Working in research
Career opportunities
Become a researcher at Ca' Foscari!
Researchers and professors
Ca’ Foscari University of Venice retains the best talents, notably through selective procedures that comprise facilitations for the international candidates and privilege candidates with international experience.
PhD Degrees
Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, with the coordination of the PhD Office, offers specific training and research tracks in economics, linguistics, sciences and humanities.
Short Term Research Fellowships
It is a tool for young graduates interested in academics that involves them in a short-term training period (usually not longer than 12 months) in projects and research groups.
Research Grants
The grants are awarded to Master’s Degree graduates or PhDs with an academic and professional curriculum that enables them to perform specific research programmes designed by the University or submitted by the candidates.
Fundamental Research
This call by the Italian Ministry for University and Research is open to emerging or established researchers of any nationality, who choose Ca' Foscari as Host Institution to develop high qualifying research activities, in line with the ERC - European Research Council actions.
Global@Venice Fellowships
Call for Fellowships addressed to experienced researchers (max. 8 years after PhD completion) with an international profile, who will work with the Ca' Foscari Research Hub for Global Challenges on six multidisciplinary research areas. A network of strategic partners offers secondment or research and training activities. The call is part of the GLOBAL_AT_VENICE - Research and Training for Global Challenges (G@V) project, funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND scheme.
Supporting Principal INvestigators
Call for proposal aimed to fund researchers at any stage of their career who intend to submit an individual or collaborative project proposal in all scientific fields available at Ca’ Foscari.
Rita Levi Montalcini Programme
An opportunity for young talented researchers, who have been carrying out post-doctoral research or teaching activities abroad for at least three years, to develop their research project in Italy. Select Ca' Foscari as host institution of preference.
An academic career path in Italy
The main Italian academic positions are:
- PhD student (Dottorando)
- Short-term Research fellow (Borsista di Ricerca)
- Research fellow (Assegnista di ricerca)
- Non-tenured assistant professor (Ricercatore “lettera a” - RTDa)
- Tenure-track assistant professor (Ricercatore “lettera b” – RTDb)
- Associate Professor (Professore Associato)
- Full Professor (Professore Ordinario)
Normally, academic careers in Italy start with a PhD programme (corso di dottorato/dottorato di ricerca) and the award of a PhD degree (titolo di dottorato).
A PhD can apply for a research fellowship (Assegno) or for the position of non-tenured assistant professor (Ricercatore “lettera a” - RTDa) or, under certain conditions, tenure-track assistant professor (Ricercatore “lettera b” – RTDb). The most common path after a PhD is obtaining a position as non-tenured assistant professor and then a tenure-track assistant professor (Ricercatore “lettera b” – RTDb).
To become associate professor or full professor (which is the highest academic qualification) one needs to obtain the national scientific habilitation (abilitazione nazionale) and to pass a selection process (concorso) in a University.
Average salaries increase with career advancements: from the PhD to the Full professor position, the salary increases of about 5 times. Salaries of Italian Full Professors are reckoned as high-level ones, even compared to US academic salaries.
There are also other paths that can be followed (and other positions), but this short description aims to sum up the most widespread academic career in Italy.
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 | Equivalences among Italian and International academic positions Italian Law (DM 662/2016) | 94 K |
1. PhD Student (Dottorando)
PhD programmes provide students with the highest level of academic title, the PhD degree.
In order to be admitted, candidates must hold a postgraduate degree (or equivalent); furthermore, their profile must be evaluated on the basis of their qualifications and an examination. Every year, universities establish the number of positions and scholarships, deadlines for applications, examination and enrolment procedures, specifying them in their open calls.
PhDs normally take three to four years; each PhD student is supported by a Supervisor, who is a high-level professional: in this way an effective transfer of knowledge is implemented, as well as an embedding in the supervisor’s network among the international scientific community.
Research activities cover at least two-thirds of the three-year commitment; at the end of the programme, the discussion of a dissertation is foreseen. The average salary per year is 12.500,00€ (after taxes).
Information: PhD programmes and application procedures
2. Short-term research fellow (Borsista di Ricerca)
Short-term Research Fellowships are aimed at recruiting staff interested in participating in research groups or research projects, and they can be funded by external public or private sources, different from the University. They are open to postgraduate researchers: the minimum requirement is a Bachelor’s degree, but it can be also a Master’s degree according to the level of research activities to be carried out.
