The Società Chimica Italiana has taken a further step in strengthening its support for the scientific community with the creation of the SCI-ETS Foundation, a dedicated body designed to provide a more structured approach to advancing research, education, and chemical culture.

The Foundation has been established as an autonomous entity intended to complement and enhance the Society’s work rather than replace it. It reinforces the SCI’s mission by offering a focused framework for developing long-term initiatives aimed at fostering the discipline and supporting its key contributors—starting with students and early-career researchers. Its creation marks an important milestone in the Society’s development, introducing a tool specifically designed to make its initiatives more consistent, structured, and impactful.

Reflecting on this development, President Luigi Mondello noted: “With the Foundation, we aim to equip ourselves with a tool capable of more effectively supporting the growth of our scientific community, with a particular focus on young people and their education. Chemistry plays a central role in the country’s development, and our commitment is to strengthen its presence in society, research, and education”.

The Foundation gives concrete form to goals that have always been central to the SCI’s vision: supporting education, recognizing merit, advancing research, and promoting chemical culture.

Why the Foundation matters

Through the Foundation, the Italian Chemical Society will be able to fund scholarships as well as doctoral and postdoctoral programs, promote mentoring and career guidance initiatives, recognize young researchers through awards, and expand science communication and outreach activities.

Its establishment also reflects a strategic effort to create a more effective and sustainable structure to support these activities over time, broadening opportunities for participation and contribution.

As a Third Sector Entity, the Foundation will have access to dedicated funding mechanisms, including Italy’s “5 per mille” scheme, allowing members, citizens, and supporters to directly contribute to initiatives that promote education, research, and chemical culture.

Overall, this step strengthens the Society’s ability to act while ensuring that its support for the scientific community becomes more sustainable, continuous, and far-reaching.