36 funded places, one reserved, and a hard deadline: August 10, 2026 at 13:00 (Italian time). The University of Pisa’s National Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence for Society has opened applications for the 2026–2029 cycle, with a three-year start on November 1, 2026. According to the official call, selection weighs your CV, a research project aligned with scholarship topics, and an interview (University of Pisa).
What the call offers
The program runs full-time for three years. Candidates must complete a master’s degree by October 31, 2026. Scholarships pay about €1,200 net per month, and each Ph.D. student receives a research budget of roughly €11,000 across the three years. Training activities and a defined Ph.D. timeline apply to everyone, and those admitted work on the topic and at the location tied to their assigned scholarship (University of Pisa).
There are 36 open positions across three selections (DIN01, DIN02, DIN03) plus one reserved position (DIN04). A large share flows through selection DIN01_B, which contains 34 fully funded scholarships organized into five thematic clusters. That structure matters for how you pitch your proposal.
Key dates and who should apply to the UNIPI AI PhD
The application window closes on August 10, 2026 at 13:00 (Italian time), with the cohort beginning November 1, 2026. The call welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds who are motivated by human-centered AI. If your interests sit at the intersection of technical AI and its social impact—policy, health, education, labor, civic tech—this program is built for that space (University of Pisa).
Interest in human-centered and ethical AI is growing across Europe, reflected by new research hubs and fellowships. The Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford, for example, brings philosophers, technologists, and policymakers together on AI’s societal stakes. The UNIPI call offers a concrete path to train in that direction with funded doctoral work anchored in Italian institutions.
How selection works in the AI for Society program
For DIN01_B, candidates are ranked within each thematic group. The application requires an extra page in your research proposal that explains how your project fits one or more groups and topics. That small instruction is the heart of the selection strategy: make it unmistakable how your idea aligns with the available scholarships (University of Pisa).
Group A covers “Trustworthy, human-centered, and responsible AI” with nine scholarships financed by the University of Pisa and hosted in Pisa. Among them is a scholarship titled “Next generation human-centered Artificial Intelligence,” with Salvatore Ruggieri listed as the reference contact. That specificity signals what reviewers want to see: a clear, practical link between your proposal and the scholarship’s scope and host lab.
While DIN01_B is detailed publicly, the call also references the DIN02 and DIN03 selections, plus a reserved DIN04 position. Read the call materials closely to understand where your project best fits. The UNIPI AI PhD selection process rewards proposals that map cleanly to scholarship topics and demonstrate feasibility within a three-year horizon.
Funding, locations, and what that means for your project
Each funded place provides about €1,200 net per month. Over three years, you’ll also manage a research budget of roughly €11,000 for equipment, travel, or fieldwork. Because admitted candidates work where the scholarship sits, location is part of your academic plan: labs and collaborators tied to that host will shape your day-to-day research (University of Pisa).
If you’re relocating to Italy, it helps to review practical guidance from EURAXESS Italy on living and working as a researcher. Budget your research spending early—especially travel for conferences or field access—so your proposal shows how the €11,000 allocation will translate into measurable outputs over six-to-nine-month milestones.
Because this is a national program spanning multiple institutions, be ready to commit to the host site’s infrastructure, datasets, and partnerships. That can be a strength if your work needs local health systems, municipal data, or regional industry partners. It also means your proposal should reflect what that host can realistically support from month one.
Application tips to improve fit without padding
- Anchor your proposal to one or two thematic groups with evidence. Use the dedicated extra page to map aims, methods, and expected outputs to the listed scholarship topics.
- Show feasibility in 36 months. Stage your plan with checkpoints—pilot, data collection, model iteration, evaluation, and dissemination—so the interview panel sees a credible arc.
- Address human impact directly. For trust, safety, or responsible AI angles, specify stakeholders, failure modes, and evaluation metrics that reflect end-user outcomes. The broader European conversation, seen at places like Oxford’s ethics institute, rewards this clarity (Institute for Ethics in AI).
- Match the host. Cite tools, datasets, or collaborations available at the scholarship location and explain how they de-risk your early work.
- Prepare for the interview. Expect to defend choices about methodology, data access, and societal impact, and to explain how your plan aligns with the scholarship’s scope.
- Mind the paperwork. Your master’s degree must be completed by October 31, 2026; line up transcripts, thesis approvals, and attestations ahead of time (University of Pisa).
For applicants weighing the UNIPI AI PhD, funding and structure are clear: a net monthly stipend, a defined research budget, and a commitment to the host location where your scholarship sits. That clarity should flow back into your proposal design, from scope to scheduling and ethical review.
What happens next
Shortlisted candidates advance to interviews after the written evaluation. Admissions are tied to scholarship topics, so a strong application reads like a contract: you understand the question, the site, and the users your work will affect. If you need a primer on how doctoral programs operate at Pisa, the university’s general Ph.D. information page outlines processes and expectations for international candidates (University of Pisa Ph.D. programs).
If you plan to apply to the UNIPI AI PhD, set a reminder now. The call closes on August 10, 2026 at 13:00 (Italian time), and the cohort begins on November 1, 2026. A focused proposal that aligns with scholarship groups, shows three-year feasibility, and centers real users gives you the best shot. For more on this, see bloomberg.com and nytimes.com.