The selection process is based on the assessment of the applicants' qualifications and can include an interview, according to the procedures defined by the institution that publishes the call. Usually, Research Fellowships’ maximum length is 12 months. The maximum salary per year is 19.367 € (after taxes); the amount may vary depending on the above-mentioned external public or private funding available.
Information: Short-term research fellowships - open vacancies
3. Research fellow (Assegnista di ricerca)
The research fellow is usually a PhD or postgraduate researcher with a good scientific and professional experience, who is actively involved in research activities. Anyway, for some fellowships, the second-level degree is the only qualification required.
The research fellowship (assegno di ricerca) is awarded following a public selection procedure, aimed at ascertaining the scientific-professional requisites necessary for carrying out the research, and its average duration is between 1 and 3 years, with a maximum limit established by law in 6 years.
The minimum salary per year is 17.200€ after taxes.
Information: Research fellowships - open vacancies
In some specific cases, such as beneficiaries of funds deriving from international individual grants (i.e. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships), will be awarded without announcing a public selection procedure. In that case, the amount of the fellowship is significantly higher than the above-mentioned one.
4. Non-tenured assistant professor (Ricercatore “lettera a” - RTDa)
To become a non-tenured assistant professor (Ricercatore “lettera a” - RTDa) one must pass an open competition. The non-tenured assistant professor draws up a three-year contract, which may be extended for two years only once, after the successful evaluation of the teaching and research activities carried out.
This position is open to candidates holding a Doctoral Degree or equivalent, as well as any additional requirements defined in the University Regulations of the scientific sectors concerned.
The average net salary per month is about € 1.840 (for 13 months); this amount may vary on the basis of different criteria, such as insurance costs, family benefits, place of residency, etc. In case the non-tenured assistant professor takes advantage from the tax benefits (see following dedicated section), the average net salary per month is about € 2.400 (for 13 months).
Full-time non-tenured assistant professors’ workload should not exceed 350 hours per year; their main activity is independent scientific research and their duties also include teaching assignments.
Information: Non-tenured assistant professors – open vacancies
5. Tenure track assistant professor (Ricercatore “lettera b” - RTDb)
To become a tenure track assistant professor (Ricercatore “lettera b” - RTDb) one must pass an open competition. The tenure track assistant professor draws up a three-year non-renewable contract, reserved for candidates who have already been awarded non-tenured assistant professorship contracts (Ricercatore “lettera a” - RTDa), or, under certain conditions, research grants (assegno) or equivalent fellowships.
This position is open to candidates holding a Doctoral Degree or equivalent, as well as any additional requirements defined in the University Regulations of the scientific sectors concerned.
The average net salary per month is about € 2.116 (for 13 months). In case the tenure track assistant professor takes advantage from the tax benefits (see following dedicated section), the average net salary per month is about € 2.877 (for 13 months).
These amounts may be increased up to 10% and may vary on the basis of different criteria, such as insurance costs, family benefits, place of residency, etc.
Tenure track assistant professors who obtain the national scientific qualification (see dedicated section), will be evaluated by the University that hired them in the third year of their contract. In case of positive evaluation, they will be upgraded to the role of Associate Professor.
Full-time non-tenured assistant professors’ workload should not exceed 350 hours per year; their main activity is independent scientific research and their duties also include teaching assignments.
Information: Tenure track assistant professors – open vacancies
6. Associate Professor (Professore Associato)
To become Associate Professor, one needs to pass the National Scientific Qualification (see dedicated section); afterwards, he/she must be selected by a University through a public selection process where a committee makes a comparative assessment on the basis of scientific publications, academic CV and teaching experience. After that, the winner is nominated Associate Professor.
Three years after the role assignment, Associate Professors must pass a “confirmation judgement”, expressed by a committee nominated by the Ministry of Education, University and Research. It is not necessary (even if it is quite important) to have been a non-tenured and/or tenure track assistant professor to become Associate Professor.
The workload of an Associate Professor is fixed by the law and consists in not less than 350 hours per year, of which 120 are devoted to teaching activity.
An Associate Professor has the same teaching and research duties as a Full Professor, but cannot access roles such as Rector or Head of Department (except for particular cases).
