Research Quality Assessment (VQR)

The VQR 2020-2024 requires each researcher to submit from one to four works published during the period 2020-2024. The University must present a total number of publications equal to the number of accredited researchers multiplied by 2.5.

Monographs can be counted as two publications.

Optional reductions in the required number of publications are possible in relation to specific situations of researchers (parenthood and health reasons). In this case, for the exempted researcher, no product will be assigned, and the University may choose to consequently decrease the overall number of expected outputs from the respective Department.

In the event of a researcher failing to submit at least one output, this will be considered as missing and cannot be compensated for with publications from other researchers, so resulting in a penalty in the final results.

The generally admissible types of publication are outlined under Art. 5 of the VQR Call [ITA]. This list may be subject to limitations for specific areas on the basis of the evaluation criteria that shall be defined by each GEV.

The publications co-authored by authors belonging to different departments of Ca' foscari may be submitted only once per Department and up to two times for the University (up to three times in specific cases, according to the procedures provided for in Article 6 of the Call).

Research outputs must be submitted to the GEVs in PDF format in the final published version (Version of Record - VoR) or in the version of the author's manuscript accepted for publication (Author's Accepted Manuscript, AAM). ANVUR plans to enter into specific agreements with publishers for the acquisition of texts and their use by the GEV. The technical procedures for submission shall be defined by ANVUR in a dedicated document, the publication of which is expected by July 1, 2024.

Scientific articles under evaluation that meet both the following conditions:

• - are the result of research financed mainly by public funds
• - are published in periodicals that have at least two issues per year

must be available with open access or with the embargo foreseen by current legislation (i.e. maximum 18 months from the date of first publication for the scientific-technical-medical subjects and maximum 24 months for humanities and social sciences).

For the purpose of evaluating Third Mission activities, Universities will present a selection of case studies related to Third Mission activities whose impact can be verified during the period 2020-2024. The presentation of one case study is required for every 100 accredited faculty members for the VQR: therefore, Ca' Foscari will need to present 7 case studies.

The cases must be related to the following general themes (specified in the Call under more specific fields of action)

• Technology transfer (e.g., intellectual property exploitation, academic entrepreneurship, technology transfer and intermediary structures, cross-action initiatives, etc.)
• Production and management of public goods (e.g., museums, archaeological excavations, musical activities, real estate and historical archives, libraries, lifelong learning and open education, territorial, infrastructural, and urban regeneration development projects, etc.)
• Public Engagement activities (e.g., organization of culturally relevant activities, scientific dissemination, initiatives involving citizen participation in research, activities engaging and interacting with the world of education, etc.)
• Life sciences and health (e.g., public health prevention, promotion and protection initiatives, international health cooperation activities, environmental health and food safety, etc.)
• Environmental sustainability, inclusion, and combating inequalities, with particular reference to the objectives of the UN 2030 Agenda (e.g., poverty reduction, social inclusion and cohesion, equality, ecological and energy transition, environmental and climate sustainability, international cooperation for sustainable development and social cohesion, innovative activities supporting organizational, infrastructural, or governance-related sustainability, etc.)

This is a new evaluation area compared to previous VQRs: Institutions submit information for evaluation regarding projects funded through international competitive calls and activated during the period 2020-2024, whose Principal Investigator or local unit head is a researcher affiliated with the Institution as on November 1, 2024. The related indicator is linked to the amount of funding obtained.

The 2015-2019 VQR Assessment exercise was launched with Ministerial Decree 1110 of 29 November 2019, subsequently amended for the epidemiological emergency of COVID-19, by Decree 444 on August 11, 2020.
Alongside the evaluation of scientific production, the VQR 2015-2019 introduced a specific indicator dedicated to evaluating Third Mission activities: Ca' Foscari was required to present four case studies related to Third Mission activities (the number had to be half of that of the departments) with a verifiable impact during the period 2015-2019. The evaluation of the case studies was managed by a specific interdisciplinary GEV (Evaluation Expert Group).
The results of this third evaluation exercise were published in July 2022.

	Final Report VQR 2015-2019 – Second Part: Ca' Foscari's evaluation [ITA]	637 K
	Final Report VQR 2015-2019 – First Part: Statistics and summary results [ITA]	2.03 M

The 2011-2014 VQR Assessment exercise, concerning the years of publication 2011-2014, was launched with Ministerial Decree 458 of 27 June 2015 and its results were published in February 2017. Subsequently, Art. 1, Par. 339 of Law no 232 of 11 December 2016 established the five-year frequency of future evaluation exercises.

In addition to research products, the 2011-2014 VQR also involved additional research-related indicators: the ability of institutions to attract external resources based on competitive calls; superior education; mobility of employees among roles in the four year period. For information purposes, third mission activities, patent activities and spin-off companies were also considered.

Ca' Foscari was placed overall in third place in the ranking of state universities.

Final Report VQR 2011-2014 - First Part: Statistics and summary results

1.70 M

The first 2004-2010 Research Quality Assessment exercise, concerning the years of publication 2004-2010, was launched with Ministerial Decree 17 of 15 July 2011 and its results were published in February 2013.

The assessment also covered the ability of the institutions to attract external resources on the basis of competitive calls; international incoming and outgoing mobility of researchers; superior education and own resources used by the facility for research projects.

	Final Report VQR 2004-2010 – First Part: Statistics and summary results [ITA]	1.60 M
	Final Report VQR 2004-2010 – Second Part: Ca' Foscari's evaluation [ITA]	1.04 M