Published by decree no. 2298/2026 of 10/04/2026

The Ministry of University and Research (MUR) has published the PRIN 2026 Call – Research Projects of Significant National Interest, one of the main funding instruments for basic research in Italy. The PRIN programme is aimed at strengthening the national research system, enhancing scientific excellence, the quality of research groups, and collaboration among universities, public research institutions, and institutions of Higher Artistic, Musical and Coreutic Education (AFAM).

The PRIN 2026 Call supports three-year research projects characterized by high scientific value, originality and feasibility, promoting collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches. Proposals may concern any field of knowledge, within the three ERC macro-sectors:

• Life Sciences (LS)
• Physical Sciences and Engineering (PE)
• Social Sciences and Humanities (SH)

The total funding allocated to the call amounts to over 259 million euros, with a quota reserved for Principal Investigators under 40, demonstrating the Ministry’s attention to generational renewal and support for young researchers. Each project must provide funding ranging from 1 to 1.2 million euros and involve a minimum of four to a maximum of six research units, affiliated with different institutions.

Applications for participation must be submitted exclusively online (at the following link: https://prin.mur.gov.it/), from 3:00 PM on 17 April 2026 to 3:00 PM on 1 June 2026. Project proposals must be written in English.

• Call D.D. no. 2298 of 10/04/2026
• Annex 1 List of ERC Sectors PDF
• Annex 2 Reporting Guidelines for expenses PDF
• Annex 3 Evaluation Guidelines PDF
• Annex 4 Guidelines for information and communication actions PDF
• List of bodies that may be involved as sub-units PDF
• List I FAQ (11/05/2026) PDF
• Costs for PhD/Researcher appointmentsPDF
• Presentation of PRIN 2026 and PRIN HYBRID 2026 PDF
• FAQ II List PDF