Management of PhD scholarships for enrolled PhD students

The minimum annual scholarship, gross of the pension contributions borne by the recipient, was determined by the Ministerial Decree of 23 February 2022 “Increase in PhD scholarships (effective from 1 July 2022)” and amounts to € 16,243.00.

In order for the payment of the scholarship to be initiated, the PhD student must at the time of matriculation:

• connect to the Studenti Online application;
• access the 'Edit contact details' section;
• enter their bank account details (IBAN), which will be used by the University for the payment of the scholarship (for payment purposes, the bank account must be in the name of the declarant or the declarant must be one of the joint holders).

PhD students with scholarships who are not Italian citizens must obtain a Tax Code from the Tax Authorities.

In the event of a change in the personal and social security data provided, the PhD student must promptly notify arag.borsestudentiedottorati@unibo.it together with a copy of an identification document.

In the event of a change of payment method (IBAN), the PhD student must update the bank details on Studenti Online.

When the scholarship is credited

The scholarship is credited in monthly instalments in arrears, to the bank details on Studenti Online following completion of the administrative-accounting process.

Monthly credit dates are announced at the beginning of the year and can be consulted in the application Cedolini Web (accessible with the credentials nome.cognome@unibo.it).

How to check the monthly scholarship payments

Scholarship credit slips can be viewed on the Cedolini Web application (accessible with the credentials nome.cognome@unibo.it). 

It is not possible to combine PhD programme scholarships with:

• other study grants awarded for any reason, except those granted by national or international institutions, or institutions of foreign countries, to supplement the activities of the PhD Student with periods spent abroad;
• payments made to doctors undergoing specialist training. Scholarship payments are suspended for the period in which the student is also enrolled in a medical specialisation school;
• research fellowships. The beneficiaries of both research fellowships and scholarships for a PhD programme must irrevocably withdraw from either the grant or the scholarship by the programme start date.

PhD scholarships are exempt from personal income tax and subject to the payment of pension contributions to the special section of INPS.

The following percentage contributions to the special section of INPS are applicable:

• 35.03% for persons not covered by other forms of compulsory pension protection;
• 24% for persons with pensions or covered by other forms of compulsory pension protection.

The amount of the contribution payable is shared between the scholarship holder and the University of Bologna on a one-third/two-thirds basis.

When making the monthly scholarship payments, the University of Bologna withholds the amount due by the recipient and, together with the portion payable by the University, pays the total contribution to INPS.

Compulsory registration with the special section of INPS for PhD Students with scholarships

Registration with the special section of INPS (pension fund with compulsory contributions paid by the workers covered) is compulsory for PhD Students with scholarships.

This registration must be made solely via one of the following channels:

• local INPS offices;
• INPS website: telematic service accessible using a PIN;
• Multi-Channel INPS-INAIL Contact Centre at the land line toll-free number 803164 or at the following mobile network number 06164164 (not toll free);
• INPS intermediaries: CAF/Patronato/professionals.

N.B. The University of Bologna is unable to help students to register with the special section of INPS. Please contact the INPS offices or the Multi-Channel INPS-INAIL Contact Centre for further information about the registration procedure and the documents required.

The Single Certification (CU) is produced annually, in accordance with the deadlines set by law, and can be downloaded from the Cedolini Web application (accessible with the credentials nome.cognome@unibo.it, active until one month after the end of the PhD student's career).

The PhD scholarship is exempt from personal income tax (IRPEF). Taxpayers whose sole income is a PhD scholarship are therefore not required to submit a tax return. However, it is advisable to check with the Italian Revenue Agency, as the tax regime applicable to PhD scholarships may be subject to change.

As of 1 July 2017, PhD students who have received a scholarship and do not have a VAT registration number will receive unemployment benefits (DIS-COLL) pursuant to Article 7 of law 81/2017. By subsequent implementing circulars (circular no. 115 of 19/7/2017 and circular no. 122 of 28/7/2017), INPS specified the requirements to be eligible for unemployment benefits.

DIS-COLL has a variable duration, based on the number of monthly contributions paid, and in any case does not exceed 6 months.

For further information on this subject, please refer to the above-mentioned legislation and contact the relevant INPS office, where the interested party must independently initiate the procedure.

General information

The 37th cycle PON PhD scholarships are three-year PhD scholarships whose activities started on 1 January 2022.

They are governed by ministerial decree 1061 and its implementing regulations: these regulations provide for specific reporting obligations and for periods of study and research to be spent by the PhD student.

PON grants are funded in the first two years by the Ministry through ESF REACT-EU funds and in the third year by the University.

Reporting

For PON grants, three periodic reports (every four months) and one annual report are required.

As part of their periodic reports, PhD students must complete a form describing the activities carried out and a timesheet indicating the time spent abroad, in a company or at the University, in months and fractions of months.

Coordinators must validate periodic reports (every four months) on the ministerial platform.

PhD students will send the Annual reports to the coordinators. Coordinators upload these reports onto the platform together with the year-end report.

From time to time, the Ministry will send notifications to PhD students regarding the start of the reporting period.

On a one-off basis, the Ministry may request additional reports, for which it will provide information and details.

Period in a company

PON PhD students must complete a compulsory period of ‘study and research in a company’, the duration of which, already defined in the PhD project, ranges from a minimum of 6 to a maximum of 12 months. For the purposes of carrying out the period in a company, the relevant department must enter into an agreement with the company before the start of that period.
Please find attached:

• template of agreement with companies in Italian [.doc 73 KB];
• template of agreement with companies in English [.doc 74 KB].

Foreign period

The foreign period for PON PhD students is optional and may last for a maximum of 6 months. The foreign period must also be provided for in the PhD project approved by the board and submitted to the ministry.

