PHD PROGRAM IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE

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

PHD PROGRAM IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE

The PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience is characterized by a high level of interdisciplinarity and by a network of international relations which includes agreements for the double title, agreements with EMBL, scientific collaborations and co-supervisions and the participation of EU scholars (coming from UCL, Un Copenhagen, Antwerpen Unival) in the faculty staff demonstrates the clear international dimension of the course and offers ample opportunities for Doctorate students to spend periods of training and research in prestigious foreign structures. The PhDs trained in this course will have a solid theoretical and methodological preparation useful for their subsequent placement not only academically or in research institutes, but also in the fields of neurorehabilitation, clinical psychology, neuropsychology and the emerging fields of neuroimaging diagnostics, brain computer interfaces and use of artificial neural networks in different domains. The doctorate includes 4 curricula that differ in methodological approach. In addition to interdisciplinary training, each curriculum offers specific training, which in the "Psychobiology and Psychopharmacology" curriculum concerns the methodological framework and experimental investigation techniques for the study of normal and pathological behavior in murine animal models, the biological bases of behavior, the the use of drugs active on the nervous system to investigate the function of nervous structures or nuclei. In the curriculum "Behavioral Neurophysiology " the specific training concerns knowledge of the methods of recording nervous activity from non-human primates during the execution of motor and cognitive tasks, the multiscale and population analysis of neural signals deriving from neurophysiological approaches in humans in motor or perceptual tasks, the study of human and animal behavior, and typical methods of computational neuroscience. In the curriculum "Cognitive Neurosciences" concerns experimental approaches and psychophysical and psychophysiological techniques relating to the study of the complexity of human behavior in its cognitive and affective-emotional aspects, the evolution of cognitive functions throughout life, the methods for the development of experimental or clinical-diagnostic investigation tools and programs for cognitive enhancement. In the "Neuropsychology" curriculum it concerns the planning and design of experimental and clinical research in the neuropsychological field, the skills necessary for the use of behavioral, neuropsychological, psychophysiological and neuroimaging techniques for the study of cognitive activity.

Number of positions available

Sapienza Scholarships	Affliliated Institutions or Excellence	Industrial PhD	Without scholarship
7	1	0	2

Themes, curriculum and specific competence

Scholarships funded by affiliated Institution and Departments of Excellence

1 scholarship funded by the affiliated Institution: ISTITUTO SUPERIORE DI SANITÀ (ISS)
Topic: Multiscale Digital Twin for Pediatric Focal Epilepsy Based on Recurrent Neural Networks

Sapienza scholarships: 7

The call includes additional places reserved for scholarship recipients from foreign countries.

Admission Procedure

Qualifications assessment	Evaluation of Qualifications (max 30 points) The following qualifications will be evaluated 1 Graduation vote; for candidates who have not yet obtained the degree, the average weighted grade of the exams taken in the Master's Degree will be considered 2 Training periods (including Erasmus) in a country other than the one in which the Master's degree was obtained or is about to be obtained; 3 Research experiences during the master's degree or afterwards; 4 graduation thesis or extended abstract for students defending their Master thesis before October 2026; 5 Letter of presentation by a recent supervisor; 6 Motivation letter with indication of preferred Curriculum and Research thematics; 7 Publications, with emphasis to those uploaded 8 Others

Oral interview	Candidates who a score of at least 13/30 in the Evaluation of Qualifications are admitted to the oral exam. Oral exam (max 70 points). This phase of the evaluation is organized in two parts: Part A. Presentation in English of one of the articles made available by the PhD Program at the time of the Call for Applications and relevant to the published Topics. Part B. Discussion of previous experience, including acquired theoretical and technical skills. Presentation and discussion of the reasons for choosing the Doctorate Program, of the Curriculum, and of the indicated Topic. Evaluation of the candidates' critical thinking skills, including in relation to the article chosen for the presentation. Part A replaces the English assessment test. The file used for the presentation must be uploaded before the oral exam to the online Drive made available by the Committee. The purpose of Part B is to assess the candidates' suitability for the aims and contents of the PhD program. It includes questions on the presentation and a discussion of the qualifications presented. The list of possible applicants admitted to the PhD program includes those who received at least a score of 50 out of 70 on the oral test.
language	ITALIANO ERRATA CORRIGE: ITALIANO INGLESE

contacts and info

Email del Coordinatore dedicata presso: behavioral.neuroscience_phd@uniroma1.it. numero di telefono: +39 0649910306

Curriculum studiorum

Graduation date and grade of the Master's degree
detailed list of exams including completion dates and scores of Masters's degree
History of Scholarships, Research Grants (or similar)
Certificates of participation in post-graduate university courses
certificates of Participation in research groups
certificates of Participation in internships
Computer skills

