FUNDACION ESPANOLA PARA LA CIENCIAY LA TECNOLOGIA, F.S.P., FECYT

Their core work

FECYT is Spain's national foundation for science and technology, operating as the country's key intermediary between research policy and the scientific community. They run National Contact Point (NCP) networks that help researchers access EU funding, manage open access infrastructure (OpenAIRE), and support researcher mobility through the EURAXESS network. Beyond service delivery, FECYT drives responsible research and innovation (RRI) policy, gender equality in research institutions, and science communication initiatives including citizen science programs.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2014–2018, FECYT focused heavily on building NCP networks for Societal Challenge 6 (social sciences, humanities), researcher mobility via EURAXESS, open access infrastructure through OpenAIRE, and gender mainstreaming. From 2019 onward, their work shifted toward responsible research and innovation (RRI), ethics governance, citizen science, and open science policy — while simultaneously expanding into ERA-NET cofund programmes across materials, biodiversity, quantum, and circular economy. This evolution shows a move from operational support services toward science policy shaping and cross-domain funding coordination.

FECYT is transitioning from a pure support-services role toward becoming a science policy and transnational funding coordination hub, with growing involvement in thematic ERA-NETs and AI-driven policy tools (IntelComp).

How they like to work

FECYT predominantly joins projects as a participant (16 of 27 projects), playing a reliable support and national implementation role rather than leading consortia. Their 8 third-party participations — all in ERA-NET Cofund programmes — reflect their function as a national funding agency representative. With 345 unique partners across 51 countries, they operate as a high-connectivity hub, rarely working with the same small group, making them an excellent network connector for consortium builders.

FECYT has collaborated with 345 unique partners across 51 countries, making them one of the most broadly connected research support organizations in Southern Europe. Their network spans virtually all EU member states plus associated countries, with particularly strong ties to NCP networks, EURAXESS nodes, and national funding agencies.

What sets them apart

FECYT occupies a rare dual role: they are both a national science policy foundation and an operational service provider embedded in Europe's core research support networks (EURAXESS, OpenAIRE, NCP systems). This means they can offer consortium partners direct access to Spain's research community, national funding channels, and policy-level connections that typical research centres cannot. Their recent IntelComp coordination — building an AI platform for science policy — signals ambition to move beyond support into data-driven intelligence for research strategy.

Highlights from their portfolio

• IntelComp
  Their largest coordinated project (EUR 556K), building an AI/HPC platform for science and innovation policy-making — a significant departure from their typical support role into technology development.
• SCOPE
  Coordinated the partnering environment for FET Flagships (Graphene, Human Brain Project), placing FECYT at the nexus of Europe's most ambitious research initiatives.
• OpenAIRE-Advance
  Part of the flagship European open access infrastructure, contributing to the Open Science Observatory and open access monitoring across the continent.