The foreign period may be carried out during all three years of the PhD programme, but is only supported by ministerial funding if it is carried out during the first two years of the PhD programme.

Compatibility

Since they are financed from European funds, PON grants fall into a specific category and often present problems of compatibility with other projects or funding. To avoid the possibility of not being able to report or having your funding revoked, before participating in a project or applying for funding, always contact the PhD Unit offices.

For more information on PON grants, see the FAQs (in Italian) [.pdf 91 KB].

The scholarships funded by the Emilia Romagna Region on the European Social Fund require, at the end of each academic year, a report on the activities carried out by the beneficiary PhD students, prepared by the PhD Unit.

In November, the course coordinator must provide the PhD Unit with the year-end report containing a summary of the research activities carried out by the PhD student. For the reporting of the last year, the documents must be supplemented with the record of admission to the final exam and the record of the exam itself.

Any suspensions for the reasons provided for by law and the PhD regulations or extensions pursuant to Ministerial Decree 226/2021 must be communicated to the PhD Unit, as must any postponement of the end date of the project determined by co-tutorship agreements.

Scholarships funded by Fondazione Carisbo include reporting on a calendar year basis. In January, the PhD Unit sends the Foundation an economic and scientific report on the activities carried out by the beneficiary PhD students in the previous calendar year. By 15 January each year, PhD students must send a short scientific report (max. 2,000 characters) in Word format to the PhD Unit.

Any suspensions for reasons provided for by law and the PhD regulations or extensions pursuant to Ministerial Decree 226/2021 must be communicated to the PhD Unit, as must any postponement of the end date of the project determined by co-tutorship agreements.

PNRR scholarships have reporting requirements and obligations to spend time in a company and abroad, which vary depending on the cycle and the investment related to the grant, in particular: 

• obligations to carry out periods in a company;
• obligations to carry out periods abroad;
• reporting obligations.

To find out which type of PhD scholarship you need to refer to, check the PhD programmes-PNRR ministerial platform 

​Reporting obligations common to PNRR scholarships​

No later than the first of each month, coordinators must be informed of the periods that will be spent abroad or in a company in the following month, in accordance with the operating procedures of the monitoring guidelines (in Italian) [.pdf 1021 KB] and following the calculation criteria contained in the guide to compiling periods in a company and abroad of the Italian Ministry of University and Research (in Italian) [.pdf 93 KB].  

​Six-monthly report

Every 6 months from the start date of their PhD programmes, PhD students must complete the six-monthly report on the PhD programmes-PNRR ministerial platform according to the methods indicated in the guide prepared by the ministry (in Italian) [.pdf 643 KB].
The report should be completed using the template made available within the guidelines for monitoring the Italian Ministry of University and Research intended for Implementing Bodies (in Italian) [.pdf 1021 KB]. The report must indicate the time commitment (broken down into months spent at the company, on site, abroad, if applicable) and a summary of the main activities carried out, also declaring that they comply with the principle of 'no significant damage to the environment'. 

​​Annual reporting 

At the end of each PhD programme year, PhD students are required to complete an annual summary report in accordance with the guide prepared by the ministry (in Italian) [.pdf 643 KB] and on the basis of the template downloadable from the PhD programmes-PNRR ministerial platform​. Within the template, the activities carried out during the reporting year must be described.
PhD students should e-mail the reports to the coordinators. The report format and operating procedures are contained in the guidelines for monitoring the Italian Ministry of University and Research intended for Implementing Bodies (in Italian) [.pdf 1021 KB]. 

​Changes to the project

​​It is not possible to independently make substantial changes to the project that involve modifications to the original objectives and/or expected results. Any change to the project must obtain the prior approval of the course's Academic Board and must be communicated to the PhD unit complete with the data to be changed for transmission to the Italian Ministry of University and Research for approval by ANVUR. Scholarships and periods regulated by agreements with institutions and companies may require changes to the agreement, so you should contact the department and the PhD unit to find out how to proceed.

Final Report

​At the end of the PhD programme, the annual report must be drawn up considering all the activities carried out during the three-year reference period. ​

Withdrawals

In the case of PhD students who have withdrawn from a position financed by PNRR funds, reporting must be carried out, even for periods shorter than a semester, in relation to activities regularly carried out by the PhD student who has withdrew from the position.

The operating procedures are contained in the Withdrawal Reporting Coordinator Guide (in Italian) [.pdf 313 KB].

It is possible to withdraw from the scholarship only by sending to aform.udottricerca@unibo.it the appropriate scholarship withdrawal form (in Italian) [.pdf 120 KB] completed and signed. The document must be sent from an institutional e-mail address (@studio.unibo.it or @unibo.it).

This withdrawal from the scholarship is irrevocable and results in the interruption of scholarship payments from the effective date of withdrawal. PhD Students must repay any instalments received subsequent to the effective date of withdrawal. 

Withdrawal from PON grants

Withdrawal from the grant entails partial revocation of the funding, with the obligation to repay the sums paid out in relation to the year in progress at the time of renunciation (Article 4, paragraph 2 of the specifications of Ministerial Decree 1061).

In the event of withdrawal, two cases are highlighted:

• if the withdrawal takes place during the current year (up to December), the Ministry will request the return of the monthly payments received from the beginning of the current PhD year up to the day of withdrawal and the University will seek compensation from the PhD student;
• if the withdrawal occurs at the end of a calendar year (beginning of January), and the previous year has been completed with a positive evaluation by the board, no refund will be required, because the previous year has been successfully completed and because no monthly scholarship payments have yet been made for the new year.

For more information on PON grants, see the FAQs (in Italian) [.pdf 91 KB].