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Prof. Licia Verde, Scientific Director of ICCUB, accepted the award on behalf of the institute, underscoring the collective effort and dedication of all the research teams.
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ICCUB Scientific director, Licia Verde, accepts the 20225-2031 María de Maeztu accreditation
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Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) has received the prestigious María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence accreditation by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI), under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
 

The recognition was officially presented last Wednesday during a ceremony held at the University of Zaragoza, which was attended by the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant; the Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, Pilar Alegría; the President of the Higher Council for Scientific Research, Eloísa del Pino; the Vice-Rector for Scientific Policy, Pilar Pina Iritia; the Vice-Rector for Innovation, Transfer and Continuing Education, Manuel Gonzalez Badía, both from the University of Zaragoza; and the Director of the State Research Agency, José Manuel Fernández de Labastida.
 

 

The accreditation includes a 2.25 million euro grant over four years, aimed at strengthening the institute’s strategic research programs and talent development.


Prof. Licia Verde, Scientific Director of ICCUB, accepted the award on behalf of the institute, underscoring the collective effort and dedication of the entire research team.
 

ICCUB is one of only eight research units across Spain to receive this distinction in 2024, which reinforces its role as a leading center for fundamental research and innovation in astrophysics, particle physics and cosmology, and supports its mission to advance knowledge and train the next generation of scientists.

 

“Severo Ochoa” Excellence Centres:

  • Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE).
  • Institut Català d’Investigació Química (ICIQ).
  • Barcelona School of Economics (BSE).
  • Instituto de Ciencias Fotónicas (ICFO).
  • Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM-CSIC).
  • Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO).
  •  Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM-CSIC).
  • Fundación Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC).
  • Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD).
     

“María de Maeztu” Excellence Units:

  • Departamento de Medicina y Ciencias de la Vida (MELIS), de la Universidad Pompeu Fabra.
  • Institut de Ciencies del Cosmos (ICCUB), de la Universidad de Barcelona.
  • Institut de Ciencia i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona.
  • Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), de la Universidad de Barcelona.
  • Centro de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), de la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela.
  • Instituto de Ciencia Molecular (ICMOL), de la Universidad de Valencia.
  • Instituto Universitario de Investigación de Matemáticas (IMUS), de la Universidad de Sevilla.
  • Fundación IMDEA Software.

 

Key Figures from the 2024 Call:
 

  • 17 institutions accredited: 9 Severo Ochoa Centers and 8 María de Maeztu Units
  • 60% success rate for Severo Ochoa applications, 15% for María de Maeztu
  • 35% of scientific directors and 32% of principal investigators are women
  • Accredited institutions hold 88 National Research Awards, 20 active ATRAEs, and 40% of all ERC grants in Spain
  • Catalonia leads in number of accredited institutions, followed by Madrid and Andalusia

For more information, visit the AEI website.