ISTITUTO SUPERIORE DI SANITA

Their core work

Italy's national public health institute (ISS) serves as the country's primary technical-scientific body for public health research, regulation, and risk assessment. They conduct translational research spanning infectious diseases (TB, HIV, AIDS), vaccine development and quality control, human biomonitoring, toxicology, and neuroscience. ISS provides critical regulatory science capacity — from evaluating vaccine manufacturing consistency to assessing chemical exposure risks — bridging laboratory research with public health policy across Europe. They also contribute significantly to large-scale brain research infrastructure and One Health initiatives linking human, animal, and environmental health.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2014-2018), ISS had a broader, more dispersed portfolio including disaster resilience (DARWIN), nanomaterial safety regulation (NanoREG II), and foundational vaccine and infectious disease work. From 2018 onward, their focus sharpened considerably toward translational research, One Health governance, neuroscience infrastructure (Human Brain Project), and large-scale public health data initiatives including human biomonitoring and big data analytics. The shift signals a strategic move from contributing to diverse safety and resilience topics toward becoming a deeper specialist in data-driven public health and brain science.

ISS is consolidating around data-intensive public health — biomonitoring, One Health governance, and brain research infrastructure — making them an increasingly valuable partner for projects needing regulatory science credibility and population-level health data expertise.

How they like to work

ISS operates overwhelmingly as a participant rather than a leader — coordinating only 2 of 64 projects while joining 55 as a partner. This reflects their role as a trusted national authority that brings regulatory credibility and public health data to large European consortia. With 1,076 unique partners across 56 countries, they are a major network hub, comfortable working in large multi-national projects and connecting across disciplines rather than leading narrow research teams.

ISS has collaborated with over 1,076 unique partners across 56 countries, making them one of the most broadly connected health research institutions in H2020. Their network spans virtually all of Europe and extends globally, reflecting their role as Italy's national health authority in pan-European public health and regulatory science initiatives.

What sets them apart

ISS is not a university lab — it is Italy's national public health authority, which gives it unique regulatory weight and access to population-level health data that academic partners cannot provide. Their combination of regulatory science expertise (vaccine quality, chemical risk assessment, nanosafety) with deep research capabilities in neuroscience and translational medicine makes them a rare dual-function partner. For consortium builders, ISS brings immediate credibility with health regulators and policy-makers, plus concrete experience in turning research findings into public health guidance.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HBM4EU
  Largest single grant (EUR 1.25M) — the flagship European human biomonitoring initiative tracking chemical exposure across populations.
• TO-REACH
  One of only two projects ISS coordinated, focused on organizational innovation for resilient and equitable health systems.
• EHVA
  Major European HIV Vaccine Alliance project (EUR 537K) combining immunology platforms, innovative trial design, and data integration across the vaccine development pipeline.