What is CSIC?

The Spanish National Research Council (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas - CSIC) is the largest public institution dedicated to research in Spain. 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. It also manages a range of important facilities; the most complete and extensive network of specialist libraries, and also has joint research units.

CSIC has a miltudisciplinar approach that coves all fields of knowledge. CSIC is constitutud by a network of centers distributed all over the Spainsh geography which carry their research in a autonomous and independent way. The centers activity ranges from basic research to technology development, and is organized in eight scientific-technical areas:

• Humanities and social sciences 
• Biology and biomedicine 
• Natural resources
• Agricultural sciences
• Physical science and technologies 
• Materials science and technology
• Food science and technology 
• Chemical science and technology

CSIC also provides services to the entire scientific community through management of the Singular Scientific and Technological Infrastructures (ICTS): these are unique or exceptional facilities involving relatively high investment and maintenance costs in relation to R&D investment budgets in their field. The whole science community and society at large can have access to 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. The importance and scientific and social repercussion of these large facilities is recognised and supported by the European Union.

Scientific domains

Multi-domain

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