Italy, Scholarships

🎓 Fully Funded: Politecnico di Torino PhD Scholarship 2026 — Italy (42nd Cycle)

Gradualin

June 22, 2026
One Comment

One of Europe’s most respected technical universities has just opened its biggest PhD intake yet — and there is still time to apply. Politecnico di Torino in Turin, Italy is now accepting applications for its 42nd cycle PhD programmes, offering a minimum of 110 fully funded PhD scholarships across three separate sessions to candidates from every country in the world. The first session deadline is 30 April 2026 at 2:00 PM CET — so if you have your Master’s degree and a clear research interest, this guide gives you everything you need to apply with confidence: funding details, eligibility, all 16 PhD programmes, required documents, and a step-by-step application walkthrough.

Detail	Information
University	Politecnico di Torino (PoliTo)
Country	Italy
City	Turin
Degree Level	PhD (Doctorate) — 36 months
Cycle	42nd Cycle (A.Y. 2026/2027)
Funding Type	Fully Funded
Total Scholarships	Minimum 110 positions
Session 1 Deadline	30 April 2026 at 2:00 PM CET
Open To	All nationalities worldwide
English Requirement	B2 level certification required
Application Fee	€30 per programme (non-refundable)
Official Link	Call for Applications

🎓 About Politecnico di Torino and This Opportunity

Founded in 1859, Politecnico di Torino is Italy’s oldest public technical university and consistently ranked among the top engineering and architecture institutions in Europe. Based in Turin — a city synonymous with Italian industrial innovation and home to a thriving aerospace, automotive, and energy sector — PoliTo brings together academic excellence and hands-on research culture in a way that few European universities can match.

For the 42nd cycle, the university has committed to a minimum of 110 fully funded PhD scholarships, an increase from the 96 minimum offered in the previous cycle. The selection process now runs across three independent sessions rather than two, giving more candidates more entry points throughout the year.

What makes PoliTo stand out from other fully funded PhD programmes in Italy is the depth of its international collaborations. The university runs joint programmes with Tsinghua University (China), the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), and Università degli Studi di Torino, meaning your PhD research doesn’t happen in isolation — it connects you to global networks from day one. There is also a dedicated PoliTo for Refugees Project, reserving positions for candidates with international protection status, including those of Afghan nationality.

This is one of the few fully funded PhD programmes in Europe where the scholarship increases by 50% during international research stays abroad — a rare and genuinely useful benefit for researchers who plan to collaborate internationally.

🎓 Benefits and Funding

The 42nd cycle scholarship package is comprehensive and clearly defined:

Annual gross scholarship: €18,854.52 for the 2026/27 academic year, including social security contributions
Net monthly stipend: approximately €1,386 per month (subject to changes in social security rates)
Duration: up to 36 months, renewed annually on successful completion of required activities
International mobility bonus: scholarship increases by +50% for any research period spent abroad — one of the most generous mobility incentives in European PhD funding
Research activity budget: an additional 10% of the total scholarship value is provided as a research budget over 36 months — covering conferences, fieldwork, materials, and other direct research costs
Tuition fees: fully covered for scholarship holders
Tax exemptions: the doctoral scholarship is exempt from local income tax and Italian personal income tax (IRPEF)
Social security contributions: two-thirds paid by Politecnico di Torino, one-third by the scholarship recipient

Here’s what that means in real terms: a PhD candidate spending six months abroad in a given year would receive a significantly higher effective income for those months. Combined with Turin’s relatively affordable cost of living compared to Milan or Rome, this stipend goes considerably further than the headline figure suggests.

