from "The National Research Council" - Outline - institutional aims, rules - edited by the Technographical Service of CNR Research Area of Pisa

Definition

The targeted projects are (technical, scientific, administrative) functional unities; they have a fixed term and they aim at developing applied research and innovation.

Since the project involves polyhedric professional competences, they have a multidisciplinary character. In CNR internal rules, the targeted project is defined as follows:

"The targeted Project is a coordinated combination of research activities, development and demonstration of prototypes relating to products, processes and services. It has a fixed term and its object is the acquisition of knowledge and innovations (connected to priority themes in the field of the national economic planning), which can be transferred to the productive system, the socio-economic and political context of the country".

The implementation of CNR projects is based on defined themes and on fallibility studies approved by the Interdepartmental Committee for Economic Planning.

CNR research organizations, universities, bodies and research Associations, other public organizations, firms and firms associations, private citizens can take part to the research activities of the targeted project.

Therefore, CNR promotes the suggested research themes in order to foster the greatest turnout
of the scientific community and of the productive categories.

The origin of a Targeted Project

The implementation of a targeted project is preceded by the appointment by CNR Chairman of a commission in charge of the prefeasibility study of the project.

The study must contain technical and scientific guidelines relating to the involved disciplinary areas, the potentially involved scientific researches, the necessary funding, the possible relapses deriving from researches.

The study is subject to the examination of the Chairmanship Council, after receiving the approval of the involved National Consulting Committees and after sending it to the M.U.R.S.T. (Ministry of Education, University and Research) for approval, with the necessary documentation.

Then, a feasibility study is carried out and written by a special commission appointed by the Chairman.

Taking into consideration the level of knowledge at international level and the research potential of the country, this study defines the objectives and the priorities of the Targeted Project.

In particular, the feasibility study points out the intermediate scientific objectives and their link with the final targets, the necessary human resources and the related costs.

It also points out the predictable results, the potential users, the resources and the way of transfer of knowledge and innovations.

The feasibility study is submitted to the examination of the Chairmanship Council after receiving the approval of the involved National Consulting Committees; after the council resolution, it is sent to the M.U.R.S.T. and then to the Interdepartmental Committee for Economic Planning.

The Project Manager

The Targeted Project Manager is appointed upon regulation of the Chairman, after receiving the approval of the Chairmanship Council, after taking into consideration the instructions of the involved National Consulting Committee (in its capacity of leading Committee).

Highly-qualified people in the scientific sector with management experience are appointed Project Manager.

The Project Manager is appointed "managing official" in accordance with the current accounting regulations.

The Project Manager's tasks are as follows:

- he guarantees that the Targeted Project is executed in accordance with the programmatic guidelines of the feasibility study and with the resolution of the Interdepartmental Committee for Economic Planning;

- he points out the Operational Unities which have to carry out the research, on the basis of the Project Committee evaluations;

- he arranges the necessary elements for funding proposals, after the examination of the expenses pertinence and congruence;

- he arranges the activity working programs;

- he directs the execution of the research activities related to the Project and he takes care of their coordination and control;

- from a technical and financial point of view, he establishes the correspondence between the working programs and the research activities carried out by each Operational Unity which takes part to the Project.

- he takes care of the promotion of the information for the circulation of the results and he authorizes their publication;

- he takes care of the organizations of seminars, conferences and meetings;

- he takes care of the data gathering and transmission to the research and development activity, in accordance with CNR standards;

- at every stage of the project, he promotes any activity aiming at fostering the application of results;

- within the framework of the project, he guarantees the actions intended to the specialization of the qualified staff involved in the same project;

- he arranges annual reports on the progress of the Project;

- he suggests to CNR deliberating bodies changes to the working programs and to the related proposed funding, on the basis of reasoned considerations, complete with the opinion of the Project Committee;

- he draws up the final report on the activity carried out and on the results achieved;

- he authorizes and settles the travel expenses and the mission treatment expenses in Italy or in a foreign country for the participation to meetings, conferences, seminars, by giving reasons for the general interest in the Project;

- he manages the temporary staff working in the functional unity he is in charge of;

- he provides for the presentation of the financial statements as "managing official";

- he carries out any other task requested to him by CNR legislative regulations;

For the fulfilment of his duties, the general manager is put in charge of the unity called "Head Office of the Targeted Project"; it is a temporary organic unity which is part of the head office for the scientific activities, composed of a special working staff.

A reserve fund is granted annually to the Manager for the Head office activities.

The Head office reserve fund covers the investment and management expenses of the Head office itself and of the Subproject Coordinators as well as any possible mission treatment of the Manager, of the Subproject Coordinators and of those called to work.

The Subproject Coordinators

The complexity of the Targeted Projects may lead to their division into Subprojects, which are managed by Subproject Coordinators.

The appointment of the Subproject Coordinators is annual and tacitly renewable.

The Subproject Coordinator's tasks are as follows: he helps the Targeted Project Manager in the scientific cooperation; he presides over the carrying out of the research activities falling under his province; he prepares and submits the reports for the progress made and for the final report to the Targeted Project Manager; he puts forward proposals for the working programs.

According to need, the Targeted Project Manager may support the Subproject Coordinators with staff from the head office and/or with consultants appointed in accordance with the current regulations.

The Project Committee

The Project Committee is composed of 9 to 15 Italian or foreign experts and is appointed upon regulation of the Chairman, after receiving the approval of the Chairmanship Council, after taking into consideration the instructions of the leading Committee. The Project Committee is composed by right of: the Chairman of the leading Committee, who presides over the Project Committee, and the Project Manager.

The task of the Project Committee is to provide the Project Manager with its opinion on: the execution of the Targeted Project in accordance with the programmatic guidelines of the feasibility Study; the update of the research objectives and of the allocation of costs between them, after taking into consideration the instructions of the leading Committee;

The examination of every single scientific project submitted, by providing for each of them an assessment, on the basis of at least two reports signed by the members of the Project Committee or by experts, even from other countries; the priority order of the Operational Unities to finance; the congruity of expenses, of the correspondence between objectives and results of each Project activity, of each Operational Unity activity; the working plans; the annual report on the Project progress; the final realization; any other question submitted to the Project Manager.

The Users Council

The Project Users Council is appointed upon resolution of the Chairman, after receiving the approval of the Chairmanship Council, after taking into consideration the instructions of the leading Committee.

It is composed of members chosen between the potential users of the scientific results of the Project.

A chairman appointed upon resolution of CNR Chairman is in charge of the Users Council, after receiving the approval of the Chairmanship Council.

The Council duty is to provide assessments on the congruity between the development of the Project and the real needs of the involved sectors, as well as on the transferability and usability of the products of the Project.