Luiss Guido Carli’s quality assurance policies for research and the Third Mission are formulated in line with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG2015), as adopted by ANVUR (the National Agency for the Evaluation of the University System and Research) and defined by the national AVA system (Self-Assessment – Periodic Evaluation – Accreditation).

The Departments define strategic objectives, responsibilities, and lines of action in accordance with the University's Strategic Plan. The results of these actions, as well as the quality of research and the Third Mission, are regularly monitored and evaluated through internal processes that align with ministerial standards and are also linked to resource allocation. This allows for prompt improvements when needed.

Luiss Quality Assurance 

Quality policies 

VIR | Internal Research Evaluation

The University is committed to advancing knowledge by promoting research, fostering cultural and professional development, ensuring the quality of scientific output, and transferring innovation. For Luiss, this means a commitment to giving its scientific output maximum visibility, including through the use of reward systems that recognize the contributions of individual researchers while also attracting successful faculty.

The VIR – Internal Research Evaluation – is an internal research evaluation process that annually awards individual research funding based on the quality of publications from the previous three years, as recorded in IRIS, the University's Research Outputs Catalog. The evaluation uses a classification of journals and publishers based on internationally recognized quality criteria, inspired by those adopted for the VQR. The criteria and lists, developed with input from the entire Luiss research community, are clear, transparent, and thoroughly documented, and are available to all researchers on the Intranet.

The Regulations for awarding research funds on a merit basis are available on the Statute and Regulations page. The lists of journals and publishers, along with the score assignment tables, are available in the dedicated section of the Luiss Intranet. You can access it using your institutional credentials.

VQR | Research Quality Assessment

The VQR – Research Quality Assessment – is a process conducted every five years by ANVUR to evaluate the results of scientific research and third-mission activities at universities, departments, and other research institutions. The VQR process therefore provides an updated assessment of the state of research across various scientific fields, with the aim of promoting improvements in research quality within the evaluated institutions. The VQR results are also used to allocate the incentive portion of the Ordinary Financing Fund (FFO).

In 2022, the third VQR exercise covering the years 2015–2019 was completed. The evaluation of research outputs was based on the criteria of “originality,” “methodological rigor,” and “impact” on the scientific community. All GEVs (Evaluation Expert Groups) employed the peer review method, potentially informed by the use of internationally recognized citation indicators. The evaluation of Third Mission case studies, on the other hand, was based on the criteria of “the social, economic, and cultural dimension of the impact,” “relevance to the reference context,” “added value for beneficiaries,” and “contribution of the proposing institution.”

Luiss achieved very positive results in the 2015–2019 VQR, ranking among the top universities in Italy for the quality of research outputs from all evaluated personnel (R1e2 indicator):

• Luiss ranked 4th nationally in Scientific Areas 12 “Legal Sciences” and 14 “Political and Social Sciences,” 6th in Area 13a “Economic and Statistical Sciences,” and 7th in Area 13b “Business and Economics.”
• The Department of Economics and Finance ranks 8th in Italy for publications in Area 13a, the Department of Law ranks 12th for those in Area 12, the Department of Political Science ranks 14th for Area 14, and the Department of Business and Management ranks 16th for Area 13b.
• As for the scientific-disciplinary sectors, Luiss ranks among the top 8 in Italy for all those evaluated (except SECS-P/07): in particular, it ranks 1st in Italy for IUS/10 “Administrative Law” and 3rd for IUS/04 “Commercial Law,” SECS-P/10 “Business Organization,” and SPS/04 “Political Science.”

For the quality of its Third Mission (indicator R4), assessed based on the two case studies “LabGov.city” and “Legalità e Merito,” Luiss ranked 2nd among non-state universities, demonstrating the university’s strong impact on the social and economic fabric of its community. 

At the start of 2025, research outputs and knowledge enhancement case studies were submitted for the new VQR 2020–2024 cycle.