The average net salary of an Associate Professor is about € 2.480 (for 13 months). This amount corresponds to the lowest economic level, called "classe" (0 out of 11); for each level the monthly net salary increases of nearly 10%. In case the associate professor takes advantage from the tax benefits (see following dedicated section), the average net salary per month is about € 3.500 (for 13 months, calculated for the lowest class – 0 out of 12).
Amounts may vary depending on different criteria, such as insurance costs, family benefits, place of residence, etc. Salaries increase automatically every two years.
Information: Associate Professors - vacancies
7. Full Professor (Professore Ordinario)
To become Full Professor, one needs to pass the National Scientific Qualification (see dedicated section); afterwards, he/she must be selected by a University through a public selection process where a committee makes a comparative assessment on the basis of scientific publications, academic CV and teaching experience.
Every three years Full Professors must present a report to the Department where he/she works. The workload of a Full Professor is fixed by the law and consists in not less than 350 hours per year, of which 120 are devoted to teaching activity.
The average net salary of a Full Professor is about € 3.350 (for 13 months). This amount corresponds to the lowest economic level, called "classe" (0 out of 11); for each level the monthly net salary increases of nearly 10%. In case the associate professor takes advantage from the tax benefits (see following dedicated section), the average net salary per month is about € 4.980 (for 13 months, calculated for the lowest class – 0 out of 11).
Amounts may vary depending on different criteria, such as insurance costs, family benefits, place of residence, etc. Salaries increase automatically every two years.
Information: Full Professors - Vacancies
Insights
National Scientific Qualification (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale - ASN)
From 2012 onwards, academics, scientists and scholar can enter or be promoted to Associate Professor or Full Professor through a specific procedure: the National Scientific Qualification. It implies a nationwide selection to obtain an official qualification called “abilitazione”, without which it is not possible to access to the highest academic positions.
Yearly official calls ("concorsi nazionali") are issued by the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) for various academic recruitment fields (“raggruppamenti concorsuali”), and are open for 4 months. Applications are examined by committees composed by experienced Full Professors. The Qualification is valid for 4 years.
Tax benefits
Professors and researchers
Professors and researchers who have carried out their research activities abroad for at least two consecutive years and who move to Italy acquiring tax residency, are entitled to significant tax benefits.
In detail, they can benefit from the exemption from payment of personal income tax on 90% of the income received by the Italian university employing them, if they are hired with the role of "Professore" or "Ricercatore".
Italian citizens not registered to AIRE (Registry Office for Italian Citizens Residing Abroad) are also entitled.
Benefits are applied to the tax period when the researcher becomes "tax resident" in Italy and in the following 5 tax years, provided that he/she remains a tax resident in Italy. The exemption is extended beyond the minimum duration under the following circumstances :
- 8 years, in case of dependent child (pre-adoption foster care is envisaged too), or when purchasing a house in Italy (the purchase can be done prior to the tax residency acquisition (up to 12 months) or after the person becomes tax resident in Italy).
- 11 years, in case the professor/researcher has at least 2 dependent children
- 13 years, in case the professor/researcher has at least 3 dependent children.
Download the estimated amounts (updated: May 2024) [480 kB].
The partners of professors or researchers moving to Italy can also be entitled to tax benefits or exemptions should they possess the requisites provided for by the Italian tax legislation (foreign tax residence for the last two years, obtainment of Italian residence, etc.). Specific information and support shall be provided by the partner's employer or accountant.
More details in the website of the Italian Income Revenue Authority.
Administrative and technical staff
The Italian tax system also grants tax incentives to administrative and technical staff who move their residence to Italy. So-called "impatriate" workers (managers and workers with high qualifications and specializations, graduates who have worked abroad, and students who have obtained an academic qualification abroad) are entitled to a minimum 5-year exemption on 70% to 90% of their personal income.
General information is provided by the Italian Revenue Agency.
Open expressions of interest
International recruiting is aimed to enhance our research output and international standing, to promote collaborative actions among groups and individuals within our faculty and to increase our access to competitive research funding.
Candidates with a strong research commitment, an outstanding portfolio of international publications and a proven teaching record in their academic field can express their interest in working with us by contacting one of our Departments, or by applying to specific calls.
Complying with the current Italian legislation, Ca’ Foscari University must await the final approval by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research to complete the hiring process.
For the positions of Associate and Full Professor, the starting economic level ("classe") can be negotiated before the recruitment.
Information: International recruitment
Last update: 22/10/2024