🎓 Eligibility Criteria

Before applying, confirm you meet all of the following requirements:

Academic qualification: A Master’s degree or equivalent second-level academic degree is required. You may apply conditionally if your degree is not yet complete — but you must finish by the deadline specified for your session.
Minimum GPA: For Italian degrees, a minimum final grade of 95/110 is required. For international degrees, minimum GPA thresholds are listed in Annex 2 of the official Call (verify on official website).
English language proficiency: A B2 level English certification is required. Accepted certifications are listed in Annex 4 of the official Call. IELTS is not the only accepted test — check the full list on the official website.
Nationality: Open to all nationalities — both Italian and international applicants are eligible.
Scholarship history: Candidates who have already received a scholarship for a doctoral programme in Italy are not eligible for a new scholarship position.
Age: No upper age limit for most positions. Apprenticeship-format positions have a maximum age of 29 at the time of hiring.
Application fee: A non-refundable €30 fee per PhD programme is required at submission.

🎓 Who Should Apply — and Who Shouldn’t

✅ You’re a strong candidate if you:

Hold a Master’s degree (or will complete one before your session’s deadline) in engineering, architecture, design, physics, mathematics, or related fields
Have a clear research interest and can write a compelling statement of purpose
Want a fully funded, three-year research position at a globally connected European university
Have B2 English certification (or can obtain it before applying)
Are motivated by Italy’s industrial ecosystem — aerospace, automotive, energy, and technology sectors are all embedded in PoliTo’s research culture

❌ This may not suit you if you:

Hold only a Bachelor’s degree — a Master’s or equivalent is a hard requirement
Are looking for a taught coursework programme rather than original independent research
Have already received a doctoral scholarship in Italy
Accept a position in one session and wish to re-enter a later session — this is not permitted under PoliTo’s rules
Are over 29 and specifically seeking an apprenticeship-format PhD position

🎓 Available PhD Programmes

The 42nd cycle covers 16 PhD programmes across engineering, sciences, architecture, and design. Some programmes run in partnership with other leading institutions:

Architecture — History and Project (including the “Transnational Architectural Models in a Globalized World” curriculum, in partnership with Tsinghua University)
Bioengineering and Medical-Surgical Sciences (in collaboration with Università degli Studi di Torino)
Design and Technology — People, Environment, Systems
Energetics
Physics
Aerospace Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (including the “Electronic Devices” curriculum, in collaboration with INFN)
Management and Production Engineering
Computer and Control Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Architectural Heritage (Patrimonio Architettonico)
Materials Science and Technology
Mathematical Sciences
Urban and Regional Development (in collaboration with Università degli Studi di Torino)

For the full list of available positions per programme — including predefined research topics and their specific project details — visit the official Call for Applications page. Positions are updated every Tuesday and Friday during open sessions, so check regularly.

🎓 Required Documents

Prepare all of the following before starting your application on Apply@polito:

Master’s degree certificate and transcripts — non-Italian qualifications must include a CIMEA certificate or Declaration of Value
Bachelor’s degree certificate and transcripts
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Statement of Purpose / Motivation Letter — explaining your research interests and PhD goals clearly
Two academic reference letters — from university faculty or researchers (one preferably with knowledge of PoliTo’s research environment)
Names and contact email addresses of both referees
Proof of English language proficiency at B2 level or higher (from the accepted list in Annex 4 of the Call)
Valid identification document (passport or national ID)
For refugee applicants: European Qualifications Passport for Refugees and proof of international protection status in place of standard degree documentation
€30 application fee payment via credit card or PagoPA through the portal

All documents must be uploaded in PDF format through the Apply@polito platform.

🎓 Step-by-Step Application Process

Read the full Call for Applications at the official PoliTo page — note session dates, programme-specific requirements, and the positions table.
Register or log in to the Apply@polito platform — this is the only valid submission portal.
Choose your PhD programme(s) — you may apply to more than one. For predefined research topic positions, review the topic sheet carefully and consider emailing the assigned professor before applying.
Complete the online application form in full.
Upload all required documents in PDF format — incomplete applications are not considered.
Pay the €30 non-refundable fee online via credit card or PagoPA.
Submit before your session’s deadline — late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances.
Await shortlisting — the Admissions Committee will invite competitive candidates for an oral interview.
Attend your interview — evaluated on academic qualifications (max 40 points), statement of purpose and references (max 20 points), and interview performance (max 40 points).
Check the results on the PoliTo website — no personal notifications are sent; you must monitor the official page yourself.
Accept your offer — if you accept a position in one session, you cannot participate in any subsequent session of the same cycle.

