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Galicia, a growing R&I ecosystem, welcomes MSCA talent
In the last 10 years, Galicia’s research and innovation ecosystem has experienced impressive growth and strengthening. Xunta de Galicia, the autonomous government of this region in the north-west of Spain, has made a firm commitment to scientific excellence, promoting a network (CIGUS) of the most competitive university research centres and creating programmes such as Oportunius to attract and support ERC grantees, an initiative managed by the Galician Innovation Agency, which is part of the Consellería de Educación, Ciencia, Universidades e Formación Profesional.
The successful Oportunius Programme, which has attracted and funded 34 ERC grant holders since 2014 with an investment of €14 million, is now being extended to include training and guidance for MSCA fellows. Between 2019 and 2023, Galicia has obtained 123 MSCA grants — an increase of 146% compared to 2014–2018— and now ranks sixth among all Spanish regions in terms of MSCA Fellowships. The aim is to continue increasing the number of national and international researchers that apply for a MSCA grant with a Galician host institution.
Galicia’s rich and dynamic R&I ecosystem offers multiple opportunities for researchers at any stage of their scientific career. The region has three public universities — in Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and Vigo — and more than 40 research centres. Among them, the 10 centres of the CIGUS Network stand out for their indicators of scientific excellence and cover a very diverse range of disciplines, from ICT — including AI, quantum communications and satellite technologies — to environmental and marine studies, biomedicine, chemical biology particle physics, and more.
The CIGUS Network includes CIMUS, CIQUS, CITIUS, CRETUS and IGFAE from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC); atlanTTic, CIM and CINBIO from the University of Vigo (UVigo); and CICA and CITIC from the University of A Coruña (UDC). These 10 centres gather around 1,600 researchers, raised more than €180M in competitive funds between 2020 and 2023, obtained 32 ERC-funded projects out of the total 42 in the region, and have promoted the creation of more than 36 spin-offs.
Galicia, a growing R&I ecosystem, welcomes MSCA talent
However, CIGUS is just the tip of the iceberg. Together, the three universities have 16 other research institutes, including three inter-university research centres, in fields as diverse as economics, mathematics, engineering, materials science, sociology and cultural studies. The Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), the biggest scientific institution in Spain, has four research institutes and two centres of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) in Galicia.
This panorama is completed by unique research infrastructures, such as the Galician Supercomputing Centre (CESGA) — leading the Quantum Technologies Pole, one of the priorities of the Galician research strategy, nine technology centres with a substantial investment of resources in research — including about 300 R&I positions offered every year, and an industrial fabric that comprises more than 1,700 innovative companies. This favours not only the transfer of knowledge and technology to society, but also the career development possibilities of junior and senior researchers.
The aforementioned Oportunius Programme, managed by the Axencia Galega de Innovación, is one of these excellent opportunities for experienced researchers. The initiative offers contracts to national and international ERC grantees that want to carry out their projects with a Galician host institution, as well as financial support complementary to ERC funding during and after the grant period. In addition, Oportunius offers economic support and expert advice to researchers from any country willing to submit an ERC application with a Galician organisation who have been successful in the first ERC evaluation phase, or hold an A assessment, without financial awards, in the ERC access process.
To learn more about Oportunius Programme and request specific information, researchers can visit the website oportunius.eu. Those interested in applying for an MSCA grant with a Galician host institution can directly contact the target centre or the recruitment services of the three universities: USC (Portal ‘Carreira investigadora’), UDC (Research Staff Recruitment Office) and UVigo (Research Career).
Galicia offers multiple opportunities to develop a successful research career. Besides top-notch scientific infrastructures, excellent research centres, and an innovative and collaborative R&I environment, working here makes it possible to enjoy a privileged natural landscape, live in mediumsized cities close to the mountains and the sea — Galicia has more than 1,500 km of coastline and delight in a rich culture that combines tradition, historical heritage and modernity.
Axencia Galega de Innovacion