More than sixty researchers and lecturers benefited from the Program on talent retention of the University of Barcelona

People who benefited from the Program on talent retention would have seen their continuity in the University at risk due to tightening contract criteria and reinstatement tax universities went through.
People who benefited from the Program on talent retention would have seen their continuity in the University at risk due to tightening contract criteria and reinstatement tax universities went through.
Institutional
(29/09/2016)

On Wednesday, September 28, the University of Barcelona celebrated the 4 years of the program on talent retention, which guarantees the continuity of the best researchers and lecturers in the institution thanks to the economic support from Banco Santander. More than 60 researchers, lecturers and research projects benefited from these financial aids that, hadnʼt they existed, would have seen their continuity as risky due the tightening contract criteria and reinstatement tax universities went through. The event was chaired by the Rector of the University of Barcelona, Dídac Ramírez, and had the participation of some researchers hosted in the program.

People who benefited from the Program on talent retention would have seen their continuity in the University at risk due to tightening contract criteria and reinstatement tax universities went through.
People who benefited from the Program on talent retention would have seen their continuity in the University at risk due to tightening contract criteria and reinstatement tax universities went through.
Institutional
29/09/2016

On Wednesday, September 28, the University of Barcelona celebrated the 4 years of the program on talent retention, which guarantees the continuity of the best researchers and lecturers in the institution thanks to the economic support from Banco Santander. More than 60 researchers, lecturers and research projects benefited from these financial aids that, hadnʼt they existed, would have seen their continuity as risky due the tightening contract criteria and reinstatement tax universities went through. The event was chaired by the Rector of the University of Barcelona, Dídac Ramírez, and had the participation of some researchers hosted in the program.

The Vice-Rector of Research, Innovation and Transfer, Jordi Alberch, highlighted the relevance of the program and showed the main figures of these 4 years. In 2013, 18 researchers joined the program, while in 2014 only 9 entered. The numbers increased again up to 18 in 2015 while the call for 2016 is still in phase of final decision.

Alberch also commented on the fact that the financial resources the researchers obtained in the program of talent retention increased up to 3,15 million euros and the articles published in high-impact journals have been 340 during the period of the program.

Manel Viader, ex vice-rector of Teaching and Language Policy, described the university as the institution that “has to create and retain talent” and praised the Program of talent retention in the education field. A total of 10 lecturers benefited from the program in the first call and 12 will do the same in the second one, to be hold soon.

 

Satisfaction from researchers

“The program allowed me continuing at the University and consolidate, since now I will be able to continue here as adjunct lecturer”, said Antonella Consiglio, from the Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics of the Faculty of Biology. Consiglio entered the University of Barcelona as Ramón y Cajal researcher to work in the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB). The support of this program helped her to go on with her research, reason why she showed her appreciation to the drivers of the program on talent retention.

Similarly, the Director of the Research Group in Translational Immunology at the Department of Fisiology and Immunology of the University of Barcelona and the Barcelona Science Park Foundation, Lluís Francesc Santamaria also thanked the program. Since Dr. Santamaria entered the University of Barcelona in 2009, coming from R+D+i in the pharmaceutical industry, he directed more than twenty projects worth 1,5 million euros with important pharmaceutical industries, biotechnological companies and national and international spin-offs.

The Territory Director of Banco Santander in Catalonia, Luís Herrero, said that all researchers who benefited from the program have something in common: “They have talent, which is a combination of competence and commitment, with innovation, entrepreneurship and improvement skills”. “The most important challenge is to create places encouraging talent”, said Herrero.

Then the rector of the University of Barcelona, Dídac Ramírez, mentioned the pioneer character of the program, of which he said to be a key element to face the reinstatement tax that the University went through lately. Ramírez thanked the collaboration with Banco Santander in the support for talent and researchers of the University of Barcelona.