The Balearic Islands science of excellence
Nov. 9, 2022
The research institutes IFISC (UIB-CSIC) and IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), both located in the Balearic Islands, receive the accreditation of "María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence".
The Ministry of Science and Innovation, through the State Research Agency (AEI), has granted the Institute for Cross-disciplinary Physics and Complex Systems (IFISC) and the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA) the accreditation of "Unit of Excellence María de Maeztu". Both institutes, jointly owned by the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) and the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), become part of the select Alliance of Severo Ochoa Centers and María de Maeztu Units (SOMMa Alliance).
This accreditation, granted after a rigorous evaluation and selection process by a committee of international experts and in accordance with the most demanding standards, consolidates IFISC and IMEDEA as reference institutes in the field of research in complex systems and life sciences, respectively. All two units will receive a total funding of 2,000,000 euros over the next four years, in addition to 6 pre-doctoral researcher contracts and access to exclusive funding sources for these centers and units of excellence.
According to the ministry itself, this means "the recognition of the best centers and units that stand out for the impact and international relevance of the results obtained in the last four years", as well as "the financing of strategic research programs with the objective of consolidating their scientific capabilities and contributing to their international leadership".
Of the total of 60 centers and units with accreditation valid in 2021 such as "Severo Ochoa" or "María de Maeztu", 72% are located in the communities of Catalonia (27) and Madrid (16). IFISC was the first unit of excellence in the Balearic Islands, obtaining the "María de Maeztu" in 2018, accreditation that renews now and to which IMEDEA joins. Balears thus enters the reduced selection of autonomous communities with more than one unit of excellence (Catalonia, Madrid, Basque Country, Andalusia and Valencian Community).
All accredited institutions stand out for the international impact of their scientific contributions, their postgraduate teaching activity, their innovative capacity and their intense relationship with the social and economic environment. They are world-class institutions with cutting-edge research programs that are highly competitive and capable of attracting international talent.
IFISC studies complex phenomena, one of the challenges of 21st century research. Its mission is to develop cross-disciplinary and strategic research in complex systems following the established scientific approach of physicists.
The mission of IMEDEA is to contribute to the advancement of knowledge of marine, coastal and island ecosystems in order to preserve and restore them. It conducts research to achieve a sustainable development of coastal areas and to clarify the causes and impacts of anthropogenic and global change that threaten them.
