The ''Gran Sasso Science Institute'' (GSSI) is an international school for advanced studies located in

L'Aquila L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...

, Italy. Founded in 2012 as a

research institute A research institute, research centre, research center or research organization, is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often i ...

and superior graduate school dependent on the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), the

academic institution Academic institution is an educational institution dedicated to education and research, which grants academic degrees. See also academy and university. Types * Primary schools – (from French ''école primaire'') institutions where children r ...

has been made autonomous in 2016.

History

The institute was first proposed after the earthquake in L'Aquila of 2009, when the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries ...

(OECD) organized several meetings to plan the economic revitalization of the area. A proposal was made to establish an educational institution for the purposes of teaching and research which would make use of the National Laboratories of Gran Sasso of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics located right near the capital of Abruzzo. The GSSI was officially established in 2012 and later activated in the academic year 2013 – 2014. Among its founders are the academics Eugenio Coccia, appointed the first director of the institute, Paola Inverardi and Pierangelo Marcati. The inauguration took place on 14 November 2013 in the presence of Prime Minister

Enrico Letta Enrico Letta (; born 20 August 1966) is an Italian politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy from April 2013 to February 2014, leading a grand coalition of centre-left and centre-right parties. Since March 2021, Letta has been secretary ...

, and the

Nobel Prize in Physics ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...

Carlo Rubbia Carlo Rubbia (born 31 March 1934) is an Italian particle physicist and inventor who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1984 with Simon van der Meer for work leading to the discovery of the W and Z particles at CERN. Early life and education ...

. The institute initially operated on a trial basis as an international post graduate teaching and research institute with a special statute supported by the

INFN The Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN; "National Institute for Nuclear Physics") is the coordinating institution for nuclear, particle, theoretical and astroparticle physics in Italy. History INFN was founded on 8 August 1951, to furt ...

, the

University of L'Aquila The University of L'Aquila ( it, Università degli Studi dell'Aquila) is a public research university located in L'Aquila, central Italy. It was founded in 1964 (its history begins in 1596) and is organized in nine departments. The university pres ...

, the IMT of Lucca, the

International School for Advanced Studies The International School for Advanced Studies (Italian: ''Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati''; SISSA) is an international, state-supported, post-graduate-education and research institute in Trieste, Italy. SISSA is active in the ...

of Trieste and the

Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies , latin_name = , image = , motto = L'eccellenza come disciplina , mottoeng = Committed to excellence , established = 1987 from previously existing institutions , type = State-supported , administrative_staff ...

of Pisa. In 2015 the activities of the 2012–2015 period were evaluated by the National Agency of the University System Evaluation and Research (ANVUR), which concluded with a positive assessment of the research institute. This lead, on 25 March 2016, to the establishment of the University through a special decree of the

Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

. 8 August 2016 the director, Eugenio Coccia, was appointed rector of the university.

Research areas

The research activities of the Gran Sasso Science institute focus on four main areas, namely

Astroparticle Physics Astroparticle physics, also called particle astrophysics, is a branch of particle physics that studies elementary particles of astronomical origin and their relation to astrophysics and cosmology. It is a relatively new field of research emergin ...

Computer Science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

, Mathematics for Natural, Life and Social Sciences and Regional Sciences and Economic Geography. The official language of the institute is English. The

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

programs provided by the institute are characterised by an average duration of 4 years. Apart from the courses that constitute an integrating part of the Ph.D. programs, several

seminars A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some parti ...

given by international lecturers are held at the institute.

Admission procedure

Each year the Gran Sasso Science Institute awards an average of 40 Ph.D. positions, 10 for each research area of the GSSI. The applications are evaluated by four selection committees, one for each Ph.D. program. The admission to the Ph.D. programs is based on the academic background, skills, scientific value and general aptitude to research of the applicants with respect to the subjects of the interdisciplinary programs. The selected Ph.D. students are awarded with a fellowship, free accommodation at the GSSI facilities and use of a canteen. In 2017 more than 1400 applications were submitted, most of which from abroad, making the GSSI the institute with the highest number of international applications in Italy and one of the most attractive research centers in Europe.

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Universities in Italy Graduate schools in Italy L'Aquila Universities and colleges in Abruzzo