Global Seed Funds in Italy

Through an annual call for proposals, MIT-Italy seed funds primarily support travel costs for exchange between MIT faculty and colleagues at partner universities and research institutes in Italy.  

In all cases, applications must be jointly submitted by an MIT PI and a PI from one of our Italian partner universities: Universita’ di Pisa, Politecnico di Milano,  Universita’ di Udine, Universita’ di Trieste, and SISSA, also in Trieste.

For all funds

• The Italian collaborator(s) must be identified in the proposal
• Only tenure-track faculty qualify as PI 
• Proposals must be submitted electronically

 All general Global Seed Funds criteria, application, and evaluation procedures apply.

• Graduate students who are enrolled full time at their home institution and who have been invited by an MIT department or laboratory to do research in their field of studies must apply for Visiting Student status if staying at MIT for more than 3 weeks.
• Obtaining the visiting status and the J-1 visa requires time (over two months) and the process must be initiated  and managed by the hosting faculty and department
• Students need to prove they have the required financial support to obtain the visa.
• Students visiting MIT for more than 2 weeks in the context of seed fund collaborations are subject to both administrative and term fees amounting to about $6,000 a year and are required to purchase the MIT student health insurance or prove access to a  similar plan. If your proposals include their participation, please budget accordingly.

Priority will be given to projects that:

• Propose a balanced exchange between the MIT and Italian participants
• Collaborations are expected to begin soon after the funding decision is announced.
• Demonstrate complementarity between the teams
• Involve undergraduate and graduate students

The Roberto Rocca Project supports collaborations between MIT faculty and research scientists and their Politecnico di Milano counterparts.

All general Global Seed Funds criteria, application, and evaluation procedures apply.

$15,000 (plus 10% MIT overhead).

Priority is given to projects in the fields of materials science; mechanical and environmental engineering; bioengineering, health sciences and technologies; energy, electrical engineering, mathematical engineering and artificial intelligence; computer science and smart technologies; space planning and hospital design.

Launched in 2024, the MIT-Italy Links Foundation and Politecnico di Torino seed fund fund supports collaborations in the fields of Computer Science, Electronics and telecommunications between MIT faculty and research scientists and their counterparts at the LINKS Foundation and Politecnico di Torino. 

All general Global Seed Funds criteria, application, and evaluation procedures apply.

$ 17,000 (plus 10% MIT overhead). 

Funds awarded to Links Foundation-Politecnico di Torino  researchers are administered and disursed by the LINKS Foundation, whereas funds awarded to MIT faculty are administered and disbursed by MISTI.  

Priority is given to projects in quantum technologies, Photonics and EM. 

The Mit-Italy FVG  Seed Fund is funded by the Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia and supports collaborations between MIT Faculty and researchers and their counterparts at SISSA, Universita’ of Trieste and Universita’ di Udine. 

All general Global Seed Funds criteria, application, and evaluation procedures apply.

$ 25,000 (plus 10% MIT overhead). 

Funds awarded to FVG researchers are administered and disbursed by SISSA, whereas funds awarded to MIT faculty are administered and disbursed by MISTI.  

Priority is given to projects that promote the EU 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Launched in 2024 the UniCattolica Seed Fund supports collaborations between MIT faculty and research scientists and their counterparts at the Universita’ Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore di Milano https://www.unicatt.eu .  Most sciences and humanities fields—from phyics and medicine to archeology, economics & business, culture media and communication and psychology. For more info, go to: https://ricerca.unicatt.it/ricerca-the-research-research-in-numbers

All general Global Seed Funds criteria, application, and evaluation procedures apply.

$ 30,000 (plus 10% MIT overhead). 

Funds awarded to the UniCattolica researchers are administerd and disbursed d by UniCattolica, whereas funds awarded to MIT faculty are administered and disbursed by MISTI.