The Institute for Neurosciences CSIC-UMH receives its third accreditation as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence

6 de September de 2024

  • The Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities delivers the accreditation that distinguishes the best research centers in the country, among which is the Institute for Neurosciences, the only accredited center in Alicante.
  • The distinction recognizes the impact and international relevance of the Institute of Neurosciences, one of the 11 centers that has maintained the recognition for 12 consecutive years.

Yesterday in Madrid, the Minister of Science, Innovation, and Universities, Diana Morant, presented the badges that recognize the best research centers in Spain. This is accreditation as Severo Ochoa Centers of Excellence or María de Maeztu Units of Excellence, which promotes the quality of Spanish scientific research through the recognition of centers and units that stand out for the international relevance and impact of their research. The Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), is one of the 11 institutions that has maintained the recognition for 12 consecutive years.

The recognition, which involves an investment of four million euros for each center, is carried out through an annual competitive call, whose applications are evaluated by an international scientific committee based on a series of criteria such as the impact of the research on the world scientific scene, the generation of cutting-edge knowledge, training activities, and attraction of human resources at an international level, collaboration with high-level research centers, and activities for the transfer and dissemination of knowledge to society.

Photo: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades. 

Accreditation as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence or María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence is valid for four years. During that period, it represents one million euros per year for each of the centers, or five hundred thousand euros per year in the case of the units. In addition to social and scientific recognition, accreditation allows priority access to other initiatives to promote research. The calls are managed by the State Research Agency (AEI).

The IN, in addition to being the only accredited center in the province of Alicante, maintains its accreditation as the Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence uninterruptedly in the 2013, 2017 and 2021 calls, which cover the period 2014-2027. During this time, this funding has allowed the center to promote actions in different areas, from attracting talent to cutting-edge training in neurosciences, which have positioned the IN as the flagship of Spanish neurosciences.

Specifically, the third Severo Ochoa accreditation has allowed the launch of an ambitious project organized into eight scientific programs aimed at the most burning issues in neuroscience, which also contemplates the strengthening of the central services of the IN with new frontier technologies and several actions aimed at attracting young talent and international visibility. This research work is complemented by activities related to training young neuroscientists, disseminating neurosciences, and transferring basic knowledge generated at the IN to society.

The director of the Institute for Neurosciences and scientific director of the current Severo Ochoa project at the IN, Ángel Barco, highlights that this recognition “allows the center to undertake actions that would not otherwise be possible and brings us much more quickly and decisively closer to the objective of consolidate the Institute for Neurosciences as an international reference center in which to address cutting-edge issues in neuroscience.”

In addition to the IN, the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ), the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA) and the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC) complete the list of research centers in the Valencian Community that have received this recognition. The ITQ, and the IFIC, they are joint centers between the CSIC and different Valencian universities.: “The CSIC is a powerful asset of science and innovation in our autonomous community, as well as an example of collaboration with Valencian universities”, says Juan Fuster, institutional delegate of the CSIC in the Valencian Community.

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