The University of Trento is offering fully funded PhD scholarships for the 41st cycle (2025/2026) in the Research Doctoral Course in Forms of Cultural Exchange and Textuality. This three-year program, taught in Italian, explores literary texts and cultural phenomena through historical, linguistic, philological, and intercultural lenses. It aims to equip future scholars with a broad, interdisciplinary methodology for analyzing cultural texts and exchanges.

Eight fully funded positions are available, including six general scholarships funded by the University and two topic-specific scholarships under the “Networks and Paths of European Cultures” initiative. Applicants interested in the topic-specific awards must meet additional criteria listed on the program’s webpage. The program begins on 1 November 2025.

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Key Details and Dates

• Application Deadline: 29 May 2025, 4:00 PM (CEST)
• Program Start Date: 1 November 2025
• Funding Type: Fully funded
• Host Institution: University of Trento
• Eligible Countries: All nationalities
• Eligible Gender: Male/Female
• Target Group: Graduates with a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in relevant fields
• Field: Humanities, Linguistics, Literature, Philology, Cultural Studies
• Study Level: PhD (Doctoral Studies)
• Degree Required: Master’s Degree or equivalent (Italian Laurea Magistrale or similar)
• Number of Opportunities: 8 scholarships
• Duration: 3 years
• Program Language: Italian
• Host Country: Italy

Scholarship Benefits

This PhD Program will offer the following benefits:

• Eight full scholarships with a total of €18,345 per year are available:
  • 6 funded by the University of Trento
  • 2 funded through the Project of Excellence under Italian Law
• Scholarships cover living expenses and research-related activities.
• Potential increase in scholarships if additional funding becomes available.
• Additional support includes access to university resources, research infrastructure, and international collaboration opportunities.

Research Topics

Research areas include (but are not limited to):

• English Literature
• Anglo-American Literature
• English Language, Translation and Linguistics
• Literary Criticism and Comparative Literature
• Greek and Latin Philology
• Medieval and Humanistic Latin Literature
• Romance Philology and Linguistics
• French Literature
• French Language, Translation, and Linguistics
• Germanic Philology and Linguistics
• German Literature
• German Language, Translation, and Linguistics
• Historical and General Linguistics
• Educational Linguistics
• Greek Language and Literature
• Italian Literature
• Latin Language and Literature
• Contemporary Italian Literature
• Italian Linguistics
• Slavic Studies
• Spanish Literature
• Spanish Language

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Open to candidates of any nationality and age.
• Must hold one of the following:
  • Italian Laurea Magistrale (Master’s degree)
  • Second-level university degree from Italian AFAM institutes
  • Equivalent foreign degree-granting access to PhD-level studies
• Final-year students can apply if they complete their degree by 29 May 2025.
• Previous PhD holders are eligible only if the new research field differs significantly from the first doctorate.
• Applicants with a previously funded PhD cannot receive a second scholarship.

Required Documents

All applicants must prepare and submit the following documents:

Compulsory Attachments:

• Copy of identity document (EU ID card or non-EU passport with all relevant pages)
• Self-declaration of academic degree and transcripts (for Italian degrees)
• Degree certificate and academic transcript with translation (for foreign degrees)
• Summary of final dissertation (max 5000 characters, in Italian or English)
• Curriculum vitae et studiorum (preferably Europass format)
• Research proposal including title, object, originality, methodology, timeline, and bibliography (in Italian or English; one proposal only)

Optional Attachments:

• Scientific publications in electronic format, plus a list of publications
• Language certification at CEFR B2 level or above (Italian acceptable only for non-native speakers)
• Supporting documents such as proof of awards, scholarships, or prior research experience

Selection Process and Criteria

• All applicants are evaluated by a committee of at least three qualified academic members (plus up to two external experts).
• Selection includes:

• • Evaluation of CV, qualifications, and research proposal (max 50 points)
  • Oral exam (only for those scoring at least 30/50 in the initial assessment)

• Candidates interested in topic-specific scholarships must declare so in the application or before the oral exam if new ones are added later. These candidates will be tested on the relevant topic.
• Scoring breakdown:

• • CV and qualifications: up to 20 points
  • Research proposal: up to 30 points
  • Oral exam: up to 50 points (pass mark: 30/50)

• Oral exams can be in Italian or English, with proof of proficiency in a second language (French, English, Italian, Spanish, or German).
• Interview formats:

• • In person at the University of Trento (with a valid ID)
  • Online via video (with the same ID as uploaded) — failure to attend or technical issues are the candidate’s responsibility

• Interview details (date, time, format) will be announced at least 20 days in advance on the official competition website.

How to Apply?

• Submit your application online only by 29 May 2025 at 4:00 PM (CEST) via the UniTrento portal.

Apply here

• Options for account access:
  • With SPID/CIE (Italian residents)
  • UniTrento student/staff account
  • Register as a “guest” (non-Italian candidates): Guest registration
• Pay the €30.00 non-refundable application fee via the PagoPA system.
• Ensure all required documents are uploaded before submission.

Further details and information regarding this scholarship are available on the official University of Trento website.

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