The article 16 of Italian Law 240 of 2010 establishes the possession of the National Scientific Qualification (ASN) as a requirement for participating in competitions at individual universities in order to become professor in the first or second tier. The ASN is a non-comparative evaluation procedure managed directly by the Italian Ministry of University and Research through national evaluation committee, one for each established sector.
ASN 2023-2025: Call for Applications (DD n. 1796 dated 27-10-2023)
Deadlines:
First four-month term: starting from November 2, 2023, and no later than 3:00 PM (Italian time) on March 4th, 2024.
Second four-month term: starting from March 5, 2024, and no later than 3:00 PM (Italian time) on July 4th, 2024.
Third four-month term: starting from July 5, 2024, and no later than 3:00 PM (Italian time) on November 5th, 2024.
ASN 2023-2025: Commissioners Call for Applications (DD n. 1211 del 28-7-2023) EXPIRED
The deadline for submitting applications for prospective commissioners is September 15th, 2023. The new committees will have a duration of eighteen months: the session from 2023 to 2025 will indeed be a transitional session, activated pending the adoption of the ministerial decree that will introduce the new Scientific-Disciplinary Groups (GSD). The activities related to the third and final quadrimester of the 2023-2025 session will conclude by April 30, 2025.
ASN Regulations
The procedures for obtaining the qualification are initiated every two years. Candidates can submit their applications throughout the year.
The Minister establishes criteria, parameters, indicators of scientific activity and the related selection methods (see the “Criteria and Parameters” Regulation), as well as threshold values (see “Threshold Values”).
Prospective members of the evaluation commitees must adhere to criteria, parameters, and indicators of scientific qualification that are more selective than those prescribed for candidates seeking qualification in the first tier.
IN CASE OF FAILURE in OBTAINING THE QUALIFICATION, A NEW APPLICATION CANNOT BE SUBMITTED FOR THE SAME SECTOR AND THE SAME TIER, OR FOR THE HIGHER TIER, FOR A PERIOD OF TWELVE MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST APPLICATION.
IN CASE THE QUALIFICATION is ACTUALLY OBTAINED, A NEW APPLICATION CANNOT BE SUBMITTED FOR THE SAME SECTOR AND THE SAME TIER WITHIN FORTY-EIGHT MONTHS AFTER OBTAINING IT.
REGULATORY REFERENCES
Law No. 240/2010 AND SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS
Presidential Decree No. 95/2016, amending Presidential Decree No. 222/2011
Decree-Law No. 126/2019, Article 5, Paragraph 1
Criteria and Indicators
The “Criteria and Parameters” Regulation defines:
» the evaluation criteria concerning the submitted scientific publications;
» the maximum number of publications that can be submitted for evaluation purposes;
» the list of 11 assessable titles, the first of which is the impact of scientific production;
» indicators for measuring their impact, distinguishing between bibliometric and non-bibliometric sectors, as well as between the first and second tiers.
It also establishes that the commission:
» provides a reasoned judgment on the scientific qualification of the candidate based on the evaluation of the submitted publications and titles (Article 3);
» selects at least 6 titles (in addition to the first one) among those assessable in relation to the specificity of the competition sector, distinctively for the first and second tiers;
» grants the qualification exclusively to candidates who simultaneously receive a positive evaluation regarding the impact of scientific production and possess at least three titles chosen by the Commission.
Regulatory References
Decree of the Ministry (DM) No. 120/2016
Publications / Options
For each disciplinary area, a maximum number of publications that can be submitted by the candidate for evaluation is established.
The Commission must choose at least six titles from the 11 listed in the “Criteria and Parameters” Regulation.
The candidate must possess at least three of the titles chosen by the Commission during the inaugural session, and these titles remain valid for the entire duration of the proceedings.
The title “Impact of scientific production” must, however, be verified for all candidates.
The titles and their specific evaluation criteria for each Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD) for the 2021 announcement are published on the ASN website.
Regulatory References
ANNEX 2 to Decree (DM) 1796/2023
ANNEX A to Decree (DM) 120/2016
SC-SSD
Values and Thresholds
The thresholds are differentiated by tier and competition sector (CS).
In some CS, there are differentiated threshold values for Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD).
The SSD FIS/01 has different threshold values based on the average number of co-authors (<500, between 501 and 1200, >1201).
THE INDICATORS ARE CALCULATED AT THE LAST DATE ALLOWED FOR THE SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS (ART.4).
Regulatory References
TABLE 1 of Decree (DM) 589/2018
Bibliometric SC
Impact Indicators
1. Number of articles in journals indexed in Scopus and/or WoS in the previous ten years (for the first tier and assessors) and five years (for the second tier)*
2. Number of citations received by publications indexed by Scopus or WoS in the previous fifteen years (for the first tier and assessors) and ten years (for the second tier), with no exclusion of any type.
3. Hirsch h-index, calculated based on the citations mentioned in point b).
* LIMITED TO THE SCOPUS ARTICLE, ARTICLE IN PRESS, REVIEW, LETTER, NOTE, SHORT SURVEY, AND WOS ARTICLE, LETTER, NOTE, REVIEW TYPES.
Regulatory References
Decree (DM) 589/2018, Article 4
Non-bibliometric SC
Impact Indicators
1. Number of articles in scientific journals with ISSN and contributions in volumes with ISBN (or ISMN) published in the previous ten years (for the first tier and assessors) and five years (for the second tier).
2. Number of articles in journals classified as Class A published in the previous fifteen years (for the first tier and assessors) and ten years (for the second tier).
3. Number of books by one or more authors with ISBN (or ISMN) published in the previous fifteen years (for the first tier and assessors) and ten years (for the second tier).
For scientific journals, those listed and updated by Anvur must be considered.
For Class A journals, those listed and updated by Anvur must be considered.
For contributions in volumes, it should be understood as a chapter or essay in a book, preface, postscript, entry in a dictionary or encyclopedia, or contribution in conference proceedings.
For a book, it should be understood as a monograph or scientific treatise, concordance, critical edition of texts/excavation, publications of unpublished sources, scientific commentary, or book translation. Editorships are excluded.
Regulatory References
Decree (DM) 589/2018, Article 4