The University’s 2021 budget approved

The Board of Directors of the University of Trento, which met today online, approved the 2021 budget. The document that was discussed and approved includes the budget for the coming year and the three-year budget for 2021-2023. It also contains the new templates adopted by ministerial decrees, which are in line with the accounting principles and financial statements for universities.
The projected income statement for 2021 guarantees the balance on 269 million euro, providing for the use of reserves for 24 million. The budget is balanced thanks to 8 million euro of restricted reserves and 16 million euro from non-restricted reserves. The use of non-restricted reserves makes it possible to re-allocate resources that were not used in 2020. In fact, a number of projects have been delayed or suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic, for a value of 6 million. 
The budget allocates 27.7 million euro for investments for 2021. Of these, 11.8 million will be used for the development of the construction plan, and in particular for: the continuation of works at Manifattura Tabacchi; the expansion of the new Science and Technology Campus in Povo; the design and renovation of indoor spaces at the Department of Economics and Management; the construction of new lecture rooms in the ex CTE complex; the refurbishment of Palazzo Sardagna, which will be financed through grants related to assets from the Autonomous Province of Trento. 
The budget allocation for investments also includes the purchase of scientific equipment for 15.9 million, mainly financed by the Ministry of University and Research within the "Departments of Excellence" ministerial initiative (4 million) and by the Autonomous Province of Trento, in particular for the research project IRBIO (Research Infrastructure for Integrated Biology) of the Cibio Department (1.7 million). Both sources of funding have as their main objective the strengthening of the infrastructure to support the various research activities conducted by the University departments.
Revenues - The relations with the Autonomous Province of Trento are governed by the Guidelines for University and Research 2020-2022 (Atto di indirizzo per l’Università e la ricerca) approved by resolution of the Provincial government no. 1400 of 18 September 2020. Funding provided by the Autonomous Province of Trento, on the basis of the commitment undertaken with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and accounted for under grants related to income, amounts to 119.9 million euro. These transfers are in part ordinary (111 million), to continue the activities already in place, and in part provided to invest in the University (0.9 million), to finance specific development programmes that have already been identified. This item also includes the amounts carried over from previous years (2.7 million) for projects and initiatives of common interest not yet completed, and a bonus part that is allocated for innovative and strategic activities of the University (5.3 million). 
As far as its own revenues are concerned, the University confirms this year too its ability to attract research funding, which amounts to 57.3 million. In particular, the University received funding from the European Union (27 million) mostly through Horizon 2020 projects, and from the Ministry of University and Research (21.6 million), for the most part under the "Department of Excellence" and the PRIN (projects of significant national interest) initiatives (Prin 2017). The University however also earned from research commissioned by third parties and from technology transfer (6.3 million), and from student fees (19.2 million). 
As regards expenditure, spending for the University's staff on permanent contracts (net of IRAP) amounts to 65.4 million for teaching staff, 2.1 million for linguistic expert staff and 32 million for administrative and technical staff. Costs are estimated in compliance with the constraints established by the stability pact and by current legislation.
As regards the other items in the balance sheet, the funds allocated for student aid (net of IRAP) amount to 22.5 million, of which 11 million for doctoral programmes and 11.5 million for the student community, for the funding of scholarships aimed mainly at promoting and enhancing international mobility and other services.
Among the resources allocated to the 2021 budget, 8 million are allocated to initiatives and investments to support scientific research and the inclusion of young researchers, in compliance with the goals described in the University Strategic Plan for 2017-2021, which defines the multi-year vision of the University and the general guidelines for its future activities.