The General Directorate for Education, Research and Cultural Institutes coordinates all training initiatives at a central level, including PhD carried out in collaboration with the central and peripheral offices of the Ministry of Culture.
In fact, PhD courses may involve the involvement of subjects external to the university, including public administrations and cultural institutions, as established by new regulation on the methods of accreditation of offices and PhD courses and criteria for the establishment of PhD courses.
Associate PhD
Universities can also establish PhD courses in associated form, by stipulating agreements or establishing consortia, with other universities and with public or private research bodies, including foreign ones, with institutions of higher artistic, musical and dance education, with companies that carry out a qualified research and development activity, with public administrations, cultural institutions and research infrastructures of European or international importance.
The General Directorate is in agreement with the University of Tuscia as part of the PhD in Historical Sciences and Cultural Heritage which provides places reserved for employees of the Ministry of Culture for attendance of the doctoral course.
National PhD
Among the associated PhD, the reform has provided - among others - for PhD of national interest which contribute to the progress of research, also through the achievement of specific objectives of the priority areas of intervention of the PNRR, including those connected to the valorisation of innovative PhD courses for cultural heritage.
PhD of national interest, with at least thirty dedicated scholarships, are based on the stipulation of agreements or the establishment of consortia between several highly qualified and internationally recognized universities and/or research institutions which:
- provide for the coordination and joint planning of research activities to create highly qualified training courses
- provide for the effective sharing of training and research activities, the methods of exchange and mobility of teachers and doctoral students, possible forms of co-protection
The General Directorate has joined the National PhD in Heritage Science ( PhD-HS), which involves the main Italian universities coordinated by Sapienza University of Rome. The academic path, divided into 11 interdisciplinary curriculas, has the aim of training a new generation of researchers and professionals operating in the cultural heritage sector, capable of collaborating and competing in the contexts of the most prestigious European initiatives and international.
Through the coordination of the General Directorate, the Ministry of Culture:
- hosts doctoral students in periods of study and research for a minimum of six to a maximum of twelve months
- participates, with three representatives of the central institutes belonging to the General Direction, in the teaching body
- co-financed, through the Digital Library, a scholarship for the XXXVIII cycle
- has financed, through the Central Institute for Restoration (ICR) , three scholarships for the XXXIX cycle for research on advanced and innovative materials for the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage.
PhD for cultural heritage PNRR
The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) with the M4C1 Component, Investment Line 4.1 Extension of the number of PhD and innovative PhD for public administration and cultural heritageaims to increase the reserve of human capital engaged in research-oriented activities, in public administrations and in cultural heritage through the awarding of 3600 new research doctorate scholarships, financed by the European Commission with Next Generation EU, in the three academic years starting from the academic year. 2022/2023.
600 grants are allocated to the PhD for cultural heritage for research activities aimed at increasing efficiency in the protection, management and valorisation of heritage, for a total amount of 36,000,000.00 euros. The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of University and Research have stipulated a memorandum of understanding to outline the thematic areas that allow strengthening the skills capable of enhancing the cultural heritage of the country.
The PhD for public administrations (3000 scholarships), created from a multidisciplinary perspective, is oriented - instead - to applied research activity in the PA and is aimed at developing innovative and strategic actions in the field of policies, management, valorisation of human resources, organizational well-being, strengthening of administrative capacity, digital transition.
Periods of study and research at the Ministry's offices as part of PhD courses
I corsi di dottorato per il patrimonio culturale prevedono periodi di studio e ricerca in imprese, centri di ricerca o pubbliche amministrazioni, inclusi musei, istituti e istituzioni di formazione del Ministero della cultura, archivi, biblioteche, da sei mesi a dodici mesi, anche non continuativi, nell’arco del triennio (decreti MUR n. 351/2022, n. 118/2023 e n. 629/2024).
All offices of the Ministry of Culture, consequently, can welcome doctoral students in periods of study and research, as host institutions.
The relationship between the host institution and the promoting institution (University or university consortium) is regulated by an agreement to be stipulated before the start of the study and research period.
The host institution is required to guarantee supervision of the study and research activity and the doctoral student's access to research infrastructures (such as laboratories or instruments).
A period of study and research is not comparable to an internship as the objectives and methods of carrying it out at the host institutions differ.
Attachments (word format)
- Model agreement for periods of study and national PhD research in Heritage science - 38th cycle
- Model agreement for periods of national PhD study and research in Heritage science - 39th cycle
- Agreement model for PhD study and research periods in the MiC
Community opportunities – MCSA Doctoral networks
At community level, the European Union reference channel for doctoral and post-doctoral training is represented by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) – Doctoral Networks measures within the programme Horizon Europe.
With the MSCA measures (directly funded calls), the European Commission intends to support doctoral and post-doctoral training by allowing participants to move and carry out periods of study and research at non-university institutes, with the objective of acquiring professional skills consistent with the scientific profile developed in the context of their respective research.
The aim is to train researchers with strong aptitude for innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, able to face current and future challenges, also thanks to the support for excellence, through international collaborations, exchange of knowledge, development of methodologies, supervision by experts from the academic and professional world.
The MiC Institutes can participate in the applications for proposals and projects admitted to funding for the MSCA-Doctoral Networks calls solely as associated partners (Associated Partner-AP) to host and/or train doctoral students for periods of study and research.
For the procedures for participating in applications in response to European calls for tenders from the Horizon Europe Programme, MSCA – Doctoral Networks, all central and peripheral offices of the MiC must refer to the provisions of the SG circular no. 35 of 3 August 2023.