SCUDO
survival guide - before you start  
Perché questa guida?
La "Survival guide - Before you start" ti offre informazioni utili sulle tappe da seguire prima dell'inizio del tuo programma di dottorato


PART 1 - PHD AT POLITECNICO
1.1 The doctoral research programme in Italy
The doctoral programme (Ph.D) is a 3-years programme meant to provide candidates with a high level of scientific and technical culture and an appropriate research methodology.PhD candidates, together with their supervisor(s), are required to define a training and research programme and to develop it through high level education courses and personal research activities.At the end of the programme, after the submission of the final thesis, its peer-review and its final dissertation, the candidate is awarded with the doctoral degree, the highest level of education. 
Three are the main career prospects for a so-called "Doctor of Philosophy - PhD”:
  • academic: having a PhD is the first step towards a University career;
  • an active researcher in industries and dedicated centers: the doctoral experience should give an innovative research approach through the skills and competencies developed in the programme;
  • manager in high technology industries: thanks to the sensitivity for researchers' role in the industrial field and the ability in managing innovation.
1.2 Doctoral School
Since 1999, Politecnico di Torino established a specific structure devoted to doctoral studies: the Doctoral School.
The cultural and professional contents of the doctoral courses are presented on the ScuDo webpage.  
PhD Programme is grouped into four main areas:
  • Civil Engineering and Architecture;
  • Information and Communication Engineering;
  • Industrial Engineering;
  • Physical, Chemical, and Mathematical Sciences for Engineering.
 The main aim of the Doctoral School is to manage the complex system of the new University educational programme and to establish a link between the Academia and the other components of society, such as the production and enterprise field, public and private bodies, culture, and workforces that are attracted by the crucial role of high-level education and research. The aim of the Doctoral School is then to manage and harmonize the different doctoral courses, their educational and cultural activities, as well as to control the quality of doctoral courses and to promote the strategic choices regarding the doctoral courses. PhD candidates play a relevant role in scientific research.o.
1.3 Educational Activities
The School offers about 200 third level (highest educational level) courses, also providing a databank that can be looked up online, thus allowing candidates to choose between a wide range of courses for their educational plan. In addition to that, several courses of excellence given by scientists of international reputation are organized each year. 
TBNFour main areas:
  • Civil Engineering and Architecture;
  • Information and Communication Engineering;
  • Industrial Engineering;
  • Physical, Chemical, and Mathematical Sciences for Engineering.
 Each PhD candidate works under the supervision of a professor (tutor or supervisor) cooperating, thereby learning research methods and techniques. This means that each PhD candidate is assisted by a faculty member, who allows PhD candidate to learn how research is carried out in that field, but also to cope with the most interesting themes and to get in touch with the international scientific community of the specific field of study as well. With the aim of supporting the PhD candidate in the planning of her/his research, and favour and improve the interaction with the tutor, the Doctoral School provides the Declaration of Intent (DoI) tool.
PART 2 - ENROLMENT IN THE DOCTORAL SCHOOL
2.1 Online enrolment
From 1st October 2022 to 31st October 2022.  
After having secured the PhD position, both shortlisted applicants from the first (spring) or second (summer) session of the call shall enroll via the Apply online procedure. 
If the PhD candidate's name has asterisks on the published ranking list, it means that PhD candidates are eligible under condition.
PhD candidates have to fulfill them by the due deadlines: 
Deadlines for the fulfillment of the conditions
Asterisks:Condition:Deadlines
*Not graduated yet31st October 2022
**English language certificate31st October 2022
Please note that during the procedure the payment of € 11 will be required as the completion of the administrative fees due for the first year of the PhD. At the end of the online enrolment procedure, the applicant has to choose and set an appointment (date and time) to come to the Doctoral School to finalize the enrolment procedure through identification and document verification.
2.2 Finalization of the enrolment
The last date available to come at Doctoral School for proceeding with the identification and document verification procedures is:  8th November 2022. The PhD candidates need to come with the following documents, as provided for in the call for admission (art. 5):
  • Photocopy of a valid identification document, duly signed;
  • Photocopy of the Italian Social Security Number (Codice Fiscale);
  • Original hard-copy of the English language knowledge certificate, obtained by 31st October 2022.
