On Tuesday 15 March the ceremony was held of the eighth edition of the ICREA Academy 2015 distinctions awarded by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government) in recognition of the research work by the teaching staff in a Catalan public university which also helps to retain research talent within the university system of Catalonia. Each of the thirty researchers recognized as ICREA Academy will receive 40,000 Euros per year for a period of five years.

The distinction implies priority dedication to research and is exclusively addresses university staff in teaching positions and expanding their research activities.

In this edition, among those awarded are 17 who had previously received the distinction during the first, second or third calls (2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively). After the completion of five years of research they have been selected again for a second term (2015-2019).

UPF is the Catalan university to have obtained most distinctions

In this eighth edition, Pompeu Fabra University has achieved eight ICREA Academy mentions. From the Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, the following lecturers have been distinguished: Elena Bosch, leader of the Evolutionary Population Genetics Lab; Elena Hidalgo, co-leader of the Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Research Group; Rafael Maldonado, leader of the Neuropharmacology Lab and Cristina Pujades, leader of the Neurodevelopmental Biology Research Group; from the Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Emilia Gómez and Ángel Lozano; from the Department of Economics and Business, Libertad González Luna and, finally, from the Department of Humanities, Josep Maria Fradera.

As for the other universities in the Catalan public university system, the number of awards obtained was: Autonomous University of Barcelona, six; University of Barcelona, five; Polytechnic University of Catalonia, another five; Rovira i Virgili three; University of Girona two, and one mention for the University of Lleida.

By areas of knowledge, seven of the distinguished professors are devoted to experimental and mathematical sciences, seven to technology and engineering, seven to life sciences and medicine, four to the humanities, and five to social and behavioral sciences.

With these new distinctions 177 researchers have obtained the ICREA Academy qualification in Catalan universities under this programme funded by the Government with six million Euros a year. The call for the next edition of the awards will open during the first half of September.