'Research at the University of Barcelona', new updated edition

During the period stated in the report, the UB got funding for more than 4,600 research projects, which produced more than 22,300 indexed publications, and generated 228 patents and intellectual property rights. The research of the UB is structured into 297 research groups recognized by the Catalan Government (according to the 2017-2019 call). The dossier describes, on the one hand, the main research data related to these groups, such as distribution by gender, obtained funding by area and origins of the funding sources and the impact of publications or transfer activities. It also includes the main data from the sixteen faculties that build up the seventeen UB as well as the UB research institutes and the eleven research institutes with UB participation.

It also highlights the UB participation in international networks such as LERU -as the only Spanish university there- Euromarine, Eurolife and the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), as well as the role of the coordinating institution of CHARM-EU, one of the first alliances of European universities launched by the EU.

Moreover, the UB leads the main rankings in Spain and is the only Spanish university to be listed among the top 200 universities worldwide, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2019. Also, it is among the top fifty universities regarding scientific performance worldwide. The level of research activity of the UB is one of the highest in Spain, and its scientific results are listed among the top ones in Spain.

The document also analyses the participation of the UB in the EU Horizon 2020 projects. Until the day of writing the report, the UB has participated in 129 of these projects, 25 of them as coordinator. This activity involved more than 49 million euros.

Good practices in research

Since 2015, the UB has the HR Excellence in Research label, given by the EU and which certifies the task of the University in the implementation of human resource policies that follow the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. Integrity in research is part of one of the feats of the UB, and in this sense, the institution has a bioethics commission, a commission on animal testing and another on biosecurity.

UB research institutes: expert knowledge

The UB has seventeen own research institutes and is part of the board of trustees of twelve more institutes. From 2014 to 2018, the economic value of the projects led by researchers from any of the seven UB-specific institutes represented the 68.7% of the total projects that were carried out by the researchers affiliated at the University. These institutes get the 80.5% of its funding through competitive projects, while the 25.7% is granted by international agencies.

UB research institutes promote and carry out interdisciplinary and specialized research activities in several fields of science, technology, social sciences, humanities and arts. Also, they offer scientific and technological consultancy services to the respective knowledge areas.

The seventeen UB specific research institutes are the following: the Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB), the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), the Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), the Institute of Mathematics (IMUB), the Geomodels Research Institute, the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), the Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), the Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), the Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), the Institute for Research on Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA-UB), the Water Research Institute (IdRA), the Institute for Research on Applied Regional and Public Economics (IREA), the Institute for Research on Medieval Cultures (IRCVM), the Legal Research Institute (TransJus), the Institute of Ancient Near East Studies (IPOA), the Barcelona Economic Analysis Team (BEAT) and the The Institute of Research in Education (IRE.UB).

Moreover, the dossier includes data on eleven research institutes in which the UB participates. These centers were selected considering the impact of their research performance, as well as their link to the University. These institutes are: August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), the Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal Barcelona), the Institute of Biomedical Research (IRB Barcelona), the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), the Health Research Institute at the University Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), the Center for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), and the Barcelona Institute of Economics (IEB).

Knowledge transfer

Knowledge transfer to society is another main issue. The UB, through the Technological and Scientific Centers (CCiTUB) offers a leading technological service aimed at academicians and technological companies, and counts on the Barcelona Science Park, which holds about 85 technological companies and research institutes. Also, the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation conducts technology and innovation transfer of the UB, and has managed 640 projects and contracts valued in 32.65 million euros, licensed 41 technologies and has created 7 spin-offs.

The UB also participates in initiatives such as EIT Health or RIS3. The dossier includes information of the UB Doctoral School, which is providing 48 doctoral programs to 4,690 students. Also, there is additional information on communication and research dissemination.

In all fields of research, the experimental and health-related ones, humanities and social sciences, the priority is to provide society with knowledge so that it contributes to the objectives for 2030 in the Sustainable Development Goals.

The document is available online here. To obtain a printed copy please contact the Rector's degelate for research strategy actions (dl.recerca@ub.edu).