The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), Competence Centre on Modelling, is glad to announce:

The 13^th Summer School on

Sensitivity Analysis of Model Output (SAMO)

Fiesole (Florence), 8 - 12 June 2026

The JRC is committed to provide science and evidence-based knowledge to inform decision-making and drive positive change. The Competence Centre on Modelling (CC-MOD) promotes a responsible, coherent and transparent use of modelling to support the evidence base for EU policies, contributes to the Commission's Better Regulation policy, and supports a community of practice on modelling, also taking action to develop the next generation of specialised scientists.

Overview

The Summer School on Sensitivity Analysis of Model Output (SAMO) aims to equip participants with a solid understanding of how to perform sensitivity analysis in simulation modelling, emphasizing its crucial role in policy and policy-making. Designed for researchers, policy analysts, practitioners, early-carrier researchers (PhD students and Post-Docs) eager to strengthen their analytical skills.

The programme provides a clear and accessible introduction to Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA) — one of the most powerful tools for knowledge and understanding complex models. It also includes an introduction to Sensitivity Auditing, a more general approach to the assessment of simulation models for policy-making.

Programme

Starting from the fundamental concepts, the programme will progressively guide participants through the complete set of recommended practices, from model design and parameter selection to the interpretation of sensitivity indices. Sessions will be devoted to the GSA/SA role for assessment, also referring to relevant examples in the EU and policy making context.

Participants will engage in hands-on exercises and practical application examples that illustrate how to apply sensitivity analysis to real-world problems across different domains and in assessment.

A roundtable session will conclude the programme, featuring selected case studies presented by participants, encouraging knowledge sharing and collaborative discussion on real-world applications.

By the end of the programme, attendees will be able to confidently design, conduct, and interpret sensitivity analyses, gaining valuable insights into how model inputs shape outcomes and understand how uncertainty analysis and sensitivity analysis can be applied in assessment and policy making — a skill increasingly essential in science, engineering, and policy analysis.

Join us for this unique learning journey and become part of a community passionate about making models more transparent, robust, and impactful!

Instructors

A preliminary list of instructors is: Andrea Saltelli (UPF Barcelona School of Management - University of Bergen), Bruno Sudret (ETH Zurich), Bertrand Iooss (Electricité de France), Thierry Mara (University of La Réunion), Sergei Kucherenko (Imperial College London), Emanuele Borgonovo (Bocconi University), as well as Stefano Tarantola, Ricardo Bolado, Rossana Rosati, Elena Bastianon, and Ivana Aleksovska (JRC)

Venue

The school will be held in Villa La Stella (Fiesole)  - FIRENZE (Italy)

Registration

The school can accommodate up to 25 participants. Candidates will be selected based on their CV and a motivation letter. Ongoing scientific work/studies in relevant domains, requiring sensitivity analysis would be a priority.

The school is free. The students will have to cover (and organize) their own travel and accommodation expenses.

Registration is now closed and the successful candidates have been informed. The scientific program will be available soon.

Contact: Rossana Rosati, Elena Bastianon. 

For any information, please send an email at ec-sensitivity-analysis@ec.europa.eu.