Call for application 42nd cycle

Bando ordinario


Applications for participation in the competition, together with the corresponding payment, must be duly completed no later than 14:00 CET on 17 June 2026.

Educational goals and objectives

PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY
The PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology aims to provide the PhD students with the theoretical and practical bases to prepare for a research career in Molecular, Cellular and Behavioral Pharmacology and Toxicology, as well as to tackle, at the experimental and regulatory level, pharmaco-toxicological problems concerning the exposure to natural and synthetic substances. These aims are pursued through the active participation of the student in research projects carried out at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology of Sapienza University and, when possible, in other international centers collaborating with Sapienza. PhD students will acquire autonomous ability to plan, propose and implement basic and applied research projects. In addition, they will acquire critical assessment capabilities for experimental protocols, guidelines and standard operating procedures. The skills acquired in the PhD program contribute to the training of young researchers who can meet the needs of both national and international public and private structures. The possible employment opportunities are represented by the inclusion in the University, in public and private research centers and in the pharmaceutical industry. Students enrolled in the Program are required to spend in the laboratory to which they have been assigned most of the time required for the research work necessary to develop their doctoral thesis, under the supervision of their Academic Tutor. This Tutor is assigned by the PhD Board of Professors, who will annually evaluate the progress of the thesis project, possible future strategies and individual problems. During the PhD program students will be encouraged to pursue their research in a qualified laboratory abroad, for a period of time that cannot exceed 18 months. In this way the students will have an opportunity to learn new technics, to experience different approaches to medical and biological research, and to establish working relationships that will be useful in their future career. The cultural training of doctoral students consists of an educational activity consisting of cycles of lectures and seminars held by professors of the doctorate, by other professors of Sapienza University and by external experts. The Doctorate ends with a thesis, defended publicly in the presence of Academic tutors and members of Italian and/or foreign Universities. Students are expected to meet the requirements necessary to achieve the doctoral degree within three years. Ideally, successful candidates should be young graduates who obtained their Master Degree defending an experimental thesis focused on topics related to the PhD Program, with an excellent education track, a strong commitment to develop as independent investigators and with good English language skills. One or more publications on high quality international journals, with a demonstrated active involvement in the work, will be highly appreciated.

Number of positions available


Sapienza Scholarships Affliliated Institutions or Excellence Industrial PhD Without scholarship
6 2 0 2

Themes, curriculum and specific competence



Scholarships funded by affiliated Institution and Departments of Excellence


2 scholarships funded by the affiliated Institution: ISTITUTO SUPERIORE DI SANITÀ (ISS)

Sapienza scholarships: 6


Admission Procedure

Evaluation of the Submitted Research Project Together with the application, each candidate must submit a research project written in English, using the attached template file and including all the information required in Section A) and Section B).

The project must be prepared in accordance with the following structure:

Maximum length: 4 pages excluding references. Font size 11, single spacing, margins 2 cm.

1. Title of the Proposed Research Project (approx. 15 words)
2. Background and State of the Art (approx. 600 words)
3. Research Hypothesis and Objectives (approx. 400 words)
4. Methodology and Experimental Approach (approx. 800 words)
5. Feasibility within the Three-Year Program (timeline in text or graphical format, approx. 200 words if in text form)
6. Expected Results and Potential Impact (approx. 300 words)
7. Coherence with the PhD Programme (approx. 150 words)
8. References (max 15)

Please note that the project must be original, not previously published in the scientific literature, and different from the candidate's master's thesis project. It is required solely for the purpose of the selection process. If admitted, the doctoral research project may be entirely different from the one submitted and will be planned in collaboration with the academic supervisor and approved by the Academic Board.

Candidates who score at least 42/60 in the project evaluation are admitted to the oral test.
download the attachement

language INGLESE

Oral interview The oral examination will focus on the topics of the proposed research project, both from a theoretical perspective (e.g., background, rationale, connection to the topics addressed in the master’s thesis and/or to broader subjects in pharmacology or toxicology) and from an experimental perspective (e.g., the methodologies outlined in the project, expected results, and the candidate’s previous research experience with those methodologies). The examination may be conducted, at the candidate’s choice, either in Italian or in English. If conducted in Italian, it will also include a brief assessment of the candidate’s English proficiency, according to procedures established by the committee.

The minimum positive score for the oral test is 42/60.
language ITALIANO
INGLESE


contacts and info patrizia.campolongo@uniroma1.it

Curriculum studiorum

Graduation date and grade of the Master's degree
detailed list of exams including completion dates and scores of Masters's degree
Graduation date and grade of the Bachelor’s degree
History of Scholarships, Research Grants (or similar)
Certificates of Foreign Languages
Certificates of participation in post-graduate university courses
certificates of Participation in research groups
certificates of Participation in internships
Other University Awards/Degrees (e.g.: awards in competition, second degree)
Computer skills

Required documentation

§ degree thesis abstract
mandatory
For the preparation of the document containing the abstract of the Master’s Degree thesis, please use the attached template, which must be completed in English in all its sections. Candidates who have not yet obtained their Master’s degree at the time of application may indicate a provisional thesis title and submit a preliminary version of the abstract., the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026
download the attachement



§ research project
mandatory
Together with the application, each candidate must submit a research project written IN ENGLISH, following the attached template file and including all the required information specified in sections A) and B).

