Research at the University of BarcelonaThe University of Barcelona (UB) is a research-intensive institution promoting multidisciplinary research with internationally recognized research

Research at the University of Barcelona

Edition:Vice-Rectorate for Research, Innovation and Transfer, University of Barcelona. January 2015

Coordination:Francesca Gallego & Conxita Avila

Edition production: Publicacions i Edicions de la Universitat de Barcelona. January 2015

Facts, Figures and Images: UB Office of Research Management – OGR (UB-GREC database); UB Research Institutes; Research Institutes in which the UB participates

Acronyms SGRs: Research Groups recognized by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government). ICREA researchers are those within the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), a foundation supported by the Catalan Government. RyC researchers: researchers within the Ramón y Cajal programme (Spanish Government).

The University of Barcelona (UB) is a research-intensive institution promoting multidisciplinary research with internationally recognized research teams, up-to-date facilities and the latest technologies. The comprehensive character of the UB allows its researchers to explore the frontiers of knowledge from virtually all disci-plines, including the experimental sciences, medical and health sciences, social sci-ences, humanities, and fine arts. Institutional international impact and cooperation in education and research are among the main goals of the UB, which is widely recognized by the most renowned international rankings as Spain’s leading re-search university according to the number of scientific articles published, the num-ber of citations and the quality of its research activity.

The UB is the only Spanish university invited to join the League of European Re-search Universities (LERU), which includes the 21 best research-intensive universi-ties in Europe, a fact that greatly contributes to the international dimension of the UB. The University has been a member of LERU since 2010 on its own merits: the quality of the research carried out; the social, economic and academic impact of the research projects led; and the wide range of academic fields in which this re-search is performed. The deep commitment of the UB to LERU is also reflected by the fact that six representatives of our university were appointed last year as mem-bers of the steering committees of different LERU communities of experts, such as the Social Sciences and Humanities community and the Enterprise and the Innova-tion community, among others.

Universities must change and adapt their research structures to face the new chal-lenges of society in a changing global world. The mission of universities is to cre-ate new knowledge through research and innovation and to transfer this knowl-edge to develop a welfare society. It is in this context that we are pleased to present here the outstanding research assets which with great effort, enthusiasm and in-volvement have decisively contributed to making the University of Barcelona a competitive research-intensive institution. Even amidst continuing social and eco-nomic challenges, the UB has managed to successfully run an average of more than 800 research projects per year in all knowledge fields of the sciences and humani-ties. The research structures at the UB are based on 314 research groups acknowl-edged by the Catalan Government and in research institutes. In this leaflet, we present the 14 UB specific research institutes and 9 of the Catalan research insti-tutes in which professors and researchers of the UB are involved.

I am absolutely confident that the commitment of UB researchers and staff alike will continue to contribute to enhancing the international position of the University of Barcelona with excellent results in research and innovation.

Jordi AlberchVice-Rector for Research, Innovation and Transfer

University of Barcelona

Barcelona, January 2015

UB: Leader in university research

1. Research Groups at the UB: SGRs

2. Significant Research Projects at the UB

3. Research Institutes of the UB

4. Research Institutes in which the UB participates

6

9

15

19

35

INDEX

6

The University of Barcelona (UB) is Barcelona’s principal university with six campuses located within the city itself and one in the metropolitan area. In its eighteen centres, the UB offers a total of 66 bachelor’s degrees, 139 uni-versity master’s degrees, 73 doctoral programmes and over 1,000 postgrad-uate and lifelong learning courses. Over 64,000 students study in face-to-face and in distance learning modes and every year more than 7,000 students are awarded bachelor’s degrees; around 675 doctoral theses were submitted in 2013.

The UB is Spain’s leading research university being the highest-ranking Span-ish university in most international research league tables. The institution oc-cupies a very competitive position at national, European and worldwide levels in the most important ranking tables which take into account a range of varia-bles within different geographical areas.

According to the European Commission’s Third European Report on Science and Technology Indicators, the University of Barcelona produces more publica-tions and is cited more frequently than any other Spanish university, apart from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

The work of the research groups at the University of Barcelona is overseen by the UB’s research centres and institutes, which collaborate with leading research institutions and networks in Spain and abroad. The UB is also home to large research foundations: the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), which houses the Institute of Biomedical Research (IRB) and the Institute for Bio-engineering of Catalonia (IBEC); and also biomedical institutes associated with the Faculty of Medicine such as the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Re-search Institute (IDIBAPS), and the Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL).

The guidelines for research policy are drawn up by the Office of the Vice-Rec-tor for Research, Innovation and Transfer. Research activities are managed by the UB Office of Research Management (OGR), which is in charge of national research programmes, the UB Office for International Research Projects (OPIR), and the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation (FBG), which manages knowledge trans-fer and relations with the business sector.

The UB has 106 departments and more than 5,200 researchers, technicians and research assistants, most of them working in the UB’s 314 research groups which have been recognized and supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government). The main research areas at the University of Barce-lona are the experimental sciences (physics, mathematics, geology and chem-istry), life and medical sciences, economics, business, law, humanities (phi-lology, philosophy, history and geography) and educational and behavioural sciences.

The UB’s level of research activity and scientific output is among the highest in Spain. In the academic year 2013-2014 the University was involved in 689 national projects, 141 European projects and around 740 contracts with companies. The total income from these activities was around 54.7 million euros in 2013.

UB: Leader in university research

7

The University of Barcelona offers a wide range of scientific, technical and spe-cialized research support services that are available to UB researchers, mem-bers of the UB Group and other institutions and companies.

Among these infrastructures, it is worth mentioning the Scientific and Techno-logical Centres of the University of Barcelona (CCiTUB), a research infrastruc-ture facility whose main goal is to support research and innovation, mainly in the areas of chemistry, materials sciences and biosciences, and the Learning and Research Resources Centre (CRAI).

7

9

The UB in the world

The UB develops multidisciplinary research with internationally recognized facili-ties and using the latest technologies. The UB is the leading research university in Spain and is among the top 200 in the world according to the main international rankings such as the Academic Ranking of World Universities, also known as the Shanghai Ranking. The University of Barcelona has become the Spanish university with the highest number of Highly Cited Researchers.1

According to the new edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, the UB is the only Spanish university that ranks among the top 200 universities in 25 out of 30 subject areas and ranks as Spain’s number one in 18 fields. Regarding Spanish uni-versity scene, UB is also the only university included among the best 100 universities worldwide in the fields of Philology, Linguistics, Medicine, Environmental Sciences and Earth and Marine Sciences. Moreover, it is important to highlight that UB is included in the world’s top 100 in Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry, Psychology, Agriculture, Ge-ography, Statistics and Operational Research, Sociology, and Law.2

Furthermore, according to the results of the Performance Ranking of Scientific Pa-pers for World Universities 2013 (NTU Ranking), which evaluates and ranks the pro-ductivity and the impact of publications of the top 500 worldwide universities, the UB is the only Spanish university included among the best 100 universities world-wide. To be precise, the UB is in the Top 100 in Agriculture, Clinical Medicine, Life Sciences and Natural Sciences, and it is the top Spanish university in Clinical Med-icine, Life Sciences and Natural Sciences. By subjects, those in which the UB is leader are: Agricultural Sciences, Chemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Civil Engi-neering (including Environmental Engineering).2

The UB is also the first Spanish university included in the bibliometric ranking Na-ture Index 2014 Global, which tracks the affiliations of high quality scientific arti-cles published in 68 science journals of the Nature Publishing Group. The UB had 431 articles published in these journals between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014; it occupies position 94 in the world ranking and position 70 among universi-ties. As regards the total number of articles of UB research groups, 286 of these are focused on Physical Sciences, 90 on Life Sciences, 60 on Chemistry and 14 on Earth and Environmental Sciences.3

The UB’s scientific impact

The UB therefore stands out for being on the very frontiers of disciplines such as biomedicine and biotechnology, and is also very active in other experimental sci-ences, social sciences, humanities, and fine arts. The annual income from research and technology transfer at the UB amounted to almost 55 M € during the last aca-demic year (2013-2014). During this period, UB research activity generated around 5,000 scientific publications according to the Institute for Scientific Information index, 40 patent applications and 3 new technology-based spin-offs. The UB is also highly committed to the active dissemination of its scientific outputs within society, with a total of 10,698 impacts in general media during the last academic year. Moreover, UB research teams have presented about 200 proposals to the first calls of the European Horizon 2020 programme.

1. RESEARCH GROUPS AT THE UB: SGRs

1. www.ub.edu/web/ub/en/menu_eines/noticies/2014/06/042.html2. www.ub.edu/web/ub/en/universitat/la_ub_avui/ranquings/index.html3. www.ub.edu/web/ub/en/menu_eines/noticies/2014/11/049.html?

10

The most significant research at the UB is carried out by the UB’s 314 research groups which have been recognized and supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government) through the SGR Call which aims to give support to the re-search activities conducted by the best teams. Out of these 314 SGR Groups, 292 are Consolidated Research Groups (GRC) and 22 are Emerging Research Groups (GRE). There are also 7 interuniversity SGR groups with double affiliation, that is UB and another Catalan institution.

According to their main field of knowledge, established by the Catalan Govern-ment, these 314 UB SGR Groups are distributed in 6 categories which include Social Sciences (Economics, Business, Law, Sociology, Education), Humanities (Geography and History, Philology, Philosophy and Fine Arts), Sciences (Chemistry, Geology, Physics and Mathematics), Life Sciences, Medical and Health Sciences, and Engi-neering and Architecture.

Medical and

Health Sciences

Social Sciencies

Engineering and

Architecture

HumanitiesSciences Life Sciences

Distribution of professional profiles in UB SGRs 350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

Women FellowsMen FellowsWomen AdSSMen AdSSWomen TRSMen TRS

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Gender distribution in UB SGRs

Humanities

Engineering and Anchitecture

Social Sciences

Medical and Health Sciences

Life Sciences

Sciences

Women

Men

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

International

National

Origin of the personnel in UB SGRs

Number of groups (SGR call 2014-2016)

Engineering and Architecture


Life Sciences

Sciences

Humanities

Social Sciences

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Considered globally, there is a fair gender distribution within the SGR groups, with 47.4 % of active members being women, although there is a significant deviation in Sciences (Maths, Physics, Chemistry) and Engineering and Architecture.

Medical and

Health Sciences

Social Sciencies

Engineering and

Architecture



300

250

200

150

100

50

0


0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%


Humanities


Social Sciences


Life Sciences

Sciences

Women

Men

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

International

National





Life Sciences

Sciences

Humanities

Social Sciences

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

RESEARCH GROUPS AT THE UB: SGRs

11

The following graph shows the breakdown of different professional profiles in UB SGRs into three groups: Research Fellows, Administration and Technicians (AdSS) and Teaching and Research Staff (TRS).

Medical and

Health Sciences

Social Sciencies

Engineering and

Architecture



300

250

200

150

100

50

0


0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%


Humanities


Social Sciences


Life Sciences

Sciences

Women

Men

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

International

National





Life Sciences

Sciences

Humanities

Social Sciences

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

80% of the research funding obtained by UB SGRs between 2009 and 2014 came from competitive calls and up to 35% of it was totally or partially of international origin, as is shown in the following charts.

Sciences(7 Grants)

34%Medical and HealthSciences (1 Grant)

7%

National64.86%

Others20.38%

International14.76%

Non-Competitive20%

Competitive80%

Life Sciences(4 Grants)

19%

Humanities(3 Grants)

19%Social Sciences

(3 Grants)21%

Origin of the Research Funding obtained by UB SGR groups (2009-2013)

% of Funding obtained by the UB SGRs in each Area from ERC Grants (Calls 2009-2013)

Type of funding obtained for research by UB SGR groups (2009-2013)

This funding was mainly intended to develop Research Projects, for which UB SGR teams obtained up to 58% of the total amount received from Catalan and Spanish funding bodies. Another 19% came directly from European Union Calls and finally, 20% corresponded to contracts and agreements established between UB SGR groups and private and public businesses and institutions.

During the last 5 years, the University of Barcelona has competed very success-fully for the European Research Council (ERC) Grants. The high quality of candi-dates has meant that, for example, three out of the six researchers from the Catalan research system who were awarded grants in the ERC Starting Grants call in 2013, are now developing their projects at the Faculty of Physics of the UB.


12

The graph below shows the percentage of funding which was obtained by UB re-searchers affiliated to the UB SGRs per knowledge area. In total there were 18 ERC Grants (Starting Grants, Advanced Grants and Proof of Concept) awarded to the UB between 2009-2014.

Sciences(7 Grants)

34%Medical and HealthSciences (1 Grant)

7%

National64.86%

Others20.38%

International14.76%

Non-Competitive20%

Competitive80%

Life Sciences(4 Grants)

19%

Humanities(3 Grants)

19%Social Sciences

(3 Grants)21%

Origin of the Research Funding obtained by UB SGR groups (2009-2013)

% of Funding obtained by the UB SGRs in each Area from ERC Grants (Calls 2009-2013)

Type of funding obtained for research by UB SGR groups (2009-2013)

The analysis of the Scientific Outputs of the UB SGRs for the period 2009-2013 is shown for the 6 knowledge areas:

% of ISI publications per quartile (2009-2013)

1st quartile 3rd quartile2nd quartile 4th quartile

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Class A Class CClass B Class D

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000



Life Sciences

Sciences

Social Sciences

Humanities

Non-ISI articles ISI articles

Analysis of articles published (2009-2013)

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000



Life Sciences

Sciences

Social Sciences

Humanities

Non-CARHUS total articles CARHUS + total articles

CARHUS + analysis of articles published (2009-2013) % of CARHUS+ publications per class (2009-2013)

The CARHUS+Analysis of the articles published by the 314 UB SGR research groups, from 2009 to 2014, is shown in the following graphs:

% of ISI publications per quartile (2009-2013)

1st quartile 3rd quartile2nd quartile 4th quartile

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Class A Class CClass B Class D

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000



Life Sciences

Sciences

Social Sciences

Humanities

Non-ISI articles ISI articles

Analysis of articles published (2009-2013)

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000



Life Sciences

Sciences

Social Sciences

Humanities

Non-CARHUS total articles CARHUS + total articles

CARHUS + analysis of articles published (2009-2013) % of CARHUS+ publications per class (2009-2013)


13

In order to join forces with R&D activity and to improve the quality of public and private-sector innovation capacities, the UB develops a number of projects promot-ing knowledge and technology transfer in basic research together with private and public businesses and institutions. The UB Group hereby ensures that such institu-tions can play an instrumental role in technological innovation and fully develop the potential of the quaternary sector.

The collaboration between the UB research groups and the business sectors is man-aged by the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation (FBG), which takes care of all those as-pects involved in the knowledge transfer activity of the UB. The researchers at the UB can transfer their research findings using a variety of mechanisms, including contract research agreements, collaborative research agreements, patent licens-ing and company creation.

The transfer indicators for the 314 SGR groups at the UB during the last five years are shown in the figure below:



Sciences Life Sciences

Number of patents and spin-offs (2009-2013) per knowledge area

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Intellectual property (software and DB) Priority Patent Application

Industrial secret Spin-off

PCT/EUR/US Application


14

15

Of the many active research projects carried out recently at the UB, the list below presents a very brief selection of those research lines which have been either coor-dinated by researchers of the UB or that meet the selection criteria. Selection was made on the basis of the academic, social and economic impact of the projects or because of the amount of funding granted. Selected projects have mainly been funded by the European Commission through the 7th Frame Programme, by the ERC or by other international agencies. The complete list of UB research projects can be retrieved from GREC-UB: https://webgrec.ub.edu.

ENVIRONMENT

DS3F. The Deep Sea & Sub-Seafloor Frontier.HERMIONE. Hostspot Ecosystem Research and Man’s Impact on European seas. MIDAS. Managing Impacts of Deep-seA reSource exploitation.ASTARTE. Assessment, STrategy And Risk Reduction for Tsunamis in Europe.PERSEUS. Policy-oriented marine Environmental Research in the Southern EUropean Seas.

M. Canals, Faculty of Geology

BIOFRESH. Biodiversity of Freshwater Ecosystems: Status, Trends, Pressures, and Conservation Priorities. MIRAGE. Mediterranean Intermittent River Management.REFRESH. Adaptive Strategies to Mitigate the Impacts of Climate Change on European Fresh-water Ecosystems.INTERFACES. Ecohydrological interfaces as critical hotspots for transformations of ecosystem exchange fluxes and biogeochemical cycling.

N. Prat, N. Bonada and F. Sabater, Faculty of Biology

VIROCLIME. Impact of climate change on the transport, fate and risk management of viral pathogens in water. PRIORITY. Protecting the food chain from prions: shaping European priorities through basic and applied research.

R. Gironès, Faculty of Biology

Routes. Novel processing routes for effective sewage sludge management.

A. Blanch, Faculty of Biology

AGRICULTURE

TERPMED. Plant Terpenoids for Human Health: a chemical and genomic approach to identify and produce bioactive compounds.

A. Ferrer, Faculty of Pharmacy

TILMAN-ORG. Reduced tillage and green manure for sustainable cropping systems.

F. Sans-Serra, Faculty of Biology

OPTICHINA. Breeding to Optimise Chinese Agriculture.AGRIWESTMED. Origins and spread of agriculture in the south-western Mediterranean region.MAIZE. Affordable field-based HTPPS.

J.L. Araus, Faculty of Biology

2. SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH PROJECTS AT THE UB

16

CANCER AND METABOLOMICS

Consortium for the Study of the Genome of the Chronic Lymphatic Leukaemia.

E. Campo, Faculty of Medicine, IDIBAPS and the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona

METAFLUX. Metabolic Flux Analysis and Cancer.COSMOS. Developing an efficient e-infrastructure, standards and data-flow for metabolomics and its interface to biomedical and life science e-infrastructures in Europe and world-wide.ETHERPATHS. Characterization and modelling of dietary effects mediated by gut microbiota on lipid metabolism.

M. Cascante, Faculty of Biology

CURELUNG. A future therapeutic target for lung cancer treatment has been discovered.

M. Esteller, Faculty of Medicine and IDIBELL

NEUROSCIENCES

Pathophysiology and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.J. Alberch, J.M. Canals, E. Pérez and S. Ginés. Faculty of Medicine and IDIBAPS

Neurobiology of development and neuroregeneration.

E. Soriano, Faculty of Biology

TRAVERSE. Transcending Reality Activating Virtual Environment Responses through Sensory Enrichment. VERE. Virtual Embodiment and Robotic Re-Embodiment.BEAMING. Beaming through augmented media for natural networked gatherings. VR-HYPERSPACE. The innovative use of virtual and mixed reality to increase human comfort by changing the perception of self and space. SERE. A System for Embodied Relational Experiences.

M. Slater, Faculty of Psychology

TuningLang. Tuning Attention during Language Learning.

R. de Diego, Faculty of Psychology and IDIBELL

SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH PROJECTS AT THE UB

17

SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH PROJECTS AT THE UB

ENERGY, MATERIALS AND NANOTECH

HELATHIS. High Efficient Very Large Area Thin Film Silicon Photovoltaic Modules.

J. Bertomeu, Faculty of Physics

HYDROBOND. New cost/effective superHYDROphobic coatings with enhanced BOND strength and wear resistance for application in large wind turbine blades.

J.M. Guilemany, I. García-Cano, Faculty of Chemistry

NASCENT. Silicon Nanodots for Solar Cell Tandem.HELIOS. PHotonics ELectronics functional Integration on CMOS.

B. Garrido, Faculty of Physics

SUPERSONIC. Supersonic Deposition of Nanostructures Surfaces.

J.M. Guilemany, J. Fernández-González. Faculty of Chemistry

SOCIO-ECONOMICS AND HUMANITIES

SEARCH. Sharing KnowledgE Assets: InteRegionally Cohesive NeigHborhoods. IAREG. Intangible Assets and Regional Economic Growth.

J. Suriñach, Faculty of Economics and Business

TRAMOD. Trajectories of modernity - comparing non-European and European varieties.

P. Wagner, Faculty of Economics and Business

GENDERACE. The use of racial anti-discrimination laws: gender and citizenship in a multicultural context.CITISPYCE. Combating inequalities through innovative social practices of, and for, young people in cities across Europe.

O. Jubany, Faculty of Geography and History

SIforAGE. Social Innovation on active and healthy ageing for sustainable economic growth.

A. Font Ribas, Faculty of Law

EPNet. Production and distribution of food during the Roman Empire: Economics and Political Dynamics

J. Remesal, Faculty of Geography and History

GRECO. Grassroots economics: Meaning, project and practice in the pursuit of livelihood. MEDEA. Models and their Effects on Development paths: an Ethnographic and comparative Ap-proach to knowledge transmissions and livelihood strategies.

S.E. Narotzky, Faculty of Geography and History

SIGN LEF. Sign Language European Frame.DEAF-LI. The Deaf Literacy.

M.P. Fernández-Viader, Faculty of Psychology

18

19

Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB)

Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB)

Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB)

Institute of Mathematics (IMUB)

Geomodels Research Institute

Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio)

Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB)

Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C)

Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute (INSA-UB)

Water Research Institute

Institute for Research on Applied Regional and Public Economics (IREA)

Institute for Research on Medieval Cultures (IRCVM)

Legal Research Institute (TransJus)

Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Studies (IPOA)

With the support of:

3. RESEARCH INSTITUTES OF THE UB

The University of Barcelona has 14 UB specific research institutes besides other Institutes in which the UB is a full member of their respective boards.

UB research institutes promote and undertake interdisciplinary and/or special-ized research activities in various fields of science, technology, social scienc-es, humanities and arts. They also provide scientific and technical consultancy services in their area of expertise.

All UB research institutes target highly competitive joint research, conduct in-novative projects and promote the transfer of research results to society. Their mission is to:

• Promote interdisciplinarity and specialization,• Coordinate the research developed by different research groups,• Provide scientific and technical advice.

The 14 research institutes at the UB are as follows:

- Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB)- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB)- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB)- Institute of Mathematics (IMUB)- Geomodels Research Institute- Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio)- Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB)- Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C)- Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute (INSA-UB)- Water Research Institute- Institute for Research on Applied Regional and Public Economics (IREA)- Institute for Research on Medieval Cultures (IRCVM)- Legal Research Institute (TransJus)- Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Studies (IPOA)

The strength of these research institutes is an important asset for the whole UB in terms of fundraising for research, both in the national and the interna-tional arena, and because they have become true hubs of knowledge and re-search at the UB.

The projects (inputs) obtained from 2009 to 2013 by researchers belonging to one of these institutes represented 45.3% of the total number of projects con-ducted by all researchers affiliated to the University of Barcelona. The economic value of these projects represented 53.5% of the total funding for research pro-jects managed by UB researchers overall.

The Research Institutes at the UB

20

15726_Instituts Recerca_CS6.indd 20 25/03/15 11:21

21

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the UB (ICCUB) is an interdisciplinary centre devoted to fundamental research in the field of cosmology, also paying attention to the technological applications of the sciences of the cosmos in general.

It brings together researchers from the departments of Astronomy and Meteor-ology, Structure and Constituents of Matter, Fundamental Physics, Applied Mathematics, Organic Chemistry, and Electronics.

http://icc.ub.eduINSTITUTE OF COSMOS SCIENCES

The ICCUB's Gaia group has been deeply involved in the ESA’s Gaia mission from the very beginning (1998) in the management and reduction of data from the mission as well as in some of the topics where Gaia will be crucial. RESEARCH LINES AT THE ICCUB

1. Cosmology and Gravitation-Dark matter and dark energy in cosmology.-Quantum and semiclassical gravity.-Black holes and gravity.

2. Cosmology and Large Scale Structure-Large scale structure.-Microwave background radiation aniso-tropies.

-Baryonic acoustic oscillations.-Supernova cosmology.-Dark matter and dark energy.-Lyman-alpha emission from galaxies at high redshifts.

-Reionization of the intergalactic medium.

3. Experimental Particle Physics-Physics of B and charm mesons.-Charge-Parity (CP) symmetry violation.-Deviations from the Standard Model in rare B meson decays.

-Quarkonium.-Grid and cloud computing.-Design of Geiger mode avalanche pho-todiodes.

-Study of the radiation hardness of ava-lanche photodetectors.

-Instrumentation for high-energy, astro-physics and medical imaging experi-ments.

4. Galaxy Structure and Evolution-Dark matter clustering and halo properties.-Galaxy evolution in groups and clusters.-Kinematics and structure of the galaxy.-Data reduction of the GAIA mission.

5. High Energy Astrophysics-High-Energy and Very-High-Energy gam-ma-ray sources.

-Multi-wavelength observations and mod-elling.

-Microquasars.

6. Nuclear and Hadron Physics-Hadron physics. Strangeness and charm in the nuclear medium.

-Lattice QCD of low-energy hadronic in-teractions.

-Nuclear structure. Nuclear symmetry en-ergy.

-Relativistic heavy ion collisions.-Dense and hot nuclear matter and appli-cations.

-Radiation transport and matter-radiation interactions.

7. Space Science and Technology-Astrodynamics.-Astronomical image processing.-Chirality and prebiotic chemistry.

-Heliospheric physics and space weather.-Microgravity.

8. Star Formation-Outflows, jets, and accretion disks in low- and high-mass young stellar ob-jects.

-Jets in planetary nebulae.-Computational models of star-forming clouds and star formation.

9. Theoretical Particle Physics-Standard Model and beyond at the LHC.

-B-physics. Analysis and physical reach of the LHCb detector.

-Studies of the physics of future collid-ers.

-Physics of neutrinos. Astrophysics and cosmology.

-QCD in extreme conditions. Heavy ion experiments at the LHC, FAIR and oth-er accelerators.

-String theory: unification of fundamen-tal forces.

-Applications of the gauge/string duality to QCD.

-Theoretical studies on Higgs produc-tion in the colliders within the Stand-ard Model and beyond.

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE ICCUB

Established in 2005

Staff statistics (2014)

Teaching and research staff 72 (of which: 9 ICREAs; 7 RyC)

Fellows and administrative and service staff 23

Number of nationalities represented among the staff 10

Gender distribution of the staff (% of women) 16.84%

Research indicators (2009-2013)

ISI publications 1224

% of ISI publications in 1st quartile 86.93%

Financing secured 14,223,040 €

Number of ERC grants 2 ERC Starting Grants (2009 and 2012)

Transfer indicators (2009-2013) Patents (2009-2013): 7 priority patents, 8 PCT/EUR/USA patents and 1 trade secret; 2 spin-offs

Director Lluís Garrido [email protected]

22

In 2006, the University of Barcelona created the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB) to coordinate the multidisciplinary research activities being carried out by several research groups of this institution. The IN2UB aims to contribute to the progress of science, while spurring, at the same time, indus-trial excellence.

Members of the IN2UB come from different scientific disciplines, such as phys-ics, chemistry, pharmacy science, biochemistry, and medicine. In this framework, the IN2UB aims to promote, both internally and internationally, collaboration be-tween different groups and research centres by strengthening interdisciplinary activities which integrate both basic and applied research.

www.ub.edu/in2ubINSTITUTE OF NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IN2UB

Established in 2006


Teaching and research staff 143 (of which: 7 RyC)








Number of ERC grants1 ERC Advanced Grant (2011);

3 ERC Starting Grants (2011 and 2014)

Transfer indicators (2009-2013)Patents (2009-2013): 19 priority patents, 29 PCT/EUR/USA patents and 3 trade secrets;

3 spin-offs

Director Amílcar Labarta [email protected], [email protected]

RESEARCH LINES AT THE IN2UB

1. Modelling and Simulation of Systems and Properties of Matter at Nanoscale:-Confinement-related phenomena: reac-tivity, magnetism, optoelectronics and quantum photonics.

-Transport and conduction.-Surface effects.-Electronic structure and excitations. -Bose-Einstein condensates and quantum confined gases.

2. Nanobiotechnology-Functionalization of surfaces. -Cellular and molecular biomechanics.-Biomimetic structures and systems.-Nanofluidics and nanorobotics. Nano-motors.

-Diagnosis in nanomedicine: marking and molecular observation.

-Nanobiosensors; DNA and potein chips; lab on chip.

3. Nanopharmacotherapy:-Nanostructured systems for controlled drug release. Nanocapsules.

-Nanostructured systems interaction with biological structures.

-Bioavailability, toxicity and therapeutic efficiency of nanostructured systems.

-Non-viral vectors. Gene therapy. Pharma-cogenomics and nutrigenomics.

-Molecular internalization. Molecular mar-king. Detoxification.

4. Nanomagnetism, Nanoelectronics and Nanophotonics-Magnetic nanoparticles and unimolecular magnets.

-Dynamic processes in nanomagnetism. Interaction with microwaves.

-Magnetoelectronics.-NEMS (nanoelectromechanical systems).-Electronic, optoelectronic and photonic nanodevices, nanosensors and nanosys-tems. Photonic crystals.

5. Nanostructured Materials: -Synthesis, nanomanufacturing and nano-manipulation.

-Thin layers, nanostructured multilayers and coatings.

-Nanoparticles, gels, nanofibres, nano-rods and nanotubes.

-Nanostructured metallic oxydes.-Nanocompounds.-Mesoporous materials and nanopatterns.

6. Nanoenergy: Production, Storage and Environment

-Catalyic nanostructures for energy pro-duction. Fuel cells.

-Nanomaterials for solar cells and photo-catalytic processes.

-Nanostructured systems for energy storage.

-Functional nanorods and nanothreads.-Nanosensors or pollution and gas de-tection.

23

The Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry of the University of Barcelona (IQTCUB) is made up of more than 40 researchers, experts in several fields of theoretical and computational chemistry. The research activity carried out at the IQTCUB covers methods and computational tool development, appli-cation of several techniques of electronic structure and simulation to problems in materials science, reaction dynamics in chemical reactions as well as in biological systems and soft-matter.

The main goal is to foster synergies between researchers, encouraging the inter-disciplinary activities that allow us to tackle new challenges. Another important goal is to share expertise in handling computational resources, which are the main tools in this type of research.

www.iqtc.ub.esINSTITUTE OF THEORETICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY

RESEARCH LINES AT THE IQTCUB

Methods, algorithms and computa-tional tool developmentTheories and algorithms dedicated to accounting for electronic correlation, nu-clear motion, quantum structure-activity, continuous symmetry measures, molec-ular modelling, variational state transition theory and magnetic resonance. Further developing of Monte Carlo, molecular dynamics and Brownian dynamics is also envisaged.

Computational materials scienceWe employ computational methods, ranging from high-level quantum chem-istry and ab initio molecular dynamics to classical simulation methods, to in-

vestigate the bulk, surface and nanoscale properties of a broad class of solid materi-als, such as complex inorganic compounds, molecular crystals and heterogeneous catalysts.

Computational biochemistry and soft matterUsing a battery of computational methods, from electronic structure based meth-ods to classical simulations, we investi-gate the structure and reactivity of proteins and enzymes, drug design, processes in cellular membranes, enzymatic reactions in crowded media and soft nanoparticles in solution.

Reactivity and reaction dynamicsResearch in this area uses quantum, clas-sical and statistical mechanics methods to analyse the dynamics of elementary reactions, electronic excited states and atmospheric and combustion reactions. Continuum methods are also used to in-vestigate macromolecular complexation reactions in aqueous media.

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IQTCUB

Established in 2006


Teaching and research staff 42 (of which: 3 ICREAs; 1 RyC)








Transfer indicators (2009-2013) 1 intellectual property (software and database)

Director Francesc Illas [email protected]

24

The IMUB has been devoted to fostering and supporting research in all areas of mathematics since June 2000, by hosting conferences, workshops, seminars and advanced courses, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration among re-searchers from different fields. The Institute has 14 research groups and over 70 members from the Faculties of Mathematics, Biology, and Philosophy of the UB.

Collaboration with other entities is fostered in the IMUB by inviting guest re-searchers who are welcomed for short visits or long stays upon invitation by IMUB members. Graduate student grants are offered every year, as are opportu-nities for short postdoctoral stays. Collectanea Mathematica, the oldest mathe-matical journal in Spain, is edited by the IMUB and published by Springer. The IMUB is a unit of the Barcelona Graduate School of Mathematics.

www.imub.ub.eduINSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICS

RESEARCH LINES AT THE IMUB

AlgebraCommutative algebra.Computational algebra.Homological algebra.

AnalysisComplex analysis.Real and functional analysis.

Applied MathematicsAstrodynamics.Celestial mechanics.Dynamical systems.Holomorphic dynamics.

Discrete MathematicsAlgorithmics.Combinatorics.

Geometry and TopologyAlgebraic geometry.Algebraic topology.Differential geometry.

Mathematical LogicAlgebraic logic.Model theory.Set theory.

Number TheoryAlgebraic number theory.Arithmetic geometry.

Probability and StatisticsMathematical finance.Statistics.Stochastic analysis.

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IMUB

Established in 2000


Teaching and research staff 68 (of which: 2 ICREAs and 2 RyC)







Director Carles Casacuberta [email protected]

25

The main goal of the GEOMODELS Research Institute is the development of new technologies and their incorporation into the earth sciences research area. More specifically, the creation of new modelling techniques to characterize and cor-rectly understand geological systems in terms of: generation, placement and quality of geologic resources and reservoirs; geo-mechanical terrain behaviour; and natural hazards and their impact on the surface.

A multidisciplinary team has been established aiming to model geological pro-cesses in order to improve their quantification and the prediction of related phe-nomena in space and time. More specifically, we deal with 3D characterization of geological bodies, the numerical simulation of processes within these bodies and the use of the resultant 3D models to tackle hazard scenarios.

The GEOMODELS Research Institute is a multidisciplinary research centre as-sembling geological and engineering methodologies. The results are scientific (improvement of knowledge and characterization of geological processes) and technological (development of new methodologies and modelling tools).

www.ub.edu/geomodelsGEOMODELS RESEARCH INSTITUTE

RESEARCH LINES AT THE GEOMODELS RESEARCH INSTITUTE

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE GEOMODELS RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Established in 2008

Staff statistics (2014)*

Teaching and research staff 40 (of which: 1 ICREA)








Director Josep A. Muñoz [email protected]

* The Geomodels Research Institute also has 25 more researchers and administrative personnel as permanent collaborators.

26

www.ub.edu/irbioTHE BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

RESEARCH LINES AT THE IRBIO

The Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) aims to become the country’s focal point for the study and management of biodiversity. It primarily centres its ac-tivities on the assessment and cataloguing of living forms, the better understand-ing of ecosystem processes, the origin, evolution and function of species and their classification, as well as the proper management and conservation of wild-life. In the context of the latter activity, one of the main tasks of the Institute is to provide scientific advice on management to public administrations, private enti-ties and environmental organizations. The Institute also carries out substantial applied work in fields related to biodiversity.

The Institute is staffed by specialists in all major taxa of organisms, from microbes to vascular plants and mammals, including man, who conduct their work on all main terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. The research perspectives are equally broad, ranging from genomes to ecosystems and applying morpho-logical, molecular, biogeographical, quantitative and bioinformatic approches.

The Mediterranean region, which supports an exceptional biological richness which is subject to equally exceptional human pressure, is a main focus of atten-tion. It is followed by Latin America, a continent that hosts some of the most bio-diverse places on earth and where IRBio researchers have a long tradition of con-ducting studies and academic work. Finally, a number of projects have also focused on other geographic regions, including Northern Africa, Southwest Asia and Antarctica.

Structural Biodiversity Characterization and assessment of biodiversity. Research on systematics and biogeography.

Functional BiodiversityCharacterization of the processes that affect biodiversity at all levels, from genes to populations, species and ecosystems.

Applied Biodiversity Management and conservation of biodiversity.

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IRBIO

Established in 2008


Teaching and research staff 75 (of which: 1 ICREA; 1 RyC)


Number of nationalities represented among the staff Not available






Number of ERC grants 1 ERC Starting Grant (2008)

Transfer indicators (2009-2013) 3 intellectual properties (software and database)

Director Àlex Aguilar [email protected], [email protected]

27

The Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB) conducts basic research and provides an interactive framework for scientists from different fields to conduct multidisciplinary integrated research in biomedicine.

The IBUB’s objectives are:

• to generate knowledge of biological systems using an integrative approach to identify objectives in therapy and the design of bioactive molecules with therapeutic potential;

• to generate advances in the quality of the community’s living standards and of public health, promoting this at an international level and with a frame-work based on sustainability and high ethical standards;

• to act as a quality centre for biomedical research training, so maintaining the Institute’s founding mission as an entity that brings together UB re-searchers from the University’s Faculties of Biology, Chemistry, and Phar-macy.

www.ub.edu/ibubTHE INSTITUTE OF BIOMEDICINE

RESEARCH LINES AT THE IBUB

At the time of writing, the IBUB is comprised of research groups actively coordinated in the form of the following programmes and nodes:

Research Programme

in Integrative Biology

Nodes: - Gene regulatory networks. - Cell behaviour. - Integrative physiology.

Research Programme in Chemistry and Possible Theraupetic Applications

Nodes: - Possible therapeutic applications. - Drug design, synthesis and optimization. - Interactions of biopolymers and their ligands.

BIOACTIVE MOLECULES

Images by F. Serras (IBUB)

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IBUB

Established in 2005


Teaching and research staff 146 (of which: 1 ICREA; 2 RyC)








Number of ERC grants 1 ERC Starting Grant (2013)

Transfer indicators (2009-2013) Patents: 21 priority patents and 19 PCT/EUR/USA patents; 1 spin-off

Director Francesc Villarroya [email protected]

28

RESEARCH LINES AT THE IR3C

www.ir3c.ub.eduINSTITUTE FOR BRAIN, COGNITION AND BEHAVIOUR

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IR3C

Established in 2008


Teaching and research staff 67 (of which: 2 ICREA and 1 RyC)








Number of ERC grants1 ERC Advanded Grant (2009), 1 ERC

Proof of Concept (2014)

Transfer indicators (2009-2013) Patents: 2 priority patents, 2 PCT/EUR/USA patent; 2 Intellectual properties; 1 spin-off

Director Carles Escera [email protected], [email protected]

The Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C) of the UB was created with the aim of gathering research on human behaviour in all its aspects around a unique, dynamic platform.

We are interested in human behaviour during development, adulthood and in ag-ing; also in normal conditions and in different forms of pathological alterations, and at all possible levels of analysis. In order to do this, we are organized around three main axes: the 3C of our name (from the Catalan words Cervell, Cognició and Conducta for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour).

At the Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C) we aim to investigate human behaviour in all its different aspects, from its sim-plest form to the highest cognitive functions, which, obviously, requires an understanding of brain function. Our main lines are covered by these research groups:

-Personality: prediction and assessment of behaviour. -Research and Innovation Group on Designs.-Learning and cognition: a comparative approach.-Cognitive Neurosicence Research Group (Brainlab).-Study Group on Invariance of Analysis.- Invariance of analysis and instruments for the measurement of change in social and health areas.

-Statistically advanced techniques applied to psychology.-Virtual reality application on clinical and health psychology.-Structural equation modelling and item response theory.-Adaptive behaviour and interaction.-EVENT Lab for Neuroscience and Technology.-VISCA, Vision and Control of Action.-Research on gerontology.-Research on neuropsychology.-Research on primatology.Images provided by the IR3C

29

The Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute (INSA·UB) is backed by several research groups belonging to the Faculties of Pharmacy, Biology, Chemistry, and Geography and History, as well as others from associated centres and hospitals linked to the UB. INSA·UB aims to meet the needs of today’s society in terms of research, training and service provision in sectors related to the agro-food industry.

Mission

• To carry out high-quality research in its field and ensure its relevance to food science and human health.

• To foster technology transfer and offer expert advice and training to the food industry and government bodies.

• To provide consumers with information based on scientific research.

www.ub.edu/insaNUTRITION AND FOOD SAFETY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

RESEARCH LINES AT THE INSA-UB

• Composition and nutritional value of food.

• Functional foods: health effects of foods and food ingredients, from the molecular level to studies with experimental models and humans.

• Effects of microorganisms (and related technology) on the nutritive value of food.

• Hygiene, quality and food analysis: application of techniques of biotechnology and genetic engineering. Sensory analysis.

• Food Safety: Identification of microorganisms and chemicals, safety and risk assessment studies, expert assessment for industrial needs.

• New technologies in the production, processing and preparation of food and issues related to environmental protection.

• Food habits; educational training in food issues and advice to the food industry.

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE INSA-UB

Established in 2005


Teaching and research staff 67 (of which: 2 RyC)

Fellows and administrative and service staff (2013) 3


Gender distribution of the staff (% of women) 60%





Patents: 1 priority patent; 3 PCT/EUR/USA patents, 1 intellectual property

Director Juan Mª Llobet [email protected]

30

Water is essential for life and for the development of our society. Water plays a major role in society, politics and the economy, and its management is one of the challenges that must be tackled in the twenty-first century. The fight against con-tamination, the call for rational water use, efforts to overcome shortfalls in sup-ply and the forecast and management of extreme situations (droughts and floods) are all priorities that need professionals with the capacity and the criteria for ac-tion. The required actions range from highly specific aspects of local supply to involvement in European or international strategies.

For this reason, and to improve interdisciplinary research, the University of Bar-celona founded the Water Research Institute. The Institute strengthens the Uni-versity’s potential through specific structures and instruments devised to chan-nel research and teaching in the field of water. Researchers affiliated to the Institute belong to 9 Faculties and 20 different Departments of the University of Barcelona.

www.ub.edu/aiguaWATER RESEARCH INSTITUTE

-Methods for the use of water resourc-es: geological, geochemical and geo-physical. -Seawater: properties, dynamics and behaviour. -Oceanography. -Modelling contaminated aquifers: salt intrusion and industrial or agricultural pollution. -Legislation affecting water: legal re-gime pertaining to water quality and dumping. -Economic instruments of environmen-tal policy and water demand manage-ment. -Climate change: variability and associ-ated risk.

-Climatology: urban, synoptic, histori-cal and agricultural. -Climatic atlas and precipitation analysis. -Analysis of hydrometeorological risks and of the related communication and social aspects. -History of the use and management of water resources. -Socioeconomic and political reper-cussions of variations in the avaibil-ity of water. -Waterscapes: archaeological, cultural and scenic heritage. -Water Archaeology, past human-wa-ter relationships. -Landscape, visual poetics and water aesthetics.

RESEARCH LINES AT THE WATER RESEARCH INSTITUTE

-Water quality (physics, chemistry, mi-crobiology, parasitology, biology, etc.). -Health issues related to water re-sources. -Unconventional water resources. -Natural mineral water. -Advanced wastewater treatment. -Aerobic and anaerobic digestion sys-tems in wastewater and sludge. -Microbial Source Tracking. -Biofilms in water. -River and reservoir ecology. -Eutrophic systems. -Cyanobacteria and aquatic microalgae. -Biodiversity of freshwater algae. -Agronomy and improving crop yields for increased efficiency in water use.

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE WATER RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Established in 2005

Staff statistics (2014) *

Teaching and research staff 92







CARHUS+ publications 84

% of CARHUS+publications in level A 46.43%


Number of ERC grants 1 ERC Advanced Grant (2009)

Transfer indicators (2009-2013) Patents: 1 priority patent, 8 PCT/EUR/USA patents; 1 intellectual property

Director Mª Jesús [email protected], [email protected]

* The Water Research Institute also has 8 more researchers and administrative personnel as permanent collaborators.

31

The Institute for Research on Applied Regional and Public Economics (IREA) was founded in 2005 to bring together some sixty researchers working in three gov-ernment-consolidated research groups in the area of applied economics: Region-al Quantitative Analysis (AQR), attached to the UB Department of Econometrics, Statistics and Spanish Economy; Risk in Finance and Insurance (RISC), also of the Department of Econometrics, Statistics and Spanish Economy; and Governments and Markets (GiM), attached to the UB Department of Economic Policy and World Economic Structure.

The IREA conducts research in four different fields:

- The quantitative study of regional and urban economic activity and the anal-ysis of regional and local economic policy.

- The study of public economic activity in financial markets, using techniques in industrial organization to empirically assess the impact of privatization, regulation and competition in public service markets.

- The analysis of risk factors in finance and insurance.

- The development of micro- and macroeconometric techniques in the applied analysis of economic activity, focusing on the quantitative assessment of public policy.

www.ub-irea.comINSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON APPLIED REGIONAL AND PUBLIC ECONOMICS

2. Research Group on Governments and Markets-GiM- Company privatization and outsourcing of public services.

- Networking industry regulation: economics and policy.

- Empirical industrial economics. Economic analysis of competitors.

- Research in regional and urban economics.

- Transport infrastructures: economics and policy.

3. Risk in Finance and Insurance Group-RISC- Financial economics.- Risk management and quantification.

- Longevity and dependence insurance.

- Internal models of solvency II.- Operational risk.

RESEARCH LINES AT THE IREA

1. Regional Quantitative Analysis Group-AQR- Regional economic growth.- The labour market.- Productivity and technological capital: Innovation and human capital.

- Spatial economics.- Regional and urban strategic indicators.

- Studies in economic impact.- Macroeconomic predictions, simulations and monitoring of the current economic situation.

- Survey design and use.- Sector analysis.- Econometric methods for applied economics.

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IREA

Established in 2005


Teaching and research staff (2013) 48








% of CARHUS+ publications in level A 45.10%


Director Jordi Suriñach [email protected], [email protected]

32

The Institute for Medieval Cultures (IRCVM) aims to bring research on medieval times to the maximum level of excellence and become in this way a benchmark for the study of the medieval Catalan world and beyond. The IRCVM was set up in 2007 with the main purpose of coordinating research and researchers from different disciplines at the UB who are specialists in the Middle Ages. The IRCVM fosters the training and the specialisation of future medievalist experts through the Master Programme on Medieval Cultures and the UB Doctorate Programme on Medieval Cultures.

www.ircvm.ub.eduINSTITUTE FOR MEDIEVAL CULTURES

RESEARCH LINES AT THE IRCVM

EpiMed: Medieval epigraphy. Redefinition of the theoretical framework related to the fact of writing and reading in medieval times and Corpus of epigraphy from the “Marca Hispanica” to the Crown of Aragon. Research Laboratory with the participation of: Casa de Velázquez, Centre d’Études Supérieures de Civilisation Médiévale (CESCM)-Université de Poitiers and IRCVM-UB.

Laboratory of Medieval Cartography. Laboratory for the integration of GIS into medieval research.

Medieval Hospitals. Project for the study of medieval hospital structures. In collaboration with the Hospital de Sant Pau and Santa Cruz Foundation.

Medieval Literature. Project to create a sound collection of medieval literature at the University of Barcelona.

Publications:- IRCVM-Medieval Cultures, in collaboration with Viella Editrice (Roma): www.viella.it/libri/collana/46- Lliçons/Lessons, in collaboration with Publicacions i Edicions-UB: www.publicacions.ub.edu/articulos.aspx?modo=c&fam=LLI%C3%87ONS%20/%20LESSONS- SVMMA. Revista de Cultures Medievals/ SVMMA. Journal of Medieval Cultures: http://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/SVMMA/index - Medievalistes en Bloc, in collaboration with Sàpiens (Barcelona): http://blogs.sapiens.cat/medievalistesenbloc/

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IRCVM

Established in 2007


Teaching and research staff 64 (of which: 1 ICREA)

Fellows 3




ISI publications 39





Number of ERC grants 1 Starting ERC Grant (2009)

Director Carles Mancho [email protected], [email protected]

33

The TransJus, the Legal Research Institute of the UB, was created with the idea of becoming a transversal centre of research, involving university experts coming from different disciplines at the international, European, national, regional and local levels. The fields of expertise at the TransJus cover social and legal sciences, reflecting the structure of the Faculty of Law at the UB and the background of its researchers. The TransJus Institute aims to promote the interaction of the disci-plines of law, political sciences, psychology and economics.

These interactions between disciplines allow a more accurate and appropriate analysis of social reality, which is a prerequisite to proposing more effective solu-tions. This coordinated approach is becoming increasingly necessary because, as is also evident in other fields of research, the most interesting topics are often at the intersections of different branches of knowledge.

THE LEGAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF THE UB

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE TRANSJUS

tration, along with preventive measures against corruption, are some of the areas of research that can fit this purpose.

Environment, territory and sustaina-bilityTerritory management and town planning, housing, energy sources, environmental sustainability, climate change, the links between city and human rights are all challenges that will shape tomorrow’s so-ciety. Beyond the right to a safe environ-ment or to sustainable development, which are rights traditionally linked to the areas of administrative, criminal or public international law, the key aspects to guar-antee a sustainable management of a ter-

ritory must also involve multidisciplinary political and legal considerations.

Cooperation, peace and international securityCooperation between different actors and international subjects is one of the main principles of contemporary inter-national law that aims to achieve world peace among nations. It also affects oth-er human activities that are regulated by criminal and procedural law (interna-tional criminal law, universal jurisdiction, extradition), by international civil and private law (family adoption), commer-cial and tax law and the relations be-tween governments.

RESEARCH LINES AT THE TRANSJUS

Individual, family and women’s rightsEquality policies have made a considera-ble impact in recent years in virtually all aspects of law, and in the public and pri-vate arenas. Research in this field in-cludes studies on new forms of family, aging, non-discrimination and affirma-tive actions, among others.

Governance, transparency, financial crisis and corruption in the context of socio-economic crisisThe perception of the quality of democ-racy in a country implies active measures from procedural law and the guarantees that this can offer. Private and public eth-ics, good governance and good adminis-

Established in 2012






ISI publications 14





Director Joan J. [email protected];

[email protected]

34

The presence of the Interuniversity Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Studies (IPOA) in our university environment is justified by the nature of the discipline – highly specialized, complex, and of interest to a minority who have to meet the strictest requirements of linguistic training.

The institute aims to introduce new study and research plans in key areas of the history of culture, which are also of great social interest today. These studies are a complement to, and a natural progression for, the study plans in Semitic philol-ogy, classical philology, ancient history, linguistics, and theoretical philosophy.

The IPOA is a meeting point for interdepartmental and interuniversity research. It offers a full series of courses in the field, which are too complex and specialized to be included in the standard academic programmes; so alongside its research commitments, the Institute also fulfils a unique social and academic function.

www.ub.edu/ipoaINSTITUTE OF ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN STUDIES - IPOA

RESEARCH LINES AT THE IPOA-UB

ASSYRIOLOGY

ARCHAEOLOGY

SEMITICS

EGYPTOLOGY

INDO-IRANOLOGY

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IPOA-UB

Established in 1993








% of CARHUS+ publications in level A 0%

Financing secured 849,141 €

Director Adelina Millet [email protected]

35

August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS)

Bellvitge Institute of Biomedical Research (IDIBELL)

Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB-ISGlobal)

Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona)

Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC)

Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications (CREAF)

Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG)

Catalonia Institute of Energy Research (IREC)

Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC)

*Selection based on their research impact and the relationship with the UB.

4. RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN WHICH THE UB PARTICIPATES*

36

FACTS AND FIGURES AT IDIBAPS

THE AUGUST PI I SUNYER BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

The August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) was founded in 1996. The fundamental mission of IDIBAPS is to integrate state-of-the-art basic re-search and quality clinical research in order to acquire and transfer knowledge re-garding the main health problems present in our society, with the final purpose of improving their prevention and treatment. IDIBAPS aims to ensure that medical challenges are smoothly translated into basic research, and that the results obtained in laboratories can be effectively used to benefit patients. Improving people’s health is its ultimate mission.

The scientific staff of IDIBAPS has been recruited by the Institute itself or comes from its constituent institutions: Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Barcelona, the CSIC’s Barcelona Biomedical Research Institute. The researchers working in IDIBAPS have complementary basic and clinical profiles.

The growing implication of this Institute in major national and international pro-jects must also be emphasized. The participation of IDIBAPS in the Networked Bio-medical Research Centres (Centros de Investigación Biomédica en Red, CIBERs), promot-ed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, is very well known. IDIBAPS also participates in and leads projects of the Cooperative Research Thematic Net-works (Redes Temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa, RETICs), promoted by the Ministry, and the number of projects financed by the European Commission in which it takes part also continues to grow day by day.

Established in 1996 www.idibaps.org

Staff statistics (2014)*

Research staff 467 (of which: 5 ICREAs; 6 RyC)


Number of nationalities represented among the staff > 10

Gender distribution of the staff (% of women) 73 %

Research indicators (2013)


% of ISI publications in 1st quartile 72%

Financing secured 24 M €

Number of ERC grants None

Transfer indicators (2009-2013) Patents: 13 priority patents, 11 PCT/EUR/USA patents and 6 spin-offs

Director Ramon Gomis [email protected]

* Source of Facts and figures: IDIBAPS (November, 2014)

www.idibaps.org

RESEARCH AREAS AT IDIBAPS

Area 1. Biological aggression and response mechanisms

Area 1 is made up of 9 teams that conduct research into the response mechanisms to biological aggressions from different standpoints. This area carries out a wide range of activities, which are divided up into two parts. Firstly, the study of infectious and toxic agents, and secondly, immunological and inflammatory reactions of the body.

Area 2. Computational materials science

The area has 10 teams and focuses on the study of three vital parts of the body: the respiratory, cardiovascular and renal systems. It deals with the various pathologies and risks affecting these systems, from different standpoints.

Area 3. Liver, digestive system and metabolism

Area 3 has 16 teams and is made up of researchers who combine their skills in clinical, experimental and basic research. Its translational research approach has succeeded in contributing important breakthroughs in terms of knowledge, diagnostic techniques and the treatment of pathologies of interest to the groups.

Area 4. Clinical and experimental neuroscience

This area of IDIBAPS specializes in the study of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Based on the excellent cooperation between the experimental and clinical units, its 11 teams conduct research into topics ranging from the study of the structure/function relationship in the nervous system and its basic molecular mechanisms for neurotransmission and cell death to the development and evaluation of new experimental therapies. It also includes innovative trends such as systems neuroscience.

Area 5. Oncology and haematology

The 13 teams comprising this area perform basic, experimental and clinical research tasks in the fields of oncology and haematology. Their aim is to improve prevention, prognosis and treatment in a group of diseases that is becoming more and more common in modern-day society: cancer processes.

Transversal research groups

Some teams linked to IDIBAPS undergo a transversal research that feeds from various disciplines or provide services to other teams. Here are included researchers in pharmacology, primary care and nursing.

37

The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) is a research centre that integrates the biomedical research of the Bellvitge University Hospital (HUB); the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO); the University of Barcelona in the Bell-vitge Campus (UB), located in the city of l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, south Barce-lona; and the Viladecans Hospital (HV).

Our institution has the vision of becoming a premier institution in translational research with a focus on human health research. The strategic objective of the centre is to translate scientific discoveries into improved health by facilitating innovation and technological transfer actions in order to enable an efficient ap-plication of the knowledge generated by our researchers for the improvement of the health and the quality of people’s lives and for economic development.

The high quality of the research conducted in IDIBELL has been acknowledged by the Carlos III Health Institute, which awarded it Health Research Institute ac-creditation in March 2009.

BELLVITGE INSTITUTE FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH (IDIBELL)

Six major areas or programmes have been defined at IDIBELL:

Area 1. Cancer and human molecular genetics

Area 2. Neurosciences

Area 3. Infectious pathology and transplants

Area 4. Growth factors, hormones and diabetes

Area 5. Inflammatory, chronic and degenerative diseases

Area 6. Epigenetics and Cancer Biology

Established in 2004 www.idibell.org


Research staff 799 (of which: 5 ICREAs; 5RyC)

Fellows and administrative and service staff 219 fellows + 54 admin staff

Number of nationalities represented among the staff** 19

Gender distribution of the staff (% of women)** 67.02%




Financing secured 29.05 M €

Number of ERC Grants2 ERC Starting/ 1 ERC Advanced Grants,

1 Proof of Concept (2014)

Transfer indicators (2009-2013) Patents: 46 PCT/EUR/USA patents; 1 utility model; 3 spin-offs

Director Jaume Reventós [email protected]

* Source: www.idibell.cat/imatgesContinguts/memoria_idibell_2012_web.pdf ** Data referring to the staff hired directly by IDIBELL.

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IDIBELL

www.idibell.org

38

When Barcelona’s Hospital Clínic created Spain’s first tropical medicine unit in 1984, it laid the groundwork for the country’s long tradition in this specialty. Building on this base, in 2006 the Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB) was founded by the Government of Catalonia, the University of Barcelona (UB), the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (HCB) and the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS). Four years later, CRESIB became the cornerstone of the newly created Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). With the creation of ISGlobal, the task of treating tropical diseases was complemented and supported not only by the knowledge generated through research but also by the transfer of this knowledge to society.

We aim to improve Global Health through excellence in research. We promote multidisciplinary, translational and cross-cutting research in order to maximize our impact. We currently have the following research programmes:

-Malaria (with a special emphasis on malaria elimination)-Chagas’ Disease-HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections-Viral and Bacterial Infections (mostly antibiotic resistance)-Maternal, Child and Reproductive Health-Emerging Activities which acts as an incubator for activities that could even-tually lead to a new programme. It currently includes research on population movements and health (including emerging health threats such as Ebola, den-gue and chikungunya), leishmaniasis and tuberculosis.

The establishment and maintenance of collaborations with other research and health institutions around the world is crucial for the development of our activities. The centre has successfully built and maintains collaborations with more than 100 institutions from 40 countries in the 5 continents. These collaborations allow us to establish research programmes in endemic areas linking with local institu-tions which enable translation of research results into national health policies.

In addition, we have established three long-term partnerships in three different regions of the world:

-Mozambique, with the Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM, www.manhica.org) focusing on maternal health, malaria, HIV, tuberculosis and other ne-glected diseases.-Bolivia, with the Universidad Mayor de San Simón de Cochabamba, the Vied-ma Hospital, CEADES and the Ministry of Health, focused on Chagas’ disease and leishmaniasis.-Morocco, with the University Hospital of Rabat and the Ministry of Health, focusing on maternal, child and reproductive health.

BARCELONA CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL HEALTH RESEARCH (CRESIB-ISGlobal) www.cresib.cat

Source: Information and image provided by CRESIB - ISGlobal (November 2014).

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE CRESIB

Established in 2006 www.cresib.cat; www.isglobal.org


Research staff 116






% of ISI publications in 1st quartile 64 %


International competitive projects led by the centre2 FP7, 1 EDCTP, 1 NIH, 6 Bill & Melinda

Gates Foundation

Transfer indicators (2009-2013) Patents: 3 patents; 1 spin-off

Director Antoni Plasencia [email protected]

39

www.cresib.cat

The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) is an independent, non-profit research institution that is engaged in basic and applied biomedical science. Its aim is to improve quality of life through the application of advances in this field. It was founded in October 2005 by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government ), the University of Barcelona and Barcelona Science Park (PCB).

The IRB aims to promote multidisciplinary research of excellence at the interface between biology and chemistry and to foster collaboration between local organi-zations and international research institutes, and thus boost and coordinate in-terdisciplinary research in biomedicine.

The IRB is located in Barcelona Science Park, a centre in which first-class public re-search converges with the private sector in a stimulating, excellent scientific en-vironment.

INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN BIOMEDICINE (IRB BARCELONA)

RESEARCH AREAS AT THE IRB

Cell and Developmental Biology. This includes gene expression, developmental molecular biology, cell biology, functional genomics and proteomics of cell and embryo development and tissue regeneration.

Structural and Computational Biology. This includes the structural analysis of macromolecules and their interactions usign a variety of techniques: X-ray, NMR, electron microscopy, macromolecular biophysics, bioinformatics and molecular modelling.

Molecular Medicine. This includes the molecular bases of metabolic and genetic diseases, the study of diagnostic or therapeutic targets and the functional genomics and proteomics of pathologies and translational research.

Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology. This includes the design and synthesis of small molecules and macromolecules, with special emphasis on two aspects of combinatorial chemistry: the building of libraries and optimization of the production of synthetic compounds; and biotechnologies for molecular selection directed at therapeutic targets and the establishment of the relationship between drugs and their targets.

Oncology. This includes the study of diverse aspects of tumour initiation and progression, the relationship between stem cells and cancer, and the identification of the programmes that drive tissue-specific metastasis. It comprises a research line directed by Joan Massagué that works in coordination with the Cancer Biology and Genetics programme that he chairs at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Center, in New York.

Source: Information and images provided by the IRB Barcelona (November 2014).

www.irbbarcelona.org

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IRB

Established in 2005 www.irbbarcelona.org



Administrative and support staff 28 + 43


Gender distribution of the staff (% of women) 54.65 %



% of ISI publications in 1st quartile 80 %


Number of ERC grants 2 ERC Starting Grants; 1 ERC Consolidator Grant; 4 Advanced Grants

Transfer indicators (2009-2013) 28 Patents; 5 Licenses; 2 spin-offs

Director Joan J. Guinovart [email protected]

40

The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is a research institute that develops interdisciplinary research of excellence, from basic research to medical applications, in the fields of biomedical engineering and nanomedicine. Its aim is to be an international leader in bioengineering and to be the technological part-ner of choice for hospitals, biomedical research centres and universities in the surrounding area.

INSTITUTE FOR BIOENGINEERING OF CATALONIA

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IBEC

Established in 2005 www.ibecbarcelona.eu


Research staff 217 (of which: 4 ICREAs)

Administrative and support staff 33



Research indicators

ISI publications 76 (in 2013)

% of ISI publications in 1st quartile 68 % (in 2013)

Annual budget 7M€

Number of ERC grants2 ERC Starting Grants (2007 & 2009) / 1 Consolidator Grant (2013) and 2 Proof of Concept grants (granted in year 2012 and 2013)

Transfer indicators (2009-2013)Patents: 14 priority patents, of which 12 are EU/PCT patents, & 2 ES filed patents. 3 patents

licensed/transferred; 1 spin-off

Director Josep Samitier [email protected]

* Source: Information and images provided by IBEC (November 2014).

www.ibecbarcelona.eu

RESEARCH AT THE IBEC

The novel vision promoted at IBEC is to exploit and connect the multidisciplinarity of its groups, aligning their complementary ca-pacities through three broad areas of expertise:

Nanomedicine: nanobiosensing; microfluidics; nanofabrication using soft lithographies and related techniques; beyond-AFM/ST microscopy tools to characterize biological samples (optical, mechanical, electrical behaviour) at the nanoscale; mechanobiology protocols and their translation to clinical purposes; nano-scale characterization of bacterial-host interactions.

Cell Engineering: biomaterials for regenerative medicine; reprogramming stem cells; control differentiation of stem cells; rapid prototyping for biomaterials; cell-material interaction, microencapsulation for antibacterials and other therapeutic agents.

Intelligent Healthcare: the application of advanced information and communication technologies to healthcare, such as model-ling; signalling processing; automatics/control software for robotics; imaging; robotics (mechanics) for minimally invasive surgery.

To this end, IBEC focuses its scientific and technological work around three core application areas:

Bioengineering for future medicine, with the aim of developing technology that goes beyond the existing paradigm of hospital care to incorporate new areas such as photopharmacology, organs on chips and diagnosis based on the mechanical behaviour of cells and tissues. The future of medicine will mean personalized medicine, hand-held diagnostic platforms, wearable monitoring devices and other technological advances to make healthcare more effective, cheaper and more convenient.

Bioengineering for regenerative therapies, with the aim of developing regeneration technology to allow the creation of implants able to bring about the regeneration of damaged tissues or organs and to develop cell therapies.

Bioengineering for active ageing, with the aim of developing care and technology to meet the needs of an increasingly ageing population. Biomedical engineering can contribute greatly to improving the quality of life of older people.

41

Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer in Terrestrial Ecology

CREAF is a public research centre dedicated to terrestrial ecology and territorial analysis, producing knowledge and methodologies for conservation, manage-ment, and adaptation of the environment to global change.

The centre’s objective is to work as a bridge between academia, the administra-tion and society, promoting awareness and exchanging knowledge within its scope of activities, at the local, regional, and global levels.

CREAF’s research portfolio is wide and multidisciplinary, including advances in basic research as well as important contributions to environmental topics of sig-nificant socioeconomic impact.

Our science responds to the research needs of local and international govern-mental organizations.

CENTRE FOR RESEARCH ON ECOLOGY AND FORESTRY APPLICATIONS (CREAF)

© J. Luis Ordóñez

©Daniel Sol



©Lluís Comas

©Anna Ramon

www.creaf.cat

* Source: www.creaf.uab.es/cat and in http://issuu.com/creaf_ecologia/docs/memoria_2013_online Information and images provided by the CREAF

RESEARCH FIELDS Biodiversity

-Population dinamics and genetics-Phenology and distribution of species-Interactions between species-Biological invasions

Functional ecology and global change-Chemical ecology, ecotoxicology and metabolomics-Reserves and flows of carbon and nutrients-Water resources-Ecosystem-atmosphere interactions-Conservation of soil functions

Forest ecology and wildfires-Management and conservation of forests-Structure and dynamics of forest communities-Forest decline and regeneration-Forest fires-Forest databases

Environmental and territorial analysis and GIS-Regional environmental changes and processes-Development of the MiraMon GIS -Methods and standards in GIS and remote sensing-Thematic cartography and environmental information systems-Landscape fragmentation and dynamics

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE CREAF*

Established in 1987 www.creaf.cat


Research staff71 (of which: 1 ICREAs; 13 CREAF, 16 UAB, 2 UB, 5 CSIC), 25 fellows

Administrative and support staff 11 + 36





% of ISI publications in 1st quartile 83.4 %


Number of ERC grants 1 ERC Synergy Grant

Director Javier Retana [email protected]

42

The Center for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) is an independent organi-zation established as a Consortium of four main research institutions: the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technol-ogy (IRTA), the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), and the UB. This inno-vative arrangement brings together diverse plant and farm-animal research groups, and provides a unique nurturing ground for research and training, exploring the genetic and genomic determinants that are common for plants and animals.

CRAG is devoted to leading-edge research in the molecular basis of genetic char-acters of interest in plants and farm animals, and in the applications of molecular approaches for breeding of species important for agriculture and food produc-tion. CRAG brings together excellence in basic science and applied studies in close collaboration with Industry. The Center is organized into four different Scientific Programmes. These Programmes are supported by several state-of-the-art technological platforms, that are also open to the wider scientific community.

THE CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN AGRICULTURAL GENOMICS (CRAG)

CRAG strives to translate the results of its research into benefits

for society. It also

aims to train the next generation of plant and farm animal scientists, who will play a vital role in helping

to address the societal and global challenges of this century.

Plant Development and Signal TransductionThe sessile nature of plants makes these organisms very versatile and plastic in growing and adapting to a broad range of, and changing, environmental conditions. The common aim of the programme is to understand how these changes affect different aspects of plant development. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we study aspects such as light perception, photoperiod, circadian clock, hormone signalling, signal transduction, floral transition or flower development, and seed development and germination.

Plant Responses to Biotic and Abiotic StressPlants have sophisticated mechanisms to defend against attacks of pathogenic organisms and adverse environmental conditions. The research groups integrated in this programme are interested in knowing the molecular mechanisms of recognition, the signalling pathways operating and the responses of plants facing biotic and abiotic stress conditions, including the development of practical applications to potentiate resistances or implement corrective actions.

Plant Metabolism and Metabolic EngineeringPlants are a primary source of nutrients, materials, and chemicals for humans. The Plant Metabolism and Metabolic Engineering Programme aims to generate fundamental knowledge of how plants control their primary and secondary metabolism to respond to environmental cues and eventually improve the quality of plant products.

Plant and Animal GenomicsThe aims of the Plant and Animal Genomics Programme are to understand the genome organization, variability and evolution of different crops and domestic animals and to elucidate the genetics of important traits of species of agricultural interest.

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE CRAG

Established in 2008 www.cragenomica.es


Research staff41 permanent (+ 34 postdocs + 6 career

track fellows)

Fellows and technical, administrative and service staff53 PhD fellows; 40 technical staff; 21

administration and general services staff





% of ISI publications in 1st quartile 85%


Number of ERC Grants 1 ERC Starting,

Transfer indicators (2014) Two European patent applications; 1 spin-off company.

Director José L. Riechmann [email protected]

Source: Information and images provided by CRAG (November 2014); and http://biannualreport2012-2013.cragenomica.es/

www.cragenomica.es

43

CATALONIA INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY RESEARCH

The Catalonia Institute for Energy Research, IREC (Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya) was founded in 2008. In 2013 it achieved consolidation in both Euro-pean and industrial projects. After 5 years, it has built a stable team of valuable individuals who are committed to the scientific and technological growth of the cen-tre, resulting in cutting-edge research and a constantly increasing flow of income.

Its mission is to contribute to the sustainable development of society and to greater industrial competitiveness, generating science and building technology.

The target of its research activity is to become a centre of excellence and an Inter-national benchmark Organization in the energy sector, through research, tech-nology development and innovation.

OrientationThe Institute works with a dual approach: 1) Appl ied and technological research, aimed at generating knowledge within groups of the Institute, with a medium- or long-term application in mind. 2) Technological research and technical develop-ment, focused on collaboration with industry to create new products and new technical solutions, in the short and medium term.

The Institute’s position is defined by the balance and interaction between these two approaches. IREC collaborates with the government, universities and indus-try, and this is reflected in the structure of its Board of Trustees.

Research LinesIREC research lines are in accordance with the European policy targets as well as with the energy-industry aims of the energy strategy approved by the industrial and governmental members of the IREC Board of Trustees. In this framework, the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), establishes a first refer-ence for the strategic energy technology policy for Europe. It aims to accelerate the development and the deployment of cost-effective low carbon technologies and new energy generation, transport, distribution and end-user models.

Therefore, the main IREC research lines as of 2013 can be summarized strategi-cally under three headings: 1) Energy efficiency: systems, buildings and commu-nities area. 2) Bioenergy and biofuels. 3) Advanced materials, processes and de-vices for novel and improved energy systems.

These research lines have taken to the organization of the activities of the groups and laboratories in two functional branches: 1) Applied research and technology. 2) Technology development and technical applications.

www.irec.cat

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IREC

Established in 2008 www.irec.cat


Research staff 64

Fellows and administrative and service staff23 fellows; 12 management staff; 20

technical support staff





IF Average 2012 4.33

Financing secured2,310,000 € per year (secured from the Foundation trustees) (competitive and industrial income not included)

Transfer indicators Patents (2012-2013): 5 PCT/EUR/USA patents

Director Ramon Garriga [email protected]

* Souce: Information provided by the IREC and http://content.irec.cat/annual_report_2013/

44

INSTITUTE FOR SPACE STUDIES OF CATALONIA

The Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) is a private, non-profit-making foundation with a Board of Trustees formed by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government), the University of Barcelona (UB), the Autonomous Uni-versity of Barcelona (UAB), the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and the Spanish Research Council (CSIC).

The Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) was created in 1996 to foster space R&D in Catalonia, to collaborate on and participate in the development, promotion and dissemination of activities, studies and projects related to space technology and scientific research about and from space, to benefit all people, organizations and institutions with an interest in this field. Since its creation, the IEEC has focused its efforts on studying the Earth as a planet (atmosphere, oceans, crust, etc) and the Cosmos (solar physics, planetology and interplanetary medium, stellar and galactic astrophysics, cosmology, fundamental physics, as-troparticle physics, etc).

The IEEC is composed of four research units, which constitute the core of the R&D activity. They comprise almost 250 researchers. Each one of these units was created in accordance with and is governed by the rules of one of the academic institutions present on the Board of Trustees.

These units are:

- Astrophysics and Space Sciences (ICC-UB)- Centre for Space Studies and Research (CERES-UAB)- Centre for Aeronautical and Space Research (CRAE-UPC)- Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC)

The launch of GAIA, a mission in which the Gaia group of the UB-ICC/IEEC has been involved from the start in 1998.

* Souce: Image and data provided by the IEEC (www.ieec.cat).

www.ieec.cat

FACTS AND FIGURES AT THE IEEC*

Established in 1996 www.ieec.cat



Fellows and administrative and service staff54 students; 5 administration;

1 IT services






Financing secured 15.7 M€

Director Jordi Isern [email protected]

Documents

Research at the University of BarcelonaThe University of Barcelona (UB) is a research-intensive institution promoting multidisciplinary research with internationally recognized research