Excellence, n.
the state or fact of excelling in the possession of chiefly good qualities to an eminent or unusual degree; surpassing merit, skill, virtue, worth…
ICREA is an institution created by the Catalan government in 2001 to meet the specific needs of our research system.
ICREA’s mission is to attract and retain outstanding researchers from all over the world in order to increase the impact and global visibility of Catalan universities and research centres.
Science is a universal human enterprise, and each research system must find its own path to success.
ICREA has succeeded in bringing together one of the most influential research communities in the world.
eXceptional, adj. & n.
of the nature of or constituting an exception; out of the ordinary, unusual, special.
ICREA brings together a global community of nearly 300 researchers and empowers them to strive for excellence, free from political pressures or external influences.
Throughout their careers, these researchers are regularly evaluated by an external, independent promotion committee.
Commitment, n.
the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, ideology, activity, etc.; the act of devoting oneself to something or someone; devotion…
ICREA is an institution committed to diversity and inclusion, increasing opportunities for women in science and welcoming researchers from all backgrounds to foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive research system.
futurE, adj. & n.
that which is yet to be; existing or occurring after the present time. Often used to qualify a noun, indicating a person or thing expected to become what the noun denotes.
Every year, ICREA offers tenured positions to talented researchers from all over the world to come and work in Catalonia.
In fields ranging from philosophy to astrophysics, these positions have become benchmarks of global academic excellence.
Leading, adj.
going or moving ahead; guiding or showing the way. Holding a position of greatest importance, influence or prominence; foremost or highest in rank.
ICREA researchers are able to pursue their work at the host institutions that best match their research interests. Full respect for freedom of research allows ICREA scientists to push back the frontiers of knowledge and find new paths to progress.
Citations and impact
One third of publications by ICREA researchers rank in the top 10% of the most cited.
ICREAs ranked among the top 1% most cited researchers worldwide by Clarivate
Josep Dalmau
FRCB-IDIBAPS
Markus Donat
BSC-CNS
Frank Koppens
ICFO
Josep Maria Llovet
FRCB-IDIBAPS
Maurizio Mencuccini
CREAF
sustainabLe, n.
capable of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
There is not dividing line between pure and applied science; there is only science, which changes the way we understand ourselves and the universe – and transforms the way we live.
ICREA researchers keep attracting new funding, creating new research positions, bringing new technologies to the market; embodying the essence of excellence in science.
shinE, v.
(of a heavenly body or a source of light) to emit bright light; to give off light that illuminates; to be radiant…
Honours and awards
These are some of the ICREA Research Professors who received awards in 2024
Frederic Bartumeus
World Summit Award 2023
Eduard Batlle
EMBO Member.
Premi Nacional de Recerca 2023
Gustavo Deco
Member of the Academia Europaea
Vivek Malhotra
Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Tomàs Marquès Bonet
Premi Ciutat de Barcelona 2023
Ruben Martin Romo
Medalla de la Real Sociedad Española de Química (RSEQ)
Arben Merkoçi
Member of the European Academy of Sciences
Silvia Osuna
Premio Nacional de Investigación para Jóvenes ‘María Teresa Toral’ 2023
Josep Quer Villanueva
Member of the Academia Europaea
Mar Reguant
Premi Nacional de Recerca al Talent Jove 2023
Xavier Ros Oton
Premio Nacional de Investigación para Jóvenes ‘María Andresa Casamayor’ 2023
Carme Rovira Virgili
Membre electe de la Reial Acadèmia de les Ciències i Arts de Barcelona (RACAB)
María Victoria Sánchez-Vives
Member of the Academia Europaea
M. Ángeles Serrano
Elected Fellow of the American Physical Society.
Elected Fellow of the Network Science Society
Xavier Trepat
Premio Fundación Lilly de Investigación Biomédica
Licia Verde
Medalla de la Real Sociedad Español de Física-Fundación BBVA
scieNce, n.
the intellectual and practical study of natural phenomena through observation and experimentation…
researCh, v.
to conduct systematic investigation or inquiry in order to contribute to knowledge of a theory, subject or issue.
ERC grants awarded
Consolidator grants
César Rodriguez-Emmenegger
IBEC
Arnau Sebé-Pedrós
CRG
Advanced grants
F. Javier García de Abajo
ICFO
David Mateos
UB
Sandra Montón Subías
UPF
Laura Soucek
VHIO
Synergy grants
Diego Blas
IFAE
Mariona Graupera
IJC
Kostas Kostarelos
ICN2
One in four ICREA Research Professors has an active ERC grant
transparEncy, n.
the quality of allowing light to pass through so that objects behind are clearly visible.
Our funding comes entirely from the Catalan government.
We are proud of our transparent track record of using these funds in a careful and considered way to ensure that resources are channelled into what matters most: outstanding science.
