Skip to main content

Working groups

To help the coordination of research institutions and their interaction with the broader scientific and academic community on specific topics, to assess and organize joint actions on relevant issues, to draft documents and initiatives to promote research, and to support the government’s efforts in strengthening the research system, CoPER relies on working groups.

These working groups, established by the Consulta’s Assembly, may include Presidents or, more frequently, expert delegates. They carry out in-depth studies, develop proposals, and prepare the groundwork for CoPER’s future actions and decisions. Often, they also promote initiatives both within and among research institutions or even at a public level.

Some working groups have been structured for several years due to the long-term and general nature of their topics, while others are activated in response to temporary situations or urgent matters requiring immediate action.

The CoPER ecosystem:

20

research institutions

14360

researchers and engineers

43

large structures

234

departments

500

research centers

data updated as of  31.12.2023

To address a number of relevant themes, the following CoPER working groups have been created:

Active | topic

Open Science

Officially established in December 2021, it works on all topics related to Open Science, open access, publication policies, and scientific data management. In addition to internal meetings, it organizes events with the community, workshops, and drafts studies and technical documents.

Active | topic

Integrity and security of research

This working group was established in 2024 in response to the growing importance of issues related to the protection of scientific and technological results from malicious influences, and the need to comply with European regulations and international recommendations (G7, OECD, etc.) regarding research integrity, dual use, and international collaborations.

Inactive | topic

Assessement

The topic of research evaluation has required the activation of thematic groups within the Consultation on multiple occasions, particularly during assessment exercises such as the VQR (Evaluation of Research Quality) carried out by the Evaluation Agency (ANVUR), with the aim of ensuring coordination and providing a platform for dialogue with the various institutional stakeholders involved. The working group was renewed in both its composition and mandate during the public consultation in preparation for the publication of the VQR 2020-2024 call in September 2023.

Inactive | topic

Regulation

This working group was established in 2021, during the presentation and discussion in Parliament of the draft law for the revision of pre-tenure contracts for universities and research institutions (DdL S-2285 of the XVIII legislature). The work culminated in the drafting of a report and the testimony of the CoPER President before the VII Committees of the Senate and the Chamber. The group remains active, particularly in light of the introduction of regulations of interest to the sector, such as various simplification decrees related to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan or – more recently – further revisions of the regulations on pre-tenure contracts and collective bargaining issues. It works in close collaboration with the Permanent Conference of General Directors (CODIGER).