CiMUS receives recognition as a Maria de Maeztu Unit of Excellence

The Singular Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases of the USC (CiMUS), a centre belonging to the USC and part of the CIGUS Network – an initiative promoted by the Xunta de Galicia that brings together the centres of the system that have accredited their scientific excellence – has been recognised as a María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence.

This distinction, awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, grants in its provisional resolution 75.7 million euros to finance nine centres and eight units of excellence that ‘stand out for their scientific impact and international leadership’.

With this recognition of CiMUS, there are now two centres in the CIGUS Network that have this high-level distinction, as the Galician Institute of High Energy Physics (IGFAE) revalidated this seal in 2023 for a new period, after having become the first centre in Galicia to obtain it in 2017.

The accreditation as a “María de Maeztu” Unit provides the centre with funding of 3 million euros for a period of four years, with the aim of strengthening the organisation, strategic research planning, increasing the visibility of the centres and their capacity to attract research talent.

The evaluation and accreditation of this seal of excellence is carried out by an international scientific committee, and the accredited centres must guarantee a strategic research programme that contributes to the generation of cutting-edge knowledge, generates impact and competitiveness in its field of action on the international scientific scene, and works to promote the transfer of knowledge to society.

This recognition reinforces the support that CiMUS already receives from the Galician administration, with the aim of strengthening the high-level research structure and the Galician R&D&I ecosystem. In this highly competitive grant call we also highlight the effort and work of the Singular Centre for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CIQUS), attached to the USC and member of the CIGUS Network, which succeeded for the second year in passing the first phase of the call, reflecting recognition of the competitiveness and impact of the centre in its field of action.