Regulation of the duties and rights of PhD students

The PhD student must attend his/her courses, continuatively carry out the activities which are laid down for his/her PhD course, and devote himself/herself with full commitment to his/her individual and guided programme of studies, and carry out research activities assigned for that particular course, in accordance with the criteria laid down by the Panel of Professors.

At the end of each course year the PhD student must present a written report and, where expressly required, an oral report so that the Panel of Professors  may admit him/her to the following year, or recommend his/her exclusion to the Rector, after having evaluated the assiduity and progress in his/her research. The PhD student who does not pass his/her annual examination may be admitted to the following year ‘with reserve’: this ‘reserve’ must be annulled by the end of the following term (trimester). Attendance of lessons may be suspended, after deliberation made by the Panel of Professors, for a maximum period of twelve months, without jeopardising the right to the enjoyment of the grant that may have been assigned. The assigned grant may be suspended, and may subsequently be recouped, when the PhD student resumes attendance in the following cases: maternity, military or civil service, serious documented illness. 

The PhD student cannot be enrolled at the same time on a specialization or degree course. Should the holder of a PhD grant already be enrolled on a specialization or degree course he/she must suspend attendance before the PhD course commences.

Those enrolled on  the Regional Interuniversity School of Specialization for secondary school teacher training (SSIS), or MA courses or Specialisation Schools may be allowed to keep on hold the commencement of those PhD activities for a maximum period of three months from the actual start of the PhD course, to be recouped within the legal duration of the PhD course as indicated by the Panel of Professors.    

Should such a period be longer than three months but less than one year, the activities of the PhD course are to be considered as having been deferred. Phd students who do not hold a grant may contemporaneously attend the PhD course as well as activities abroad if authorised by the Panel of Professors who must declare that carrying out both activities is compatible.

A PhD student may be excluded from the PhD course on the basis of a motivated decision from the Panel of Professors in the following cases: failure to observe the obligations laid down by the Panel of Professors; a negative evaluation by the Panel of Professors at the end of the year of attendance; unjustified and prolonged absences.

Enjoyment of the grant for attending the PhD course is compatible with other sources of income, including those received continuatively during the solar year in which the grant is provided, as long as such income is below the maximum allowed by the legislation in force. Should that limit be exceeded the grant will be revoked for an entire year. The student is required to declare annually the income received and to give notification should the prescribed limit be exceeded. The grant cannot be combined with other study grants or forms of subsidy, except in cases laid down for supplementing research activity with periods abroad.

The grant cannot be given in cases of suspension of a duration longer than thirty days or in cases of exclusion from the PhD course. During the PhD course the student may be authorised, for needs relating to research, by the Coordinator for a period of up to six months, or by the Panel of Professors for periods longer than six months, to carry out periods of research abroad or to take part in internships with public or private bodies. In any case such a period cannot be more than half the duration of the course.

PhD students are allowed to carry out support teaching activities in the following ways: practical classes; tutorial activities; participation in examination commissions. For such purposes, once the need for such activities has been ascertained by the competent teaching body, with the consent of the PhD student in question, and after obtaining authorization from the Coordinator of the PhD course, and without any additional expense for the University, the Department Council may proceed in attributing the above-mentioned duties, for a maximum of 80 hours a year.

Such duties must not in any case jeopardise the research activities and training of the PhD student and do not give rise to any form of access to official teaching posts in Italian universities. The Panel of Professors, in accordance with the measures laid down in para. 25 of law no. 4 of 14/01/1999, having acquired the opinions of the competent bodies, may authorise PhD students who have graduated in Medicine and Surgery and who are in possession of the necessary requisites to carry out activities of assistance as long as such activities are clearly in line with the research objectives of the PhD course. In any case, the PhD student cannot be used to carry out shift work, or be on call or be used as a substitute for certain institutional activities.

In cases where the PhD student is also the holder of a research grant, admission to the course may be allowed, over and above the number of PhD students originally allowed on the course, if prior authorization is obtained from the Panel of Professors for the PhD course and from the Council of the Department where the research grant activities are being carried out, who must express a favourable opinion as regards the compatibility to carry out both activities. In cases where the research grant holder/PhD student is carrying out activities at another University, authorization is required from the University to which the person belongs. In accordance with article 2 of law n. 476 of 13/08/1984, as modified by article 52, para. 57, of law no. 448 of 28/12/2001, a public employee admitted to a PhD course is entitled to ‘extraordinary leave’ for study reasons without a research grant for the period of the duration of the course and may use a study grant where the required conditions allow. The period of extraordinary leave may be used in terms of career progression, and also for retirement and social security purposes. In case of admission to a PhD course without a grant, or if the applicant renounces such a grant, the person in question enjoying extraordinary leave preserves his/her wage, social security benefits and pension rights from the public administration that the person works for. If, after the employee has completed the PhD course, the employment relationship with the public administration should cease during the following two years through the desire of the employee in question, the repetition of the amount due must be paid. If the PhD student is unable, for proven reasons, to present his/her final thesis within the term required, the Rector, with prior approval from the Panel of Professors, may authorize the final examination to be held a year later, or in cases where the course was not activated, also in another place. Should the final examination be evaluated negatively, candidates are allowed to repeat the examination on no more than one occasion.

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published on Apr 04, 2018 last modified May 24, 2022