The King Felipe VI y Doña Letizia presided over the presentation ceremony of the National Research Awards 2023 in Gandía, which distinguish those researchers in Spain who stand out for their careers and international relevance in their respective areas of research.
At the event, the Director of the Chair of Science and Society of the Rafael del Pino Foundation, Javier García, was awarded the "Science and Society" prize. Juan de la Cierva' National Research Awardin the area of Technology Transfer, "has been awarded to Javier García Martínez "for his outstanding research and innovative career with fundamental contributions in the field of nanomaterial chemistry, including the design and manufacture of low temperature solar cells with record efficiency, new techniques for incorporating nanoporosity in catalysts and a new synthetic route for the production of multifunctional nanomaterials".
After the presentation of the awards, the King emphasised that ".We can be very proud of all that our country has achieved thanks to both the personal effort of our great men and women in science and their teams, as well as the collective, institutional and patronage efforts. Today, Spain holds relevant scientific and technological leaderships: we are world leaders in clinical trialsThe new personalised precision medicine will also be developed, renewable energy benchmarksWe are also among the EU's leading economies in terms of competitiveness, thanks in large part to our privileged geostrategic position and the natural wealth of our territory. digitisation and connectivity".
During the ceremony, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia were accompanied by the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos MazónThe Minister for Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morantand the Mayor of Gandía, José Manuel Prietoamong other authorities and members of the jury.
The National Research Awards, endowed with 30,000 euros in each category, distinguish the best research projects. researchers in Spain who stand out for their track record and international relevance in their respective areas of research. They also recognise the merit of young people -who have made significant achievements in the early stages of their careers.
Along with Javier García, the other winners of the National Research Awards for Young People 2023 were:
Biology Area
The Santiago Ramón y Cajal' National Research Award, in the area of Biology, has been awarded to José López Barneo for his brilliant career and pioneering contributions to high-impact advances in the field of cellular and molecular physiology and neurobiology, such as the understanding of the mechanisms of oxygen regulation of respiration, the discovery of stem cells in the carotid body and the development of new strategies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Lopez Barneo is Emeritus Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Seville and Senior Group Leader of the Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, IBiS (Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville).
The Margarita Salas' National Research Award for Young People, in the area of Biology, has been awarded to Miguel Ángel Mompeán García for his innovative and multidisciplinary vision of biology, applying techniques at the forefront of chemistry and structural biology. He has pioneered the combination of solution and biosolid Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy to characterise the formation of biomolecular condensates and their conversion to amyloids. His discoveries on the structure and function of amyloids have a great impact, opening new avenues for the diagnosis and treatment of pathologies associated with cellular ageing and viral infections. Mompeán is an ERC Starting Grant researcher at the Institute of Physical Chemistry 'Blas Cabrera' of the CSIC.
Engineering and Architecture Area
The Leonardo Torres Quevedo' National Research Award, in the area of Engineering and Architecture has been awarded to Francisco Javier Llorca Martínez for the pioneering nature and leadership of his research in the field of Computational Materials Engineering, highlighting his contributions to the development of novel multiscale modelling strategies that have had a major impact on different industrial sectors. Llorca is Professor of Materials Science at the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
The Matilde Ucelay' National Research Prize for Young Peoplein the area of Engineering and Architecture, has been awarded to Daniel García González for the originality and disruptive and interdisciplinary nature of his fundamental contributions to the conceptualisation of multifunctional and intelligent materials, as well as their applications in bioengineering. García is a full professor in the Department of Mechanics of Continuous Media and Theory of Structures at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
Humanities Area
The Ramón Menéndez Pidal' National Research Awardin the area of Humanities, has been awarded to Felipe Criado Boado for his pioneering and innovative contributions to archaeology that have contributed to our understanding of how human societies have interacted with and modified the landscape over the course of history. Also noteworthy are his recent studies examining how the world we build and inhabit changes our minds and the way we process information. His unique lines of research have led to paradigm shifts in archaeology and the incorporation of new concepts and applications. Criado is Director of the Institute of Heritage Sciences of the CSIC.
The María Moliner' National Research Prize for Young Peoplein the area of Humanities, has been awarded to Idoia Murga Castro for her brilliant career and interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary leadership in the Humanities. The jury has especially highlighted her figure as a reference in dance studies, being a pioneer in the opening of a Choreological Laboratory, and her international career. Murga is a tenured scientist in the Department of History of Art and Heritage at the Institute of History of the CSIC.
Area of Medicine and Health Sciences
The Gregorio Marañón' National Research Awardin the field of Medicine and Health Sciences, has been awarded to Luis Enjuanes Sánchez for the excellence and impact of his work, making him a reference in the field of virology. His excellent career, which is complemented by the impact of his contributions to the knowledge of coronavirus replication and transcription, as well as his continuous research and innovation in the area of vaccines, make him worthy of this recognition. Enjuanes is Ad Honorem Associate Professor of Virology and director of the Coronavirus laboratory at the National Biotechnology Centre of the CSIC.
The Gabriella Morreale' National Youth Research Awardin the field of Medicine and Health Sciences, has been awarded to Rodrigo Fernández Jiménez for the quality and relevance of his research work in preventive medicine and the current challenges in the field of cardiology. The high level of applicability of his contributions, the leadership he is already developing, as well as the innovative character and potential of his research in cardiovascular imaging technology have been highlighted. Fernández is Assistant Health Scientist-Group Leader in the Clinical Research Department of the National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC).
