Researchers of excellence, Italia third for 'Marie-Curie' scholarships

The European Commission has published the results of the call 'Msca Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025', the so-called 'Marie-Curie' call for research excellence. A total of 1,610 postdoctoral researchers were funded with a total budget of EUR 404.3 million under the Horizon Europe programme.

Italia is in third place with the coordination of 174 projects, thus finishing behind only the United Kingdom (347) and Spain (182), but ahead of France (130) and Germany (125). Noteworthy is the performance of Venezia Ca' Foscari which, with 19 grants obtained (for a total of 4.9 million euro), is back in first place in Italia and among the top 10 European universities for "Marie Skłodowska-Curie" grants

If we also include research institutions in the group Ca' Foscari is actually 12th in co-ownership with the German organisation Max-Planck-Gesellschaft; if we only consider universities it is in 10th place. Overall, the Venetian university attracts talent from 12 foreign institutions, including Princeton, Yale and Cambridge, and will promote research in collaboration with universities and research organisations in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Japan and France.

With the 19 who have just arrived, the number of 'fellows' obtained by Ca' Foscari has risen to 240. Rector Tiziana Lippiello is satisfied: "Our community will grow and be enriched by female researchers who will develop their research projects at Ca' Foscari. We are truly happy to offer opportunities for growth to new scholars. It is an achievement,' she concludes, 'that confirms the attractiveness of our University in terms of quality and international attractiveness'

To find another Italian academic institution we have to go down to 18th place occupied by the Politecnico di Milano with 14 grants. Then it is the turn of the universities of Padua and Bologna, 21st and 22nd respectively with 13 and 12 funded projects. Behind them, in 31st position, is Roma Sapienza with 10 fellows and in 41st Parma with 8.