The ACCESS PhD Programme focuses on the development of materials and catalytic processes based on renewable energy, expanding and strengthening the synergies initiated within the ERC Synergy SCOPE project. The research themes addressed are of primary relevance to the energy transition and climate change mitigation and lie at the core of major European initiatives, including REPowerEU, European Partnerships (P4P, Clean Hydrogen, CET), and Horizon Europe Clusters 4 and 5, while also being fully aligned with national priorities under the PNRR.
The research activities of the PhD Programme cover areas of strong industrial relevance, including:
- 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.
These topics characterised the 36th–38th cycles and remain central to the 39th cycle of the ACCESS PhD Programme.
The programme aims to train researchers capable of addressing complex scientific and technological challenges through a strong interdisciplinary approach, a clear problem-solving orientation, and extensive opportunities for collaboration and international mobility enabled by ERC and other European projects. PhD activities are closely integrated with research projects developed in collaboration with leading academic and industrial partners.