The Sandwich Training Educational Programme (STEP) — run by ICTP in Trieste with the IAEA — lets PhD students from developing countries spend three months a year (for up to three years) doing part of their doctorate at ICTP or a collaborating institute, with a €1,400/month stipend, travel and insurance. You stay enrolled at your home university and earn the PhD there, co-supervised by your home advisor and a host co-advisor.
Why it is notable: it is one of the only UN-backed "sandwich" PhD schemes — you don't relocate your degree, you upgrade it with world-class facilities and two supervisors; and the application needs your home supervisor's own online submission (Part II), which sinks unprepared applicants.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
€1,400/month stipend during each stay at the host institute
Travel costs to/from the host institute
Medical insurance during the stay
Co-supervision by a host-institute co-advisor alongside the home advisor
Access to ICTP, IAEA laboratories (Seibersdorf, Vienna; Marine Lab Monaco) and Trieste-area facilities (Elettra synchrotron, University of Trieste, SISSA, INFN, IOM-CNR, OGS, Jožef Stefan Institute Ljubljana)
Renewal for up to two additional successive years (3-month stays per year), subject to host institute and both supervisors' approval
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Masters/MPhilfor PhD
This scholarship is offered for PhD programs.
Who can apply
students in developing countries enrolled in a PhD at their home university. IAEA-funded fellowships additionally require the candidate to be from an IAEA Member State with official country endorsement of the fellow. PhD students supervised by an ICTP Associate are especially encouraged; women scientists are especially welcomed; priority to young researchers.
Experience
must be an enrolled PhD student — the fellowship is awarded on the merit of the thesis project proposed with the home advisor
Language Certificate
English proficiency — upload any certificate or document proving you can follow advanced courses, study and write scientific articles in English (the page accepts any credible proof, not one specific test)
Other Certificates
as entered in the online form; plus an acceptance letter from the suggested co-supervisor/host lab (recommended, not mandatory)
Age Limit
No Age Limit
Check your eligibility
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
developing-country nationals (ICTP fellowships); IAEA Member State nationals with official national endorsement (IAEA fellowships); Arab-Fund countries have 10…
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Qualification
enrolled PhD student at a home university in a developing country (IAEA track: IAEA Member State + official national endorsement)
02
Research fit
thesis project in one of the listed physics/mathematics/nuclear fields; fellowship awarded on the merit of the project proposed with the home advisor
03
Language
proof of English sufficient for advanced courses and scientific writing (any credible certificate/document)
04
Documents
online Part I (proposal, English proof, recommended co-supervisor acceptance letter) + supervisor's Part II (profile, justification, publications, recommendation) — both by the deadline
05
Co-supervisor
suggest a host co-advisor in the application; ICTP makes the final assignment
06
Fee
no application fee; email/post applications are not accepted
Document checklist
01Research proposal / training programme description (minimum one page: summary, relevant previous work/publications, timeline with specific objectives and dates) — entered in the form
02English proficiency certificate or equivalent proof (PDF upload)
03Acceptance letter from the suggested co-supervisor/host lab (recommended)
04Home supervisor's Part II submission (supervisor profile, supporting statement, recommendation letter)
Application fee
No fee — completely free
Visa, kept concise: Visa type: Italy — Schengen short-stay (C) or national study/research visa depending on stay length and nationality, applied at the Italian consulate with the ICTP fellowship letter.
Application Procedure
10 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Confirm you are enrolled in a PhD
in your home (developing) country and your topic fits the STEP fields above.
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02
Identify and contact a potential co-supervisor/host lab
(ICTP or a collaborating institute) — candidates should suggest co-supervisors; an acceptance letter from the co-supervisor is recommended.
→
03
During the application window (15 November –
28 February), complete PART I of the online form at e-applications.ictp.it: your profile, PhD project title, research proposal/training programme (min. one page: summary, previous work/publications, timeline with objecti
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06
The STEP selection committee decides on the
merit of the thesis project; ICTP assigns the fellow to the host institute with a designated co-advisor.
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05
Both parts must be submitted by the deadline —
only complete applications (Part I + Part II) are considered.
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04
Enter your home PhD supervisor's contact email —
they receive a link to complete PART II (supervisor profile + supporting statement: benefit to the home institute, European collaborators, justification of the research plan, recent publications, PhD theses supervised in
↓
07
Research proposal / training programme description (minimum one page
summary, relevant previous work/publications, timeline with specific objectives and dates) — entered in the form
→
08
English proficiency certificate or equivalent proof (PDF
upload)
→
09
Acceptance letter from the suggested co-supervisor/host lab
(recommended)
↓
10
Home supervisor's Part II submission (supervisor profile
supporting statement, recommendation letter)
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official The Abdus Salam International Centre for… platform.
Do I get my PhD from ICTP? A: No — fellows remain enrolled at their home university, which awards the PhD; the home advisor and host co-advisor jointly supervise the research.How long is the fellowship? A: Three months at the host institute in the first year, renewable for up to two additional successive years (stays of 3–6 months per year) with approvals.What does the stipend cover? A: €1,400/month during each host stay, plus travel costs and medical insurance. Support at the home institute must come from other sources.Can my supervisor apply for me? A: No — you complete Part I; your home supervisor completes Part II via the link they receive. Both parts are required.I'm supervised by an ICTP Associate — does that help? A: Yes — PhD students supervised by an ICTP Associate are explicitly encouraged to apply.What is the Arab Fund track? A: ICTP and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development support 10 STEP fellowships for PhD students from Arab-Fund countries (fields as ICTP's, plus Medical PhysicsCan I email my application? A: No — applications and documents arriving by email or post are not considered; use the online system during the window only.Is there an age limit? A: No age limit is stated; priority is given to young researchers, and applications from women scientists are especially welcomed.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
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