RecerCaixa programme awards six UAB projects over half a million Euros
23/02/2017
Jordi Portabella, Director dof the Area of Research and Knowledge of the ”la Caixa” Foundation, and Jaume Casals, President of the Catalan Association of Public Universities (ACUP), together with Arcadi Navarro, Secretary of Universities and Research at the Department of Business and Knowledge of the Government of Catalonia, awarded today at CosmoCaixa the 18 new grants to the projects selected in the seventh call of the RecerCaixa programme, which aims to encourage scientific research of excellence in Catalonia, increase social and economic progress and enhance the people's well-being.
In the 2016 call of the RecerCaixa programme, 205 projects were presented from 47 different institutes; of those, 18 projects led by researchers from 10 research centres and universities in Catalonia were selected and awarded the 1.6 million Euros available. The UAB received six grants worth a total of €576,056.
Coinciding with the event in which the grants were awarded, Sergi Blancafort, researcher of the UAB Health and Ageing Foundation, who leads the project entitled Promovent l’autocura, l’alfabetització per a la salut i el capital social en persones grans de zones urbanes socioeconòmicament desfavorides: un assaig clínic per reduir les desigualtats (AEQUALIS) and selected in the 2014 RecerCaixa programme, presented his research results and benefits for the society. His project aims to lower health inequalities through interventions («Feel good» workshop) promoting social support and participation, self-curing and health literacy. The workshop will be held at 16 pimary healthcare centres (CAP) of 6 cities in CAtaloni (CAP Besòs, CAP Blanes, CAP Sant Pere de Reus, etc.) and is aimed at elderly people who consider they have poor health and are living in unfavourable urban areas.
Impact of Scientific Production in Catalonia
The RecerCaixa programme aims to help boost Catalonia's position as a leader in scientific research of excellence, thus preventing the need for researchers to search for work abroad and becoming an attractive place for new talents. According to the 2016 report on the research and innovation indicators of Spain's public universities, Catalonia's public universities occupy the first positions in terms of the quality of scientific production, and score above average in impact worldwide. These data demonstrate the high level of efficiency and excellence of Catalonia's research system. In 2015, Catalonia received 23 concessions from the European Research Council: 4 Starting Grants, 6 Advanced Grants and 13 Proof of Concept, a total of 21 % more than in 2014.
UAB PROJECTS SELECTED IN THE 2016 RECERCAIXA CALL
· XARXES: Citizenship Technology and Innovation in the Construction of Historical Social Networks for the Comprehension of Demographic Legacies. Alicia Fornés Bisquerra (Department of Computer Sciences, Computer Vision Centre) and Joana Maria Pujadas-Mora (Centre for Demographic Studies).
· Teachers as Trasformation Agents in Practicums Thanks to their Collaborative Participation in a Cross-Disciplinary Innovative English-Teaching Project in Two Secondary School Centres. Dolors Masats Viladoms (Department of Teaching of Langauge and Literature and Social Sciences).
· City, Quality of Life and Active Mobility of the Elderly. A multimethological analysis Tracking Living Labs. Carme Miralles Guasch (Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, ICTA-UAB)
· Understanding Societal Views on Carbon Pricing. Jeroen Van Den Bergh (Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, ICTA-UAB).
· A Holistic and Cross-Disciplinary Approach to Arranged Marriages in Catalonia: diagnosis and community intervention proposals for an inclusive citizenship. Sònia Parella Rubio (Department of Sociology) and David Moya Malapeira (UB).
· HAMLETS. Immigration and Sustainable Development in Micro Villages. Ricard Morén Alegret (Department of Geography).