CiQUS researcher Beatriz Pelaz received the 2024 National Research Award for Young Scientists yesterday during an official ceremony held at the Royal Palace of El Pardo in Madrid. The event was presided over bythe King Felipe VI and attended by Diana Morant, Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, and Eva Ortega-Paíno, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities. These awards are the most prestigious scientific recognition granted in Spain, both for their institutional significance and for the national and international visibility they provide.
Beatriz Pelaz was recognised in the “Felisa Martín Bravo” category, which covers the field of Physical Science and Technologies, for her work on the development of advanced nanomaterials with biomedical applications. Her research is distinguished by its focus on controlling the physicochemical properties of materials to determine their biological behavior and the development of a new technology for nanoparticle surface modification using DNA origami techniques.
Her award also contributed to a historic milestone: for the first time in the history of the National Research Awards, more than half of the recipients were women—both in the senior and young scientist categories. This was highlighted by the Ministry as a sign of progress towards greater gender equality in the scientific landscape.
Established in 1982 and expanded in 2021 with a dedicated category for young researchers, the National Research Awards are endowed with €30,000 in each modality. In addition to acknowledging individual excellence, they aim to showcase the strength of Spain’s scientific system and inspire future generations of researchers.
For CiQUS, this award for Beatriz Pelaz is also a source of collective pride, underscoring the value of the research carried out at the centre in the field of interdisciplinary chemistry with biomedical applications. The CiQUS holds the CIGUS recognition by the Xunta de Galicia, that accredits the quality and impact of its research, and receives financial support from the European Union through the Galicia FEDER Program 2021-2027.
Imagen: Premios Nacionales de Investigación | Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
Imagen: Premios Nacionales de Investigación | Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades