Spanish National Research Council Explained

Agency Name:	Spanish National Research Council
Preceding1:	Board for Advanced Studies and Scientific Research (1907–1939)
Jurisdiction:	Spain
Headquarters:	Serrano 117. 28006 Madrid
Region Code:	ES
Employees:	14,838 (2023)^[1]
Budget:	€ 1.39 billion, 2022^[2]
Chief1 Name:	María Eloísa del Pino Matute
Chief1 Position:	President
Parent Department:	Ministry of Science

The Spanish National Research Council^[3] (Spanish; Castilian: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC) is the largest public institution dedicated to research in Spain and the third largest in Europe. Its main objective is to develop and promote research that will help bring about scientific and technological progress, and it is prepared to collaborate with Spanish and foreign entities in order to achieve this aim.

CSIC plays an important role in scientific and technological policy, since it encompasses an area that takes in everything from basic research to the transfer of knowledge to the productive sector. Its research is driven by its centres and institutes, which are spread across all the autonomous regions. CSIC has 6% of all the staff dedicated to research and development in Spain, and they generate approximately 20% of all scientific production in the country.^[4] It also manages a range of important facilities; the most complete and extensive network of specialist libraries, and also has joint research units.

Significant latest research by CSIC is the Temperature and Winds for InSight (TWINS) module, which is a component of NASA's InSight Mars lander, which landed successfully on November 26, 2018. TWINS will monitor weather at the Mars landing site.

Origins

The CSIC was established in 1939 by one of the first governments of Francisco Franco from the assets of the Board for Advanced Studies and Scientific Research ((JAE, 1907–1939)), born within the Institución Libre de Enseñanza and inspired in the Krausist philosophy. The initial mandate of the CSIC was to restore the classical and Christian unity of the sciences that was destroyed in the 18th century ("la restauración de la clásica y cristiana unidad de las ciencias destruida en el siglo XVIII").^{[5] [6]}

From its 1939 foundation to his 1966 death, its head was José María Albareda, one of the first members of the Opus Dei and a close friend of its founder, Josemaría Escrivá. José María Albareda was ordained a priest in 1959, and at his death was succeeded as head of CSIC by Manuel Lora-Tamayo, minister of Education from 1962 to 1968.

Duties

According to the statute's article 5 of CSIC State Agency,^[7] the current objectives and functions of the CSIC are:

• To carry out scientific and technological research and help to encourage such research, where relevant.
• To transfer the results of scientific and technological research to public and private institutions.
• To provide scientific-technical services to the General State Administration and public and private institutions.
• To boost the creation of technologically based entities and companies.
• To help create entities with the ability to oversee the transfer and evaluation of technology.
• To train researchers.
• To train experts by means of highly specialised courses.
• To promote scientific culture in society.
• To manage scientific-technical facilities to be used by the scientific research and technological development system.
• To participate in international organs and bodies, as requested by the Ministry of Education and Science (the CSIC state agency currently belongs to the Ministry of Science and Innovation).
• To participate in national organs and bodies, as requested by the Ministry of Education and Science (the CSIC state agency currently belongs to the Ministry of Science and Innovation).
• To participate in designing and implementing the scientific and technological policies of the Ministry of Education and Science (the CSIC state agency currently belongs to the Ministry of Science and Innovation).
• To collaborate with other national and international institutions in the promotion and transfer of science and technology, as well as in the creation and development of scientific and technological research centres, institutes and units.
• To collaborate with universities in scientific research and technological development activities and in postgraduate education.
• To inform, attend and advise public and private entities on science and technology issues.
• To train experts in science and technology management.
• To collaborate in updating the science and technology knowledge skills of non-university teachers.
• To support the execution of the sectorial policies defined by the General State Administration, by preparing technical studies or through applied research activities.
• Any other scientific promotion and technological research actions assigned to it by applicable legislation or as commissioned by the Government.

Scientific-technical areas

Its multidisciplinary and multisectorial nature means CSIC covers all fields of knowledge. Its activity is organised around eight scientific-technical areas:

• Area 1. humanities and social sciences^[8] in 17 centres
• Area 2. biology and biomedical science^[9] in 22 centres
• Area 3. natural resources^[10] in 24 centres
• Area 4. Agricultural sciences^[11] in 23 centres
• Area 5. Physical science and physical technology^[12] in 24 centres
• Area 6. Materials science and food technology^[13] in 13 centres
• Area 7. Food science and food technology^[14] in 8 centres
• Area 8. Chemical science and chemical technology^[15] in 16 centres

Large facilities

CSIC manages the "Singular Scientific and Technological Infrastructures" (ICTS) which are facilities involving relatively high investment and maintenance costs in relation to R&D investment budgets in their field. The science community and society at large can access them, which is justified by their importance and strategic nature, and for this reason they receive each year many national as well as foreign researchers. These large facilities are recognised and supported by the European Union.

