The ICMM-CSIC receives the Severo Ochoa accreditation for excellence in research

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The Materials Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC), part of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MCIU), has achieved the Severo Ochoa accreditation of excellence, endowed with more than 5.5 million euros. "This recognizes the efforts of an entire center, including research staff at all levels, as well as administration, scientific and technical services, and support staff," celebrates José Ángel Martín-Gago, director of the ICMM-CSIC and research professor at the CSIC.

This is the Spanish Research Agency's main call for scientific excellence and is aimed at public sector centers and private non-profit research institutions whose scientific leadership is internationally recognized, with the capacity to contribute decisively to advancing the frontiers of knowledge and generating high-impact results, as well as exerting a driving force on the Spanish Science, Technology, and Innovation System. "Being awarded this accreditation is an important milestone in the history of the institute, of which we are all proud, a recognition of a job well done," continues Martín-Gago.

The accreditation period will be four years, starting on April 1, 2025, and will be valid for a maximum of six years. In total, this accreditation carries a financial endowment of €5.57 million, including ten predoctoral contracts for the training of research personnel.

"Our project vindicates the role of materials in society," describes the researcher, who goes on to recall how great advances in society have been motivated by the discovery of new materials: "From the printing of currency, which involved discovering new metal alloys, to construction materials or electronics, which has changed our way of life, or all of medical physics, which helps us have faster and more precise diagnoses and therapies," he highlights.

Martín-Gago argues that the ICMM, part of the Spanish National Research Council, is working on materials that foster "a silent revolution." "We seek materials that solve today's problems in society," he says. In fact, the center's main lines of research focus on new materials for technology, for a sustainable world, and for health. "These materials must be equal to or better than the ones we have now, but manufactured using much more sustainable processes. Thanks to them, we contribute to mastering materials from their very origins, to help alleviate climate change from different perspectives, to achieve better health, or to develop faster and more efficient technologies for different fields," he explains.