Cariplo Foundation launches some initiative to improve the the Italian research system attractivness and the competitiveness of young researchers. Italian scientists are awarded with grants even  at international level, but when they have to decide where to develop their businesses they often choose to move abroad. On 287 grants awarded in 2013 by the ERC to young researchers, 17 are of Italian origin, but only 8 projects indicate an Italian research center which host institution. Italy is tenth in the standings exceeded among others by Belgium and Spain. But on the 1st of April, Cariplo Foundation has launched an initiative to counter this trend: " A fund to increase the attractiveness of the research system in Lombardia and competitiveness of young researchers candidates ERC - European Research Council." It is a call that will attract at least 10 researchers in England in the next 12-18 months, with a budget of € 2 million. " Our long experience in research support has enabled the Foundation to highlight some weaknesses typical of our country such as inadequate wages compared to international standards, the lack of autonomy in the management of funding, poor career opportunities, lack of turnover, the rigidity of the system, the complex bureaucracy. It is a context which sometimes complicates the insertion of foreign researchers and their families"said Carlo Mango, Director of Cariplo Research. "So we think about the idea of ​​supporting a flexible universities and research centers through local actions to improve the attractiveness of the context of local search with respect to Principal Investigators, foreign or Italian abroa , recipients of a grant ERC and, at the same time, stimulate the local search in the implementation of training programs aimed at strengthening our young researchers who demonstrate the potential and the characteristics necessary for a candidate to become the research leaders of tomorrow and get an ERC grant".
The institutions will be able to apply for those researchers who have already participated in a call ERC starting grant receiving a rating greater than or equal to B, and intend to reapply in a future announcement ERC, but also for those with 2-7 years of experience after the achievement of doctoral research and science curriculum with a very promising, as required by the calls of the European research Council.

The Foundation will also support actions to facilitate the attraction of the winners of the ERC starting grant or consolidator by organizations in the area.The decision to cross the borders is not dictated only by a matter of compensation. Sometimes the researcher is welcome and benefits that the Italian facilities are not able to offer. For this reason Cariplo will add to entities carrying out scientific research activities of Lombardia and of the province of Novara and Verbano- Cusio -Ossola. Universities and laboratories will have infrastructure and facilities best suited to carry out practical activities as well as contributions to the cost of accommodation of the principal investigators and his family.