The IN CSIC-UMH welcomes the Mujeres por África Foundation’s visit to strengthen the Science by Women programme

8 de June de 2026

To strengthen collaboration between both institutions within the framework of the Science by Women programme, Juan Algar, Director General of the Mujeres por África Foundation, and María Almela Gambín, Coordinator of the programme, visited the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint centre of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH). The delegation was received by the Institute's Director, Juana Gallar, and by Julio Barbas, Head of Internationalisation at the IN.

From left to right: Juana Gallar, Director of the IN CSIC-UMH; María Almela Gambín, Coordinator of the Scientific Research Area at Mujeres por África; Juan Algar, Director of the Mujeres por África Foundation; and Julio Barbas, Head of Internationalization at the IN CSIC-UMH. Source: IN CSIC-UMH.

During the meeting, representatives from both institutions shared experiences regarding the development of the programme and explored new opportunities to further promote international scientific cooperation and the leadership of African women researchers. The Mujeres por África Foundation, chaired by Mª Teresa Fernández de la Vega, promotes this initiative with the aim of strengthening female leadership and scientific capacity across the African continent through research fellowships at leading Spanish research institutions, fostering the creation of international scientific collaboration networks.

The IN CSIC-UMH joined the Science by Women programme in its third edition with the support of the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation and, since then, has hosted eight African women researchers from Tanzania, Nigeria, Egypt, Cameroon and Morocco. During their fellowships, the researchers have joined the Institute’s research groups to carry out projects in different areas of neuroscience, establishing collaborations that have helped strengthen scientific ties between Spain and several countries across the African continent.

The continuity of this collaboration reflects the Institute for Neurosciences’ commitment to research internationalization and to supporting women in science. “Being part of Science by Women enables us to contribute to a more diverse and inclusive scientific landscape while enriching our own research through the exchange of knowledge and experiences with women scientists from around the world”, says Juana Gallar, IN CSIC-UMH Director.

María Almela Gambín, Programme Coordinator, highlights this collaboration as one of the programme's most successful partnerships. “It demonstrates a strong, sustained and growing shared commitment to African women’s scientific leadership and the sustainable development of the continent. Institutions such as the IN CSIC-UMH are what give this initiative its real meaning and impact.”

Science by Women Launches Its 12th Edition

The visit coincides with the recent launch of the 12th edition of the Science by Women programme, for which applications will remain open until 30 June. As part of this new call, the Institute for Neurosciences is once again participating in the initiative by offering a research fellowship to an African woman scientist, who will have the opportunity to carry out a six-month research stay at this Centre of Excellence.

The call is open to women scientists working at academic and research institutions across Africa and offers six-month fellowships at leading Spanish research centres. Through this initiative, the Mujeres por África Foundation and its partner institutions aim to foster women’s scientific talent while strengthening international research collaboration.

For more information about the fellowship opportunity at the Institute for Neurosciences, please visit:

https://mujeresporafrica.es/science-by-women/institute-for-neurosciences-in-2/

Source: Institute for Neurosciences CSIC-UMH (in.comunicacion@umh.es)