The National Research Council:

• performs and promotes research activities in pursuit of excellence and strategic relevance within the national and international ambit, within the framework of the European cooperation and integration as well as of the cooperation with university research and with other public and private bodies.
  
• manages and coordinates national and international programs and supports scientific and research activities of great interest for the national system, within the framework of the plan mentioned in article 6 and of the cooperation with universities and other public and private bodies;
  
• takes care of the optimization, the precompetitive development and the technological transfer of the results of the research carried out by its own scientific network and by the persons referred to in article 3;
  
• in the scientific, technological field and in the ambit of the technical regulation, it takes care of the cooperation with bodies and institutions of other countries or with international bodies, with reference to non-governmental agreements. Upon request of governmental authorities, it also provides specific competences for the national participation to organizations or international scientific programs between different governments;
  
• through its own programs of research fellowships, it carries out training activity in Ph.D. courses, in accordance with article 4, paragraph 4 of law 3 July 1998, No. 210, advanced after-university specialization courses, permanent, continuous and recurrent training activity. It may also carry out non-university advanced training activity;
  
• carries out supervision activities on bodies which accomplish the functions of normalization body, referred to in law 21 June 1986, No. 317, spreads specific techniques within the framework of its institutional tasks, and performs activities of certification, test and accreditation for public authorities, upon their request;
  
• provides technical and scientific support to public authorities, upon their request;
  
• may provide a third party with private law services in the pursuit of its own institutional activities.

For the carrying out of these activities and of any other related activity, including the economic utilization of its own research results, CNR may draw up agreements and conventions, take part or constitute associations, foundations or companies with public and private, Italian and foreign bodies, in accordance with its set of rules. CNR may also take part to international research centres in cooperation with similar scientific institutions of other countries.