FECYT

FECYT, the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, contributes to the strengthening of the Spanish science and technology system by adding value through the integration of scientific research and technological innovation activities, and cohesion between public and private institutions and bodies (government, science, industry, etc). The Foundation operates as a non-profit entity with functional autonomy.

Its mission is to provide flexible services to the Spanish science-technology-society system and to foster the international projection of Spanish research, in the European science arena in particular. Its strategic aims are: to promote activities of excellent technological research and development, to favour collaboration between national and international agents of science and technology system and to promote the social spreading of the scientific culture, as a tool of competitiveness and improvement of the life quality of citizens.

FECYT collaborates with the Ministry of Science and Innovation in the evaluation and monitoring of the R&D National Plan (2008-2011) as well as in the management of international programmes and projects. In this sense, even though FECYT is not a funding agency, it constitutes a powerful tool for the Ministry. Also, and due to its flexible structure, FECYT can provide the Ministry with professional science management teams, working groups, studies and policy reports that otherwise would be difficult to gather.

The role of the FECYT is to promote projects in the national and international arena that contribute to integrating the Ministry of Science and Innovation’s principal lines of action: university higher education; scientific research and innovation, scientific dissemination and scientific information management. It collaborates with the Ministry with the coordination of regional governments in S&T policy making. It operates and acts as an intermediary body for the Ministry with the relevant stakeholders in areas such as information management, scientific dissemination, R&D indicators, etc.

Contact persons

• Pilar Rico Castro
• Laura Valeria Bonora

 

Among present international co-operations are FECYT's participation in the European Network of Mobility Centres (EURAXESS), the ASPERA, ERA-NET Project, the ERA IB. ERA-NET Project and the NuPNET Project.