Spanish National Research Council

Spanish National Research Council

Headquarters
Agency overview
Formed November 24, 1939
Preceding agency
  • Junta de Ampliación de Estudios (JAE)
Jurisdiction Spain
Headquarters Serrano 117. 28006 Madrid
Agency executive
  • Emilio Lora Tamayo, President
Website http://www.csic.es

The Spanish National Research Council (Spanish: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC) is the largest public institution dedicated to research in Spain and the third largest in Europe. Its main objective is to develop and promote research that will help bring about scientific and technological progress, and it is prepared to collaborate with Spanish and foreign entities in order to achieve this aim.

CSIC plays an important role in scientific and technological policy, since it encompasses an area that takes in everything from basic research to the transfer of knowledge to the productive sector. Its research is driven by its centres and institutes, which are spread across all the autonomous regions. CSIC has 6% of all the staff dedicated to Research and Development in Spain, and they generate approximately 20% of all scientific production in the country.[1] It also manages a range of important facilities; the most complete and extensive network of specialist libraries, and also has joint research units.

Origins

The CSIC was created in 1939 by the recently victorious Francoist regime from the assets of the Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios (JAE) (1907–1939), born within the Institución Libre de Enseñanza and inspired in the Krausist philosophy. The initial mandate of the CSIC was to restore the classical and christian unity of the sciences that was destroyed in the 18th century ("la restauración de la clásica y cristiana unidad de las ciencias destruida en el siglo XVIII").[2][3] From its 1939 foundation to his 1966 death, its head was José María Albareda, one of the first members of the Opus Dei and a close friend of its founder, Josemaría Escrivá. José María Albareda was ordained a priest in 1959, and at his death was succeeded as head of CSIC by Manuel Lora-Tamayo, then the Education minister of Franco.

Duties

According to the Statute’s article 5 of CSIC State Agency,[4] the current objectives and functions of the CSIC are:

Scientific-technical areas

Its multidisciplinary and multisectorial nature means CSIC covers all fields of knowledge. Its activity is organised around eight scientific-technical areas:

Large facilities

CSIC provides services to the entire scientific community through management of the Singular Scientific and Technological Infrastructures (ICTS) recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation: these are unique or exceptional facilities involving relatively high investment and maintenance costs in relation to R&D investment budgets in their field. The whole science community and society at large can have access to them, which is justified by their importance and strategic nature, and for this reason they receive each year many national as well as foreign researchers. The importance and scientific and social repercussion of these large facilities is recognised and supported by the European Union.

CSIC administers the following Spanish ICTS:

And the Spanish participation in two large European facilities:

Research centres

CSIC has a number of specialised research centres carrying out research in several fields:

Literature

References

  1. ↑ "Comparecencia del Director General del CSIC, ante el Congreso de los Diputados, para informar sobre el funcionamiento y los resultados del CSIC y su aportación a la investigación" (PDF).
  2. ↑ "La ciencia que desmanteló Franco".
  3. ↑ "El CSIC se olvida de su herencia franquista".
  4. ↑ "Real Decreto 1730/2007 de 21 de diciembre por el que se crea la Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas y se aprueba su Estatuto".
  5. ↑ "humanidades y ciencias sociales". csic.es.
  6. ↑ "biología y biomedicina". csic.es.
  7. ↑ "recursos naturales". csic.es.
  8. ↑ "ciencias agrarias". csic.es.
  9. ↑ "ciencia y tecnologías físicas". csic.es.
  10. ↑ "ciencia y tecnología de materiales". csic.es.
  11. ↑ "ciencia y tecnología de alimentos". csic.es.
  12. ↑ "ciencia y tecnologías químicas". csic.es.
  13. ↑ "Calar Alto Astronomical Observatory". caha.es.
  14. ↑ "Inicio - Estación Biológica de Doñana". csic.es.
  15. ↑ http://www.utm.csic.es/hesperides.asp
  16. ↑ http://www.utm.csic.es/bae.asp
  17. ↑ http://www.utm.csic.es/sarmiento_his.asp
  18. ↑ Super User. "IMB-CNM". csic.es.
  19. ↑ "ILL :: Neutrons for science : The world's flagship centre for neutron science". ill.eu.
  20. ↑ http://www.icvv.es/index_en.php
  21. ↑ http://www.incipit.csic.es
  22. ↑ http://www.ipp.csic.es/
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