The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) offers foreign universities the opportunity to apply for grants for the creation and operation of Italian language departments in support of the promotion of Italian language and culture abroad.
GRANTS, AWARD CRITERIA AND TIMELINE FOR THEIR USE
Contributions to Italian language chairs are intended to partially cover the salaries of teachers hired directly by universities under local law contracts.
The term “Italian language teaching positions” refers to university teaching positions and/or courses in which Italian is one of the languages taught according to the regulations of the institution concerned, even if the teaching position or course has a different name.
As a general rule, requests from universities where MAECI lecturers sent from Italy are already employed will not be considered.
Furthermore, requests from universities that intend to use the funds for purposes other than the remuneration of teachers hired under local law contracts cannot be considered, such as, by way of example and without limitation, the purchase of books, teaching materials, or promotional materials; the organization of conferences, conventions, or other events; the remuneration of speakers and convention guests; travel expenses for teachers participating in conferences and external meetings.
Courses must consist of teaching the Italian language, must be held in Italian, and must take place at the applicant university and not in Italy.
Courses must consist of teaching the Italian language, must be held in Italian, and must take place at the applicant university and not in Italy.
Any sums granted are considered contributions and not financing. There is no obligation to accept the application or to grant the entire amount requested. The amounts awarded may be equal to or less than the figures proposed by the universities. Furthermore, educational projects submitted for the purpose of obtaining contributions must be feasible regardless of the amount granted.
As regards the timing for the use of grants awarded during a financial year, it should be noted that funds allocated to support chairs must be used by the end of the academic year in question.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR REQUESTING A GRANT
Requests for grants under chapter 2619/2 must include the following documentation:
- Letter of request and justification from the university (maximum one page): this must provide a concise yet detailed explanation of the reasons for the request. It must be written on university letterhead, signed by the academic director, and stamped with the university seal. If the letter is written in English, please also include an Italian translation.
- Form A for requesting funding: requests for funding to support Italian language teaching positions and/or university courses must be submitted using the attached form, which must be completed in full.
Example of how to complete attachment A for requesting funding
- Form B: universities that received funding in the 2025 financial year, or in the previous five-year period, must prepare a final report on the use of the last funding received, using the attached Form B. The submission of this final report is a prerequisite for the granting and payment of any new funding.
Example of how to complete Annex B reporting
SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION
Applications for funding must be sent by Friday, March 20, 2026, to: manila.culturale@esteri.it
The documentation must be saved with the name of the country and university to which it refers (“2619-2_2026_COUNTRY_University Name”) and must contain the individual PDF files that make up the grant application.
It is recommended that the instructions contained in the Application Form Instructions be followed carefully. Failure to comply with the forms and deadlines indicated will result in the inability to satisfy the grant application submitted.
