Over the past decade, the programme has awarded 577 grants, more than 70% of the applications received, worth over 890,000 euros. The funding has gone to researchers in the five major fields of knowledge that have shaped the programme’s trajectory, helping young researchers complete their training and undertake stays at internationally renowned centres.
University of Zaragoza Rector Rosa Bolea highlighted the academic institution’s gratitude to the CAI Foundation for grants that, in her view, have been "transformative" for those who have received them. "They are essential because they transform not only the people who receive them, but also our scientific ecosystem," the rector said.
AN EXHIBITION MARKING 40 YEARS OF GRANTS
To mark the 40th anniversary, an exhibition has also been organised featuring the testimonies of several Aragonese researchers who benefited from the grants. It can be visited from this Wednesday in the exhibition hall of the Joaquín Roncal Centre. One of the testimonies featured in the exhibition is that of Silvia Hervás, a specialist in computational mechanics whose work is linked to the field of biomedical research.
Hervás recalls the grant as "a great opportunity, as it allowed me to meet the financial challenge of moving abroad while completing my doctoral thesis". The experience not only enabled her to expand her training, but also influenced her subsequent career. "I am now working in the same group, in Munich, and for me, leaving, feeling comfortable there and seeing that we were doing exciting things encouraged me to go back and continue developing my research there," she said.
CAI Foundation President José Ramón Auría said that 40 years of collaboration with Unizar deserved to be "properly celebrated" and that the programme should be made known not only to the university community but also to society as a whole. The CAI Foundation president also stressed that the benefits of these grants extend beyond their recipients: "Everything positive that comes from this research benefits us and benefits the autonomous community, our land, Aragon."
