Brain Gain Program
Ca' Foscari, a window on and for the world
As a leading research university, Ca’ Foscari strives to shape a world–class scientific profile, leveraging the best skills in the fields of our tradition to explore new, cutting-edge research directions at the frontiers of disciplines. In the last few years Ca’ Foscari has set out a new research agenda designed around a selection of well-defined topics of global scope and impact with the aim to attract the best talents worldwide through a strong international process of recruitment.
International recruitment
Discover the actions fostered by Ca' Foscari to enhance international recruitment and the experience of some of our researchers:
1) SPIN: Supporting Principal INvestigators
With the purpose of promoting impact research and strengthening Ca’ Foscari University attractiveness for the best international researchers and professors, in 2018 Ca’ Foscari has launched a new initiative: SPIN - Supporting Principal INvestigators. The scope of this call is to receive proposals to fund research projects with a maximum duration of 24 months in all scientific areas available at Ca’ Foscari.
2) ERC Grantees Recruitment
Ca’ Foscari is constantly hiring ERC awardees as associate and full professors.
The Principal Investigator has the right to require the transfer of the research project to a new beneficiary, as long as the research objectives of the project are preserved.
Grant portability is likely to further empower researchers giving them freedom to bring their research and research team with them.
Ca’ Foscari has a long experience in moving project and provides full support to the researcher, giving benefits for a faster integration and incentives to guarantee excellent recruitment and working conditions.
Please contact research@unive.it if you want to move your project to Ca’ Foscari.
Meet all our ERC grantees!
“I am happy to have chosen Ca’ Foscari as host institution for my ERC Grant. Administration and Faculty struck me from the very beginning for their dynamism and enthusiasm. Timing is everything in the portability a ERC project and they were extremely experienced and efficient in handling all the operations, but also attentive in creating a welcoming academic environment for me and my team. I was honoured to accept their offer as Associate Professor, which I am sure will allow me to develop my scholarly career at its best”.
Sabrina Marchetti, P.I. of ERC Starting Grant “DomEQUAL”
3) Global@Venice Fellowships
GLOBAL_AT_VENICE - Research and Training for Global Challenges (G@V) is a 60-month Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND project implemented by Ca’ Foscari: through two international calls we recruit 15 brilliant research fellows to offer a truly international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral training. Experienced researchers (max. 8 years of experience after PhD completion) with an international profile will work with one of the multidisciplinary Institutes for Global Challenges of Ca’ Foscari and a network of strategic partners to develop their two-year research project.
4) Tenure-Track Position for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellowships
Global Fellowships are open to researchers currently within or outside Europe who want to move to a Third Country and then come back to an EU Member State or Associated Country.
The duration of the fellowship is 24 to 36 months and primarily covers the salary of the researcher. Global Fellowships are awarded to the most promising researchers, who want to benefit from training abroad (mobility rules).
Ca' Foscari can offer a tenure-track position to researchers who have been awarded a three-year Global Fellowship.
If you want to apply for MSC-Global Fellowship at Ca’ Foscari please contact our International Research Office at mariecurie@unive.it.
"The decision to apply for a Marie Curie Global fellowship with Ca' Foscari University came as a natural choice for me. While previously working as postdoc within the ERC project 'Aristotle in the Italian Vernacular', coordinated by Prof. Marco Sgarbi, I realized in first person how lively and dynamic the university was. The Marie Curie call provided me with the opportunity to return, thanks to the competence and promptness of Ca' Foscari research office that proved key to my appointment. The academic staff did the rest to have me join them at the start of my fellowship: I simply couldn't turn down the generous tenure-track offer that I received from an inviting institution that already feels like home."
Matteo Cosci, Researcher in History of Philosophy
5) "Rita Levi Montalcini" Young Talents Programme
With the Law 962/2015 [ITA], the Italian Government establishes the “Rita Levi Montalcini Programme” for young researchers.
Ca’ Foscari seeks young talents for tenure-track positions in humanities, modern languages, economics and management, computer and environmental sciences, but encourages cross-disciplinary researches on global challenges.
Ca’ Foscari promotes the expressions of interest and applications for “Rita Levi Montalcini Programme”. providing all information and a full support tho those who wish to apply. Contact us at research@unive.it.
“After obtaining my PhD in 2013, my research developed for several years at academic institutions in Cambridge, Wien, and Geneva. I was delighted to be selected by the Italian Ministry of Education and Research in this national competition aimed at young researchers. Ca’ Foscari and the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage were an extremely welcoming host institution, and proved to be a truly international, vibrant environment. I look forward to the further developments of my research here!”
Caterina Tarlazzi, Researcher in Medieval Philosophy
6) Fundamental Research - Fondo Italiano per la Scienza
The call by MUR - Italian Ministry for University and Research supports fundamental research projects, in the framework of the Fondo Italiano per la Scienza established in 2021 and in line with the ERC - European Research Council actions.
Researchers of any nationality can choose Ca' Foscari University of Venice as Host Institution, whether or not they are already working at Ca' Foscari, to apply for a Starting Grant (Junior PI with 2-10 years of experience) or an Advanced Grant (over 10 years of experience in research). The project duration is up to 5 years with a maximum of 1 million (Starting Grant) or 1.5 million euros (Advanced Grant) funding.
Tax benefits
Professors and researchers
Professors and researchers who have carried out their research activities abroad for at least two consecutive years and who move to Italy acquiring tax residency, are entitled to significant tax benefits.
In detail, they can benefit from the exemption from payment of personal income tax on 90% of the income received by the Italian university employing them, if they are hired with the role of "Professore" or "Ricercatore".
Italian citizens not registered to AIRE (Registry Office for Italian Citizens Residing Abroad) are also entitled.
Benefits are applied to the tax period when the researcher becomes "tax resident" in Italy and in the following 5 tax years, provided that he/she remains a tax resident in Italy. The exemption is extended beyond the minimum duration under the following circumstances :
- 8 years, in case of dependent child (pre-adoption foster care is envisaged too), or when purchasing a house in Italy (the purchase can be done prior to the tax residency acquisition (up to 12 months) or after the person becomes tax resident in Italy).
- 11 years, in case the professor/researcher has at least 2 dependent children
- 13 years, in case the professor/researcher has at least 3 dependent children.
Download the estimated amounts (updated: May 2022) [1,03 MB].
The partners of professors or researchers moving to Italy can also be entitled to tax benefits or exemptions should they possess the requisites provided for by the Italian tax legislation (foreign tax residence for the last two years, obtainment of Italian residence, etc.). Specific information and support shall be provided by the partner's employer or accountant.
More details in the website of the Italian Income Revenue Authority.
Administrative and technical staff
The Italian tax system also grants tax incentives to administrative and technical staff who move their residence to Italy. So-called "impatriate" workers (managers and workers with high qualifications and specializations, graduates who have worked abroad, and students who have obtained an academic qualification abroad) are entitled to a minimum 5-year exemption on 70% to 90% of their personal income.
General information is provided by the Italian Revenue Agency.
Last update: 05/12/2023