Competitive funding for R&D in Italy: learning from the past, preparing for the future

Andrea Orazio Spinello, Emanuela Varinetti, Antonio Zinilli, Emanuela Reale

DOI: 10.36134/PBDSU-2024-1 Download as a .PDF file

The data and results presented in this paper are taken from the fourth edition of the CNR-DSU Report on Research and Innovation in Italy and analyze critical issues related to the provision of national competitive (or “project-based”) R&D funding instruments.

Until the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Italian funding for “project-based” R&D suffered from a modest budget and a limited variety of competitive instruments. The disbursement of funds to beneficiaries was characterized by a discontinuous trend, due both to the publication of calls for proposals at irregular intervals and to the time lag between the launch of the initiatives and the approval of selected projects. Compared to other European countries, Italy was also characterized by a centralized management of resources, dominated by ministries, and a limited focus of R&D programs on objectives related to major societal and technological challenges.

The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) has introduced significant changes, with the activation of new instruments and an unprecedented funds appropriation, while at the same time aiming for greater alignment with the thematic priorities recognized at the European level. Italy will have to demonstrate its capacity to sustain this growth, not only in terms of the resources invested, but also in terms of the variety of instruments operating simultaneously, even after the NRRP has come to an end. This moment of change may also stimulate a reflection on the management of the R&D competitive programs, evaluating the validity of a centralized management structure versus alternative models, and considering the adoption of project evaluation mechanisms that better enhance the impact of R&D activities on society.

How to cite

Spinello, A.O., Varinetti, E., Zinilli, A., & Reale, E. (2024). Il finanziamento competitivo per Ricerca e Sviluppo in Italia: imparare dal passato, preparare il futuro (DSU Policy brief 1). CNR-Dipartimento di Scienze Umane e Sociali, Patrimonio culturale. https://doi.org/10.36134/PBDSU-2024-1