Italian version 

The departments of excellence represent an innovative intervention with substantial financial support, as provided for by law 232 of 2016 (2017 budget law). The initiative aims to identify and fund, on a five-year basis and within the 14 CUN areas, the top 180 departments of state universities. These are departments that stand out for the quality of their research output and the quality of their development projects, with an annual budget allocation of 271 million euros.

Selection Phases

Based on the Standardised Indicator of Departmental Performance (ISPD), defined by ANVUR based on evaluations from the latest VQR 2011-2014, a preliminary ranking of the top 350 departments of state universities is created. Within this ranking, each university submits a five-year development project for a maximum of 15 departments. This project is accompanied by a financial plan that includes personnel recruitment, staff rewards, research infrastructure, and high-quality teaching and scientific activities.

The project is evaluated by a Commission of seven members who combine the ISPD score (maximum 70 points) with the project evaluation (maximum 30 points) to create a final ranking of the 180 departments of excellence. This process also considers the maximum number of departments that can be funded in each of the 14 CUN areas (as determined by the Minister in the Commission's appointment decree).

Funding Recipients

The 180 selected departments will receive financial allocations ranging from 1.620 million euros to 1.080 million euros annually for five years, depending on their size quintile. Additionally, departments in CUN areas 1 to 9 will be assigned a budget of 250,000 euros annually, specifically for research infrastructure. The achievement of the departmental project's objectives and the proper use of the allocated budget will be subject to a final evaluation.

Funding 2023 - 2027

Unipd first in Italy with 29 departments in Mur ranking

29 of the University of Padua's 32 departments are included in the list published by the MUR of the top 350 departments of Italian state universities eligible to compete in the selection of 180 departments of excellence for the five-year period 2023-2027.
More information

 

Funding 2018 - 2022

For the University of Padua, thirteen out of fifteen participating departments were admitted for funding.

List of the 180 winning departments
List of the 350 departments admitted to the selection
Methodological note on the calculation of the ISPD indicator