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

SERVICE DESIGN FOR PUBLIC SECTOR
The Associate Doctorate in Service Design for Public Sector (SDPS) aims to train executives and professionals capable of responding to the innovation process of the Public Sector, particularly Public Administrations (PA). The specialization and uniqueness of the Doctorate is to prepare researcher figures in the field of Service Design who operate in the public sector. The associate nature of the Doctorate connects the resources and expertise of 7 universities and training institutes: Sapienza University of Rome, Politecnico di Milano, University of Bologna, IUAV University of Venice, ISIA Florence, ISIA Rome, and L'École de design Nantes Atlantique.
In addition to internal mobility within the educational path, there is an internationalization perspective with the use of the English language as the medium of instruction, mandatory research periods at foreign research centers and institutions, and an international teaching staff.

The doctoral program focuses on two main themes: the digital transition and the ecological transition, which involve all citizen services through processes of participation, awareness, and sharing, with the goal of improving social contexts. Specifically, the Doctorate is developed along four thematic axes:
- the green transition;
- the digital transition;
- public engagement;
- the health society and healthcare services.

The training objective of the doctoral program is the development of training experiences in non-academic areas as well, in the fields of public administration, services, and institutions, with industry experts involved in the training activities. This is to develop cross-functional skills and facilitate their transfer to the professional sphere.
The TRAINING OBJECTIVES of the doctoral program include:
- designing and planning research programs to generate innovation for public systems and civil society;
- conducting critical analyses, evaluations, and syntheses of processes within public administration and other actors who view the public sector as a partner and/or beneficiary;
- contributing to the achievement of certain UN SDGs of the 2030 Agenda: SDG 3 "Good Health and Well-being," SDG 4 "Quality Education," SDG 5 "Gender Equality," SDG 8 "Decent Work and Economic Growth," SDG 10 "Reduced Inequalities," and SDG 11 "Sustainable Cities and Communities."

The doctoral program is organized to ensure:
- an advancement of knowledge through research training, particularly in the multidisciplinary field of Service Design and applied research, carried out in partnership with public entities;
- an attractive and stimulating institutional environment, which, through the associative dimension with different national institutions, enables the acquisition of autonomy and responsibility useful for a professional research path in the public sector;
- the strengthening of international research relationships through co-tutorship and periods of mobility abroad.

Number of positions available


Sapienza Scholarships Affliliated Institutions or Excellence Industrial PhD Without scholarship
2 3 0 1

Themes, curriculum and specific competence



Scholarships funded by affiliated Institution and Departments of Excellence

1 scholarship funded by the affiliated Institution: ISIA (FIRENZE)
Topic: Beyond Architecture: Service Design for Urban and Territorial Regeneration

1 scholarship funded by the affiliated Institution: ISIA (ROMA)
Topic: Systemic Design for the Transformation of Public Administration

1 scholarship funded by the affiliated Institution: POLITECNICO DI TORINO
Topic: Systemic Design for Public Innovation: Developing Leadership and Science-to-Policy Competences

Sapienza scholarships: 2

Admission Procedure

Qualifications assessment Candidates who regularly applied are admitted to the assessment by the committee. The assessment focuses on the examination of the candidate's quality and predisposition to research in the scientific areas related to the research field in "Service Design for Public Sector", as evidenced by the curriculum vitae, letter of motivation, and research proposal, attached at the time of application.
The candidate should submit a letter of motivation and a research proposal. The research described in the motivation letter and research proposal submitted with the application does not necessarily represent the research to be carried out during the doctoral program. In case of admission, the actual doctoral research project to be conducted will be subsequently defined and approved by the Doctoral Faculty Board, after the start of activities.

Candidates who obtained at least 40/80 in the assessment of their qualifications and project are admitted to the oral exam.
Research project The assessment focuses on the examination of the candidate's quality and predisposition to research in the scientific areas related to the research field in "Service Design for Public Sector", as evidenced by the curriculum vitae, letter of motivation, and research proposal, attached at the time of application.

Candidates who obtained at least 40/80 in the assessment of their qualifications and project are admitted to the oral exam.
language ITALIANO
Oral interview The interview aims to further understand the candidates through the materials submitted (curriculum vitae, letter of motivation, and research proposal). The interview will be conducted in English.

The minimum positive score for the oral test is 20/40.
language ITALIANO

contacts and info Dott. Marco De Martino, marco.demartino@uniroma1.it, Prof. Lorenzo Imbesi, lorenzo.imbesi@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
detailed list of exams including completion dates and scores of 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

§ research project
mandatory
The research proposal (maximum 10,000 characters, including spaces and bibliography) should outline the specific thematic scope and research activities that the candidate intends to develop for the doctoral research related to the topic of the program. It should display the candidate's ability to conceive, organize, and independently carry out a scientific research project. In particular, the proposal should clearly display the candidate's knowledge of the subject matter and identify one or more open issues to which the project is answering. Additionally, it should outline the general and specific objectives, a state-of-the-art overview, and describe the activities to be conducted over the three years., the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026
§ letter of motivation (by the candidate)
mandatory
The letter of motivation (maximum 5000 characters - including spaces) should display the candidate's inclination towards research and briefly describe the motivations towards the activities and topics related to the doctoral program. It should explain the educational background, previous research experiences, and future scientific interests., the file must be uploaded within le ore 14:00 del 17/06/2026
§ Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum
mandatory
The candidate's curriculum vitae should contain all aspects, activities, and qualifications acquired over time, related to the research field of the PhD program, and also included in the online CV compilation. The curriculum vitae should be prepared according to the European CV format.
The following qualifications will be assessed in the CV:
- Date and grade of the second-level degree (master's, specialist or single cycle degree);
- List of exams taken for the Master's degree and the related grades;
- Date and grade of the Bachelor's degree;
- Additional academic qualifications (master's degrees, diplomas, postgraduate courses, workshops or equivalent);
- Publications (books, chapters in books, journal articles, conference proceedings);
- Research experience (scholarships, research contracts and grants, participation in research groups, participation as a speaker at scientific conferences);
- Professional experience, internships and apprenticeships, experiences abroad, awards, patents, spin-offs related to the topic of the PhD program;
- Computer skills, other foreign languages (in addition to the official language of the Doctorate), other
qualifications relevant to the topic of the PhD program.
Together with the assessment of the CV, the presence of the certificate of knowledge of the English language at least at the B1 level (or alternatively the candidate's declaration that this will be provided by the date of the exam) and any other certificates of knowledge of foreign languages other than English will also be verified., 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
day10/07/2026
notesnone
publication on notice boardNO
publication on the web siteYes
web sitehttps://phd.uniroma1.it/web/SERVICE-DESIGN-FOR-PUBLIC-SECTOR_nD3972.aspx
date of publication10/07/2026
contactsDott. Marco De Martino,marco.demartino@uniroma1.it, Prof. Lorenzo Imbesi, lorenzo.imbesi@uniroma1.it

Altra tipologia (Research project)
day10/07/2026
notesnone
time09:30
classroomMultimedia
addressVia Flaminia 70, 00196, Roma
publication on notice boardNO
publication on the web siteYes
web sitehttps://phd.uniroma1.it/web/SERVICE-DESIGN-FOR-PUBLIC-SECTOR_nD3972.aspx
date of publication10/07/2026
contactsDott. Marco De Martino, marco.demartino@uniroma1.it, Prof. Lorenzo Imbesi,lorenzo.imbesi@uniroma1.it

Oral interview
day14/07/2026
notesnone
time09:30
classroomMultimedia
addressVia Flaminia 70, 00196, Roma
publication on notice boardNO
publication on the web siteYes
web sitehttps://phd.uniroma1.it/web/SERVICE-DESIGN-FOR-PUBLIC-SECTOR_nD3972.aspx
date of publication14/07/2026
contactsDott. Marco De Martino, marco.demartino@uniroma1.it, Prof. Lorenzo Imbesi, lorenzo.imbesi@uniroma1.it


Evaluation scale

Qualifications assessment

Valutazione titoli

Punteggio massimo complessivo per la prova/overall max score: 50

Voto di laurea (magistrale, specialistica o a ciclo unico)
University final degree mark

Punteggio massimo/max score: 5
110, 110 e lode
110, 110 cum laude		5,0
109 -1084,0
107 -1063,0
105 -1042,0
103 -1021,0
<1020,0
Per candidati che discuteranno la tesi dopo la presentazione della domanda, ma comunque prima del 31 ottobre 2026, il voto di laurea è sostituito dalla media aritmetica degli esami
Graduands who will obtain the degree by October 31st, 2026 will be assessed on the average grade resulting from the list of the exams
29 - 305,0
28 – 28.994,0
27 - 27.993,0
26 - 26.992,0
25 - 25.991,0
<250,0

