CiQUS awarded the María de Maeztu distinction

The Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, part of the CIGUS Network, an initiative promoted by the Xunta de Galicia that brings together centers within the Galician research system with proven scientific excellence, has been recognized as a María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence, according to the provisional resolution of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

In this call, the Ministry allocated €77.5 million to fund centers and units that stand out for their scientific impact and international leadership, among which CiQUS is included.

With this accreditation, there are now three centers linked to the CIGUS Network that hold this distinction: the Galician Institute of High Energy Physics (IGFAE), which was the first Galician center to obtain it in 2017 and renewed it in 2023, and the Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), which obtained it in 2025. This new achievement reinforces the position of the Galician R&D&I system in highly competitive national calls.

The accreditation entails funding of approximately €3 million for the next four years. This support is aimed at strengthening the organization and scientific planning of the centers, as well as their international projection and their capacity to attract talent.

Since its creation in 2010, CiQUS has developed a high-impact interdisciplinary research model, consisting of 19 research groups and with a strong capacity to secure competitive funding. Its international activity is reflected in the achievement of 19 European Research Council (ERC) projects and its participation in European Innovation Council (EIC) initiatives focused on knowledge transfer and the development of disruptive technologies.

This recognition reinforces the center’s track record and its role within the Galician scientific system. The centers of the CIGUS Network have consolidated a high-level research model, as demonstrated by the María de Maeztu distinction obtained by several of them, confirming the strength of the Galician R&D&I system in highly demanding calls. CiQUS thus joins a select group of centers meeting this same level of scientific excellence.