In the event that, for proven reasons, the PhD student cannot be in Turin by 8th November to complete the second phase of enrollment in attendance by the deadline indicated above, it is exceptionally allowed from 10th to 15th November 2022, the completion of the second phase of enrollment remotely, by appointment at the Virtual Desk of the offices of the Doctoral School. This procedure does not allow the Smart Card to be released.
 
In addition:
for those PhD candidates who obtained the II level (M.Sc.) title abroad:
  •  original hard copiesof M.Sc. Degree certificate and transcript of records with marks, written in one of the languages listed in the call for admission (art. 5, paragraph 4);
  • the original hard copy of GRE® General Test, submitted during the application unless PoliTo was selected as score recipient during the exam or afterward on the ETS website;
 for those PhD candidates who were awarded an II level (M.Sc.) title by an Italian institution after the closure of the competition and applied for admission under condition(see the call for admission art. 12, paragraph 2)
  • certificate or self-declaration of M.Sc. Degree completion, with grade, date and place of obtainment (written using the draft in attachment 4 of the call for admission).

For admission under condition (see the call for admission art.11,2) 
TBN The title is valid only if awarded with a minimum mark of 95/110; the failure to provide the required document shall entail the loss of the right to enroll. The finalization of the enrolment at the Scudo office ends with the issuance of the student number. With this document, along with a valid identification document, PhD candidate shall go to the Central Student Office for the delivery of the student card. 
TBNFOR FOREIGNER PhD CANDIDATES. To be able to complete the online enrolment, PhD candidate should have a valid Italian Social Security Number (Codice Fiscale). PhD candidate can ask it to the embassy or the revenue agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) and should have it by 31st October 2022 at the latest.
2.3 Documents required for foreigner PhD candidates
The following documents are required for foreign PhD candidates: 
 In general, it allows getting access to all the Italian social and health services. 
  • Residence Permit (Permesso di Soggiorno) - for non-UE-candidates
    • Who? PhD candidate can ask it to the Questura Offices.
    • When? PhD candidate has to send it via e-mail to ScuDo (scudo@polito.it) no later than June 2022
 Failure to receive the residence permit by that time involves career blocking. 
TBN For any additional info please contact PoliTO's Foreign Citizens Office at foreign.citizens@polito.it.  
TBNITALIAN ADDRESS update for FOREIGNER PhD CANDIDATES as fast as the enrolment is finalized, PhD candidate should update the Italian address using the Teaching Portal / Portale della Didattica, as depicted below.
PART 3 - FEES, SCHOLARSHIPS AND TAXATION
3.1    Fees structure
As stated in the tuition fee guide, all PhD candidates, either they are recipients of a scholarship or not, have to paythe annual amount for the “extra-Politecnico” costs: 
Fees outside PoliTo competence
Regional tax for the University Education right (EDISU)€ 140,00
Enrolment revenue stamp€ 16,00
The premium for accident insurance€ 5,00
Total amount€ 161
 Being yearly fees, the above amount shall be paid each year.For the first year, the payment is carried out along the enrolment procedure.For the following years, the yearly fee must be paid as part of the requirement for the enrolment to the following years. 
It is possible to ask for a reimbursement of the regional tax provided by EDISU

For PhD candidates, EDISU provides a refund of the regional tax (€ 140.00) upon having presented the request form application provided by EDISU.The access to the reimbursement depends on each PhD candidate’s economic situation. The latter is measured through the “ISEE” indexes:
  • “ISEE per Corsi di Dottorato” for Italian PhD candidates;
  • “ISEE Parificato” for non-Italian PhD candidates (both EU and extra-EU residents).
 Generally, the application phase lasts from January to July. Please carefully check the following links to get the whole information about the regional tax reimbursement:https://www.edisu.piemonte.it/en/services/scholarships-and-other-grants/regional-fee-right-university-education
3.2 Scholarship and fellowship
PhD candidates may benefit from PhD scholarship, research fellowship, grants for single research activities etc.
The PhD scholarship lasts three years under the condition that the PhD candidate has fulfilled the requirements necessary to be admitted to the subsequent year, as verified by the relevant Academic Board.
