The Spanish State Research Agency (AEI), an organization under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, has today awarded the 2024 accreditations for “Severo Ochoa” Centers of Excellence and “María de Maeztu” Units of Excellence. These recognitions are given to the most prominent research centres and units in Spain. Among this year’s recipients is the Doñana Biological Station, which conducts multidisciplinary research in the fields of ecology, evolution, global change, and biodiversity conservation.

The awards ceremony took place in the assembly hall (Paraninfo) of the University of Zaragoza. Attendees included the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant; the Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, Pilar Alegría; the President of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Eloísa del Pino; the Vice-Rector for Scientific Policy, Pilar Pina Iritia; the Vice-Rector for Innovation, Knowledge Transfer and Continuing Education, Manuel González Badía, both from the University of Zaragoza; and the Director of the State Research Agency, José Manuel Fernández de Labastida.

Montserrat Vilà, a research professor at CSIC, accepted the award on behalf of the Doñana Biological Station. 

The Centres and Units of Excellence program is aimed at Spanish public research institutions and non-profit private institutions whose scientific leadership is internationally recognized and who produce high-impact results across various scientific disciplines: life sciences, mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, humanities, and social sciences. The program also seeks institutions capable of attracting top talent.

In addition to institutional recognition and prestige, the program provides accredited centres and units with annual funding over a four-year period to support the development of their strategic plans. It also includes specific funding for the recruitment of predoctoral researchers and enhances their access to private funding sources.

Each “Severo Ochoa” Center of Excellence receives €4.5 million in additional funding over four years, while each “María de Maeztu” Unit of Excellence receives €2.25 million over the same period. Furthermore, 138 grants have been awarded for predoctoral contracts to support doctoral theses at these centers and units of excellence, with a total allocation of €17.3 million.