Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies: the 2025 financial statement confirms the growth path of recent years
The 2025 financial statement of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting on April 29, confirms the steady growth achieved in recent years. Total revenues reached approximately €100 million, an increase of €10 million compared to 2024, while the fiscal year closed with a surplus of around €6 million.
In detail, the financial statement shows approximately €43.3 million in own revenues, generated through research projects, educational activities, collaborations, and agreements with public and private entities.
The composition of revenues offers two key perspectives. The first concerns the autonomy ratio of funding sources, that is, the proportion of own revenues to total revenues: in 2025, this ratio exceeds 40%, confirming the School’s ability to rely on a solid and diversified economic base.
The second concerns the School’s ability to leverage the Ordinary Financing Fund (FFO) to attract additional resources. In other words, for every €100 in contributions received, the School is able to attract nearly €80 in additional resources, strengthening its investment capacity and supporting the development of research, education, and innovation activities.
Research, infrastructure, and strategic development
The 2025 financial results are part of a broader context of economic and financial consolidation, supported by the School’s ability to capitalize on diverse funding sources—public and private, national and European—to sustain its activities.
In this context, support from the Ministry of Universities and Research represents a key element of stability and development. In 2025, the Ordinary Financing Fund (FFO) allocated to the Sant’Anna School increased by 3.5%, contributing to the overall strengthening of its financial structure and staff recruitment plan.
Another positive element in the 2025 financial statement is the revenue linked to research projects funded through competitive calls issued by public bodies, such as the European Union and the Ministry, as well as private entities with which the School has established agreements on shared and innovative research lines.
At the national level, in 2025 the funds obtained through calls promoted by the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) amount to approximately €7 million, of which over €4.3 million come from four projects funded by the Italian Science Fund (FIS).
Over a five-year horizon, considering resources from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and other funding calls, total research funding from the MUR reaches approximately €80 million, confirming the School’s ability to attract resources in both experimental sciences and social sciences.
The strengthening of research activities has been accompanied by investments in infrastructure: the School’s building plan has benefited from approximately €18 million in ministerial funding over the past five years, with the aim of enhancing residential facilities for students, improving library services, and creating new research spaces through the San Giuliano Terme campus.
Among additional strategic initiatives is the PNRR funding line dedicated to strengthening Schools of Advanced Studies, which has supported the MERITA project, a talent network bringing together five prestigious Italian academic institutions: the Sant’Anna School, the Scuola Normale Superiore, the Collegio Superiore of the University of Bologna, the Scuola Galileiana di Studi Superiori of the University of Padua, and the School for Advanced Studies of Sapienza University of Rome.
Statement by Rector Vitiello
“The 2025 financial statement confirms the economic and financial strength of the Sant’Anna School and its ability to attract resources and investments. If Italian research is increasingly competitive at the international level today, it is also thanks to the commitment of the Ministry of Universities and Research, led by Minister Anna Maria Bernini, in supporting and enhancing our ecosystem. The School has been able to activate a multiplier effect of ordinary funding resources, which has made it possible to intensify research and educational activities. The challenge we now face is to seize new opportunities made available by national and international institutions, in order to maintain the competitiveness of our system in the post-PNRR funding phase, consolidating the results achieved while opening up new development opportunities,” said Rector Nicola Vitiello.