Required documentation

§ degree thesis abstract

optional

Candidates admitted with a conditional admission (undergraduates) may submit an extended abstract organized as follows: Introduction, Results, Figures, Discussion, Methods. Maximum 4 pages, font size 11. In the absence of this document, the corresponding score cannot be awarded., the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026

§ first letter of introduction (by a teacher)

optional, the letter must be uploaded by the referee by il le ore 23:59 del 22/06/2026
download the attachement

§ letter of motivation (by the candidate)

mandatory

See template to be used. In the document please indicate the curriculum and topics of interest
n.b. the curriculum indicated in the motivation letter does not necessarily correspond to the curriculum in which the doctorate will be carried out.
TOPICS, for any of the available CURRICULA, are available here https://t.ly/HYTx4 under 'INSIGHTS' , the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026

§ degree thesis (complete)

optional

The graduation thesis will be evaluated only if uploaded; Candidates who have not yet discussed their thesis (undergraduates) could present a draft of the thesis (see Abstract della tesi), the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026

§ publications (a single pdf for each publication)

optional

Please upload the two publications that best reflect your profile, if available. Any other publications will only be considered if indicated in the CV and with a specific DOI. Conference/meeting abstracts may also be considered, but must be declared in the CV if they have been submitted as First Author., the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026

§ Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum

mandatory
Your CV MUST be generated using the provided Template. Your CV MUST include information (Name, Last name, Institution and email address) of the Professor/Researcher who will send the LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION, 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

Qualifications assessment

day	26/06/2026
notes	none
publication on notice board	NO
publication on the web site	Yes
web site	https://phd.uniroma1.it/web/NEUROSCIENZE-DEL-COMPORTAMENTO_nD3528.aspx
date of publication	26/06/2026
contacts	behavneurosci-phd@uniroma1.it

Oral interview

day	06/07/2026
notes	none
time	14:00
classroom	Aula 2
address	Via dei Marsi - Dipartimento Psicologia
publication on notice board	NO
publication on the web site	Yes
web site	https://phd.uniroma1.it/web/NEUROSCIENZE-DEL-COMPORTAMENTO_nD3528.aspx
date of publication	06/07/2026
contacts	behavneurosci-phd@uniroma1.it

Evaluation scale

Qualifications assessment

Valutazione titoli

Punteggio massimo complessivo per la prova/overall max score: 30

Voto di laurea (magistrale, specialistica o a ciclo unico – max 8 punti)
Voto di laurea (magistrale, specialistica o a ciclo unico – max 8 punti)

Punteggio massimo/max score: 8

voto di laurea
graduation vote

110, 110 e lode 110, 110 cum laude	8,0
109 -107 109 -107	6,0
103 -106 103 -106	5,0
102 -99 102 -99	4,0
<99 <99	2,0

Per i candidati che non hanno ancora conseguito la laurea verrà considerato il voto medio degli esami di profitto sostenuti nella Laurea Magistrale
For candidates who have not yet obtained the degree, the average grade of the exams taken in the Master's Degree will be considered

28 - 30 28 - 30	8,0
E' da considerare la media pesata. Senza arrotondamenti. The weighted average should be taken into account. No rounding.
27 27	6,0
E' da considerare la media pesata. Senza arrotondamenti. The weighted average should be taken into account. No rounding.
26 26	5,0
E' da considerare la media pesata. Senza arrotondamenti. The weighted average should be taken into account. No rounding.
25 25	4,0
E' da considerare la media pesata. Senza arrotondamenti. The weighted average should be taken into account. No rounding.
24 o inferiore 24 or less	2,0
E' da considerare la media pesata. Senza arrotondamenti. The weighted average should be taken into account. No rounding.

Attinenza della Tesi magistrale/specialistica/V.O. alle tematiche del Dottorato
Master thesis relevance to PhD topics

Punteggio massimo/max score: 4
Per i laureandi, ammessi con riserva, l'attinenza verrà valuta su Abstract esteso (da presentare come allegato), con Introduzione, Risultati, Figure, Discussione, Metodi. Max 4 pagine, Font size 11.
Candidates admitted with a conditional admission (undergraduates) may submit an extended abstract organized as follows: Introduction, Results, Figures, Discussion, Methods. Maximum 4 pages, font size 11.

