CNIC awarded Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation

The Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, (CNIC) has again received the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation of Spain's Ministry of Science and Innovation. The CNIC first received this award in 2011.

The aim of this accreditation is to provide funds for and acknowledge public research centres and units of any scientific field that have impact and give scientific leadership at international level, and which collaborate in their social and business environment.

It is awarded to organizational structures that have highly competitive, ground-breaking programmes that are amongst the finest in the world in their respective fields of science

Centres must meet a series of criteria in addition to being high-impact and competitive in their field of activity on the world scientific stage. Among other criteria, the research activities must undergo periodic scientific evaluation by external, independent scientific committees and be conducted within a strategic programme that generates ground-breaking knowledge. In addition, the institution must have activities that train, select and attract human resources at an international level, and actively maintain institutional collaboration agreements with other high-level research centres, in addition to strengthening the transfer and dissemination of knowledge to society.

The Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation is valid for four years and brings one million euros funding per year, as well as allowing priority access to other research development initiatives.