Last Wednesday, the minister of Science and Innovation, Pedro Duque, together with those responsible for the State Research Agency (AEI), the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) and the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), announced the main innovations that will be presented by the Spanish R+D+I calls, mainly marked by the increase in their budgets.
In today's article, we review the main news:
In general terms, the Ministry's objective is to promote, through the different calls for R+D+I, the creation of new wealth and programs for the generation and transfer of knowledge in the area of science, which will allow us to overcome the current post-COVID health and economic crisis.
State Research Agency (AEI)
The Agency, which doubles its funding compared to previous years, has a total budget of 1,500 million euros to reinforce calls for scientific-technical equipment, public-private collaboration and post-doctoral contracts; and for the creation of three new calls: green and digital transition, proof of concept and strategic projects.
- Scientific-technical equipment: It has a total budget of 180 million euros aimed at providing high-performance equipment to the common services of public research organizations, universities and other public R&D centers.
- Public-private collaboration: It has a total budget of 150 million euros in direct aid, as well as 250 million euros in loans for companies. The call, a successor to those known as “collaboration challenges”, will allocate its budget to public-private consortiums that accelerate research, as well as to the incorporation of doctors into companies.
- Postdoctoral contracts: It has a total budget of 90M euros for the training and incorporation of professionals in the form of doctors into companies. The call improves the hiring projections of these professionals, with contracts defined from the beginning (allowing access to European aid for science workers with leadership). It will be complemented by the Ramón y Cajal program, during 2021, and with the “tenure track” call starting in 2022.
- Green and digital transition: It has a total budget of 296 million euros for the grant of digital transformation projects that promote the green and digital transition. It is proposed as a very horizontal call for all scientific areas and is fully compatible with other calls for grants and grants.
- Proof of Concept: It has a total budget of 40M euros for the financing of two-year projects that involve the transfer of the scientific-technical knowledge obtained. The call was part of the previous State Plan, but it was never convened due to lack of resources.
- Strategic Projects: It has a total budget of 43M euros in grants, as well as 43M euros in loans for companies. The funded projects, with a duration of three years, must involve the beginning of a public-private collaboration.
Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI)
The CDTI has a budget of 645M euros aimed both at increasing the number of programs launched and at consolidating existing calls that encourage the development of both national and international R+D+I projects.
The lines already convened by the CDTI are specified in:
- Cervera Technology Center Grants: It has increased its budget compared to 2020, awarding grants worth 20M euros. The award of 15 million euros from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan remains to be resolved.
- Technology Program aeronautical: It has a total budget of 40M euros to support strategic R&D projects in aeronautical technologies, which contribute to achieving some of the previously identified challenges.
- NEOTEC Grants: It has a total budget of 36.5M euros. This time, the program will pay special attention to those projects that involve the hiring of doctors.
- Invest Program: It has a total budget of 177 million euros. The program, with continuous co-investment action, seeks to stimulate investment in Spanish technological and innovative companies. In addition, the CDTI will soon convene the following lines for project funding:
- Science and Innovation Missions: It has a total budget of 141 million euros.
- Sustainable Automotive Technology Program: It has a total budget of 40M euros to finance projects, with a duration of three years, related to the transition to zero emission vehicles.
- Grants to SMEs with the European Innovation Council seal of excellence: It has a total budget of 20M euros for startups that are unable to attract European funding due to the high level of existing competition.
Carlos III Institute (ISCIII)
It has a total budget of 131 million euros for the year 2021, aimed at promoting the health and well-being of citizens and at strengthening and increasing the international competitiveness of R+D+I of the National Health System and of companies related to the sector. The two new calls launched by the ISCIII are:
- Personalized Precision Medicine Projects: It has a total budget of almost 29.5 million euros aimed at financing R&D projects that facilitate the progressive deployment of Personalized Precision Medicine in the National Health System. Projects should be aimed at validation prior to their implementation in the care field.
- Unique scientific infrastructures of the National Health System: It has a total budget of 15 million euros for the installation of unique infrastructures in research centers in the field of the National Health System, the acquisition of new equipment and technological renewal.
In addition, the Institute's forecasts for 2022 include:
- The reinforcement of calls for projects and HR.
- The increase in the provision for infrastructure and support personnel.
- Additional actions for the implementation of Personalized Precision Medicine in the NHS in collaboration with other entities (CDTI and others).
- The creation of an ISCIII seal of excellence
- Health to finance proposals in the Life Sciences Area.
- The increase in funding for Spanish groups that participate in transnational calls for the positioning of Spain in European health associations and infrastructures.
- The start of the cohesion plan for health R&D in collaboration with the Autonomous Communities.
