In compliance with the institutional nature of Istat as a Public Research Body, the international research activity promotes the Istat’s effort in the advancement in the state of knowledge consolidated at the international level, increasing the positive effects of research on the institutional activities. Furthermore, this activity improves partnerships with important research institutes at a national and international level and the exchange of resources with other National Statistical Institutes.
In order to promote and enhance research activities and to share the results of studies in the field of official statistics in the various sectors of application, Istat participated and is actively taking part in different types of research projects, using those funding instruments promoted both by the European Commission through the Framework Programs and by Eurostat with the Grants and all those projects under the name of ESSnet.
Projects receiving funds within Framework Programmes
These are research and innovation projects funded by the European Commission under the Framework Programmes – currently Horizon 2020 (H2020 ) and previously the 7th Framework Program (FP7) – aimed at ensuring that Europe produces world-class science and technology able to stimulate the economic growth.
2. Seventh Framework Programme
Projects receiving funds from Eurostat
Funding is currently earmarked for research activities linked to the priority referring to the production of “European high-quality statistics” which are part of the European Statistical Program included in the Single Market Program (SMP) within the 2021-27 multi-year European budget. Istat receives grants for projects that are part of the European Statistical Program of the European Commission (Eurostat).
Beneficiaries of these funds are the National Statistical Institutes and the Other National Authorities (ONAs), responsible for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics, pursuant to Article 5 of the Regulation (EC) n. 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council related to the European statistics (and subsequent amendments).
Grants can be granted to a single Institute (mono-beneficiary grant agreement – Mono GA) or to a consortium of organisations (multi-beneficiary grant agreement – Multi GA), including ESSnet projects, i.e., collaboration networks between different partners of the System. European statistical System (ESS) where the knowledge acquired, and the results achieved are shared within the whole ESS (Article 15 of Regulation (EC) 223/2009).
3. ESSnet Projects and other Grants
Projects funded by other EU programmes
The European Union gives support and finances other initiatives to sustain the research in key fields of the economy.