Rewards, new profiles and work-life balance: how the Don Gnocchi Foundation enhances the value of researchers

Italy is among the European countries with the highest quality of scientific production; still much, however, can and can be done in the enhancement and ability to retain talent. According to The European House - Ambrosetti's Life Sciences Innosystem Index 2025, our country ranks tenth in Europe in terms of competitiveness of life sciences research, but only seventeenth in terms of human capital and sixteenth in terms of the number of people employed in the sector.

The difficulty of transforming excellence in scientific production into innovation and growth is obvious: the dispersion of researchers abroad, the fragmentation of infrastructures and the lack of private investment in research and development are structural nodes that risk slowing scientific progress and impoverishing the National Health Service. And while it is true that international mobility is an integral part of every researcher's career, it is equally true that when it becomes a brain drain, it translates into a loss of skills and a slowdown in innovation. Italy is second only to Germany in the number of winners of ERC Starting Grants, but many of these young scientists work abroad, mainly in Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France. The systemic risk is clear: without prospects for growth and recognition, the country loses valuable talent, with negative repercussions on the competitiveness and sustainability of the healthcare system.

In this scenario, the Don Gnocchi Foundation - a recognised Irccs and always committed to translational and multidisciplinary research - has chosen to adopt a new policy for the professional growth and development of researchers, inspired by the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for Recruitment. The model adopted provides for three new professional profiles and four levels of classification, with objective and transparent criteria for access and progression: publications, grants, and patents defining the quality of research are the key parameters for enhancing merit and incentivising scientific production. A bonus system also recognises achievements and supports the motivation of researchers, encouraging so-called brain circulation as an alternative to brain drain.

The policy introduces flexible, stability-oriented contract types, promotes work-life balance and ensures a stimulating environment and increasing protection. The objective is twofold: to attract emerging talent and to offer stable and lasting development opportunities to those already working in the Foundation. In this way, we wish to present ourselves as a possible model, with the hope of triggering a domino effect towards a culture of recognising and valuing human capital in science.

The value of research is not only measured in terms of scientific production, but also in the ability to vision, care and build the future. Investing in our researchers means investing in the country's health, innovation and growth. It is time to recognise the strategic role of research and choose to invest in it decisively. Only in this way will we be able to transform our excellence into a lasting competitive advantage, to the benefit of society as a whole.