Italy UNIMORE DREST PhD Scholarships 2027: Prepare Now
Thirty funded places were offered in the latest DREST Phd scholarship competition, but the 2027/2028 round will be announced soon. For international applicants considering a PhD in Religious Studies in Italy, the useful move now is to turn a research interest into a feasible doctoral project.
The Italian National PhD Programme in Religious Studies, administered by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), connects research across partner institutions. Your research proposal must connect a question with sources, methods and a realistic plan. This guide explains subject fit, previous funding, documents and the submission route to prepare for the next call.
Your route towards the next DREST call
01 Does your research belong in DREST?
DREST suits applicants studying religion through rigorous source-based research.
Its latest six curricula covered Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Religions of Asia, Law and Religions, and AI and Religious Studies. The programme’s consortium network brings together 32 universities and research centres.
The 2026 call accepted candidates without age or citizenship limits, with an eligible master’s-equivalent qualification. It required full-time residence at the assigned institution and at least six months abroad.
02 What does the previous DREST award tell you?
The 2026/2027 official call, Articles 3 and 10–11 provided €17,000 annually, subject to INPS social-security contributions, paid monthly in arrears. Enrolment cost €159.67; accommodation was a separate benefit competition.
| 2026 places | Preparation consequence |
|---|---|
| 5 open-topic scholarships | Develop a defensible independent research question. |
| 25 topic-specific scholarships | Match your project to the advertised theme. |
I would budget for relocation and initial rent before the first payment. None of these figures confirms the next award.
03 Which DREST materials should you start now?
Article 5 of that call provides a concrete preparation baseline:
- Degree and transcripts; use its foreign-qualification recognition instructions.
- Academic CV, thesis or abstract, and valid identification.
- Research proposal: question, literature, sources, methods, milestones and overseas research centres.
- Motivation letter, previously limited to two pages; language evidence and relevant publications.
I would prioritise source-language skills: the previous interview tested languages needed for the proposed research. Use the next call’s templates when released.
04 How would you submit the next DREST application?
- Find the new Religious Studies call through UNIMORE’s official PhD notices; read its scholarship themes and annexes.
- Register or sign in to Esse3 using the identity route specified for you. Select the correct curriculum and scholarship preference.
- Upload the requested documents; pay the required fee. The previous fee was €25 per selection application.
- Explicitly confirm and save the application; retain its receipt and follow interview and ranking notices.
These are previous-cycle procedures to rehearse; submissions must await the new competition.
05 Which DREST mistakes can invalidate an application?
An unfinished portal application is not a submission. The previous call required final confirmation, saved data and fee payment. Avoid selecting a scholarship theme your proposal does not address.
06 Three DREST questions before you commit
Must I already have a supervisor’s acceptance letter?
The latest call did not list one among application uploads. Concentrate on the required proposal and documents.
Can I apply before finishing my master’s?
The previous call allowed later graduation by a specified qualification cutoff. The next call must establish the new cutoff.
Is DREST available remotely?
No: the published programme is residential and full-time. Plan for relocation and research mobility.
07 When is the next DREST application window expected?
The last date to apply for DREST 2027/2028 has not been announced. Early July 2027 is an estimate based on the July openings in 2025 and 2026. The latest window ran from 7 July to 25 August 2026. Begin monitoring in June 2027; prepare your proposal beforehand.
