The fourth Research Quality Assessment (VQR) conducted by ANVUR (the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes) has been completed. Covering the five-year period 2020–2024, the exercise evaluated scientific research outputs, knowledge valorization activities, and international competitive research projects. For the first time, and on an experimental basis limited to research institutions, research infrastructures were also assessed. The VQR process began with the publication of the call in October 2023 and concluded in March 2026 with the submission of the results to the Ministry of University and Research (MUR).

Objectives of the Research Assessment

The primary objective of the VQR is to provide the Ministry of University and Research with the data required for the allocation of the performance-based component of the Ordinary Financing Fund (FFO).

"The VQR is a tool designed to pursue specific strategic objectives for the national research system. First and foremost, it aims to strengthen quality and participation by promoting excellence in Italian research, encouraging researcher engagement, and supporting more effective recruitment and career progression processes," stated Professor Alessandra Celletti, Member of the ANVUR Governing Board and coordinator of research assessment activities.

"Another objective is to strengthen collaboration and social impact through greater integration among research, businesses, institutions, schools, and civil society, with the goal of maximizing economic and social benefits. The VQR also seeks to contribute to the improvement of education, with particular attention to doctoral training. In this context, internationalization and access to competitive funding are strategic priorities aimed at increasing the visibility of the Italian system and participation in European and international programs. Finally, the VQR promotes efficiency and the enhancement of research infrastructures by encouraging the full utilization of research resources available nationwide."

The scale of VQR 2020–2024: numbers, participation, and system-wide commitment

A total of 199,816 scientific publications (including journal articles, monographs, book chapters, and other scholarly outputs) were evaluated, compared with approximately 182,000 submitted in the previous VQR covering the period 2015–2019. More than 75,800 researchers were accredited for participation.

The number of universities assessed increased to 100, with two additional institutions compared to the previous exercise—the CASD and the Scuola Superiore Meridionale. The number of research institutions decreased to 13 (the Italian Space Agency, ASI, was not included in the current assessment), while the number of institutions that voluntarily underwent evaluation declined to 19, three fewer than in the previous cycle.

The submissions were distributed across 19 Evaluation Expert Panels (GEVs), comprising a total of 719 disciplinary experts and 37 interdisciplinary experts from both Italian and international institutions. In addition, more than 6,740 external reviewers, both Italian and international, contributed to the evaluation process.

These figures illustrate the considerable coordination effort undertaken by ANVUR, involving not only agency staff and members of the Governing Board but also 27 GEV assistants selected through a dedicated recruitment procedure.

Interpretation of results and the impact of knowledge enhancement 

The results should be analyzed as a whole in order to provide an overall picture of research activities currently carried out in Italy. In particular, the indicators provided by ANVUR should be interpreted with appropriate caution. Comparisons should be made only among homogeneous groups (for example, by scientific field and institutional size), and indicators should be combined to capture their multidimensional nature and obtain the most accurate possible representation of research quality.

"A comprehensive analysis of the results allows several conclusions to be drawn about the Italian research system as a whole," Professor Celletti noted. "The indicators confirm that, as in the previous VQR, newly hired or recently promoted researchers submitted a higher average number of research outputs per capita (2.7) than established researchers (2.1), with a higher average quality as well."

The VQR 2020–2024 also evaluated case studies related to knowledge enhancement activities, encompassing the initiatives through which institutions collaborate and engage with local communities and society, complementing their traditional missions of teaching and research.

Depending on their size, each institution was required to submit one or more case studies selected from five thematic areas:

• Technology Transfer
• Production and Management of Public Goods
• Public Engagement
• Life and Health Sciences
• Environmental Sustainability, Inclusion, and Reduction of Inequalities, with particular reference to the UN 2030 Agenda

Specifically, the assessment focused on the impact of these case studies, defined as their capacity to generate transformations or improvements in the economic, social, cultural, health, and environmental domains.

"The evaluation of knowledge valorization activities," observed Dr. Marco Malgarini, Head of ANVUR’s Research Assessment Area, "represents a significant indicator of the openness of institutions as connecting points between research and society. Institutions are increasingly assuming an active role within their local contexts by making available to the broader community the knowledge and expertise they generate and preserve."

Additional findings and future perspectives of VQR 2020–2024

The assessment of knowledge valorization activities highlighted a widespread institutional commitment reflected in a broad range of initiatives and intervention areas.

The inclusion of international competitive projects in the evaluation framework made it possible to incorporate a dimension that had not previously been assessed, despite its fundamental importance for the competitiveness of Italian research.

Furthermore, the experimental assessment of research infrastructures within public research organizations (EPRs) successfully tested evaluation methodologies and criteria, laying the groundwork for their more systematic application in future assessment cycles.

Taken together, these findings depict a research system in continuous evolution, increasingly focused on quality, societal impact, and international engagement.

"Today, the aggregated institutional-level results have been made public, pending the release of area-specific results, which will be presented during the event dedicated to the Final Report and the Area Reports on 28 May," concluded Dr. Malgarini. "This event will also provide an important opportunity for further discussion and reflection."