Technology Transfer Area
In addition to the award to Javier García, the Ángela Ruiz Robles' National Research Award for Young Peoplein the area of Technology Transfer, has been awarded to Gonzalo Murillo Rodríguez for the quality and originality of its scientific production and its transfer and dissemination. The jury highlights his contribution to the generation of knowledge and transfer in the field of the use of electromechanical nanogenerators, as well as environmental energy recovery and smart materials. Murillo is a Ramón y Cajal researcher at the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona of the CSIC.
Mathematics and Information and Communications Technology Area
The Julio Rey Pastor' National Research Awardin the area of Mathematics and Information and Communication Technologies, has been awarded to Diego Córdoba Gazolaz for the originality and impact of his research and methods introduced in the area of the equations of fluid mechanics, as well as his outstanding educational work. In particular, his pioneering studies on the formation of singularities in incompressible fluids have paved the way for a wide variety of industrial applications. Córdoba is Research Professor at CSIC and Scientific Director SO of ICMat.
The María Andresa Casamayor' National Research Award for Young Peoplein the area of Mathematics and Information and Communication Technologies, has been awarded to Xavier Ros Otón for the development of new and fundamental techniques in the area of partial differential equations, including his study of free boundary problems that model the transition between different states of matter. Ros-Otón is ICREA research professor and full professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Barcelona.
Area of Law and Economic and Social Sciences
The Pascual Madoz' National Research Awardin the field of Law and Economic and Social Sciences, has been awarded to Manuel Arellano González for his contributions to the field of econometrics. His methodological work has had a profound impact on the understanding and use of panel data and has advanced knowledge in various fields of applied economics. His findings have been fundamental to a better understanding of employment dynamics, firm productivity and economic growth, among other applications. Arellano is Professor of Economics at the Centre for Monetary and Financial Studies Foundation (CEMFI).
The Clara Campoamor' National Research Prize for Young Peoplein the field of Law and Economic and Social Sciences, has been awarded to Mónica Martínez Bravo for his original and influential contributions to burning challenges in the areas of economic development and political economy. His research work, brilliant from the outset, stands out for its impact in areas such as the democratisation and quality of political institutions and evidence-based social policy-making. Martínez Bravo is Professor of Economics at the Fundación Centro de Estudios Monetarios y Financieros (CEMFI).
Area of Physical, Materials and Earth Sciences
The Blas Cabrera' National Research Awardin the area of Physical, Materials and Earth Sciences, has been awarded to Ángel Rubio Secades for his extraordinary career and scientific excellence, most notably his work in computational solid-state physics, predicting new properties of materials at the nanoscale and, more recently, new non-equilibrium phases of matter. The conceptual and methodological advances of his work have transformed computational materials science, opened up new fields of experimental research and driven the development of materials with novel properties. Rubio is head of the Theory Department at the Max Planck Gesellschaft in Hamburg. He is also a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Simons Foundations Flatiron Institute (New York) and at the University of the Basque Country (San Sebastian).
The Felisa Martín Bravo' National Research Prize for Young Peoplein the area of Physical, Materials and Earth Sciences, has been awarded to Francisco Pelayo García de Arquer for his pioneering and interdisciplinary contributions to the fields of physics, chemistry and materials science, with relevant applications in the generation of clean energy and the development of optoelectronic elements. His contributions to the manipulation of nanostructured materials, controlling their structural, physicochemical, optical and electronic properties, have opened new approaches to the design of highly efficient solar cells, photodetectors and light-emitting diodes. García de Arquer is Head of the Research Group at the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO).
Area of Chemical Science and Technologies
The Enrique Moles' National Research Awardin the area of Chemical Science and Technologies, has been awarded to Jesús Jiménez Barbero for his excellent scientific career, highlighting his contributions to the understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the molecular recognition processes between carbohydrates and proteins. His interdisciplinary vision and the development of innovative experiments in the use of nuclear magnetic resonance techniques for the study of interactions between molecules have made it possible to obtain a detailed study of the interactions of large and complex glycans. The jury also highlighted the transfer of these results, which has led to the design of new clinical approaches to treat various pathologies. Jiménez Barbero is Scientific Director at CIC BIOGUNE.
The María Teresa Toral' National Research Award for Young Peoplein the area of Chemical Science and Technologies, has been awarded to Silvia Osuna Oliveras for his excellent scientific career, his impact and high international recognition, and for his curriculum vitae, having obtained competitive projects at the highest level. The jury highlighted her novel and original contributions in the development of new computational protocols for the design of new enzymes, which have great potential for transfer to the productive fabric. Osuna is ICREA research professor at the Institut de Química Computacional i Catàlisi of the Universitat de Girona (UdG).
Area of Natural Resources Science and Technology
The National Research Award 'Alejandro Malaspina'.in the area of Natural Resources Science and Technology, has been awarded to Josep Peñuelas Reixach for his long scientific career as an international benchmark in global change research, as well as his leadership in technological innovation and dissemination work in this area. Peñuelas is director of the Global Ecology Unit at the Consortium Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF).
The Ángeles Alvariño' National Research Award for Young Peoplein the area of Natural Resources Science and Technology, has been awarded to Marta Martínez Sanz for the excellence of her multidisciplinary research, which is having an outstanding social and economic relevance from an environmental point of view. Martínez is a tenured scientist in the Food Proteins group at the Food Science Research Institute (CIAL), a joint CSIC-UAM centre.