Pro tip: Attend PoliTo’s free orientation webinar on 15 April 2026 at 3:00 PM — no registration required, just click to join. The university also holds webinars on 19 October and 9 November 2026 for later sessions. These give you direct access to faculty and admissions staff before you submit.

🎓 Important Dates

Session	Opens	Deadline	PhD Start
First	20 March 2026	30 April 2026 at 2:00 PM CET	September / November 2026
Second	15 October 2026	16 November 2026 at 2:00 PM CET	1 March 2027
Third	14 January 2027	15 February 2027 at 2:00 PM CET	1 June 2027
Orientation Webinar	—	15 April 2026 at 3:00 PM	Open, no registration

Bookmark this page and check back for updates. PoliTo adds new positions regularly — the absence of a position at any given moment is not a sign that a programme is full.

🎓 Why Apply — Why Turin and PoliTo

Turin rarely gets the study-abroad headlines that Milan or Rome attract, but for PhD researchers it is arguably Italy’s most productive city to be in. The city is home to one of Europe’s most dynamic industrial ecosystems — aerospace, automotive, energy, and food technology — and PoliTo’s research culture is embedded directly in it. Companies like Leonardo, Thales Alenia Space, and FIAT are not just nearby; they are active partners in the university’s research environment.

What makes this one of the genuinely compelling PhD opportunities in Europe right now is the combination of factors that rarely come together: a confirmed stipend, a generous international mobility bonus, a research budget on top of your salary, and 16 programmes spanning both deep STEM and creative-technical disciplines. The three-session structure of the 42nd cycle also means that if you miss the April deadline, there are two more genuine entry points in the same academic year.

PoliTo graduates go on to careers in European research institutions, global industry, academia, and government. The university’s alumni network is particularly strong in engineering and industrial innovation across Europe and beyond — and a PoliTo PhD carries real recognition in the European research job market.

🎓 Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this scholarship open to all nationalities? A: Yes — the Politecnico di Torino 42nd cycle PhD scholarship is open to Italian and international candidates from all countries worldwide.

Q: Do I need IELTS specifically? A: No — B2 level English proficiency is required, but IELTS is not the only accepted certification. Accepted tests are listed in Annex 4 of the official Call for Applications. Check the full list on the official website before assuming your certificate is or isn’t accepted.

Q: Can I apply to more than one PhD programme? A: Yes. You may apply to more than one programme. Note that the €30 non-refundable fee applies per programme you apply to.

Q: What if I haven’t finished my Master’s degree yet? A: You may apply conditionally — but your degree must be completed by the deadline specified for your session. Check the exact date in the official Call.

Q: Are positions added after the initial Call is published? A: Yes. PoliTo updates positions regularly during open sessions. The final confirmed number per programme is published six days before the oral interviews.

Q: If I accept an offer in Session 1, can I also try Session 2? A: No. Accepting a position in any one session means you cannot participate in subsequent sessions of the same cycle.

🎓 Official Source

Call for Applications: Politecnico di Torino — 42nd Cycle Call
Application Portal: Apply@polito
PhD Hub Contact Email: dottorato@polito.it
Phone: +39 011 090 6095
University Website: www.polito.it
Address: Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy

🎓 Summary Table

Detail	Information
University	Politecnico di Torino (PoliTo)
Country	Italy
City	Turin
Degree Level	PhD — 36 months
Cycle	42nd Cycle (A.Y. 2026/2027)
Scholarships Available	Minimum 110 fully funded positions
Annual Scholarship	€18,854.52 gross
Monthly Net Stipend	~€1,386/month
Mobility Bonus	+50% during international research stays
Research Budget	10% of total scholarship value
Tax Status	Exempt from IRPEF and local income tax
Open To	All nationalities
English Requirement	B2 level certification required
Application Fee	€30 per programme (non-refundable)
Session 1 Deadline	30 April 2026 at 2:00 PM CET
Application Portal	Apply@polito
Official Page	Call for Applications