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Vademecum of the PhD student Information and Forms

Information and Forms

Regulations of the University of Florence for the accreditation, establishment, and operation of PhD programs

The new PhD Regulations, implementing Ministerial Decree 226/2021, are published at the following page:

https://www.unifi.it/sites/default/files/2025-11/dr_575_2022_regolamento_dottorato_eng.pdf

The Regulations apply starting from the 38th cycle (with the exception of certain provisions mentioned in Art. 44, which are immediately applicable).

For general information regarding:

  • Calls for applications
  • Procedures
  • Regulations and rules
  • Transversal skills

please consult the UNIFI website: https://www.unifi.it/en/study-us/after-graduation/phd-programmes

For specific information and related forms concerning:

  • Tuition fees and contributions
  • Access to online services
  • Institutional email
  • Withdrawal from the PhD program and/or scholarship
  • Suspension of the PhD program
  • Maternity
  • Compatibility with employment
  • Research stays abroad
  • International co-supervision agreements (cotutelle)
  • European Doctorate
  • Final examination
  • Certificates

please consult the restricted-access intranet page (University credentials required): Intranet | University of Florence | UniFI

CURRICULUM OF THE PROGRAM

  • CHEMISTRY
  • SCIENCE FOR THE CONSERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

SUPERVISOR, CO-SUPERVISORS, INTERNAL REFEREES

Each PhD candidate is supported by:

  • A supervisor from academia who meets the requirements to be a member of the PhD Board.
  • One to three co-supervisors, at least one of whom must be from academia and meet the requirements to be a Board member. Co-supervisors may also be selected outside the Board, provided they are qualified experts in the relevant scientific fields of the candidate’s research project.
  • Two internal referees from the PhD Board, with expertise related to the candidate’s research topic, who evaluate the candidate’s activities based on the annual report and the supervisor’s assessment, for admission to subsequent years and to the final examination.

Co-supervisors and referees must be appointed within the first 6 months of the program.

REGULATIONS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF TEACHING CREDITS (CFU) OVER THE THREE-YEAR PERIOD

Over the three years, the student must attend courses and seminars totaling at least 45 CFU.

The 45 CFU are distributed as follows:

Courses: 30 CFU over three years (1 course = 3 CFU; 10 courses = 30 CFU)

Seminars: 9 CFU over three years (1 seminar = 0.3 CFU; 10 seminars/year = 3 CFU)

Skills: 6 CFU over three years

Each course offered by the PhD in Chemical Sciences corresponds to 3 CFU and requires a final assessment.
Each year, documented attendance at at least 10 seminars (3 CFU) is required.

Courses and seminars are managed via the Moodle platform.

Each PhD candidate must obtain at least one quarter of their CFU from courses belonging to scientific disciplinary sectors (SSD) different from that of their own research topic.

PhD candidates are required to acquire credits in Soft & Complementary Skills. The PhD Board has set the required number at 6 CFU (the minimum required by the University) and reduced the credits required by the Board to 39 CFU, maintaining the total at 45 CFU.

Additional provisions:

  1. It is possible to earn more than 15 CFU per year, or fewer than 15 CFU by recovering the deficit in subsequent years.
  2. Documented attendance at courses organized or attended elsewhere, with certified assessment, may be recognized as equivalent to a 3 CFU internal course. Without certified assessment, the course counts as a seminar.
  3. Attendance at relevant Schools of appropriate duration, with certified assessment, may be recognized as equivalent to a 3 CFU internal course.
  4. Attendance at Master’s degree courses in scientific fields, with certified assessment, may be recognized as PhD course credits up to a limit of 6–9 CFU over three years.
  5. Attendance at relevant courses from other PhD programs, with certified assessment, may be recognized.

All recognitions under points 2–5 are subject to approval by the PhD Board.

WHENEVER INTENDING TO ATTEND A COURSE, SEMINAR, SCHOOL OR SKILLS ACTIVITY NOT INCLUDED IN THE PhD PROGRAM'S OFFICIAL OFFERING, an authorization request must be sent at least 30 days before the activity begins to:

Retroactive recognition will not be granted!

An email specifying the event, location, dates, and preferably attaching the flyer or website link is sufficient.

Regulations for the Acquisition of CFU

 

SOFT & COMPLEMENTARY SKILLS

For the program organized by the University’s central office, access and enrollment information are available at:
https://www.unifi.it/en/study-us/after-graduation/phd-programmes/soft-skills

Details of courses attended and related CFU are periodically transmitted by the PhD Office.

Please note: Credits for courses organized by other University structures or partner institutions may be recognized upon submission of a certificate indicating the duration in hours.

No CFU will be recognized for attendance of less than 3 hours (unless otherwise specified).

Conversion: 1 CFU = 6 hours of lessons. For the awarding of CFU, reference will be made to the following equivalence table:

Hours attended CFU
3–4 hours 0.5 CFU
5–7 hours 1 CFU
8–10 hours 1.5 CFU
11–13 hours 2 CFU
14–16 hours 2.5 CFU

Some courses may have a different CFU/hour ratio as specified in their description.

