The Salamanca Institute for Biomedical Research has launched a program to support the activities of research groups, including project implementation, the publication of scientific articles, and attendance at conferences. Grants for research stays, enhanced patient care, and community outreach will be announced shortly.
IBSAL’s scientific director, Luis García Ortiz, emphasizes that this program—which has seen a 70% increase in funding compared to the previous year—reinforces “our commitment to excellence, innovation, and support for researchers, especially emerging researchers.”
The Salamanca Institute for Biomedical Research (IBSAL) has published its new 2025 Grant Program, with a budget of 230,000 euros and structured into seven funding lines designed to support researchers at different stages of their scientific careers. The package includes funding for research projects, open-access publishing, conference participation for pre-doctoral researchers, strategic activities in research areas, healthcare enhancement programs, stays at centers of excellence, and community outreach initiatives. Through this program, the Institute reaffirms its commitment to promoting excellence in biomedical research and to fostering scientific talent in Salamanca.
This is how IBSAL’s scientific director, Luis García Ortiz, explains it. For him, “these grants, which we are launching once again this year with a 70% increase, reflect our commitment to the research activities of all the Institute’s staff.” “With these grants,” he adds, “we aim to provide ongoing support that drives scientific excellence and fosters innovation, ensuring that the Institute’s researchers—and especially emerging researchers—have the necessary resources to carry out their work with the greatest possible impact.”
Funding for Research Projects
In this edition, the largest funding category is the one dedicated to research projects, which has 75,000 euros to fund 18 initiatives to be carried out throughout 2026. This section includes various categories aimed at emerging and affiliated clinical groups; young researchers; professionals in nursing, physical therapy, psychology, occupational therapy, and social work; Primary Care and Community Health—with specific support from APISAL—and Mental Health—supported by the NEUR-02 group. Grants range from 2,500 to 10,000 euros, with the goal of consolidating new lines of research and promoting the achievement of competitive preliminary results.
The institute’s commitment to science communication is also reflected in its support for the publication of open-access scientific articles; to this end, it is allocating 30,000 euros to cover the publishing costs of 15 papers by IBSAL research staff in 2026, with the aim of ensuring greater dissemination, visibility, and impact of the results produced.
Young researchers will also receive specific support through grants for pre-doctoral staff, totaling 10,000 euros, which will allow for 20 grants of up to 500 euros each to be awarded for the presentation of papers at national and international conferences. In this way, IBSAL promotes the active participation of young scientists in specialized forums, encouraging networking and the early dissemination of their work.
Support for the work of the 88 research groups
Furthermore, the Institute will promote the strategic activities of its 88 research groups by supporting the six scientific areas, with 20,000 euros allocated to fund joint actions, cross-cutting projects, internal training, or shared initiatives that strengthen cohesion and competitiveness, distributed proportionally based on group size.
The plan also includes three other support programs with already defined content, but which will be officially announced shortly for implementation throughout 2026. The first will be aimed at scientific excellence residencies, with a budget of 24,000 euros to fund six trips—three domestic and three international—focused on acquiring new techniques and strengthening partnerships with leading centers.
There are also plans to launch grants to boost research activity among healthcare staff, which will provide 62,000 euros for hiring medical specialists and personnel with diplomas, bachelor’s degrees, or other degrees in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or clinical psychology, to carry out clinical care activities for professionals affiliated with the IBSAL.
Finally, the grant program for projects aimed at disseminating research to the public, with a budget of 9,000 euros, will support initiatives promoted by civic associations and foundations with the goal of bringing biomedical science closer to the public.
These three areas—facilities, enhanced care, and community outreach—will be announced in the coming weeks, in accordance with the planned criteria, objectives, and funding allocations, and their funding will be disbursed throughout 2026.
Through this Grant Program, IBSAL reaffirms its role as a driving force in biomedical research in Castile and León and continues to advance its mission to foster talent, generate high-impact knowledge, and promote the transfer of research findings to improve healthcare.
Applications for the grants currently available may be submitted through December 14, 2025, and all relevant information and forms can be found on the Institute’s website, under the “Research Calls” section .
IBSAL
The Salamanca Institute for Biomedical Research (IBSAL) was established on March 21, 2011, through an agreement signed by the Department of Health of the Regional Government of Castile and León and the University of Salamanca, which was joined in February 2012 by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). It integrates and coordinates biomedical research conducted at the University Hospital of Salamanca, the Salamanca Primary Care Administration, and the biomedical research division of the University of Salamanca, including the Castile and León Institute of Neurosciences, the Cancer Research Center, and the Institute of Functional Biology and Genomics.
Its scientific activity is organized into six areas, comprising a total of 88 research groups: Cancer (23 groups); Cardiovascular, Renal, and Respiratory (11); Neuroscience (12); Infectious, Inflammatory, and Metabolic Diseases (20); Gene and Cell Therapy and Transplants (6); and Primary Care, Public Health, and Pharmacology (16).
For more information and contact details:
comunicacion@ibsal.es
