Since its establishment the Chair has been the administrative seat of the first Ph.D. program in Biophysics in the entire Italy (from the 4th to the 8th cycle), a nation-wide effort coordinated by Prof. Nicolini then as one of the three sites of a combined PhD Program in Biophysics and Biochemistry with administrative seat at Padua University (from the 9th to 13th cycle). From the 14th cycle (1998) the PhD program in Biophysical Science and Technologies has been given in Genoa as the only site.

Initially, the PhD fellowships were mainly assigned through contracts with industries and public research institutions and only in part by MIUR (Table 1). In the recent years is instead given by MIUR - University of Genoa.
The Ph.D. programs is attended by newly graduates in most different disciplines coming from all Italian regions.
Their accademic and geographic background is heterogeneous. It is worth nothing that all the PhD students who have successfully passed the PhD program in Biophysics in Genoa, have found an adeguate professional employment in industry, academy, research institutions in Italy, in the USA and in Europe.

Table 1. Ph.D. fellowships in Biophysics and respective sponsors

Cycle
Total
MIUR- Univ.
CNR ENEA
Others
Industry
IV
5
3
--
--
2
V
7
2
3
--
2
VI
5
3
2
--
--
VII
4
3
1
--
--
VIII
7
3
--
--
4
XV
12
2
--
6

XVI
3
1
--
2
--
XVII
4
2
--
--
2
XIX
3
1
--
2
--
XX
2
1
--
1
--
XXI
3
2
--
1
--
XXII
1
1
-
-
-
XXIII
3
2
-
1
-
XXV
2
2
-
-
-

Ph.D. fellowships in Biochemistry and Biophysics and respective sponsors

Cycle
Total
Murst- Univ
CNR
ENEA
Industry
IX
6
3
--
--
3
X
3
3
--
--
--
XII
2
2
--
--
--
XIII
3
3
--
--
--
XIV
5
3
--
--
2