The Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU), through the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), has published the provisional resolutions of eleven calls under the Strategic Action in Health (AES), the main instrument for financing biomedical and health research in Spain.
A total of €45.3 million has been allocated to 242 research staff contracts and 96 R&D&I grants in health.
The Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, stated that “since 2018, the commitment of the Spanish Government to health research has led to an almost 40% increase in AES investment.”
These grants and contracts, awarded annually to research centres and members of the scientific community, will continue to promote the generation of biomedical knowledge throughout the National Health System (NHS).
They are as follows:
Sara Borrell contracts: €3.6 million for 38 contracts. These are intended for researchers with a PhD and a proven research track record in clinical care centres. Recipients also receive additional funding to carry out their research activities, as well as support for their subsequent consolidation into permanent positions at these centres once their contracts end.
Río Hortega contracts: €4.9 million for 76 contracts. These are intended to recruit professionals who have completed their specialised healthcare training, enabling them to undertake a research training programme in health sciences and technologies while combining research with the corresponding healthcare activities of their specialty. The programme promotes the incorporation of young researchers into the Spanish Science, Technology and Innovation System (SECTI).
Miguel Servet contracts: €7.7 million for 25 contracts. These are intended for researchers with a PhD and a proven research track record in clinical care centres. Recipients also receive additional funding to carry out their research activities, as well as support for their subsequent consolidation into permanent positions at these centres once their contracts end.
Juan Rodés contracts: €6.1 million for 25 contracts. These are aimed at medical professionals with research experience in health sciences and technologies working in public healthcare centres that form part of Health Research Institutes (IIS).
Contracts to intensify research activity in the National Health System: €3.4 million for 67 contracts. These are aimed at recruiting healthcare professionals to partially cover the clinical duties of researchers with clinical responsibilities.
Bioinformatics technician contracts: €240,000 for 4 contracts. These are aimed at recruiting professionals at Health Research Institutes (IIS) to provide bioinformatics services to all research groups within the institutes.
Health research management contracts at Health Research Institutes (IIS): €560,000 for 7 contracts. These contracts are intended to recruit staff to carry out R&D&I management support activities, thereby strengthening the management capacity of the aforementioned institutes.
M-BAE Mobility Grants: €110,000 for 8 grants. These grants are intended to finance stays for healthcare professionals and researchers from the National Health System at prestigious national or international institutions.
M-AES Mobility Grants: €960,000 for 52 grants. These grants fund research stays for staff holding contracts subsidised by the AES at foreign R&D centres, Severo Ochoa Centres of Excellence or María de Maeztu Units of Excellence.
Independent Clinical Research: €13.8 million for 16 projects. The objective is to promote independent clinical research involving medicines for human use and/or advanced therapies by funding projects not promoted by the pharmaceutical industry, while also strengthening translational research and promoting the transfer and application of scientific and technical knowledge to improve the treatment of diseases.
Technological Development in Health: €3.8 million for 20 projects. These grants fund applied projects aimed at advancing the technological maturity of the projects.
Other AES-ISCIII calls will be resolved in the second half of the year, including those for Predoctoral Training Contracts in Health Research, R&D&I Projects in Health and International Collaboration Projects.
The AES-ISCIII plans to allocate more than €152 million in public state funding in 2026, with the possibility of adding a further €40 million, to continue promoting R&D&I in health in Spain.
Source
https://www.ciencia.gob.es/Noticias/2026/julio/resoluciones-provisionales-convocatorias-Accion-Estrategica-Salud.html Photo: Moncloa/Fernando Calvo.