The project must comply with the following text length limits:

a) Project title (max 300 characters, including spaces)
b) National and international state of the art of the proposed research (max 5000 characters, including spaces)
c) Description of the general and specific objectives of the project and methodological approach (max 10000 characters, including spaces)
d) Innovation of the research, and the potential to achieve an advancement of knowledge with respect to the state of the art (max 5000 characters, including spaces)
e) Description of the research activities within a three-year program of annual activities (max 5000 characters, including spaces)
f) Estimated cost budget (e.g., consumables, equipment necessary for carrying out the research, stages abroad, participation in congresses, publications, etc.) (Brief table)
g) List of bibliographic references (max. 4000 characters, including spaces)

The committee will evaluate the project for admission to the oral examination, focusing in particular on the following aspects:
i) clarity and completeness in the definition and description of research objectives, strategy used to achieve them and timetable of the three-year program.
ii) relevance of the project to the educational objectives of the doctorate, especially with respect to the research topics defined in the curricula.
iii) innovativeness of research and potential to achieve an advancement of knowledge with respect to the state of the art in the scientific sector.

Please note that the project must be original, not previously published in the scientific literature, and different from the candidate's master's thesis project. It is required solely for the purpose of the selection process. If admitted, the doctoral research project may be entirely different from the one submitted and will be planned in collaboration with the academic supervisor and approved by the Academic Board.
, the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026
download the attachement



§ List of publications
optional, the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026

§ Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum
mandatory, the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026

Language Skills

the candidate must know the following languages
ENGLISH

Exam Schedule

Altra tipologia (Evaluation of the Submitted Research Project)
day02/07/2026
notesnone
time09:00
classroomaula B Edificio CU024 Sapienza Università di Roma
addressP.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma
publication on notice boardNO
publication on the web siteYes
web sitehttps://phd.uniroma1.it/web/FARMACOLOGIA-E-TOSSICOLOGIA_nD3500.aspx
date of publication03/07/2026
contactspatrizia.campolongo@uniroma1.it

Oral interview
day10/07/2026
notesnone
time09:30
classroomC1 Edificio CU024 (Farmacologia) Sapienza Università di Roma
addressP.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma
publication on notice boardNO
publication on the web siteYes
web sitehttps://phd.uniroma1.it/web/FARMACOLOGIA-E-TOSSICOLOGIA_nD3500.aspx
date of publication10/07/2026
contactsdottorato.farmacologiaetossicologia@uniroma1.it


Evaluation scale

Altra tipologia (Evaluation of the Submitted Research Project)

Altra tipologia

Valutazione del Progetto di ricerca presentato
Evaluation of the Submitted Research Project

Punteggio massimo complessivo per la prova/overall max score: 60

i) Chiarezza, qualità scientifica e coerenza del progetto, inclusa la definizione dell’ipotesi di ricerca, degli obiettivi e del razionale generale
i) Clarity, scientific quality and coherence of the proposal, including the definition of the research hypothesis, objectives and overall rationale

Punteggio massimo/max score: 20

ii) Appropriatezza, rigore e fattibilità della metodologia proposta, inclusa l’organizzazione delle attività nel triennio di dottorato
ii) ii) Appropriateness, rigor and feasibility of the proposed methodology, including the organization of activities within the three-year PhD program

Punteggio massimo/max score: 20

iii) Originalità, innovatività e potenziale impatto della ricerca proposta, con riferimento al contributo all’avanzamento delle conoscenze nel settore scientifico e alla coerenza con gli obiettivi formativi del dottorato
iii) Originality, innovativeness and potential impact of the proposed research, with regard to its contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the relevant scientific field and consistency with the educational aims of the PhD Program

Punteggio massimo/max score: 20


Oral interview

Prova orale

Punteggio massimo complessivo per la prova/overall max score: 60

i) Conoscenza delle tematiche teoriche attinenti al progetto di ricerca presentato
i) Knowledge of the theoretical issues related to the proposed research project

Punteggio massimo/max score: 25

ii) Conoscenza delle tematiche sperimentali e metodologiche attinenti al progetto di ricerca presentato
ii) Knowledge of the experimental and methodological issues related to the proposed research project

Punteggio massimo/max score: 25

iii) Conoscenza della lingua inglese
iii) Knowledge of the English language

Punteggio massimo/max score: 10


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