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Scientific Director’s Presentation
Ramón Martínez Máñez
I am pleased to present the annual report of CIBER-BBN, which covers the most significant parts of the work done by us in 2018 and is a good chance to look over and highlight what has been achieved this last year.
In the organisational sphere we have got under way the Strategic Plan 2018-2021, which has meant a new organisation pattern as regards the approach to our activity and the internal calls for projects.
As regards internationalisation and improvement of our external visibility, CIBER- BBN has been present at international events such as CLINAM or at the annual meeting of
the ETPN. It has participated as a benchmark research centre by acting as “mentor” for the creation of an excellence centre in Cyprus as part of a European project. A major effort has been made in applying for ambitious projects in several H2020 calls, and in 2019 we took part in a project for the creation of major infrastructures facilitating the development of medical devices containing nanotechnology in compliance with European regulatory frameworks.
As for scientific activity,the traditional intramural projects have now become intramural cooperation schemes setting out to encourage collaborative research with all CIBER areas, taking advantage of the consortium’s great potential. The permeability has been highly satisfactory,with almost half of the cooperation schemes incorporating research groups from other thematic areas.
The joint work under way covers a wide range of subject matters, which confirms our multidisciplinary nature and cooperation potential.
Another new initiative has been the early stage projects, led by contracted doctors and in which there has been a great response, with almost 30 projects under way.
As regards cooperation with other thematic areas, a joint call has been launched with CIBERONC with a very good response and
in which three seed-stage projects are being funded. We should also stress the scientific sessions shared with CIBERER and CIBERFES researchers at the Annual Conference held in Valladolid.
In the framework of these sessions the prizes for the 1st Edition of CIBER- BBN awards for
the best articles published in 2017 by young investigators were given. This is a new measure, aimed at encouraging our young researchers, which we hope to continue with in the future.
In 2018 we also launched the new valorisation projects, with which projects are funded so
that a technology with a TRL of at least 3 can reach a more mature level of development. Five projects are being funded in the 2018 call. We also maintain the traditional call for transfer projects jointly funded by CIBER-BBN and by a company in which we have had seven projects active over the last year.
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CIBER-BBN | ANNUAL REPORT 2018