6.4 ASSOCIATIONS AND VOLUNTEERS 148 RESEARCH CENTRES The National Would you like to work in the field of research? Why? Why not? Research institutes are more permanent institutions with permanent academic staff, while research centres are more easily established but with a shorter natural lifetime. Research in the field of social sciences is carried out especially for sociological or historical research purposes. outcome: risultato 296 SOCIETy hELpS Research Council in Italy A research centre , also called research institute or research organisation, is an institution founded for doing research. It may deal with basic research or with applied research, i.e. referring to a specific field of analysis. The most common sectors of research are natural sciences and social sciences . Natural sciences research centres Natural sciences offer a global view of nature as they research the mechanisms and interactions that govern the universe and living beings. A research centre can choose a holistic approach or specialise in a specific field such as biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, or medicine. However, the term natural sciences does not mean that the use of technology is banned, as it is exactly the opposite. In fact, modern research relies on technology and innovation. Social sciences research centres Social sciences research centres can be engaged in a variety of research themes, often based on cross-disciplinary collaboration and policy-oriented perspective. Some common research themes are: cities, labour market and migration, disasters and resilience, innovation and global futures, tourism, education, and culture. The National Research Council (CNR) is a public institution with multidisciplinary competences under the supervision of the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR). It was founded in 1923 to carry out research projects in the main fields of knowledge and use the outcomes to promote innovation and competitiveness in industry and society. The CNR operates both in the field of natural and social sciences by dealing with: human and planet health, the environment and energy, nutrition and sustainable agriculture, transportation and production systems, ICT, new materials and aerospace, cultural heritage, bioethics, and artificial intelligence. The research is carried out in more than 80 research institutes on the territory and seven departments for macro-areas. Private research centres Private research centres, or independent research centres, are non-governmental organisations that conduct a systematic study on a subject or carry out scientific experimentation of new technologies or applications with qualified personnel. They are called independent because they are not part of a university, hospital, or corporation. However, they may have close relationships with larger institutions and collaborate with universities.