ASN Abilitazione: Italy’s National Scientific Qualification Explained

ASN abilitazione refers to the Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale (ASN), Italy’s national scientific qualification for academic teaching staff. It is a qualification, not a job offer and not a research identifier: passing it makes a scholar eligible to compete for associate or full professor posts at Italian universities. This guide explains what the ASN is, who needs it, how the official portal at abilitazione.mur.gov.it is organised, and how a persistent identifier such as an ORCID iD fits into the CV and publication list a candidate prepares. The facts below are taken from the Italian Ministry’s own pages, checked on 2026-10-29.

What it is: official name, native name, operator, country

The ASN is Italy’s non-comparative national qualification for professor posts, run by the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR). The official name is Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale; in English it is usually called the National Scientific Qualification (sometimes National Scientific Habilitation). The legal basis is article 16 of Law 240/2010. The MUR describes it as a procedura di valutazione non comparativa: candidates are assessed against the requirements, not ranked against each other.

• Operator: the Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca (MUR), which runs the public portal at abilitazione.mur.gov.it.
• Who judges: national commissions, one per settore concorsuale (recruitment sector). The MUR counts 190 commissions. Each has five full professors (professori ordinari) drawn by lot by the Ministry from lists compiled by ANVUR, the national evaluation agency.
• Bands: professore di prima fascia (full professor) and professore di seconda fascia (associate professor).
• Rhythm: after the annual sessions of 2012 and 2013, the procedure has run continuously through the year since the 2014 reform, rather than in a single yearly session.

Who must or should register

Anyone who wants to be appointed to a professor post through an open university competition needs the qualification first. According to the MUR, the ASN is required for:

• open university competitions under article 18 of Law 240/2010;
• the move of fixed-term researchers of type b (ricercatori a tempo determinato di tipo b) to associate professor after three years, under article 24, paragraph 5;
• reserved competitions for staff already in post, under article 24, paragraph 6, which the MUR page limits to the period up to 2019.

The qualification itself does not create a post. Universities still run their own competitions, and the ASN is the entry requirement for applying to them. Which sector you apply in matters, because each settore concorsuale has its own commission; the list is under NORMATIVA on the portal (see the next section).

How to find the call and register on the official portal

The portal does not explain the application on its home page; the current call (bando) and the decrees behind it are where the exact steps and deadlines live. The MUR states that every stage, from the application to the publication of results, is handled online. The home page is available in Italian (ita) and English (eng). The menu labels to look for are:

• NORMATIVA: contains “Legge 240”, “Decreti attuativi”, “Bando per candidature” (the call for applications), “Decreto per ritiro candidatura” (withdrawal of an application), “Delibere e Provvedimenti” and “Settori concorsuali”. Start with “Bando per candidature”.
• COMMISSIONI: “Procedura di sorteggio” (the draw), “Commissioni nominate” (appointed commissions), “Lavori delle commissioni” (commission proceedings) and “Titoli e criteri di valutazione” (titles and evaluation criteria). The menu also lists “Mediane indicatori”.
• SEDI: “Elenco sedi sorteggiate” (the drawn host universities) and the documentation of the draw session.
• CANDIDATI e RISULTATI: one entry per call year (2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023).
• AGENDA: “Cronoprogramma” (timetable).
• Supporto: the support page the portal points users to for help.

The procedure currently described by the MUR is Decreto Direttoriale n. 1796 of 27 October 2023, the call for the 2023-2025 ASN for first- and second-band professor, with the commissions formed under Decreto Direttoriale n. 1211 of 28 July 2023. Application windows, fees if any, and the validity of a granted qualification are set in the current call, not in a general description, so read the decree text on the official site before planning: check the official site for the dates that apply now. The portal also shows news about commission draws, which can change the timeline.

What the record contains and how it is used

The portal publishes outcomes by call year, so a candidate’s result and a commission’s work are public. Under CANDIDATI e RISULTATI the MUR says results and records can be viewed on the ASN platform, and the COMMISSIONI section carries the commission proceedings and the evaluation criteria they apply. In practice the record matters in two places:

• Hiring: a university competition under article 18 requires the qualification, so the qualification is the entry condition for applying.
• Researcher promotion: for type-b fixed-term researchers, article 24, paragraph 5 ties the move to associate professor to holding the qualification.

Bibliometric thresholds and the validity period of a granted qualification are set by the current decree. Check the decree and the “Titoli e criteri di valutazione” and “Mediane indicatori” areas of the portal rather than third-party summaries.

Links to other identifiers: ORCID and Scopus ID

ORCID and Scopus are not part of the ASN itself, and the official portal home page does not require either. The link is practical: a candidate prepares a CV and a publication list, and a persistent identifier helps keep that list accurate and attached to the right person.

• An ORCID iD keeps one verified list of your works that you control; see how to register and search for ORCID iDs.
• A Scopus Author ID is assigned automatically to authors in Scopus; if your profile is split or incomplete, linking the Scopus Author ID to ORCID lets you correct and merge it.
• To assemble the list itself from several sources, see compiling a publication list from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar, and for the bigger picture the identifier crosswalk.

Keep the identifiers on your own CV consistent with what the call asks you to enter on the portal; if a call requires a specific format, the decree governs.

Common problems

• Looking for steps on the home page. The home page is a directory. Open “Bando per candidature” under NORMATIVA for the call that applies.
• Choosing the wrong sector. Commissions are per settore concorsuale; check the “Settori concorsuali” list before applying.
• Relying on an old call. The portal lists 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2023 side by side, and the MUR cites several successive decrees; use the call that is current.
• Splitting your publications across several author profiles. This distorts what is attributed to you; fix it at the identifier level before preparing the CV.
• Treating the ASN as a hire. It qualifies you for competitions; each university still runs its own.
• Withdrawing. The portal has a “Decreto per ritiro candidatura” entry; read it if you need to withdraw an application.

FAQ

What does ASN abilitazione mean?

It is the Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale, Italy’s national scientific qualification for associate and full professor posts, run by the MUR under article 16 of Law 240/2010.

Is the ASN a competition?

No. The MUR calls it a non-comparative evaluation. Candidates are assessed by the commission for their sector, not ranked against each other.

Is the ASN open all year?

Since the 2014 reform the MUR describes the procedure as running continuously, replacing the annual sessions of 2012 and 2013. Check the current call for the application windows.

Do I need an ORCID iD or Scopus ID to apply?

The official portal home page and the MUR page do not state this as a requirement. Check the current call. An ORCID iD is still useful for keeping your publication list accurate.

Is there an English version of the portal?

The home page offers Italian and English (eng and ita).

Sources (official pages)

• Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca, Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale: https://www.mur.gov.it/it/aree-tematiche/universita/carriera-accademica/abilitazione-scientifica-nazionale (checked 2026-10-29).
• Public ASN portal: https://abilitazione.mur.gov.it/ (checked 2026-10-29).