ERC grantees recruitment and grant portability

If you are an ERC grantee and you are willing to work at Ca' Foscari University, here you will find what we can offer.

Ca' Foscari is willing to attract excellent researchers, and grant portability is likely to further empower them.

Get in touch

What we can offer

ERC grantees can be offered a tenure-track position or a permanent contract as associate or full professor, depending on their profile, and the ERC type of grant (either Starting, Consolidator or Advanced) they have been awarded. For associate and full professors, the National Scientific Qualification may be a preferential access criteria.

Further information: An academic career path in Italy

Entry salary grade can be negotiated, within the limits established by relevant national laws and regulations (see the estimated amounts under the section Tax benefits). The teaching load can be negotiated with the Department. You could discuss on teaching modules and hours and you might obtain a reduction of the load during the project period (up to 60 hours).

Researchers and professors also have the chance to benefit from a promotion every two years, on a performance basis.

Moreover, Principal Investigators (PIs) of funded projects will receive an ERC relocation grant, calculated based upon the maximum project grant amount and the estimated indirect costs.

A further incentive for Principal Investigators is linked to their salary share as reported on the project, that will be reimbursed by the European Commission:

• up to a maximum of 45% of this amount can be paid as a salary top-up; ERC PIs can request an increase in their salary share on a monthly basis;
• 50% of this amount will remain available to the PI at the Department. This available budget can be used for project-related activities (in particular, equipment and personnel, both research and technical-administrative staff) during the project and for 3 years after the end of the project.

For further information read the document One off bonus payments, additional research funds and salary top up for participation in Competitive Calls for Research and Internationalization Projects.

Tax benefits

Professors and researchers

Professors and researchers who have carried out their research activities abroad for at least two consecutive years and who move to Italy acquiring tax residency, are entitled to significant tax benefits.

In detail, they can benefit from the exemption from payment of personal income tax on 90% of the income received by the Italian university employing them, if they are hired with the role of "Professore" or "Ricercatore".

Italian citizens not registered to AIRE (Registry Office for Italian Citizens Residing Abroad) are also entitled.

Benefits are applied to the tax period when the researcher becomes "tax resident" in Italy and in the following 5 tax years, provided that he/she remains a tax resident in Italy. The exemption is extended beyond the minimum duration under the following circumstances :

• 8 years, in case of dependent child (pre-adoption foster care is envisaged too), or when purchasing a house in Italy (the purchase can be done prior to the tax residency acquisition (up to 12 months) or after the person becomes tax resident in Italy).
• 11 years, in case the professor/researcher has at least 2 dependent children
• 13 years, in case the professor/researcher has at least 3 dependent children.

Download the estimated amounts (updated: May 2024) [480 kB].

The partners of professors or researchers moving to Italy can also be entitled to tax benefits or exemptions should they possess the requisites provided for by the Italian tax legislation (foreign tax residence for the last two years, obtainment of Italian residence, etc.). Specific information and support shall be provided by the partner's employer or accountant.

More details in the website of the Italian Income Revenue Authority.

Administrative and technical staff

The Italian tax system also grants tax incentives to administrative and technical staff who move their residence to Italy. So-called "impatriate" workers (managers and workers with high qualifications and specializations, graduates who have worked abroad, and students who have obtained an academic qualification abroad) are entitled to a minimum 5-year exemption on 70% to 90% of their personal income.

General information is provided by the Italian Revenue Agency.

Transition process: what does the ERC portability entail?

The change of Host institution requires negotiation with the previous host institution and the European Commission: a team of experts will guide and support PIs throughout the process.
We are ready to discuss the portability at any time, but we suggest you move your project at the very beginning, after receiving the evaluation results and before the Grant signature, or before the start of the project.
Internal formal steps: before you start working at Ca’ Foscari, it usually takes at least 4-5 months to go through internal and national approvals (namely, hosting Department Council, Senate, Board of Directors, and Italian Ministry of Research).

You will be welcomed before and upon your arrival: our Welcome Unit provides information and assistance to all international staff: this includes procedures related to Nulla Osta for embassies, visa request, health insurance, stay permit, fiscal code, family reunion, access to the university’s services (libraries, canteens, wifi, etc.).

Job services. In order to smoothen the mobility process of your family as well, we also offer consultancy and guidance services aimed at facilitating the matching between your partner's employability requirements and our enterprises' network to address their needs, in order to find a new employment in Venice or in the surroundings. You can write to erc@unive.it and ask for more information.

Your project team

You can include in your project team different kinds of research positions: all of them require a public selection, via public calls for applications.
Research Assistants - researcher type A:

• Three-year fixed-term contract, that can be renewed for another two years.
• Total cost to the project: roughly € 50.000 per year for a full-time contract.
• Average net salary per month: about € 1.840 (for 13 months); this amount may vary on the basis of different criteria, such as insurance costs, family benefits, place of residency, etc. In case the research assistant takes advantage of the tax benefits, the average net salary per month is about € 2.400 (for 13 months).
• Duration of the selection process: typically it takes about six months to complete a public selection for research assistants.

Postdocs – “Assegnisti di ricerca”:

• Minimum contract duration: 12 months, up to 6 years including other contracts of the same type already had in Italy, and it can be renewed annually.
• Total cost to the project: the minimum gross salary for a postdoc is € 24.000,
• Minimum net salary per year: € 17.200 after taxes. The salary gross amount can be determined according to the experience and kind of profile of the postdoc needed for the project.
• Duration of the selection process: it usually takes a couple of months.

PhD students:

• PhD degrees at Ca’ Foscari last either three or four years
• PhD students take part in one of Ca’ Foscari PhD courses available, and they can work for up to 70% of their time on the project. They can also spend up to 18 months abroad: during the mobility period they have a 50% increase on their scholarship.
• Selection process: the call to hire PhD students opens annually, usually in Spring, and selected PhD students can start their activities in mid-September.
• Total cost to the project: approximately € 23.000 per year
• Average net salary per year: € 15.000

Grant administrator:

• Duration of the contract: fixed-term contract, and depending on the profile these can have a duration of up to three years, or three plus two additional years (so-called “tecnologo”);
• Cost to the project: it may vary according to the chosen profile: typically up to € 40.000 full-time per year;
• They can be hired as a part-time administrator.

Budget

During the transition process, the budget can be adjusted without any further grant amendment, upon ERC approval.

Principal Investigator salary: the University pays the PI salary: therefore, the PI cost reimbursement (n.% of salary) from the project can be freed up for other research activities of the project.
Indirect costs: a percentage of the indirect costs (up to 10% of the total budget) is retained by the University, and the remaining part is reallocated to the project, following the Regulations on the support fund for research and internationalization activities [ITA].

ERC relocation grant: PIs will receive a relocation grant calculated based on the maximum ERC grant amount and the estimated indirect costs.

Data management and ethical requirements

The University has an Ethics Committee to support researchers in complying with ethical requirements and Open Access obligations under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. 

For further information:

• ERC Grants
• Working in Research
• Excellence in research - HRS4R Acknowledged Institution

If you wish to submit an ERC proposal with Ca’ Foscari as host institution, you can contact us at  research@unive.it.