Lettera di motivazione
Motivation letter

Punteggio massimo/max score: 10
La lettera di motivazione (massimo 5000 battute - spazi inclusi) dovrà attestare la propensione alla ricerca del candidato e altrettanto descrivere brevemente le motivazioni verso le attività e le tematiche di riferimento del dottorato, spiegando la propria formazione, le esperienze di ricerca precedenti e gli interessi scientifici futuri. In particolare, verranno valutati: 2.1 la propensione alla ricerca del candidato (4 punti); 2.2 le motivazioni verso le attività e le tematiche di riferimento del dottorato (3 punti); 2.3 gli ambiti di interesse scientifico nei quali sviluppare le ricerche future (3 punti).
The motivation letter (maximum 5000 characters -including spaces) should display the candidate's inclination towards research and briefly describe the motivations towards the activities and topics relevant to the doctoral program. It should explain the educational background, previous research experiences, and future scientific interests. In particular, the following aspects will be assessed: 2.1 Candidate's inclination towards research (4 points); 2.2 Motivations towards the activities and topics related to the PhD program (3 points); 2.3 Areas of scientific interest for future research (3 points).
Propensione alla ricerca del candidato
Candidate's inclination towards research		4,0
Motivazioni verso le attività e le tematiche di riferimento del Dottorato
Motivations towards the activities and topics related to the PhD program		3,0
Ambiti di interesse scientifico nei quali sviluppare le ricerche future
Areas of scientific interest for future research		3,0

Altri titoli
Additional study qualifications

Punteggio massimo/max score: 35
I titoli verranno valutati secondo la seguente griglia di valutazione:
The titles will be evaluated on the basis of the following evaluation grid:
Altri titoli di studio (master, diplomi, corsi post-laurea, workshopo equipollenti)
Additional study qualifications (master, diplomas, postgraduatequalifications, workshops or equivalent)		5,0
Pubblicazioni (monografie, contributi in volume, contributi surivista, contributi in atti di convegno)
Publications (books, book chapters, journal articles, conferenceproceedings)		9,0
Esperienze di ricerca (borse di studio, contratti e assegni diricerca, partecipazione a gruppi di ricerca, partecipazione comerelatore a convegni di carattere scientifico)
Research experiences (scholarships, research contracts and grants,participation in research groups, speaker for scientific conferences)		9,0
Attività professionali, stage e tirocini, esperienze all’estero,premi, brevetti, spin-off pertinenti alla tematica del dottorato
Professional activities, internships, experiences abroad, awards, patents,spin-offs relevant to the topic of the PhD		9,0
Conoscenze informatiche, altre lingue estere (oltre quellaufficiale del Dottorato), altri titoli pertinenti alla tematica deldottorato
Computer skills, other foreign languages (besides the official language ofthe PhD Program), and other relevant titles related to the topic of the PhDProgram		3,0
Altra tipologia (Research project)

Altra tipologia

Progetto di ricerca
Research project

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

Conoscenza dello stato dell’arte relativo alla tematica del Dottorato
Knowledge of the state of the art related to the topic of the PhD program

Punteggio massimo/max score: 10

Originalità e il contenuto innovativo
Originality and innovative content

Punteggio massimo/max score: 5

Chiarezza e la completezza dell’esposizione degli obiettivi,delle metodologie e dei potenziali risultati
Clarity and extensiveness of the description of objectives, methodologies,and potential results

Punteggio massimo/max score: 5

Fattibilità del progetto di ricerca
Feasibility of the research project

Punteggio massimo/max score: 5

Pertinenza con gli obiettivi formativi del Dottorato
Relevance to the educational objectives of the PhD program

Punteggio massimo/max score: 5
Oral interview

Prova orale

Punteggio massimo complessivo per la prova/overall max score: 40

Prova orale
Oral examination

Punteggio massimo/max score: 40
La prova orale è finalizzata ad approfondire e chiarire gli aspetti riguardanti i titoli presentati, la lettera di motivazione e il progetto di ricerca. In particolare, saranno valutati: 1.1 la chiarezza e la completezza espositiva; 1.2 la capacità di analisi, di interpretazione critica e di sintesi; 1.3 gli interessi scientifici e la competenza relativamente alla tematica del Dottorato; Il colloquio sarà svolto in lingua inglese. Il punteggio minimo complessivo per l’ammissione al Dottorato di ricerca è di 60/120
The oral examination aims to explore and clarify aspects related to the qualifications, the motivation letter, and the research project. In particular, the following will be assessed: 1.1 Clarity and extensiveness of the presentation; 1.2, Critical interpretation, analysis and synthesis; 1.3 Scientific interests and competence in relation to the topic of the PhD program. The interview will be conducted in English The minimum overall score for admission to the PhD programme is 60/120
Discussione dell’elaborato e dei titoli del candidato: chiarezza espositiva, capacità di sintesi e interesse scientifico del curriculum
Discussion of the paper and the candidate's qualifications: clarity of presentation, ability to synthesize, and scientific interest of the CV		40,0

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