10 Ph.D. positions in “Systems Science” at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca

IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca

Lucca, Italy

2026-05-25 (Europe/Rome)

The IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca is now recruiting 10 fully funded doctoral candidates for its Systems Science (SyS) Ph.D. Program.

Students enrolled in the Ph.D. Program will learn the necessary methodologies to analyze technological, natural, economic, and social systems using descriptive and predictive mathematical models. The acquired skills can be spent in academia and research centers, and can be applied in many industrial sectors, such as the automotive, aerospace, chemical, infrastructure, energy, biomedicine, financial, and manufacturing industries.

The SyS Program includes four specialization tracks:

• Computational Mechanics (CM) offers interdisciplinary doctoral training for graduates wishing to specialize in the research of innovative numerical simulation methods, developing digital twins to predict the behavior of materials, components, or processes throughout their operational life.
• Complex Systems and Networks (CN) offers an interdisciplinary program embracing the theoretical and computational tools of complexity science (physics of complex systems, graph theory, statistical mechanics, information theory, inference, data science) as well as their application to real-world biological, social, economic and technological systems.
• Learning and Control (LC) offers interdisciplinary doctoral training focused on becoming an expert in developing new machine learning and numerical optimization algorithms for modeling dynamical systems from data and designing model-based predictive control systems.
• Software Quality (SQ) provides doctoral candidates interested in formal methods, machine learning, modeling and simulation, program verification, cybersecurity, and software engineering with methods for the design, analysis, and validation of software quality and security.

Scholarship

• Contract Type: 36-month scholarship
• Commitment: Full time
• Location: Lucca (Tuscany, Italy)
• Official language: English
• Ph.D. Program start date: November 1, 2026

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, or in a related field
• High level of proficiency in English
• Demonstrated solid mathematical and programming skills
• Enthusiasm for research, critical thinking

What We Offer

• An exciting multidisciplinary and international research environment with wide opportunities to interact with scholars from related disciplines in several other international Universities, as well as with cultural heritage Institutions and leaders
• Work under the supervision of at least one Advisor from the Faculty
• Interactions with several other doctoral candidates, postdoc researchers, and Faculty members;
• A tailor-made scientific training program composed from a wide range of courses and seminars by leading researchers
• Mentoring, training, and career development support
• A highly competitive full-time PhD Position with
  • a scholarship for a maximum period of 3 consecutive years
  • social security coverage
  • free accommodation on campus (all year round)
  • free meals on campus (lunch and dinner, all year round)
  • additional research funds
  • additional international mobility funds
  • insurance coverages (liability, accident)
  • no tuition fees

EFC Project

Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca is a member of the EFC - Educating Future Citizens network, which includes eight Scuole Universitarie Superiori in Italy. IMT PhD students have the opportunity to participate in joint activities and are encouraged to engage with partner institutions to foster academic and research collaborations.

How to Apply

You are welcome to submit your application at the following link (registration required): https://pica.cineca.it/imtlucca/imtlucca-phd-sys-2026/

Students graduating by 31st October 2026 are also welcome to apply.

Deadline: May 25, 2026 at 1:00 pm (CEST time).

Application Schedule

• Interview of short-listed candidates: June 26-29, 2026
• Notification of admission: the end of June 2026

More information

For more information, please see https://sys.imtlucca.it/ and get in touch with phdapplications@imtlucca.it