In the 2021-2022 Plan, DESU set objectives in terms of research that primarily aimed to strengthen staff participation in infrastructure and interdisciplinary funding opportunities, the international quality of faculty and doctoral colleges, and the activity of research centers. DESU has substantially achieved these objectives, following a development path that had already been positively outlined. Moreover, the results achieved by DESU in the VQR 2015-2019 confirmed that the research sector represents one of DESU's major strengths.

In recent years, DESU has promoted both the quantity and quality of the scientific output of its staff. This was confirmed by the results of the VQR 2015-2019, which led to the Department being selected to submit a proposal as a Department of Excellence with the highest (joint) result in the University and among the best educational centers nationwide. Subsequently, DESU was indeed named a Department of Excellence for the five-year period 2023-2027.

DESU's research results can be considered fully satisfactory in three key aspects:

• Publications were rated as excellent in over 75% of cases;
• There was extensive participation in high-quality scientific production, with 37 out of 39 DESU members having presented at least one product by November 2019;
• Evaluation results were above the national average in the most represented areas within the Department, particularly in area 10 and, most notably, in subarea 11a.