With the Excellence Collaborations Program in Teaching and Research, SISSA promotes the presence of distinguished scientists from Italian and international institutions of proven scientific and cultural standing, with a significant scientific and professional track record.
These scientists may be entrusted with teaching or research assignments, with a minimum duration of one month and a maximum of one year.
Launched in 2018, the Excellence Collaborations Program has supported the stay at SISSA of renowned researchers. The initiative was suspended due to the Covid-19 health emergency and subsequently resumed in 2021.
Collaborations 2018-2025
PHYSICS AREA
MORRIS Timothy Richard, University of Southampton, UK | 2018
PELITI Luca, Santa Marinella Research Institute – Santa Marinella (Rome), ITALY | 2018
KONIK Robert, Brookhaven National Laboratory – Upton, NY, USA | 2018
PARENTANI Renaud, Paris-Sud University – Orsay, FRANCE | 2018
KOMATSU Eiichiro, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics – Garching, GERMANY | 2019
TAUBER Uwe Claus, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University – Blacksburg, Virginia, USA | 2019
LEPRI Stefano, CNR-ISC – Sesto Fiorentino (FI), ITALY | 2020
CABRA Daniel Carlos, La Plata University – La Plata, ARGENTINA | 2021
KOSTOV Ivan, CNRS and Institut de Physique Théorique (IPhT), CEA/Saclay – FRANCE | 2021
SUCCI Sauro, Center for Life Nano Science, Sapienza University of Rome; IIT Rome – ITALY | 2022
SUCCI Sauro, Center for Life Nano Science, Sapienza University of Rome; IIT Rome – ITALY | 2023
SUCCI Sauro, Center for Life Nano Science, Sapienza University of Rome; IIT Rome – ITALY | 2024
SOTIRIOU Thomas, School of Mathematical Sciences & School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham – UK | 2024
BASSETT Bruce A, Computer Science & Applied Maths, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg; University of Cape Town – SOUTH AFRICA | 2024
HAZUMI Masashi, Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies (IPNS), High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, KEK; The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Sokendai; ISAS JAXA; University of Tokyo – JAPAN | 2025 (June–September)
MATHEMATICS AREA
PORTA Marcello, University of Tübingen – GERMANY (now faculty member at SISSA) | 2018
ITS Alexander, Indiana University–Purdue University – Indianapolis, Indiana, USA | 2018
KHOVANSKII Askold, University of Toronto – CANADA; Moscow Independent University – RUSSIA | 2019
ZAGIER Don, Max Planck Institute for Mathematics – Bonn, GERMANY; ICTP, Trieste – ITALY | 2021
ZAGIER Don, Max Planck Institute for Mathematics – Bonn, GERMANY; ICTP, Trieste – ITALY | 2022
HERNANDEZ RUIPEREZ Daniel, University of Salamanca – SPAIN | 2025
BRESSAN Alberto, Penn State University – State College, Pennsylvania, USA | 2025 (October–November)
NEUROSCIENCE AREA
GIUGLIANO Michele, University of Antwerp – BELGIUM | 2018
KRISTENSSON Krister, Karolinska Institutet – Stockholm, SWEDEN | 2018
SILANI Giorgia, University of Vienna – AUSTRIA | 2019
LAMM Claus, University of Vienna – AUSTRIA | 2019
ROSSI Eleonora, Department of Linguistics, University of Florida – USA | 2022
ILAS / PHYSICS AREA
CASTILLO OCHOA Ruth Carolina, VENEZUELA | 2018
Procedure
The program is based on the annual publication of an internal call for applications, through which the Coordinators of the scientific Areas and the Director of the Interdisciplinary Laboratory may submit funding requests in three separate four-monthly rounds. In this way, the Coordinators and the Director of ILAS ensure the scientific excellence and international standing of the candidates.
Objectives
Applications are evaluated by the School’s Research Committee with reference to the following objectives, in line with SISSA’s Strategic Plan:
To enrich SISSA’s scientific and cultural activities, particularly in the areas of research, teaching, and knowledge enhancement;
To expand SISSA’s network of high-level scientific collaborations, including at the international level;
To foster the development of research lines, including interdisciplinary and innovative ones compared to those already existing.
Evaluation Criteria
Following the assessment carried out by the Research Committee, Excellence Collaborations are assigned gross financial treatments aligned with those provided by the Regulations for Visiting Scientists and Students (for research assignments) and for teaching assignments, taking into account:
the enrichment of collaboration opportunities offered to the scientific staff, including within the ILAS context, and in particular to students;
the prospects for strengthening the network of international collaborations;
the cross-disciplinary nature of the scientific objectives, in terms of the involvement of faculty and students from different fields;
the benefits in terms of the School’s visibility.
Regulation
The Regulation for the activation of Excellence Collaborations in the fields of teaching and research is available here (in Italian only).