Ayuso announces a 34% increase in investment in scientific research, reaching €752 million

The Community of Madrid will increase investment in scientific research by 34% with the aim of strengthening research excellence, attracting talent, and consolidating the region as a national and international benchmark in this field. The head of the regional government, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, announced today in the regional assembly that the Governing Council will approve the VII Regional Plan for Scientific Research and Technological Innovation (PRICIT) next week, with a budget of €752 million and valid until 2029.

The Plan is structured around six pillars, with six strategic objectives and eight programs aimed at strengthening the attraction and retention of talent, internationalization, and the modernization of the innovation system. The main lines of action include budget increases for Excellent Research initiatives, which are up 40%, and the Talent program, which is up 29%.

Among the main new features are the creation of a line of grants for the incorporation of highly qualified professionals and the improvement of the pre-doctoral research staff program, which increases its funding to improve both the remuneration and the additional amount they receive for short stays abroad and tuition fees.

In addition, the new Amable Liñán initiative will be launched, aimed at providing financial support to young postdoctoral researchers with international experience, in addition to the Madrid Gabriela Morreale Plan, aimed at hiring top-level researchers for strategic projects. These measures will prioritize academic excellence and the consolidation of emerging groups.

Among the main new features are the creation of a line of aid for the incorporation of highly qualified professionals and the improvement of the pre-doctoral research staff program.

New measures in the area of internationalization are also included, such as the introduction of a specific grant for the recruitment of personnel specialized in drafting European proposals, an instrument to finance proposals rated as excellent by the European Research Council, and the hiring of R&D experts based in Brussels. According to the Community of Madrid, these proposals will increase success rates, financial returns, and the region’s strategic positioning in the European and global research landscape.

It will also facilitate agreements with public universities to finance initiatives to attract talent, research projects, and the reinforcement and modernization of their scientific and technological equipment. Similarly, transparency and administrative simplification will be increased by improving processes through digitization, expanding information and transparency to achieve greater efficiency in the management of aid programs.