Facilities and Resources

Each PhD student is assigned an academic supervisor, typically a member of the Faculty, whose expertise aligns with the research project. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the programme, a co-supervisor is also appointed and may come from other universities, research institutes, hospitals, or external partner organisations.
During the initial stages, students work closely with their supervisors to develop core research skills, including critical appraisal of the literature, study design, data management, statistical analysis planning, and interpretation of findings. Supervision progressively fosters independence in designing and conducting research and supports dissemination through seminars, conferences, and collaborative initiatives.
The programme ensures a sustainable supervision model, with a balanced distribution of responsibilities across faculty members and, when appropriate, the involvement of external co-supervisors in Italy and abroad.

PhD students may access additional financial resources beyond the standard doctoral scholarship and departmental budget. Periods of research abroad longer than one month are supported by a 50% increase in the scholarship, within the limits established by national regulations. In general, this increase is guaranteed for up to 180 cumulative days (also non-continuous), while for longer periods or for non-funded PhD students it may be subject to the availability of funds at Department level.
In addition, each PhD student is provided with an individual budget (at least 10% of the annual scholarship) to support training and research activities, including travel, conferences, and study visits. The use of this budget is subject to authorisation according to the procedures of the Department and must be agreed with the supervisor and/or the PhD Programme Coordinator. In general, unused funds may be carried forward to subsequent years; however, in the case of specific funding schemes (e.g., ministerial programmes or externally funded positions), different rules may apply, including restrictions on carry-over and specific reporting requirements. For practical information on how to request authorisation, manage expenses, and report costs, PhD students are advised to contact the Doctoral and Postgraduate Programmes Office, whose details are available in the Contact section.
Further support may derive from supervisors’ research grants, competitive projects, and external agreements, and can be used for mobility, specialised training, and scientific publications (including Open Access).
Further details are available on the University webpage (https://www.unibo.it/[…]/you-are-attending-a-phd-programme).

The programme is primarily funded by the University of Bologna through central resources and departmental budgets.
Additional positions and activities may be supported by competitive public funding (e.g. Emilia-Romagna Region – ESF+, Next Generation EU/PNRR, Horizon Europe) as well as by research hospitals, foundations, patient associations, and private partners.

PhD students have access to the research infrastructure of the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and its clinical and laboratory network, including:
• Applied biomedical research facilities (CRBA);
• Genetics and genomics laboratories;
• Pathology and microscopy laboratories;
• Cell culture, microbiology, and virology laboratories;
• Public health laboratories (toxicology and forensic genetics);
• Statistical software and tools for clinical and epidemiological data analysis.

Students benefit from the University library system, which provides extensive access to scientific journals, books, and electronic resources across all research areas.
Dedicated biomedical and clinical libraries are complemented by centrally managed subscriptions and digital collections. Online databases, integrated search tools, remote access services, and institutional access to clinical decision-support resources (e.g. UpToDate) are also available.

The programme provides study and working spaces within departmental and hospital facilities.
Students have access to the “C. Francioni” computer lab (25 workstations with Wi-Fi) at the Sant’Orsola-Malpighi Hospital. The University also offers a campus-wide Stata/SE licence for installation on personal devices, along with additional specialised software for statistical analysis and biomedical imaging. Seminar rooms and teaching spaces are available for training activities.