The target population for this doctoral programme is very diverse and includes the following 2nd cycle (undergraduate) backgrounds:
1) engineering students (of a wide variety of backgrounds, in particular Biological Engineering and Bioengineering, Engineering Physics, Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering and Mechanical Engineering) who are interested in an interdisciplinary formation focusing on in-depth formation in micro and nanotechnologies and their extension to microsystem applications, including various types of sensing, actuation, lab-on-chip systems, and bioprocessing;
2) science students (of a wide variety of backgrounds, in particular Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Biochemistry) who are interested in the capabilities and novel phenomena possible in micro and nanofabricated materials and devices in integrated microsystems;
3) pharmacy students who are attracted by the possibilities of micro and nanofabricated multifunctional devices and systems for high-throughput screening, cell, tissue and organism-chips for drug development, and novel drug delivery vehicles;
4) medical students who are interested in research and interested in the applications of micro and nanotechnologies, namely in biodiagnostics and fundamental medical research, are not excluded but when admitted must commit to strengthening their basic background in physics, mathematics, electronics and computer science.
In multi and interdisciplinary fields such as the one being proposed, one difficult question usually arises: is it possible to achieve in-depth knowledge in fields that are not the undergraduate major of the candidate in the available time? The proponents consider that PhD students should acquire in-depth knowledge in one or two areas in direct relationship to their research project, and a transversal knowledge across other areas, therefore assuring specialization but keeping a considerable degree of horizontal knowledge that can foster creativity. Here, the common theme that is studied in-depth is the process of micro and nanofabrication and its current and prospective applications in integrated microsystems.