The National Research Council has always dedicated great attention to international activity.

Founded in 1923 with the purpose of representing Italy at the International Research Council (IRC), which was held in that year in Brussels, the CNR has undergone several re- organisations and transformations during the following 80 years of its existence. It has, however, maintained intact its peculiar characteristics of national, multidisciplinary research Council and has acted as point of reference and support to the international scientific community. It has been also a source of qualified, diversified competences, which are indispensable to the competitive growth of each national scientific system and to the creation of a system of evaluation of Italian research according to international parameters.

The recent restructuring of the National Research Council has created the Office for Agreements and International Relations and the Office for Activities and Relations with European Institutions, both developing international relations, working within the framework of the General Direction Office.

International Relations and Agreements Office (UARI)

This Office finances and promotes International Relations and the exchange of researchers for the development of a joint project of research, or free exchange, through bilateral Agreements of scientific and technological cooperation drawn up with corresponding research councils in all countries and in all continents. Within their framework, it also finances the carrying out of bilateral seminaries.

It promotes the participation of Italian researchers in scientific activities carried out by foreign institutions through the program of Short Term Mobility (STM).

It supports and maintains close relations of collaboration with the Italian scientific Attaches of the Italian Representations abroad (where it has recently published calls for scholarships for young graduates ) and with the scientific Attaches of the Embassies of foreign countries present in Italy.

As well as ensuring, in agreement with the structures created by the Foreign Office and by the Ministry of the University and of the Research, the Italian representation in the great international organizations and in non - governmental International Organisms, it manages the scientific activities ensuing from such intergovernmental Agreements.

It furthermore participates in the carrying out and in the management of great initiatives and international scientific projects.

Office for Activities and Relations with European Institutions (ARIE)

www.attivitaeuropee.cnr.it

This Office is in charge of governing CNR relationships with EU and other prominent International Scientific Organizations active within the European scenario, including one-field based research Organizations.
It ensures CNR's participation in strategic and coordination activities carried out by MIUR and MAE within the European context, also in close connection with the Italian permanent representatives at EU.
It guarantees official relations with the Program Committees National Representatives and with the Framework Program's Contact Points.
ARIE is responsible for providing all CNR researchers wishing to obtain EU Framework Program's grants with the appropriate administrative assistance. Potential applicants will be supplied with a constant flow of information aimed at broadening the understanding of international and domestic rules/procedures concerning specific issues of the EU Framework Program and of other EU initiatives (from the detection of calls to the drafting of applications, from the management of projects/contracts to the monitoring of the audit processes).
The Office encourages and supports the presence of CNR within those programs and initiatives, launched by other European research Organizations (ESF, EuroHorcs, COST, Eureka etc.), aimed at the construction of the European Research Area.
Its Units in Genoa and Naples ensure, thanks to the presence of integrated competence on the territory, precious support to CNR Institutes based and operational in Northern and Southern Italy.
To better support CNR's participation into the European Research Area, the units are also dealing with integrated non-territorial competencies for specific subject-issues and building blocks of ERA: Infrastructures and European grants for mobility of researchers in Genoa; Multilateral strategies and cooperation with non EU Countries, in the framework of European policies, in Naples; Joint Programming Initiatives in Brussels.

International Relations and Agreements Office Director: d.ssa Virginia Coda Nunziante P.le Aldo Moro, 7 - 00185 Roma Tel. 06.4993.2057 - 3170 Fax: 06.4993.2905 e-mail: virginia.codanunziante@cnr.it Office of Naples: Via G. Porzio, 4 - Centro Direzionale - Isola G1 - Scala C, int. 47/49 80143 Napoli Tel. 081.7502621 - Fax 081.7502618 e-mail: francesca.tolve@cnr.it

Office for Activities and Relations with European Institutions Director: d.ssa Anna D'Amato P.le Aldo Moro, 7 - 00185 Roma Tel. 06.4993.3434 -3977 Fax: 06.4993.3028, 06 4469833 e-mail: anna.damato@cnr.it , attivita.europee@cnr.it Web site: www.attivitaeuropee.cnr.it Brussels Liason Unit: Rue du Trône, 98 1040 Bruxelles Tel. (Voip) 06.4993. 7202, 7203, 7204 Tel. 00322.2193146 - fax 00322.2177415 e-mail: angelo.volpi@cnr.it, pierfrancesco.moretti@cnr.it Genoa Unit: Corso F. Perrone, 24 16152 Genova Tel. (Voip) 06.49932552 Tel. +39-010-6598798/58/13 e.mail : nicoletta.palazzo@cnr.it Naples Unit: Via P.Castellino, 111 80100 Napoli Tel (Voip) 06.49932359 Tel +39-081-6132458/641 e-mail: marilena.rossano@cnr.it