The PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) represents the third and highest level of university education. The programme has a three-year duration and aims to train highly qualified researchers capable of working in universities, public and private research institutions, industry, and professional practice, contributing to the development of the European Higher Education Area and the European Research Area.
Admission is competitive and limited in number, through a public selection process. The PhD degree is awarded upon successful defence of the doctoral thesis.
Vision and Scientific Focus
The ACCESS PhD Programme is focused on the development of materials and catalytic processes for energy and sustainable chemical production, based on the use of renewable energy for the conversion of key molecules such as N₂, CH₄ and CO₂. These topics are central to the energy transition and are fully aligned with major European initiatives (REPowerEU, Horizon Europe Clusters 4 and 5, European Partnerships) and national priorities (PNRR), within the scientific framework of the ERC Synergy SCOPE project.
The main research activities include:
- electrification of chemical reactors;
- production of energy vectors and hydrogen;
- solar fuels;
- CO₂ conversion using renewable energy;
- sustainable production of chemicals (e.g. NH₃);
- distributed production of chemicals and energy carriers.
Training Approach and Opportunities
The programme aims to educate researchers with strong interdisciplinary skills, capable of addressing complex challenges by integrating fundamental, applied, engineering and industrial aspects. The training approach is strongly oriented towards problem solving and collaborative research, with many activities carried out in partnership with international academic and industrial organisations.
The training path includes advanced courses, specialised schools and seminars, activities on research ethics, intellectual property, technology transfer, scientific communication and European project design, as well as mandatory mobility periods at universities and companies in Italy and abroad.
Research Infrastructure and Environment
Research activities are mainly conducted in the laboratories of the ChiBioFarAm and MIFT Departments of the University of Messina, in particular at the CASPE Centre – Laboratory of Catalysis for Sustainable Production and Energy, which hosts the ERC Synergy SCOPE project and is equipped with advanced instrumentation and state-of-the-art research infrastructures. Additional activities are carried out at the laboratories of academic and industrial partners involved in the programme.
PhD candidates work in a highly qualified scientific environment, alongside numerous PhD students, post-doctoral researchers and international visiting scientists, fostering a dynamic and stimulating exchange of expertise. They also benefit from extensive library resources, scientific journals, software tools and digital research infrastructures provided by the University and partner institutions.