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Investing in doctoral training
Funding a doctoral scholarship means investing in the future of research, innovation, and competitiveness. Companies, public bodies, and organizations that choose to support a doctoral student not only contribute to the growth of a young researcher, but also establish a direct collaboration with the university, creating shared value.
Find out which companies or organizations finance scholarships
The value of external financing
In recent years, the Politecnico di Milano has strengthened its dialogue with industry and institutions, promoting increasingly structured forms of collaboration, including in doctoral training. In this context, external funding for doctoral scholarships—from public bodies, businesses, foundations, or research organizations—presents a concrete opportunity to combine academic research with real-world applications. These collaborations allow research to be directed toward strategic topics for the region and the economy, while simultaneously fostering the professional growth of doctoral students and innovation in partner contexts.
This form of partnership allows:
- Access to advanced scientific expertise, with a research project tailored to the needs of the funding institution;
- Integrate doctoral students into innovation processes, contributing to the development of applied solutions and the evolution of corporate knowledge;
- Benefit from any tax breaks, in accordance with current legislation.
The doctorate therefore represents a strategic tool for innovation and training highly specialized professionals capable of addressing the challenges of technological, digital, and sustainability transitions.
Main collaboration models
- Funding for a Topic-Restricted Fellowship
This is the most common and direct form of collaboration. The company fully funds a three-year fellowship for a doctoral student dedicated to developing a project on a topic of particular interest to the company. This model allows the company to define the research area, orienting its activities toward solving concrete problems or exploring strategic technologies, while maintaining a moderate level of operational integration.
- Higher Education and Research Apprenticeship Contract
The doctoral student is hired directly by the company with a higher education and research apprenticeship contract for the entire duration of the program. This arrangement allows the company to fully integrate the doctoral student's training within its own organizational structure.
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- Industrial Doctorate for Employees (Executive)
This program offers companies the opportunity to nominate one of their employees for a doctoral program. After successful selection, the employee conducts a research project on a topic of corporate interest, dividing their time between work at the company and training and research at the university. A distinctive feature is joint supervision: the academic tutor is supported by a company supervisor, thus ensuring constant alignment between research objectives and industrial needs. The doctoral student carries out a significant portion of their work directly at the company.
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Tax benefit
Tax breaks are available for companies that invest in research conducted in collaboration with universities or public research institutions.
The incentive aims to encourage the participation of the business community in research and innovation projects, promoting increasingly close collaboration between businesses and academia.
To learn more, contact the Fundraising and Donations Service.
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