The Xunta de Galicia gave green light to grants for the Galician University Research Center Network (CIGUS). The Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) has renewed its accreditation as a center of scientific excellence and will receive a grant of 3 million euros to develop its activities until 2027. The CiQUS maintains and strengthens its leadership position by once again obtaining the highest score during the evaluation process assessing the performance of the SUG research centers.
The new accreditation serves to "highlight the results, after having passed a very demanding evaluation", say the directors of the centre, who express their gratitude for the work and commitment of both the researchers and the technical and management team, who have made it possible. The funding will facilitate the execution of numerous outlined initiatives within the CiQUS Strategic Plan, strengthen our national and international leadership in the field of chemistry and its intersection with biology and materials science, and progress in the development of technologies for improving health and the environment", emphasized the management team.
With the resolution of this call from the Consellería de Cultura, Educación, Formación Profesional e Universidades, the Xunta de Galicia accredits excellence and provides funding to strengthen the capacities and scientific projects of these centers. This accreditation was based on assessments made by an external committee in three main dimensions: Organization and governance (strategy, governance and organizational structure, talent management, funding, and infrastructure), research quality (projects, scientific output, internal collaboration, recognition, transfer, and internationalization), and relevance to society (responsible research and innovation, services, and communication).
Among the centers renewing their accreditation of excellence are IGFAE, CiMUS, and CiTIUS from the University of Santiago de Compostela; AtlanTTic, CINBIO, and CIM from the University of Vigo (UV); and CITIC from the University of A Coruña. In addition, CRETUS (USC) and CICA (UDC) join this alliance for the first time, which, together, now comprises a network of ten centers. All of them will have the recognition of CIGUS from the Xunta de Galicia, accrediting the quality and impact of their research. On the other hand, a new category of centers has been created in this call, Collaborative Research Centers, which, although they do not obtain the accreditation of excellence, are on their way to achieving it. Among these centers are CITEC (UDC), CINTECX (UV), and ECOBAS (UV).