The Nucleo Ricerca Desertificazione of the University of Sassari (NRD-UNISS) was born in 1990 as a multidisciplinary research group focusing on  Mediterranean desertification. The NRD staff was made up of researchers and scientists from Institutes and Departments of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences.
Since 2000 the NRD has become the "Centro Interdipartimentale di Ateneo - NRD" (Interdepartmental Centre NRD of the University of Sassari). Different disciplines are covered: geology, geomorphology, pedology, hydraulics, hydrology, agronomy, forestry, economics and animal science.
Since its establishment, the NRD has been involved in several research projects, most of them financed by the EU. Among them the most important are: MEDALUS II and III, MEDRAP, AIDCCD, DESERTLINKS, MEDCOASTLAND NET, DESERTNET I and II, DESERTWATCH, SMAP I,II and III. The NRD group also promotes several activities aiming at sharing information, data and experiences at the international level and transferring knowledge, for example by means of scientific training to young researchers from European and non-European Countries.

Activities in the frame of the project

- Coordination and management : support to the parners concerning both technical/scientific and administration/accountability subjects; coordination of the partners’ activities in the frame of the partnership; relationship with the Management Authority of the project and with other institutions concerned;
- Presentation of the Project DesertNet at international meetings organized in the frame of European/International Projects such as Medrap, Desertlinks, Aid-CCD, Riade, etc; publicity to the Project by means of computer tools (website, newsletter, etc.) and conferences organized to present the project activities;
- Contacts and collaboration with South Mediterranean Countries, training of Algerian experts;
- Scientific coordination on thematic items, through the following activities: study visit to the pilot areas chosen for the partners’ actions, harmonizing the partners’ activities, organisation of thematic meetings (working sessions), contribution to the definition of common approaches for the pilot actions and of common indicators;
- Building the structure of the Platform of Services.