The National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità) is the leading technical and scientific body of the Italian National Health Service. Its activities include research, clinical trials, control, and training. It also serves as a major national clearing house for technical and scientific information on public health-related issues. The ISS is the national competent authority for the authorisation of phase I clinical trials. The ISS, where required and for specific purposes, acts as a funding agency to support scientific programs of national relevance and to promote the Italian participation in international activities. The ISS promotes scientific research in a wide variety of fields of special relevance for public health, and in particular, basic, translational and clinical research in major disease areas, including cancer, and neurological, infectious and rare diseases. Research priorities are based on those set forth in the National Health Plan.
