Nominations open for Italian Bilateral Scientific Cooperation Award (US)

The Italian Bilateral Scientific Cooperation Award recognizes Italian scientists working in the United States who have made outstanding contributions to scientific cooperation between Italy and the U.S. The selected scientist receives approximately EUR 15,000 to support a three-month research residency in Italy, with round-trip airfare and insurance covered separately.

What Is the Italian Bilateral Scientific Cooperation Award?

The Italian Bilateral Scientific Cooperation Award is designed to strengthen scientific and technological collaboration between Italy and the United States.

The award recognizes Italian scientists whose research and professional activities have contributed significantly to bilateral scientific cooperation.

It supports international research exchange by giving the selected scientist an opportunity to undertake a research residency at an Italian research institution.

The award can cover scientists working in any field of science and technology.

What Does the Award Provide?

The award includes approximately:

EUR 15,000 for the three-month research residency.
Accommodation.
Meals.
Laboratory-related research expenses.

In addition, round-trip airfare and insurance are covered separately by Office XI of the Directorate General for Growth and Promotion of Export (DGCE) of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).

This means the main award is intended to support the costs associated with the research stay in Italy, while airfare and insurance are handled separately.

Why Does the Award Matter?

The programme is intended to strengthen long-term scientific relationships between Italy and the United States.

It helps:

Recognize Italian scientific excellence abroad.
Encourage Italy-U.S. research collaboration.
Facilitate international research mobility.
Connect scientists with Italian research institutions.
Support knowledge and technology exchange.
Strengthen bilateral scientific and technological networks.

The three-month research residency also provides an opportunity for the awardee to develop or deepen collaborations with researchers in Italy.

Who Is Eligible?

The award is specifically targeted at Italian scientists currently active in the United States.

Nominees must meet the following requirements:

Be an Italian scientist.
Be currently active in the United States.
Have contributed significantly to bilateral scientific cooperation between Italy and the U.S.
Have been a resident of the United States since at least January 1, 2021.
Be an independent scientist.
Have 3–7 years of post-PhD experience.
Be under 40 years of age when the call is published.

The award covers scientific and technological research across disciplines.

Who Can Nominate a Candidate?

The award does not accept self-nominations.

Candidates must be nominated by eminent scientists holding leadership positions at academic or research institutions.

Eligible nominators should therefore have an established scientific profile and an institutional leadership role.

The following are not eligible to submit nominations:

The candidate themselves.
Immediate family members of the candidate.

How Does the Research Residency Work?

Step 1: Nomination

An eligible senior scientist submits the nomination of a qualified Italian scientist working in the United States.

The nomination should demonstrate the candidate’s scientific achievements and contribution to bilateral cooperation.

Step 2: Demonstrate Scientific Contribution

The candidate’s record should clearly show how their work has strengthened or contributed to scientific collaboration between Italy and the United States.

Relevant evidence may include:

International research collaborations.
Joint scientific projects.
Research partnerships.
Knowledge exchange.
Scientific networks.
Contributions to bilateral research initiatives.

Step 3: Indicate Research Preferences

The awardee can indicate a preferred Italian research environment or institution for the proposed research stay.

The final host institution will be designated by the Conference of Presidents of Italian Public Research Institutions, taking the awardee’s preference into consideration.

Step 4: Confirm the Research Stay

The selected recipient must provide a letter of commitment to the host institution.

The letter must specify the planned period of the research residency.

The research stay must last for at least three months.

Step 5: Undertake the Research Residency

The awardee carries out the approved research activities at the designated Italian research centre.

The approximately EUR 15,000 award supports the costs associated with the residency, including accommodation, meals and laboratory-related expenses.

Research Fields Covered

The award is not restricted to a specific scientific discipline.

Eligible areas can include different fields of:

Science.
Technology.
Natural sciences.
Engineering.
Life sciences.
Physical sciences.
Other scientific and technological disciplines.

The key requirement is the candidate’s significant contribution to bilateral scientific cooperation between Italy and the United States.

Key Eligibility Requirements

For quick reference, candidates must:

Be Italian.
Currently work or be active as a scientist in the United States.
Have lived in the U.S. since at least January 1, 2021.
Be an independent scientist.
Have 3–7 years of postdoctoral experience.
Be under 40 when the call is published.
Demonstrate significant contributions to Italy-U.S. scientific cooperation.
Be nominated by an eminent scientist in an academic or research leadership position.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Potential nominees and nominators should avoid:

Submitting a self-nomination.
Relying only on general scientific achievements without demonstrating bilateral cooperation.
Failing to establish U.S. residence since the required date.
Applying outside the specified post-PhD experience range.
Ignoring the age requirement.
Selecting a research stay shorter than three months.
Failing to provide a commitment letter to the host institution.
Assuming the preferred Italian institution is automatically guaranteed.

Italian Bilateral Scientific Cooperation Award at a Glance

Award: Italian Bilateral Scientific Cooperation Award
Purpose: Recognize outstanding Italian scientists contributing to Italy-U.S. scientific cooperation
Target: Italian scientists active in the United States
Research fields: Science and technology, any field
Award value: Approximately EUR 15,000
Research residency: At least 3 months
Residency location: Designated Italian research centre
Award covers: Accommodation, meals and laboratory-related expenses
Airfare: Round-trip airfare covered separately
Insurance: Covered separately
U.S. residence requirement: Since at least January 1, 2021
Post-PhD experience: 3–7 years
Age requirement: Under 40 at call publication
Self-nominations: Not eligible
Family nominations: Immediate family members cannot nominate
Nominator: Eminent scientist in an academic or research leadership position

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Italian Bilateral Scientific Cooperation Award?

It is an award recognizing Italian scientists working in the United States who have made significant contributions to scientific cooperation between Italy and the U.S.

How much funding does the award provide?

The award provides approximately EUR 15,000 to support a three-month research residency in Italy. Round-trip airfare and insurance are covered separately.

Who can receive the award?

Italian scientists currently active in the United States who meet the residence, independence, post-PhD experience and age requirements can be nominated.

What scientific fields are eligible?

The award is open to scientists working in any field of science and technology.

Can scientists nominate themselves?

No. Self-nominations are not eligible. Candidates must be nominated by eminent scientists holding leadership positions at academic or research institutions.

How long must the research residency last?

The research stay must be at least three months. The award is structured around a three-month research residency at a designated Italian research centre.

Who chooses the Italian host institution?

The host institution is designated by the Conference of Presidents of Italian Public Research Institutions, taking the recipient’s stated preference into consideration.

Conclusion

The Italian Bilateral Scientific Cooperation Award provides a valuable opportunity for early-career Italian scientists in the United States to strengthen research connections with Italy.

With approximately EUR 15,000 in residency support, plus separately covered airfare and insurance, the award combines recognition with practical support for international scientific exchange. Candidates should demonstrate a strong scientific record, clear contributions to Italy-U.S. research cooperation, and compliance with the programme’s age, residence and post-PhD experience requirements.