DAMA is an observatory for rare processes based on the development and use of various kinds of radiopure scintillators. Several low background set-ups located in the underground laboratory of Gran Sasso have been realized; the main ones are:

i) DAMA/NaI (~ 100 kg of radiopure NaI(Tl)), which took data underground over seven annual cycles and was put out of operation in July 2002;

ii) DAMA/LXe (~6.5 kg Kr-free liquid Xenon, enriched either in ¹²⁹Xe or in ¹³⁶Xe);

iii) DAMA/R&D, which is devoted to tests on prototypes and relatively small scale experiments; it is dedicated at present to the AURORA measurements with CdWO₄ enriched in ¹¹⁶Cd.

iv) the low background DAMA/Ge in the LNGS germanium facility for sample measurements and small scale experiments; some measurements are also carried out with other Ge set-ups of the LNGS STELLA germanium facility:

v) DAMA/CRYS, a new small set-up to test prototypes and qualify detectors; vi) the new second generation set-up DAMA/LIBRA (~250 kg; highly radio-pure NaI(Tl) set-up) in operation since March 2003. It has concluded at fall 2010 the data taking of DAMA/LIBRA-phase1; the results have been presented in 2008, in 2010 and finally in August 2013. At fall 2010 a relevant upgrade occurred and now DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 is taking data.

These set-ups have investigated many rare processes.