The Council of the Presidents of Public Research Institutions (CoPER) is a body established by the Article 8 of Legislative Decree No. 218 of 2016, and is composed of the Presidents of the 20 national scientific research institutions. The law assigns CoPER the task of supporting the Government in promoting, sustaining, revitalizing, and streamlining activities in the research sector. It is also responsible for advancing proposals for the programming and planning of activities across various institutions, as well as for the drafting, updating, and implementation of the National Research Plan (PNR).
Another key mission of CoPER is monitoring the application of the European Charter for Researchers.
CoPER works in close collaboration with the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the supervising Ministries, particularly the Ministry of Universities and Research. It also collaborates and works in synergy with the Conference of Rectors of Italian Universities (CRUI) on all matters of mutual interest within the research and academic system.