Luiss VQR Reports

ANVUR - VQR

Periodic Accreditation

Periodic Accreditation is one of the procedures outlined in the AVA system. It involves an external review of the effectiveness of the Quality Assurance (QA) system that universities implement internally. This review results in an Accreditation decision, which recognizes that a university continues to meet the Quality Requirements that enable it to carry out its institutional functions. Accreditation is granted by the MUR upon the proposal of the ANVUR, which conducts this verification through a Commission of Evaluation Experts (CEV) via remote document review and on-site visits. The Requirements subject to verification incorporate the guidelines set out in the ESG 2015 and constitute the fundamental principles around which universities' QA systems must be built.

Specifically, in AVA2, Requirement 4 (R4) assesses the effectiveness of the university’s QA system for research and TM, as defined in its general programmatic guidelines (indicator R4.A) and pursued by the departments (indicator R4.B).

In March 2021, the first periodic accreditation visit took place at Luiss. The CEV rated both R4 indicators as “Very positive,” the highest possible rating. This assessment contributed to Luiss’s final Accreditation in Tier A, the highest of the four tiers, which was awarded to only six other Italian universities out of the 90 evaluated in AVA2. The University is currently preparing for the next Periodic Accreditation visit, scheduled for 2027, based on the new AVA3 model.

Luiss Periodic Accreditation Report

ANVUR - Periodic Accreditation

SUA-R/TM | Annual Single Form for Research and the Third Mission

The SUA-R/TM – Annual Single Form for Research and the Third Mission – is the annual assessment and monitoring tool for research and Third Mission activities conducted at Luiss, both at the university level and within individual departments. It also allows the University and its Departments to reflect on the level of awareness regarding their planning activities in research and the Third Mission, and provides the necessary information to ground this reflection in real indicators and data. The Report is therefore an integral part of the AVA system, and prepares the University and its Departments for the Periodic Accreditation visits.

The contents of the Report are also useful for informing stakeholders (students, families, companies, public bodies, etc.) about the expertise available in the various Departments and the focus of their research, thereby helping to strengthen and make collaboration between the University, research, and civil society easier and more targeted.

At Luiss, the SUA-R/TM is completed annually using a template prepared by the Quality and Innovation Board, which incorporates the ANVUR Guidelines. It includes the following documents:

• the SUA-RA – Annual Consolidated Report on University Research and the SUA-TM/IS – Annual Consolidated Report on Third Mission and Social Impact, covering activities conducted at the University level, prepared by the Vice-Rector for Research and Third Mission, the Director of Governance, Research Funding & Third Mission, and the Head of Research and Third Mission.
• for each Department, the SUA-RD – Annual Departmental Research Report and the SUA-TM/IS covering activities promoted at the departmental level, prepared by the respective Research and Third Mission Review Groups.

These documents, previously completed separately, have been merged into a single form since the 2021 fiscal year. In the interest of transparency, Luiss has been publishing the SUA-RD online since the 2017 fiscal year. The SUA-TM/IS began being compiled in the 2018 fiscal year to supplement the SUA-RD and allow for more specific monitoring of certain Third Mission activities. 

Since 2021, an additional interim monitoring process for departmental activities has been introduced, conducted during the current year. This aims to identify any critical issues requiring urgent corrective measures. Starting in the 2024 fiscal year, these interim monitoring documents are also submitted to the Quality Committee and the Evaluation Unit, and are published online.

SUA-R/TM 2024 and 2024 Semiannual Monitoring

Previous forms 

Evaluation of research support services

The Research and Third Mission Office operates at the university level, providing cross-cutting support for the activities of researchers across all departments. From 2020 to 2024, the Office monitored the effectiveness of its services by administering satisfaction questionnaires to researchers regarding the services provided (specifically: application support, project management, and research communication). Since 2025, the data has been integrated into a broader survey conducted by the Office of Studies and Evaluation.

Research Office - 2020 Questionnaire

Research Office - 2021 Questionnaire

Research and Third Mission Office - 2022 Questionnaire

Research and Third Mission Office - 2023 Questionnaire

Research and Third Mission Office - 2024 Questionnaire

The University Library serves as the central hub for collecting and disseminating the University’s research and scientific output. It monitors and enhances the quality of its services through service surveys, which have been conducted since 2003. In fact, the Library conducts monthly monitoring and publishes annual statistical reports, which are available on the dedicated page.