TBN Upload the Bank Account details on Teaching Portal / Portale della Didattica. To be able to get the monthly scholarship, as soon as the enrolment has been finalized, PhD candidates must communicate their IBAN code onto the webpage:  Teaching Portal >> Segreteria Online through the online procedure
At any time, PhD candidates can waive the scholarship without dropping out of the PhD programme, but they will have to pay the annual fee for the current year anyways.
PhD Scholarship: 1.386 €/month (for three years). 
The gross annual amount of the scholarship is Euro 18.854,52, including pension contributions charged to the recipient.
The monthly net amount is 1.386 €/month and it is paid at the end of each month. 
TBN 50% scholarship INCREASE for international mobility.
3.3    Taxation

1. PhD candidates have to attend at least 100 hours of hard-skill classes and 40 hours of soft-skill classes. To be entitled to attend any class, the PhD candidate shall upload them onto the study plan. Italian exam is also required for foreign PhD candidates (see 3.7 - Italian Language Requirements (only for Foreign PhD Candidates). Educational minimum requirements are summarized in the following table: 
Hard-skills classesHours (h)≥ 100
Soft-skills classesHours (h)≥ 40
Language requirement---Italian exam level A1 (only for foreign PhD candidates)
2. The hours of the attended classes are accounted after the registration of the outcome of the final evaluation through the online procedure, carried out by the teacher of the class. This will occur after having completed the final exam according to the specifications given by each professor.  3) Please note that:
  • For the sake of the MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, only classes’ hours are accounted;
  • For the sake of the EVALUATION of those activities, hours are turned into points according to a specific accounting system. For information see 3.2.3 Accounting system for the training activities.
 For more information, see 3.9 - Accounting system for the training activities.
Neither income tax, nor personal income tax (IRPEF) is levied on scholarships or research fellowship; therefore, no income tax certificate (CUD) can be issued for these amounts.Though exempted from payment of income tax, the PhD candidate who receives a scholarship is recognized as an independent fiscal subject for income declarations (ISEE). 
Social security / pension contribution (INPS) INPS is the Italian Social Security Institute (Istituto Nazionale di Previdenza Sociale).The scholarship or research fellowship is subject to the payment of social security INPS contributions, two thirds of which are charged at the expenses of Politecnico di Torino and one third is covered by the recipient.
The amount charged on the PhD candidate is directly deducted from the gross amount by PoliTo  and transferred to the “separate management / gestione separata” of INPS. Therefore, each new PhD candidate must register to the "separate management" of INPS.
Registration to the separate management/gestione separata INPS Once the PhD candidates have finalized the enrolment obtaining the student number, PhD candidates must register to the INPS separate management / “gestione separata” on the INPS webpage portal, following these steps:  
  • INPS PIN request
Firstly, create the personal profile on INPS portal asking for an authentication PIN. To do so, it is required to fill in the online forms with all personal information. The most important are:
  • Italian Social Security Number (Codice Fiscale);
  • Residence address;
  • Telephone number;
  • E-mail address.
At the end of the procedure, the first part of the 16-character PIN will be forwarded either by e-mail or SMS. The second part will be sent to the residence address. 
  • Finalization of the INPS authentication
Once obtained the complete 16-character PIN, PhD candidate may access the portal at this page and will be requested to change their PIN. 
  • Registration to the separate management / gestione separata
Once logged in, PhD candidate can access to the personal page (“bacheca”) and look among the services the one called “Domanda d’iscrizione alla Gestione Separata”
Once notified of the successful registration, PhD candidate should be able to print out an official document with a protocol number to be sent or handed into the Doctoral School office. 
TBN From myINPS personal page, it can be kept track of the INPS contributory situation.
TBN Print and deliver to ScuDo Office the official document stating the successful registration at “gestione separata”.
PART 4 - STUDENT'S SERVICES
PhD candidates are entitled to facilities on some services provided by POLITO or other institutions such as: Regional Agency for the Right to Education of Piedmont has been created to foster access and attendance to university studies in favour of capable and worthy students although without economic means. Turin University Sports Center is the body that provides sports services to students, professors and university workers
4.1 EDISU scholarship and housing service
To know if the economic requirements to apply for an EDISU-scholarship are matched, the PhD candidate must compulsorily apply for ISEE Certification at an Authorized Fiscal Assistance Center (CAAF), or directly by the citizen, in possession of the device PIN, by connecting to the INPS website. The ISEE (Indicatore della situazione economica equivalente) is a certificate that allows measuring the economic condition of families in the Italian Republic. 
