Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network Fellow John Vincent “JV” Tumaneng from the Philippines Shares His Journey of Pursuing a PhD in Sustainable Photopolymers at Politecnico di Torino

I am John Vincent “JV” Tumaneng, a Filipino PhD candidate of Politecnico di Torino under the MSCA-DN project ESPERANTO – a consortium composed of six beneficiaries and seven international partners. We are working on Enhancing the Sustainability of PhotopolymERs ANd PhoToinduced prOcesses; thus, the name of the project. My work involves the investigation of reversible photopolymerization in the presence of micro- and nanoscopic fillers to make biobased composites. With their applications ranging from household commodity goods to the current state-of-the-art systems, an environmentally-conscious approach to make these materials is necessary to move from laboratory scale to industrial uptake. Personally, I find this worthwhile to study because of how much the world’s current way of life is practically entangled with polymer production.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Scholarship Details

The funding scheme is called Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) – the EU’s flagship program for doctoral education and post-doctoral training. The beauty of being part of an MSCA doctoral network is that we get to apply to the institution and for the scholarship at the same time. On paper, each ESPERANTO candidate receives approximately €3.311,60 of gross salary and an additional €600,00 mobility allowance per month. We are hosted in different institutions and are required to do at least two secondments across seven countries. For this reason, I also did six months of academic secondment at Polymer Competence Center Leoben (PCCL) in Austria and three months of industrial secondment at Centre Technique du Papier (CTP) in France.

Were You Offered any Other Scholarships?

Ever since I decided to pursue further studies, I’ve set my eyes on applying for MSCA PhD positions. I also got offers for a Franco-Indian project hosted at Université de Bordeaux in France and a PhD position at IMDEA Nanociencia in Spain.

Educational Background

I come from the Philippines, where I finished my bachelor’s degree in chemistry and MSE at Ateneo de Manila. Back in the PH, I am also a licensed chemist, which allowed me to work under our country’s Department of Science and Technology, focusing on self-healing materials. In 2023, I finished my Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s degree in Chemical Nano-Engineering (EMJMD in CNE) from three universities: Aix-Marseille University in France, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology in Poland, and the University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Polytechnic University of Turin?

How Did You Find Information About Scholarships and the Polytechnic University of Turin?

LinkedIn became my gateway to exploring different PhD opportunities. From there, I expanded my search to other portals and online repositories.

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? If So, How Did You Prepare for Them?

These were not required for a PhD, but I took the TOEFL iBT back in 2021. For this, I used online assessment tests readily available on the test’s website.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Scholarship?

I created a sheet enumerating the research project, funding scheme (all MSCA-grounded), and the requirements being asked. I made a visionboard to review each PhD topic and figure out how I can contribute to the success of the research. I organized those jumbled ideas to coherent texts that eventually became the juice of each motivation letter, tailor-made for each application I sent.

How is (was) Your Experience at the Polytechnic University of Turin?

Politecnico di Torino is a top university in terms of engineering, architecture, and sustainability. The percentage of international students and researchers has reached 20%, and it was easy for me to get familiar with the university culture.

How Do You Rate the Polytechnic University of Turin Academically and Why? 

The university’s ranking speaks for its mission to strive for excellence. Moreover, I have not experienced serious burnout because of the various kinds of support PoliTo provides to the members of its community.

How Does the Polytechnic University of Turin Support International Students? 

Free foreign language classes are given every semester. Participation in organizations, job searches, and other extracurricular activities is also open to both Italians and foreigners.

Are Your Classes Conducted in English or Italian?

The classes I had chosen were all conducted in English.

Would Potential Students Have Any Problems Academically Not Knowing Italian?

Not exactly. Being a PhD candidate means working under a research group, which is often composed of multiple nationalities. However, administrative procedures such as applying for a residence permit and applying for insurance can be more challenging without a basic understanding of Italian.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I like to believe it is having a clear reason why I pursue a PhD. Despite not knowing whether I will continue in the academe or begin my journey for an industrial career, I know that a PhD will help me become a more effective science communicator. This is what I made sure to highlight whenever I entertain interviews.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

Encourage yourself to take the first step. Most of us do not even try because of some sort of limiting factor holding us back. For my case, it was the fear of getting rejected. Later on, I understood that rejection is a natural outcome; it can sting a lot, but I hope you can also find yourself to view each application process as an opportunity to learn and build your character. Meanwhile, polish your most recently obtained skills too. Alignment of these with the candidate profile is the most important criterion your future supervisor will be checking.