CSIC administers the following 6 Spanish ICTS facilities:

• Calar Alto Astronomical Observatory^[16]
• Doñana Reserve – Biological Station^[17]
• Hespérides Oceanic Research Vessel^[18]
• Juan Carlos I Antarctic Base^[19]
• Sarmiento de Gamboa Ocean Research Vessel^[20]
• The Integrated Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room at the Microelectronics Institute of Barcelona^[21]

Spain participates in two large European facilities:

• European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
• Max von Laue-Paul Langevin Institute^[22]

Research centres

As of January 2018 CSIC listed 139 specialized research centers carrying out research in the above-mentioned eight different fields.^[23]

Literature

• Carlos Martinez Alonso: Re-founding the Spanish National Research Council: New Methods, New Culture, in: Max-Planck-Forum 7 : Perspectives of Research – Identification and Implementation of Research Topics by Organizations (Ringberg-Symposium Mai 2006), S. 59–70, ISSN 1438-8715

Publications of CSIC include:

• Archivo Español de Arqueología (AEspA), founded in 1940

In popular culture

The Spanish National Research Council Headquarters serves as the exterior of The Royal Mint of Spain in the Spanish television series La Casa De Papel, also known by its English title Money Heist.^{[24] [25]}

See also

• Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), the French counterpart to the CSIC
• Digital CSIC, the council's online research repository, est. 2008
• Spanish National Cardiovascular Research Centre

External links

• • Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation
• CSIC Library Network
• Revistas CSIC, Scientific journals published by

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2023 . Personal al servicio del Sector Público Estatal . 16 June 2024 . www.igae.pap.hacienda.gob.es.
2. Web site: 2022 CSIC memory.
3. Although this is the name officially used as translation in the website of the institution, the actual word-by-word translation would be High Council of Scientific Research
4. Web site: Comparecencia del Director General del CSIC, ante el Congreso de los Diputados, para informar sobre el funcionamiento y los resultados del CSIC y su aportación a la investigación . . 11 August 2017 . 24 March 2009 . 24 . 4 . es.
5. News: La ciencia que desmanteló Franco . . 11 August 2017 . Manuel . Ansede . 25 July 2015 . . es.
6. News: El CSIC se olvida de su herencia franquista . . 11 August 2017 . Nuño . Domínguez . 24 November 2014 . Madrid . es . Prisa.
7. Real Decreto 1730/2007 de 21 de diciembre por el que se crea la Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas y se aprueba su Estatuto . . 11 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120401224309/http://www.boe.es/aeboe/consultas/bases_datos/doc.php?coleccion=iberlex&id=2008/00591 . 1 April 2012 . 14 January 2008 . 2476–2486 . es . 12.
8. Web site: humanidades y ciencias sociales. Csic.es.
9. Web site: biología y biomedicina. Csic.es.
10. Web site: recursos naturales. Csic.es.
11. Web site: ciencias agrarias. Csic.es.
12. Web site: ciencia y tecnologías físicas. Csic.es.
13. Web site: ciencia y tecnología de materiales. Csic.es.
14. Web site: ciencia y tecnología de alimentos. Csic.es.
15. Web site: ciencia y tecnologías químicas. Csic.es.
16. Web site: Calar Alto Astronomical Observatory . Caha.es . 15 February 2019 . es.
17. Web site: Inicio – Estación Biológica de Doñana . Csic.es . 15 February 2019 . es.
18. Web site: R/V Hespérides . 8 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100619175434/http://www.utm.csic.es/hesperides.asp . 19 June 2010 . UTM – Marine Technology Unit . es.
19. Web site: BAE Juan Carlos I . 5 March 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080415220437/http://www.utm.csic.es/bae.asp . 15 April 2008 . UTM – Marine Technology Unit . es.
20. Web site: O/V Sarmiento de Gamboa: History . 5 October 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100918195044/http://www.utm.csic.es/sarmiento_his.asp . 18 September 2010 . es . UTM – Marine Technology Unit.
21. Web site: Sala blanca . Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona . 15 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100919011211/http://www.imb-cnm.csic.es/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25&Itemid=70&lang=es . 19 September 2010 . es.
22. Web site: ILL :: Neutrons for science : The world's flagship centre for neutron science . Ill.eu . 15 February 2019.
23. http://www.csic.es/centros-de-investigacion1 Research centres
24. Web site: La verdadera casa de papel . Grupo Crónica . Paula . Boente . 25 February 2018 . 15 February 2019 . BAE Negocios.
25. Web site: "La casa de papel" se rueda en el CSIC – Lugares de película . 17 May 2017 . Lugares de Película . 15 February 2019 . es.