TBN PhD candidate must not apply for the ISEE university certificate, called also ISEE-U. 
For the services connected to the PhD courses, the general rules of the standard ISEE will be valid with the warning that it is possible to choose a small family unit (nucleo familiare ristretto) compared to the ordinary one. For the international PhD candidates, the ISEE declaration can be produced by Centres for Tax Assistance (CAF) providing the following documents: 
  • ad-hoc certificate or declaration on plain paper issued by competent authorities in the foreign country where the income is generated, accompanied by a translation of the document in Italian. However, in case the former was difficult to obtain, also a declaration issued by Italian diplomatic or representative offices, legalized by the Prefecture, is accepted. Those certificates shall provide information on the family composition, movable and immovable property, and income generated in the foreign country;
  •  if necessary, the official certificate indicating the concerned person as formally stateless or as a political refugee, issued by Italian Minister of Internal Affairs or the United Nation High Commission's Italian office. The economic condition of those PhD candidates shall be evaluated only based on the income generated and property possessed, if any available, in Italy.
 The amount of the EDISU-scholarship is diversified according to the following types:  
  • On-site PhD candidate (Dottorandi in sede): who have the residence in the municipality where PhD programme is based;
  • Commuter PhD Candidate (Pendolare): who have a residence in a municipality other than that in which the course of study is based, which can be reached by public transport within 60 minutes.
  • Off-site PhD candidate (Fuori sede): who have a residence in a municipality other than that in which the course of study is based, which cannot be reached by public transport within 60 minutes.
 TBN Only “off-site” PhD candidates can apply for the housing service at the EDISU residences. 
TBN PhD candidates who do not benefit from the scholarship granted by the University on ministerial loans or from public and private institutions, who meet certain requirements, can apply for the EDISU-scholarship and, if “off-site”, the housing service https://www.edisu.piemonte.it/en. 
For PhD candidates, EDISU provides a refund of the regional tax (€ 140.00) upon having presented the request form application provided by EDISU.The access to the reimbursement depends on each PhD candidate’s economic situation. The latter is measured through the “ISEE” indexes:
  • “ISEE per Corsi di Dottorato” for Italian PhD candidates;
  • “ISEE Parificato” for non-Italian PhD candidates (both EU and extra-EU residents).
 Generally, the application phase lasts from January to July. Please carefully check the following links to get the whole information about the regional tax reimbursement:https://www.edisu.piemonte.it/en/services/scholarships-and-other-grants/regional-fee-right-university-education.
4.2 Food services
TBN The food service is open to all Italian and foreign PhD candidates registered for the academic year 2021/2022. 
Food services consist of canteens and substitute canteen services by retailers who have an agreement with EDISU.
The service is with fees.
There are 5 discounted and 1 full fare.The fares applied (full or reduced) are differentiated according to the economic conditions of the PhD candidate. 
To access to Full Price bracket, PhD candidates have to go to a University Restaurant or to restaurants’ alternative services and show the smart card. Smart Card has electronic rechargeable purse for meal payment. Smart Card must be refilled periodically at any Smart Card recharge spot. No recharge or less credit than meal fee prevents PhD candidates from having lunch (or dinner). Recharge may be done with amounts of (euro) 5,00 - 10,00 - 15,00 - 20,00 - 25,00 - 30,00 (maximum rechargeable). 
To access to Reduced Price bracket, PhD candidates who meet the economic requirements must fill out the online request form by logging into online services. It is possible to do it whenever wanted, but not before the enrolment to University.
TBN If PhD candidates apply for EDISU scholarship, the request for food services is already included. After having applied, it is necessary to update the Smart Card at the updating points of EDISU canteens or EDISU's student offices, to take advantage of reduced fees, before using Canteens Food services
4.3 Mobility and cultural initiatives
PhD candidates will benefit from discounted prices on their travel tickets, bike-sharing subscription, and Museum pass.Please visit the link: https://didattica.polito.it/iniziative_mobilita_en.html
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