Research infrastructures

The Nextstep program has officially opened its second round of applications, offering 10 fully funded PhD fellowships scheduled to begin in Autumn 2026. These positions represent the first tranche of a total of 18 spots that will be made available between February and March 2026. Program Details Supported by the MSCA COFUND actions of Horizon Europe, the project aims to cultivate a new generation of researchers within a world-class international setting. Research Fields: Physics, materials science, chemistry, biochemistry, and engineering Technological Focus: Utilization of advanced neutron, X-ray, and electron microscopy techniques to address challenges in sustainability and industrial competitiveness Host Institutions: ESRF, ILL, Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ), and Area Science Park. In addition to working at one of these leading European research institutions, PhD candidates will benefit from enrollment in a doctoral program at a partner university and a secondment period of at least two months with academic or industrial partners. Regarding the PhD program to be developed at Area Science Park, the focus will be on the advanced study of functional materials using high-resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) techniques, including in-situ and operando methodologies. The objective is to analyze the nanostructure of materials down to sub-Angstrom resolution, as well as to study their evolution under realistic operating conditions by applying various stimuli such as temperature, electric fields, and reactive environments (liquids or gases). The selected candidate will be enrolled in the PhD program in Nanotechnology at the University of Trieste and will conduct their research activity full-time at the Electron Microscopy Laboratory (LAME) of Area Science Park in Trieste. How to Apply: Submit your application at https://nextstep-programme.eu/job-offers/. Deadline: March 31, 2026.

The INGenIO project submitted by Area Science Park under the competitive call of the National Programme for Research, Innovation and Competitiveness 2021–2027 of the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) has secured funding of over €21 million. The funding will support the development of an integrated, interoperable and distributed infrastructure for the diagnosis, molecular understanding and identification of personalised therapies for rare diseases—conditions that affect around 30 million people in Europe alone. The project ranked fifth in the merit list, with a score of 96/100. INGenIO (Next-Generation Digital Infrastructure for the Study of Rare Diseases: Target Identification Guided by Multi-Omics & A.I. for Precision Drug Discovery & Delivery) aims to analyse clinical data from patients with rare diseases using Artificial Intelligence techniques designed to enable early diagnosis and identify potential drugs. On the experimental side, the project integrates Area Science Park’s multi-omics and digital technologies with magnetic resonance methods, electron microscopy and advanced preparative techniques available at partner laboratories. By bringing together specialised expertise and equipment across the national territory, the project will cover the entire value chain—from disease study to computational modelling and the synthesis of new drug candidates. INGenIO, coordinated by Area Science Park, builds on the organisation’s experience in designing and implementing research infrastructures focused on life sciences, including the Pathogen Readiness Platform for the CERIC-ERIC Upgrade (PRP@CERIC) for the study of pathogens and the ORFEO data centre. The project relies on a strong partnership including the University of Salerno, the University of Salento, the University of Florence, the CNR – Institute of Materials (IOM), the University of Naples “Federico II”, which brings collaboration with TIGEM, the CERM Magnetic Resonance Centre in Florence, and ENEA in Casaccia. This is complemented by a network of companies—particularly SMEs in Southern Italy—that have already expressed interest in collaborating on the project. The project structure integrates the expertise needed to cover the entire translational research cycle and its links with the industrial system. A distinctive feature of INGenIO, which expands the offering of the European infrastructure CERIC, is the functional integration of specialised laboratories distributed across the country and belonging to two other European research infrastructures, INSTRUCT and METROFOOD. In this way, a portfolio of instruments and expertise unique in Europe is oriented towards achieving a shared scientific objective—ambitious and with a high impact on health and society. “INGenIO’s 100% funding and its high ranking in the national list represent an important achievement for the organisation, which in recent years has focused its activities and investments on developing research infrastructures open to both the scientific community and industry,” said Area Science Park President Prof. Caterina Petrillo. “In particular, the project is an important booster to strengthen and relaunch the development strategies of the Area Sud site in Salerno, where, together with the university, we work on multi-omics characterisation in close synergy with our laboratories in Trieste”.

Creating a meeting place between different disciplines, where students and researchers can acquire new tools and skills to address scientific questions at the interface between physics and biology. This was the aim of the first biophysics school in Guatemala, that was held at the University of the Valley from November 26th to December 5th, promoted by ICTP – International Centre for Theoretical Physics with the participation of Area Science Park. Francesca Cuturello, a researcher at the Data Engineering Laboratory (LADE) at Area Science Park, took part in the initiative with the course “Machine Learning for Structural Biology.” In her presentation, Cuturello illustrated how statistical artificial intelligence models can be used to understand the structure and function of biomolecules. Edith Natalia Villegas Garcia, a PhD student in the Area, was also among the organizers and teaching assistant for the Machine Learning course. The school represents an important step toward building an international biophysics network, with the aim of promoting biophysics research and creating lasting links between Guatemalan universities and the international scientific community.