ICREA: 15 years bringing in great researchers

The Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA) plays a fundamental role in recruiting and retaining excellent researchers for the Catalan research system. In its 15 years, the ICREA programme has offered permanent, tenured positions to 255 researchers from all over the world that have joined universities and research centers in Catalonia.

“ICREA researchers contribute to position our research within European standards. In fact, Catalonia is in second place in the European Union regarding ERC project funding per milllion inhabitants” says Mr. Arcadi Navarro, secretary of Universities and Research for the Catalan government.

The ICREA team during the celebration of its 15th anniversary (CCCB, Barcelona, June 28th)

ICIQ counts with 9 ICREA Research Professors: Emilio Palomares, Pau Ballester, Anton Vidal, Paolo Melchiorre, José Ramón Galán-Mascarós, Ruben Martin, Kilian Muñiz, Arjan Kleij and Julio Lloret-Fillol. “The ICREA programme is absolutely responsible for our success. It allows us to compete with the best research institutions in hiring the top-class researchers” adds Prof. Miquel A. Pericàs, ICIQ director.

Two more details show the positive impact of the ICREA programme in our society. According to ICREA, each researcher generates seven highly qualified work positions. And, for each euro invested in the salary of an ICREA researcher, s/he raises €2.7 for their research projects. In 2015 ICREA researchers raised €56M from competitive funds.

That’s a lot of accomplishments in 15 years. Happy birthday ICREA!

Press release (in Catalan)