IN PARTICULAR: FOREIGN LANGUAGE COURSES

Where the supervisor considers it necessary for the PhD candidate to acquire a level of proficiency in a foreign language (or in Italian, for non-Italian candidates) higher than that already possessed, the achievement of such level—if documented by the relevant certificate issued by the University Language Centre (CLA) or by another accredited institution and submitted to the PhD Board—allows the recognition of 2 CFU within the framework of transversal skills.

This 2 CFU recognition can be granted only once during the three-year period. In general, language courses may count for a maximum of 2 CFU toward the required 6 CFU.

PLEASE NOTE: The supervisor’s request must always be submitted in advance.

DOCUMENT STORAGE

Each PhD candidate must record their teaching activities (courses, seminars, skills, schools, etc.) in a dedicated Excel file and save it—together with certificates—in their personal shared Google Drive folder.

Each candidate’s folder (shared with the supervisor) must contain:

  • The completed Excel file for their cycle
  • A subfolder named “Certificates NAME SURNAME” with two subfolders: “Seminars” and “Courses”, containing the relevant PDF certificates named according to the instructions provided in the Excel file.

In summary, the instructions are as follows:

  • Download the Excel file corresponding to your PhD cycle.
  • Complete the Excel file following the example provided within the file.
  • Upload the Excel file to your personal folder named “NAME SURNAME.”
  • Within the “NAME SURNAME” folder, create a subfolder named “Certificates NAME SURNAME.”
  • Inside this subfolder, create two additional subfolders: one named “Seminars” and the other “Courses.” Upload the relevant certificates (PDF format) documenting attendance at seminars and successful completion of courses, saving each file according to the naming conventions indicated in the Excel file (e.g., for seminars: S1_PhDName_SeminarTitle_Cycle; for courses: C1_PhDName_CourseTitle_Cycle).

Within the Excel file there is also a table where Soft Skills seminars must be entered. This table is intended only to record the Soft Skills seminars attended and to compare them later with those officially recorded by the University. Attendance records for Soft Skills (registered by the University) and the corresponding CFU awarded will be provided directly by the administrative office once available.

For courses and seminars attended in person, the signature collection forms available on the PhD program website may be used.

Course Attendance Signature Form

Seminar Attendance Signature Form

 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

PhD candidates, like research fellows, Co.Co.Co. (fixed-term collaborators), specialization students, visiting professors, and visiting students, are temporary researchers who join research groups already active prior to their arrival and, by nature, participate in activities for a limited period of time.

During their activity at UNIFI, these researchers benefit from the body of knowledge already developed by the research group and contribute to creating new knowledge, which remains as an asset of the group and may sometimes be protected by industrial property rights.
Considering that, according to the Industrial Property Code and the University Regulations on the management of industrial and intellectual property rights in relation to research activities,

“The University owns the intellectual and industrial property rights relating to any invention or creation achieved by a student actively involved in laboratory activities, internships, or a degree program, within two years after the termination of their relationship with the University,”

PhD candidates are required to sign a specific declaration in order to:

  • Protect the body of knowledge already developed by the research group prior to their arrival (Background).
  • Protect the knowledge they have helped to develop during their activity at UNIFI (Results and/or Confidential Information).
  • Inform them of UNIFI’s rights over patents arising from activities carried out at UNIFI, filed within two years after their departure.

MISSIONS

To travel for official missions off-site, it is always necessary to request prior authorization well in advance and before departure, including for reporting purposes and, above all, for insurance coverage even if no expenses are to be reimbursed.

Authorization requests must be submitted using the “missions” application, accessible via the Department website: https://www.chim.unifi.it/vp-261-missioni.html?newlang=ita

The paper form remains valid only in urgent cases or if the online procedure is not functioning.

If access to the online system is not possible, an email must be sent to missioni(AT)chim.unifi.it including the following information for registration: First and last name - Tax code - PhD Student ID number - PhD cycle - email address.
The administrative office will then notify the applicant once they have been entered into the application system.

RESEARCH STAYS – LEARNING AGREEMENT

To undertake a stay at institutes, centers, laboratories, or research organizations, in Italy or abroad, it is mandatory to sign a Learning Agreement in advance, specifying the period and purpose of the stay.

The form can be downloaded at the following link:

Learning Agreement for Traineeship (outgoing PhD)

Learning Agreement for Traineeship (outgoing PhD)

For correct completion of the Learning Agreement and to obtain the final signatures of the Coordinator and the Director of DICUS, it is strongly recommended to always CC:

If a written agreement with the host institution already exists, the Learning Agreement will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

THREE-YEAR BUDGET

(Excluding PhD candidates admitted beyond the standard quota for participation in MSCA projects)

These funds must be used for missions or, alternatively, for expenses relevant to the training pathway. To avoid charging expenses to the wrong funds and to facilitate project accounting, it is recommended to always indicate, in the notes field of the online mission authorization request, the exact code and the person responsible for the fund/project to which the expense should be charged (for information, write to phd(AT)chim.unifi.it).

