2020 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions in Earth & environmental sciences

The 2020 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.

Table criteria

Position Institution Share 2018 Share 2019 Count 2019 Change in Adjusted Share* 2018–2019
1 University of Padova (UNIPD), Italy 7.05 7.22 35 -0.7% Decrease
2 University of Milano-Bicocca (UNIMIB), Italy 4.35 5.83 16 29.8% Increase
3 University of Roma Tre, Italy 3.00 5.73 22 85.3% Increase
4 University of Bologna (UNIBO), Italy 3.02 3.57 15 14.5% Increase
5 Sapienza University of Rome, Italy 2.86 3.42 19 15.7% Increase
6 University of Pisa (UNIPI), Italy 3.97 2.64 15 -35.6% Decrease
7 University of Florence (UNIFI), Italy 6.47 2.36 18 -64.7% Decrease
8 University of Turin (UNITO), Italy 5.53 2.29 11 -59.8% Decrease
9 University of Bari Aldo Moro (UniBA), Italy 0.83 2.15 8 149.2% Increase
10 University of Milan (UNIMI), Italy 1.22 2.14 9 70.3% Increase
11 Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy 1.10 2.09 10 83.4% Increase
12 Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy 1.07 2.06 4 85.9% Increase
13 University of Catania, Italy 0.97 1.72 9 71.2% Increase
14 University of Naples Federico II (UNINA), Italy 3.69 1.65 9 -56.8% Decrease
15 University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy 1.46 1.24 5 -17.7% Decrease
16 University of Salerno (UNISA), Italy 1.67 1.20 6 -30.6% Decrease
17 Ca' Foscari University of Venice (UNIVE), Italy 0.50 1.17 9 128.4% Increase
18 University of Parma (UNIPR), Italy 0.03 1.07 4 2,972.7% Increase
19 Parthenope University of Naples, Italy 0.00 1.06 5 0.0% Increase
20 University of Perugia, Italy 1.88 0.99 6 -49.1% Decrease
21 University of Pavia (UNIPV), Italy 1.85 0.96 7 -49.6% Decrease
22 Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (UniBz), Italy 0.10 0.79 2 661.4% Increase
23 University of Insubria, Italy 0.14 0.72 4 396.9% Increase
24 Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa (SSSA), Italy 0.00 0.61 4 0.0% Increase
25 University of Verona (UNIVR), Italy 0.38 0.50 2 29.9% Increase
26 University of Chieti (Ud'A), Italy 0.05 0.49 5 939.2% Increase
27 Marche Polytechnic University (UNIVPM), Italy 0.50 0.47 5 -9.8% Decrease
28 University of Ferrara (UNIFE), Italy 0.66 0.45 6 -34.0% Decrease
29 University of Siena (UNISI), Italy 0.74 0.37 4 -51.4% Decrease
30 University of Basilicata, Italy 0.14 0.34 2 127.9% Increase
31 University of Urbino, Italy 0.82 0.32 5 -62.3% Decrease
32 University of Trieste (UNITS), Italy 0.23 0.28 5 17.2% Increase
33 University of Palermo (UNIPA), Italy 1.04 0.23 4 -78.5% Decrease
34 University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy 0.00 0.23 5 0.0% Increase
35 Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy 0.00 0.20 3 0.0% Increase
36 University of Udine (UNIUD), Italy 0.01 0.18 3 2,873.9% Increase
37 Scuola Normale Superiore (SNS), Italy 0.18 0.16 3 -17.7% Decrease
38 University of Tuscia (UNITUS), Italy 0.00 0.15 4 0.0% Increase
39 Bocconi University, Italy 0.00 0.13 3 0.0% Increase
40 University of Sassari (UniSS), Italy 0.02 0.10 3 400.5% Increase
41 University of Molise (UNIMOL), Italy 0.42 0.10 2 -76.5% Decrease
42 Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), Italy 0.05 0.07 3 40.2% Increase
43 University of Messina (UNIME), Italy 0.03 0.06 4 101.7% Increase
44 University of Trento (UNITN), Italy 0.00 0.05 7 0.0% Increase
45 University of Cassino and Southern Lazio (UNICAS), Italy 0.31 0.05 2 -84.4% Decrease
46 University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), Italy 0.75 0.04 3 -94.2% Decrease
47 University of Genova, Italy 1.92 0.04 3 -98.0% Decrease
48 University of L'Aquila (UNIVAQ), Italy 0.39 0.03 3 -91.3% Decrease
49 University of Salento, Italy 0.00 0.00 2 0.0% Increase
49 University of Cagliari (UNICA), Italy 0.67 0.00 2 -99.5% Decrease
49 University of Teramo (UniTE), Italy 0.00 0.00 2 0.0% Increase
49 University of Calabria (UNICAL), Italy 0.14 0.00 2 -97.8% Decrease
49 University of Camerino (UNICAM), Italy 0.01 0.00 2 -58.9% Decrease
50 University for Foreigners Perugia (UNISTRAPG), Italy 0.00 0.00 1 0.0% Increase
50 Università Iuav di Venezia (IUAV), Italy 0.00 0.00 1 0.0% Increase
50 Orientale University of Naples, Italy 0.00 0.00 1 0.0% Increase
50 University of Brescia (UNIBS), Italy 0.00 0.00 2 0.0% Increase
50 University of Macerata (UNIMC), Italy 0.00 0.00 1 0.0% Increase
50 University of Bergamo, Italy 0.01 0.00 1 -57.7% Decrease
50 Institute for Advanced Study (IUSS Pavia), Italy 0.00 0.00 1 0.0% Increase
50 University of Sannio, Italy 0.14 0.00 1 -98.2% Decrease
50 Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria (UNIRC), Italy 0.00 0.00 1 0.0% Increase
50 IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Italy 0.00 0.00 1 0.0% Increase
50 Foro Italico University of Rome, Italy 0.00 0.00 1 0.0% Increase
50 University of Magna Graecia (UMG), Italy 0.00 0.00 1 0.0% Increase
50 University of Foggia (UNIFG), Italy 0.00 0.00 1 0.0% Increase
50 University of Eastern Piedmont "Amedeo Avogadro" (UNIPMN), Italy 0.00 0.00 1 0.0% Increase
50 Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Italy 0.00 0.00 1 0.0% Increase

Footnote

Each year, the Nature Index publishes tables based on counts of high-quality research outputs in the previous calendar year. Users please note:

  1. The data behind the tables are based on a relatively small proportion of total research papers, they cover the natural sciences and health sciences only and outputs are non-normalized (that is, they don’t reflect the size of the country or institution, or its overall research output).
  2. The Nature Index is one indicator of institutional research performance. The metrics of Count and Share used to order Nature Index listings are based on an institution’s or country’s publication output in 145 natural-science and health-science journals. The journals were selected on reputation by an independent panel of leading scientists in their fields. The list is reviewed periodically and journals may be removed or added. Articles from eLife were no longer included in the Nature Index from 2023 after the journal changed its publishing model.
  3. Nature Index recognizes that many other factors must be taken into account when considering research quality and institutional performance; Nature Index metrics alone should not be used to assess institutions or individuals.
  4. Nature Index data and methods are transparent and available under a creative commons licence at nature.com/nature-index/.
  5. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The Nature Index database undergoes regular updating, corrections, adjustment of institutional hierarchies, and removal of retracted papers and thus the live website can differ from the frozen research leaders.