The Research Plan of the University of Castilla-La Mancha has reached the highest figures in the history of the academic institution, since it has exceeded nine million euros of funding, as contemplated in the Research Report corresponding to the academic year 2016, recently published. This document gathers the results of the research conducted, offering data on the funding collected by the groups, centers, and research institutes of the Regional University.
The Research Report of the UCLM—for the academic year 2016—highlights the Research Plan as part of the Institutional Strengthening Plan since it has reached the highest figures in the history of the academic institution with a total of 9,219.408 million euros of funding, five times more than the amount dedicated in 2011, with less than 2 million euros. “This fact responds to the commitment for research of the management team, which has helped to ensure that our groups continue generating knowledge and technological development and innovation, contributing to the economic and social progress of our region,” stated the Vice Chancellor for Research and Scientific Policy, Julián Garde, who added that this commitment of the Regional University for human resources has been doing for years in research in all stages: initiation, predoctoral, and postdoctoral.
The financing path through national projects has maintained the trend of the last years with an amount of five million euros, and the number of projects has reached a total of 145. In terms of raising funding from European funds, the UCLM achieved over 2.5 million euros with a total of 44 projects. These figures are maintained in a linear way, while in the regional area there has been a significant decrease in funds due to the lack of calls for projects by the regional government.
As concerns the number of research groups, they continue growing, reaching this year a total of 280. “This data highlights the high level and concern of the UCLM research staff,” states the Vice Chancellor.
Within the business environment, companies are committed to the University of Castilla-La Mancha, as shown by the 681 contracts signed, “so that the R&D offer of the UCLM still means a firm intent for the development and innovation through basic and applied research,” points out the Vice Chancellor of Transfer and Innovation, Angela Gonzalez.
In the section on scientific dissemination, data show an increase in all modalities, although there is a significant increase in the number of articles published in journals indexed in JCR (Journal Citation Report), the best-known quality indicator and valued by the agencies of evaluation of the research activity, which reaches the figure of 784, doubling almost the figure of 421 in 2012.
Likewise, the Report highlights the importance of the academic institution in terms of research, with the leadership in university research of excellence in the areas of Veterinary and Energy. "The Campus of International Excellence, CYTEMA Project (Scientific and Technological Campus of Energy and Environment), has been a clear commitment to teaching, research, and knowledge transfer in Energy and Environment, which takes advantage of the strengths of energy and environmental R&D within our University, with 16 research institutes and 47 research groups,” noted the Vice Chancellor, recalling that FECYT positions the UCLM in the first university research post of excellence in energy.
Office of Communications, UCLM. Albacete, October 24, 2017