The UB publishes a summary of its research activity
The University of Barcelona (UB) has published the booklet Research at the University of Barcelona that summarizes the research activity developed by the institution between 2009 and 2014. The publication provides information about UB research groups, some significant research projects carried out at the University and the activity of UB research institutes.
The University of Barcelona (UB) has published the booklet Research at the University of Barcelona that summarizes the research activity developed by the institution between 2009 and 2014. The publication provides information about UB research groups, some significant research projects carried out at the University and the activity of UB research institutes.
International institutional impact and cooperation in education and research are among the main goals of the UB, which is widely recognized by the most renowned international rankings as Spainʼs leading research university according to the number of scientific articles published, the number of citations and the quality of its research activity.
Even amidst continuing social and economic challenges during the period 2009-2014, the UB has managed to successfully run an average of more than 800 research projects per year in all knowledge fields of sciences and humanities. UB research is structured into 314 research groups acknowledged by the Government of Catalonia, and in research institutes. The leaflet, edited by the Office of the Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation and Transfer, presents the 14 UB specific research institutes and 9 Catalan research institutes in which UB professors and researchers participate.
The UB is Spainʼs leading research university being the highest-ranked Spanish university in most international research league tables. The institution occupies a very competitive position at national, European and worldwide levels in the most important ranking tables which take into account a range of variables within different geographical areas. According to the European Commissionʼs Third European Report on Science and Technology Indicators, the University of Barcelona produces more publications and is cited more frequently than any other Spanish university, apart from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). The UB is the only Spanish university invited to join the League of European Research Universities (LERU), an organization that includes the best 21 research-intensive universities in Europe.
The UB has 106 departments and more than 5,200 researchers, technicians and research assistants, most of them working at its 314 research groups, recognized and supported by the Government of Catalonia. The main research areas at the University of Barcelona are experimental sciences (physics, mathematics, geology and chemistry), life and medical sciences, economics, business, law, humanities (philology, philosophy, history and geography) and educational and behavioral sciences.
The level of research activity and scientific output of the UB is among the highest in Spain. In the academic year 2013-2014 the University was involved in 689 national projects, 141 European projects and around 740 contracts with companies. The total income from these activities was around 54.7 million euros.
UB research institutes
The University of Barcelona has 14 specific research institutes and it is a full member of the board of 17 non-specific research institutes. The projects (inputs) obtained from 2009 to 2013 by researchers belonging to one UBʼs specific institutes represented 45.3% of the total number of projects conducted by all researchers affiliated to the University.
The research institutes of the UB promote and undertake interdisciplinary and/or specialized research activities in various fields of science, technology, social sciences, humanities and arts. They also provide scientific and technical consultancy services in their area of expertise.
The 14 research institutes of the UB are as follows: Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB), Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), Institute of Mathematics (IMUB), Geomodels Research Institute, Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C), Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute (INSA-UB), Water Research Institute, Institute for Research on Applied Regional and Public Economics (IREA), Institute for Research on Medieval Cultures (IRCVM), Legal Research Institute (TransJus), and Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Studies (IPOA).
Furthermore, the leaflet includes a description of nine research institutes in which the UB participates, which have been selected considering their research impact and relationship with the UB. The institutes included in the report are: August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Bellvitge Institute of Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB-ISGlobal), Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), Catalonia Institute of Energy Research (IREC), and Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC).