Name of the PhD in English: Materials and Structural Engineering and Nanotechnology
Name of the PhD in Italian: Ingegneria dei Materiali e delle Strutture e nanotecnologia
Language: Italian and English
Department: Engineering for Innovation
Doctorate coordinator: Prof. Alfonso Maffezzoli
Places available: 6 + 2 without scholarship
Joint Programme: no
Partners: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia

The main focus of the PhD course is to apply a fundamentally interdisciplinary  engineering approach to the development of innovative materials and manufacturing technologies, and to bring an engineering perspective to research activities ranging from nano and microscale to  meso and macroscale. This approach brings together aspects of basic and applied sciences  of different areas, and involves highly interdisciplinary skills. This approach provides PhD students with competencies ranging among different disciplines and making their preparation more attractive in a job market that changes much more rapidly than university training programs, for positions either in research or in industry.

• Materials for civil and environmental engineering;
• Conservation and restoration of existing Structures including monumental Constructions;
• Structural safety in relation to natural and anthropic risks;
• Materials and analytical techniques for cultural heritages (archeological, historical, artistic, architectural); 
• Polymer, ceramic and composite materials for industrial, aerospace and biomedical applications;
• Nano-structured materials characterized by specific functional properties for industrial and biomedical applications and for cultural heritages;
• Advanced sensors for monitoring of civil and aerospace structures;
• Experimental operational analysis of civil and aerospace structures and structural health monitoring;
• Advanced materials for the production of energy, sensors, and catalysis; 
• Semiconducting materials and nanotechnologies for electronics and photovoltaic;
• Engineered materials from renewable resources.
• Computational and theoretical modelling of biomolecules for sensor and energy applications
• Nanostructured devices and materials;
• Neurotechnologies, optogenetics, neural interfaces;
• Flexible piezoelectric micro elelctro mechanic systems (MEMS);
• Implantable nanotechnological devices;
• Wearable devices and epidermial electronics for biotechnologies;
• Micro and nanotechnologies for environmental energy harvesting;
• Two-photon lithography for material processing and nanofabrication.

Professional profiles are suited for research and academic positions as well as for industrial positions, also depending on the main topic of the thesis, which can be oriented either to basic science or to applied sciences and technology. The placement of our former PhD students includes several Postdoc positions in high quoted research institution in Italy and abroad.

The PhD provides an average of 6 scholarships per year. Some of them are funded by the Italian Institute of Technology on specific topics.