the University of Palermo in the context of doctoral programs on research topics of mutual interest.
To access this opportunity, institutions and businesses can finance scholarships for doctoral programs by entering into specific agreements with the University of Palermo.
Documents:
Costs related to the financing of doctoral scholarships
Apprenticeship Doctorate
The apprenticeship doctorate is a specific type of doctoral program that falls within the framework of higher education and research apprenticeships (regulated by Legislative Decree 81/2015, Article 45). It is a fixed-term employment contract, stipulated between a company and a doctoral student, that allows them to earn a doctoral degree while remaining professionally employed within the company.
Main Features
Duration: coincides with that of the doctoral program (usually 3 years).
Contract: The doctoral student is hired under a paid apprenticeship contract aimed at earning a doctorate.
Blended training: The program includes both academic activities at the university and research and work in the company, according to a shared training project.
Protection: The contract guarantees the worker's rights and the full validity of the academic qualification.
Objectives
Promote the qualified entry of young people into the workforce.
Strengthen the relationship between universities and businesses by promoting applied research and technology transfer.
Develop professional profiles capable of integrating academic and operational skills, responding to concrete innovation needs.
The apprenticeship doctorate represents an effective tool for integrating advanced training and the world of work, enhancing research as a driver of innovation and competitiveness.
Doctorate in agreement with companies
A doctorate in collaboration with companies is a type of doctoral research program that involves a formal collaboration between the university and a public or private company, governed by an agreement. This agreement establishes mutual commitments and defines the research project, which is carried out partly at the university and partly at the company.
Main Features
Joint Project: The research plan is developed jointly by the university and the company, with shared scientific and applied objectives.
Location: The doctoral student carries out part of their research within the company, in close collaboration with the Research and Development teams.
Co-financing: The company can contribute fully or partially to the funding of the doctoral scholarship, as established in the agreement.
Supervision: The doctoral student is supervised by both an academic tutor (from the university) and a company tutor (from the company).
Objectives
Promote technology transfer between the university and the company.
Develop researchers capable of working in both the scientific and manufacturing fields.
Bringing academic research closer to the real needs of industry.
The doctorate program in partnership with companies is a flexible and strategic option that allows for the integration of academic training and the manufacturing environment, creating synergies that benefit researchers' growth and the competitiveness of research itself.
Doctorate of national interest
The Doctorate of National Interest is an innovative form of doctorate promoted by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), created to address strategic issues for the country through collaboration between multiple universities, research institutions, and often businesses.
It is a program with a national steering committee, coordinated by a leading university, but implemented by a network of universities and public or private entities throughout the country.
Main Features
Unifying Theme: Each doctorate focuses on a strategic challenge (e.g., artificial intelligence, ecological transition, health, cybersecurity).
National Network: Involves several universities, each with its own administrative offices, but coordinated on a common scientific project.
Interdisciplinary Approach: Fosters the integration of expertise from different fields (e.g., engineering, economics, law, social sciences).
Broad Collaborations: Research centers, public bodies, and businesses also participate, with possible co-funding or in-kind contributions.
Goals
Promote the training of highly specialized researchers in priority sectors for the country's development.
Strengthen scientific cooperation between universities and local authorities.
Create a national critical mass in key areas for innovation and competitiveness.
The Doctorate of National Interest represents a strategic evolution of the Italian doctorate, designed to enhance academic excellence and orient training toward the scientific and technological priorities of the future.
The University of Palermo has launched two Doctorate Programs of National Interest: