The Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB) is listed among the six excellence units Maria de Maeztu awarded for the period 2020-2023. This is stated in the resolution of the last call from the program of Excellence Centers and Units Severo Ochoa and Maria de Maeztu, published by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. This is the second time that ICCUB receives this distinction, after the one obtained in the 2024 call.
The Maria de Maeztu recognition distinguishes organizations with highly competitive research programs that are among the best in the world in their respective scientific areas. The evaluation and selection process is carried out independently by an international scientific committee of widely recognized researchers, which selects both Severo Ochoa centers and Maria de Maeztu units under the same requirements and criteria. The Institute of Cosmos Sciences is one of the sixteen organizations (ten Severo Ochoa centers and six Maria de Maeztu units) that has been selected in this annual competitive call, among 55 candidates. Apart from ICCUB, other UB centers have this accreditation: the Institute of Mathematics (IMUB), the Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro) and the Institute of Theoretical and Computational Theory (IQTCUB).
The accreditation provides funding to research organizations that demonstrate international scientific impact and leadership, and actively embrace knowledge transfer and collaboration with the business sector. It also recognizes the made effort in scientific publication access, and open access policies for the researchers' publications, as well as outreach and dissemination of knowledge.
The Maria de Maeztu recognition provides an economic contribution accounting for 500,000 euros per year, for four years. This strengthens research initiatives and helps to attract and grow the research community.
As a Unit of Excellence, ICCUB will join the SOMM Excellence Alliance, which promotes Spanish Excellence in research and enhances its social impact at national and international levels.