INCREASE OF THE SCHOLARSHIP FOR RESEARCH STAYS ABROAD

The scholarship, paid in monthly installments in arrears, may be increased by up to 50% for a total period of no more than 12 months, for authorized research activities abroad.

PhD candidates holding a scholarship can find the necessary information on the intranet page:

https://identity.unifi.it/cas/login

under the section RESEARCH STAYS ABROAD.

The paper form for “authorization for research stay abroad”, as well as the subsequent confirmation form(s), is required both for the scholarship increase and to certify the completion of the months abroad planned in the course.

  1. Always submit the request as a PDF, typed in capital letters, and already signed by both the PhD candidate and the Supervisor.
  2. Name the file as follows: SURNAME – INITIAL – MONTH – ABROAD (e.g., ROSSI M_MARCH_ABROAD).
  3. Use the same format in the email subject line, avoiding generic indications.
  4. Send the email personally no later than the 3rd day of each month to the Coordinator annamaria.papini(AT)unifi.it and CC phd(AT)chim.unifi.it.

Any scholarship increase not received for a specific month can be recovered in the following month.

The Secretariat will then obtain the signatures of the Director and Coordinator and forward authorizations and confirmations to the PhD Office.

IMPORTANT: As indicated in the circular of 02/02/2017, Prot. No. 15852

https://www.unifi.it/upload/sub/intranet/dottorato/modulistica/maggiorazione_estero.pdf

The “Confirmation of Research Stay Abroad” form signed by the Coordinator must generally be sent to the PhD Office by the 7th of each month. If this date falls on a non-working day, the deadline is moved to the preceding working day (e.g., if the 7th is a Sunday, the deadline is Friday the 5th).

Therefore, it is recommended to submit the confirmation form at the start of the month following the month for which the increase is requested.

Only for August and December may different deadlines apply.

PLEASE NOTE: The AUTORIZATION FOR RESEARCH STAY ABROAD form does not replace the mission authorization request, which must always be completed online through the missions application.

AUTHORIZATIONS AND INCOMPATIBILITIES

PLEASE NOTE: A PhD candidate holds university student status until the award of the doctoral degree. Any incompatibilities prescribed by regulations and current legislation cease at the end of the course duration.
Admission to the PhD program generally requires full-time, exclusive commitment. For this reason, any request to engage in additional activities must be pre-authorized by the Board of Professors.

Specifically:

1. The Board of Professors may authorize paid activities that allow the PhD candidate to acquire skills relevant to the PhD training program, after evaluating the compatibility of such activities with the proper completion of the course’s educational, teaching, and research activities.

2. PhD candidates, as an integral part of their training program, may carry out tutoring activities, including paid tutoring, for bachelor’s and master’s degree students, with prior approval from the Board of Professors, without any increase in the scholarship.

For the above two cases, the request form must be sent to:

3. PhD candidates may carry out additional teaching activities and participate in exam and graduation committees, up to a maximum of 40 hours per academic year.

4. For training purposes, PhD candidates may participate in research programs at departmental structures related to their individual thesis project, with prior authorization from the Board of Professors.

5. Any annual income earned by the PhD candidate from the activities described above cannot exceed the annual amount of the doctoral scholarship.

Additional Teaching Activities

To be authorized to carry out additional teaching activities (up to 40 hours per academic year), the candidate must complete the form available on the course website:

richiesta att dida integrativa AGGIORNATO

Requests submitted after the start of the activity or illegibly completed by hand will not be accepted. The request, dated and signed by the PhD candidate, the Tutor, and the Course Instructor, must be sent in a single email to:

  • Coordinator of the PhD Program
  • President of the Degree Program

    CC:
  • Tutor
  • Course Instructor
  • Administrative contact: phd(AT)chim.unifi.it

The PhD Coordinator will request approval from the Board of Professors.
The Degree Program President will request approval from the Degree Program Council.
Once both approvals are obtained, the request will be submitted to the Department Council for final approval.

IMPORTANT FOR CHEMICAL SCIENCES PHD CANDIDATES (Board of Professors, 23 December 2021)
Two calls have been established:

  • Requests for the first semester must be submitted by 30 September
  • Requests for the second semester must be submitted by 31 January

DEPARTMENT ACCESS BADGE AND HEALTH SURVEILLANCE

For information and forms, see the Chemistry Department website:

https://www.chim.unifi.it/vp-669-english-version.html

REQUESTING CERTIFICATES

Administrative Contact:

Roberto di Camillo
Email: phd(AT)chim.unifi.it

PhD Office of the University:

https://cercachi.unifi.it/changelang-eng.html

Last update

12.02.2026

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