For companies, the PhD can be a privileged tool for scientific collaboration with the School and the exchange of knowledge and skills for innovation. The PhD programmes of Sant'Anna School aim to link basic and applied research in a dynamic way, with a strong focus on the demands for innovation from industry and public institutions. They are aimed at bright young graduate students from all over the world, selected by competition, with strong aptitudes for research and interdisciplinary processing. Students follow a personalized training path, in a highly specialized environment, placed in the School's research groups with a dialogue and confrontation with the academic and research community to which they combine study and research experiences abroad in prestigious research centers and university institutions in Italy and abroad.

Partners and companies can fund one or more scholarships by defining the area of research of their interest through the signing of a special agreement in which the institution or company agrees to support the funding for the entire duration of the course (three or four years). In the agreement besides identifying the amounts and methods of financing, the modalities of participation of the institution or company in the doctoral student's training are indicated with the appointment of a tutor who will collaborate with the supervisor of the doctoral student appointed by the School and the indication of any periods of training in the company if foreseen. The agreement also governs all aspects related to intellectual property.

The amount of doctoral scholarships is decided by the Board of Governors of the School. For the academic year it is quantified in 87.991,00 euro for 3-year PhD Programmes and in 113.851,00 euro for 4-year PhD Programmes, it is payable in yearly installments and is composed by the following items:

• amount of the scholarship for the duration of the PhD Programme  (3 or 4 years);
• the contribution for study and research experiences abroad
• the contribution for research activities
• cafeteria service costs
• housing contribution (to be determined according to ISEE)
• general expenses (overheads).