From 25th January 1563, when it was founded as a charitable brotherhood, the Compagnia di San Paolo has been an institution serving the society where it has its roots. The Compagnia di San Paolo is active in the sectors of scientific, economic and juridical research; education; art and the preservation and valorisation of cultural heritage and activities; health; assistance to the socially deprived categories of society.
Within these frameworks, the Compagnia defines its objectives through multi-annual and annual programmes, and operates both by making grants to organisations who propose projects in line with its programmes, and in other ways, including the work of its "operating units", which work directly in various sectors of the foundation's activities.

CALLS FOR PROPOSALS

Calls for proposals are an instrument that can be used by sectors and programmes to stimulate and support initiatives in the Compagnia's fields of intervention.
In 2008 there were calls for proposals in the Neuroscience Programme, Tesori Sacri (Holy Treasures) Programme, Arti Sceniche in Compagnia (Scenic Arts).

Current Calls for Applications:

EUROPE AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES

Under this thematic heading the three partners Compagnia di San Paolo in Turin, Italy, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond in Stockholm, Sweden, and the Volkswagen Foundation in Hanover, Germany, have joined together in a continuation of the successful cooperation started in 2004. In the coming years they intend to fund up to ten international and interdisciplinary research groups – each group in an amount of between 500,000 and one million euro.
The subject matter to be examined by these teams within the context of “global challenges” may include: international prevention of conflict and crisis management, the consequences of climate change, challenges posed by the international architecture of financial markets – or even perhaps the question of reforming the United Nations? There is no end of “global challenges” in urgent need of resolution.
Therefore, the foundations do not limit the thematic scope to be addressed by the research projects; proposals must, however, satisfy the requirement that the topic is of pressing relevance both for Europe and for other regions of the world.
An overriding condition is that working groups are made up of representatives of different disciplines and comprise persons in different stages of their careers; participants should include experts from practice. Moreover, the project groups, which must be anchored at an academic institution within the European Union, should also include members from other parts of the world.

Further details on this new funding scheme are contained in a dedicated website page at:

http://www.compagnia.torino.it/english/contenuto.php?ID=1063&sezioneID=14