The National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS is a public research Institute funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), which acts internationally in the fields of Earth and Marine Sciences, Oceanography, Geophysics and Seismology. The Institute aims at safeguarding and enhancing the environmental and natural resources and focuses its efforts on evaluating and preventing geological, environmental and climatic risks, and spreading the scientific culture and knowledge. OGS has four premises located in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (North-Eastern Italy) and one on Panarea Island. It’s structured under 2 Sections and 2 Scientific Research Centres:

  • Oceanography - OCE;
  • Geophysics - GEO;
  • Seismological Research - CRS;
  • Scientific Research Centre "NAVAL INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT"

With its strategic infrastructures of excellence (such as the icebreaker vessel Laura Bassi), OGS makes its own expertise available for research related to environment and climate, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and to the study of seismicity, hydrodynamic and geodynamic phenomena having an impact on both environment and population.

OGS main themes of research activity:

  • Environment and climate (i.e. ecological modelling and polar research);
  • Biodiversity and ecosystem functionality (i.e. oceanography and marine geophysics and biology);
  • Earthquakes and natural hazards (i.e. marine geohazards and seismology);
  • Natural Resources (i.e. gas hydrates);
  • Energy Resources.

Geographical priorities:

  • Mediterranean Region and Black Sea Countries;
  • Balkan Region;
  • Polar Areas;
  • Central and South America.

In July 2013, OGS has been acknowledged by the European Commission for its commitment towards the implementation of the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers through the ‘HR Excellence in Research’ logo.

Personnel: 
202 Researchers, 101 technical/administrative staff
Other facts and figures: 

In 2020, the OGS was involved in various projects both at European level (FP7, Horizon 2020, European Territorial Cooperation, and other calls financed by Europe) and at national level (PRIN, Projects for research infrastructures and national program of research in Antarctica, etc.).

N° EU Projects (2017-2020)

  • EU-H2020: 22 
  • EU-CTE: 16 
  • EU-DG/EASME: 6 
  • EU-COST: 3 
  • EU-FVG - POR-FESR: 3 
  • Other international: 11 

Research outputs (2020)

  • 10 patents
  • 209 scientific papers 

N° of scientific meetings&public events (2020): more than 30

Facilities: 

The Head Office hosts the Presidency, the Administrative and Technical Departments as well as the Scientific Sections of Oceanography, Geophysics and Infrastructures. The Head Office is located in the Municipality of Sgonigo, 12 Km away from the centre of Trieste. The biochemistry and biology laboratories of the Oceanography Section are located in the Santa Croce (TS) site. In the headquarters of Via Beirut 2 (Miramare Campus) there are part of the work groups of the Oceanography Section. The Seismological Research Center Section is located at the Udine site.  The OGS is strongly characterized by the management of research infrastructures and laboratories, not only thanks to the icebreaker vessel Laura Bassi, the aircraft and the various laboratories owned, but also thanks to two ESFRI research infrastructures: EuroArgo for the observation of the oceans and Eccsel for the capture and geological confinement of carbon dioxide.

N° of Research Infrastructures: The main research infrastructure of OGS is the icebreaker vessel Laura Bassi, an ocanographic vessel which is part of the EUROFLEETS European Infrastructure. OGS R/V Laura Bassi is currently the only national research vessel in Italy of this type.

OGS, within ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) is the national leader of the following infrastructures, two of which are established as ERIC (European Research Infrastructure Consortium):

  • EUROARGO ERIC;
  • PRACE;
  •  ECCSEL ERIC.

OGS also participates to other ERIC infrastructures coordinated by other EPRs, and owns, manages and promotes numerous infrastructures and laboratories including in particular:

  • The Collection of marine organisms;
  • The Center for Calibration and Oceanographic Metrology (CTMO);
  • The infrastructure of experimental geophysics and exploration;
  • Observation systems on land and at sea;
  • The geophysical test site of Piana di Toppo;
  • The glider station;
  • The research aircraft. 

Moreover OGS manages other platforms at the complete disposal of the scientific community:

  • The National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC);
  • The Antarctic Seismic data Library System (SDLS);
  • The Seismic dataset Network Acces Point (SNAP);
  • Seismic, accelerometric and GPS monitoring networks in North-Eastern Italy, managed in agreement with the Civil Protection services of Regions and Autonomous Provinces.

N° of libraries: 

N° canteen/coffe bar: 1 coffee bar

N° of meeting rooms​: 7

Fellowships, PhD Courses, Master, Summer School, etc.: 

Valorisation of human capital, career development, knowledge transfer, as well as international and intersectoral mobility represent the main crosscutting priorities of OGS. The Institute is promoting the training and mobility of researchers, both Italians as well as foreigners and at different stages in their career, through training networks, visits, fellowships and research grants.

Complying with the most recent EU strategies and exploiting different funding schemes and international programmes (i.e. Marie Skłodowska-Curie and COST actions), the Institute hosts foreign researchers and fellows.  

OGS co-fund and promote doctoral courses in collaboration with Italian and foreign universities. The Institute is organising an Advanced Training School and an Advanced Master on Sustainable Blue Growth which focus on strengthening professional skills and enhancing competencies in fields related to the blue economy (marine and maritime sectors) with particular attention to international cooperation, dialogue and science diplomacy.

Science Diplomacy Programme: 

Participation in the programme for Science Refugees.

Branch Offices (Regional, National, International): 

Headquarters: houses the offices of the Presidency, the Administrative and Technical Departments and the three scientific sections of Oceanography, Geophysics and Infrastructures. It is located in the municipality of Sgonico, 12 km from the center of Trieste. Address: Borgo Grotta Gigante 42 / C - Sgonico (TS). 

Santa Croce headquarters (TS) where the biochemistry and biology laboratories of the Oceanography Section are located. Address: via Auguste Piccard, 54 (TS). 

Headquarters at the Miramare campus where part of the work groups of the Oceanography Section are located. Address: via Beirut 2 (TS). 

Udine branch where the Section for Seismological Research is located. Address: Via Treviso, 55 (UD). 

Headquarters on the Panarea Island which hosts the ECCSEL NATLAB ITALY laboratory of Panarea, part of the European ECCSEL infrastructure.

Information for international researchers and students: 

With its strong international vocation, OGS aims at hosting talented students, as well as top level researchers from all over the world. 

The Institute is particularly interested in fostering international relations and in making the settling of international visitors easier, providing assistance with administrative issues.

OGS provides visiting scientists, researchers and students with incoming services. Our staff facilitates the integration of the newcomers from other countries by giving practical information on entry and residence procedures, health insurance, accommodation, Italian taxation and social security system, daily life, tax identification number and much more.

These services are offered in collaboration with the Welcome Office Friuli Venezia Giulia, jointly developed with SiS (the Scientific and Innovation System of Friuli Venezia Giulia) and the academic institutions and research centres of the region.

International Partnerships: 

OGS has a strong vocation, strengthened throughout the years, for developing skills and international partnerships; on this basis, the Institute has launched a strategy that is based on the concept of knowledge exchange and where capacity building plays a prominent role. It is worth pointing out that the Institute is member of a well-recognized networking characterised by a very high concentration of international institutions and universities, and this contributes to the creation of an extremely dynamic working environment, favourable to the attraction and circulation of talents, stimulating networks of partnerships and international projects.

As a matter of fact, OGS actively participates in various research networks, associations and consortia. The list is significant for the quality and international reputation the majority of the bodies enjoy.

Moreover, OGS’s highly multidisciplinary approach to environmental studies gives the opportunity to work in an extremely active and advanced research field, which enables the transfer of scientific results from the research world to the productive sector and thus, contributing to the technological and socio-economic development.

Contacts and Social Media/Network: 

President: prof. Nicola Casagli 

General Director: dott.ssa Paola Del Negro

Borgo Grotta Gigante 42/C - 34010 Sgonico (TS)
Tel. +39 040 21401
Fax +39 040 327307
Email: urp@inogs.it

Website: www.inogs.it


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