In line with the goals of the Scientific Assistance and Research Sector, Fondazione CDP - jointly with Fondazione Cariplo - launches the request for proposals “Supporting young Italian talents in European Research Council competitions”, with the aim of contributing to the development of the national research system by investing in training and human capital.
Context and partnership
The data relating to the performance of the 2021 European Research Council calls bear witness to the high competitiveness of Italian researchers, but not of the national research system as a whole, which continues to show room for improvement. Unfortunately, ''brain drain'' is still widespread. Indeed, Italian researchers based at universities and institutions in Italy winning ERC competitions are few and far between.
This request for proposals is framed within a broader context which will also feature some significant resources activated by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and by the Ministry of University Education and Research, and aims to contribute in a synergistic and complementary way by investing in human capital excellence. More specifically, the initiative is dedicated to promising young researchers who have already demonstrated their value by participating in the ERC Starting Grant or Consolidator Grant calls and have been admitted to step 2 of the assessment process. The aim is to promote a process intended to strengthen their independence and scientific maturity.
The Request for Proposals Fondazione CDP and Fondazione Cariplo will focus their efforts on supporting research by young talents willing to re-apply to the ERC calls.
The request for proposals is targeted at public or private non-profit organisations engaged in scientific research activities across Italy.
The projects submitted will be required to:
The request for proposals will make available 1,350,000 Euro. The financial resources of Fondazione Cariplo will be allocated to organisations operating in Lombardy or in the provinces of Novara and in the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola area, and those of Fondazione CDP will be allocated to organisations operating across Italy. The Foundations undertake to cover 100% of project costs and will select 15 projects that will receive a maximum grant of 90,000 Euro each.
Grant applications must be filed - under penalty of exclusion and inadmissibility - solely electronically via the Fondazione Cariplo IT platform by 5.00 pm on 16 June 2022.
The full text of the request for proposals is attached hereto for reference and is also available on Fondazione Cariplo's website.