Industrial and Information Engineering PhD Programme

This page provides a concise overview of the structure and organisation of the IIE PhD programme. The description is intended for informational purposes only PhD applicants and students should always refer to the official and legally binding document, Regolamento per i Corsi di Dottorato di Ricerca, which defines the rules and procedures for all doctoral programmes at the Università degli Studi di Udine. Additional information and documents are available on the main PhD page of the Università degli Studi di Udine website.

The IIE PhD programme is organised into three-year cycles, each commencing on 1 November. Accordingly, PhD students are expected to complete their research project and submit the final thesis by the end of the cycle. In exceptional cases, a one-year extension may be granted to allow the student to complete the research work and finalise the thesis.

The research and training activities of the IIE PhD programme are overseen by the Doctoral Programme Board. The Board generally convenes five to six times per year to discuss and plan the programme’s research and training activities, and to evaluate and ensure the quality of the research carried out by the PhD students.

For each cycle, the IIE PhD programme offers up to 18 positions, some funded by three-year scholarships and others self-funded. All positions are awarded through an official public selection procedure (concorso).

A limited number of scholarships are available for each cycle and are awarded to the top candidates in the concorso. These scholarships are typically funded by:

• the Ministry of University and Research (MIUR)
• the University of Udine
• private companies and industrial partners
• EU Education and Culture programmes (e.g. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Erasmus Mundus)
• EU Research and Innovation programmes (e.g. collaborative research projects)
• Regional funding schemes (Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia)
• Other funding sources

All PhD positions for each cycle are awarded through the official public selection procedure, known as the concorso. The selection procedures and criteria, as well as any specific terms and conditions for the positions, are defined annually in the Call for Applications (bando), published at the following link.

The Call for Applications is normally published in late spring; the selection process is conducted during the summer, and the final ranking list is typically released in September. Successful candidates must complete their formal enrolment by the end of October and commence the PhD programme in November.

In specific cases where PhD positions are funded by national or international programmes with fixed start and end dates (e.g. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Università Italo-Francese, Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia funding schemes), special calls may be issued with alternative schedules, terms, and conditions.

Each PhD student is formally advised by a supervisor who is a member of the Doctoral Programme Board. In some cases, the student may also be co-advised by a co-supervisor, who does not necessarily need to be a member of the Board.

Each PhD student is allocated a desk and a computer in one of the PhD offices. When required, additional workspace is assigned in one of the DIEGM laboratories to support the execution of practical experimental work.

PhD students are not subject to fixed daily working hours; however, it is recommended that they carry out their activities at their assigned desks in accordance with the University calendar, and inform their supervisor in case of any planned absences.

Students are encouraged to keep a research logbook and to interact and collaborate with their peers.

The topic of the doctoral research and the corresponding research plan are normally defined jointly by the PhD student and the supervisor. Throughout the three years of the programme, students are expected to conduct original scientific and technical research, culminating in a monographic thesis presenting significant and original results.

During the three-year programme, each PhD student is required to obtain 20 ECTS credits through a combination of training activities planned in consultation with the supervisor. These activities should be chosen from the comprehensive training programme offered by the IIE Doctoral Programme Board, as well as from relevant external opportunities.

Each year, the Doctoral Programme Board evaluates the progress of each PhD student in two stages:

• May — Annual PhD Conference: all PhD students are required to deliver detailed presentations of the research and training activities undertaken so far. First- and second-year students must also present a detailed plan (Gantt chart) of their activities for the following 12 months, whereas third-year students are required to submit the outline of their doctoral thesis together with a Gantt chart for the thesis write-up.
• October — Review of Annual Reports: each PhD student submits a written report, which is reviewed and assessed by the respective supervisor(s). These reports must contain a detailed technical account of the work carried out during the previous year and serve as a reference for the preparation of the final thesis.

The awarding of the PhD degree is based on:

•  the evaluation of the PhD thesis by two external reviewers, and
• the viva voce defence before the Examination Committee, which includes at least three external experts and one member of the Doctoral Programme Board. The Board members are selected by the Doctoral Programme Board.

The PhD thesis is normally finalised and submitted by the end of October. The two reviewers are jointly selected by the student’s supervisor and the Doctoral Programme Board. They provide written comments and deliver a pass/fail recommendationwithin 30 days of receiving the thesis.

In case of negative feedback, the student may be granted an additional year to complete the research work. Alternatively, the PhD programme will be terminated without the awarding of the degree.

In case of positive feedback, the student is admitted to the viva voce defence before the Examination Committee. The Committee awards the PhD degree on the basis of the reviewers’ reports, as well as the student’s presentation and subsequent discussion.

Following the defence, the PhD student is required to submit an electronic copy of the final thesis to the online PhD portal of the University of Udine.