Molto attinente very relevant	4,0
Il punteggio è inteso come il massimo attribuibile per la voce The score is intended as the maximum that can be awarded for the item
Abbastanza attinente quite relevant	2,0
Il punteggio è inteso come il massimo attribuibile per la voce The score is intended as the maximum that can be awarded for the item
Poco attinente not very relevant	1,0
Il punteggio è inteso come il massimo attribuibile per la voce The score is intended as the maximum that can be awarded for the item
Allegato assente No document submitted	0,0

Pubblicazioni
Publications

Punteggio massimo/max score: 4

Pubblicazioni ISI (primo autore) su tematiche attinenti al Dottorato ISI publications (1st author) on topics relevant for the PhD	4,0
Pubblicazioni ISI (primo autore) su tematiche non attinenti al Dottorato ISI publications (co-author) on topics NOT relevant for the PhD	2,0
Pubblicazioni ISI (NON primo autore) ISI publications (NOT 1st author)	1,0
Presentazione di abstracts a congresso/convegno (primo autore) Presentation of abstracts at conferences/meetings (1st author)	1,0

Periodi formativi all'estero, incluso ERASMUS
Post-graduate university courses including ERASMUS

Punteggio massimo/max score: 4

Erasmus semestrale ERASMUS semester abroad	1,0
Erasmus annuale ERASMUS year abroad	2,0
Borsa studio finalizzata attività ricerca, durata superiore a 5 mesi research fellowship, more than 5 months duration	3,0
Il punteggio è inteso come il massimo attribuibile per la voce The score is intended as the maximum that can be awarded for the item
Contratto ricerca, durata superiore a 5 mesi research contract, more than 5 months duration	4,0
Il punteggio è inteso come il massimo attribuibile per la voce The score is intended as the maximum that can be awarded for the item

Esperienze di ricerca durante o dopo la laurea magistrale
Research experiences

Punteggio massimo/max score: 3
Non cumulabile con voce 'Periodi formativi all'Estero'. Se l'esperienza è stata durante la Laurea Magistrale questa deve essere diversa da quella che ha portato alla preparazione della tesi.
This score cannot be combined with those linked to"Post graduate course" option. If the experience occurred during the Master's degree, it must be different from the experience that led to the thesis.

Durata almeno semestrale duration of at least six months	1,0
Durata almeno annuale duration of at least one year	3,0

Lettera motivazione e Lettera presentazione ultimo supervisore
Motivation letter and Recommendation letter

Punteggio massimo/max score: 5

Lettera supervisore Supervisor recommendation letter	4,0
Il punteggio è inteso come il massimo attribuibile per la voce The score is intended as the maximum that can be awarded for the item
Lettera motivazione Motivation letter	2,0
Il punteggio è inteso come il massimo attribuibile per la voce. In caso di assenza della indicazione della Tematica e/o Curriculum nella lettera di motivazione, punteggio massimo attribuibile = 1 The score is intended as the maximum that can be awarded for the item. In case of absence of indication of the Topic and/or Curriculum in the motivation letter, maximum score attributable = 1
Lettera supervisore assente Supervisor letter not received	0,0

Altri titoli
Others

Punteggio massimo/max score: 2

Master, Specializzazione, e corsi di perfezionamento post-laurea Master's, Specialization, and Postgraduate Specialization Courses	1,0
Premi collegati all'attività di ricerca Research-related awards	1,0

Oral interview

Prova orale

Punteggio massimo complessivo per la prova/overall max score: 70

Parte A. Presentazione in Inglese di uno degli articoli messi a disposizione dal Dottorato al momento della emissione del Bando e attinenti alle Tematiche pubblicate.
Part A. Presentation in English of one of the articles made available by the PhD program at the time of the announcement of the Call and relevant to the published Topics.

Punteggio massimo/max score: 40
Tempo: 10 minuti. Comprende la valutazione della conoscenza della lingua Inglese. Il file usato per la presentazione dovrà essere caricato prima della data dell'orale su Drive messo a disposizione dalla Commissione e comunicato in occasione della pubblicazione dei Risultati della Valutazione dei Titoli.
Duration: 10 minutes. Linked to the assessment of English language proficiency. The presentation file must be uploaded before the oral exam to the Drive page made available by the Commission and communicated upon publication of the Qualifications Assessment Results.

Parte B. Discussione delle esperienze pregresse, comprese le capacità teorico-tecniche acquisite. Elaborazione delle motivazioni che hanno portato a scegliere il Dottorato, il Curriculum e la Tematica indicata. Valutazione delle capacità critiche dei candidati anche in riferimento all'articolo scelto per la Presentazione.
Part B. Discussion of previous experience, including acquired theoretical and technical skills. Explanation of the reasons for choosing the PhD program, the curriculum, and the specific topic. Evaluation of the candidates' critical thinking skills, including in relation to the article chosen for the presentation.

Punteggio massimo/max score: 30
Lo scopo è la valuatazione della idoneità dei candidati agli scopi e contenuti del Dottorato di Ricerca. Comprende domande sulla Presentazione e una Discussione dei Titoli presentati.
The purpose is to assess the candidates' suitability for the goals and content of the PhD program. It includes questions related to the presentation (Part A) and a discussion of the qualifications presented.