UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE MADRID

Their core work

UAM is a major Spanish research university with deep strengths in theoretical physics, neuroscience, computational biology, and chemistry. Their H2020 portfolio reveals a university that excels at fundamental science — from particle physics and dark matter to brain simulation and molecular catalysis — while increasingly applying these capabilities to health challenges like bone regeneration, leukemia, and drug discovery. They are a prolific training hub, running numerous Marie Skłodowska-Curie networks that attract and develop early-career researchers across Europe and Latin America. With 104 H2020 projects and nearly €40M in EC funding, they function as both a research powerhouse and a talent pipeline for European science.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2014–2018), UAM concentrated heavily on fundamental science: brain simulation and neuroinformatics through the Human Brain Project, particle physics, and ecosystem services mapping. Their keyword profile was dominated by HPC, mouse/human brain reconstruction, and theoretical chemistry. By the later period (2019–2022), the portfolio diversified significantly toward applied domains — biometrics, drug discovery, women in science, Latin American research networks, and epidemiology — suggesting a deliberate shift from pure research toward societal impact and international outreach beyond Europe.

UAM is pivoting from fundamental research toward translational biomedical work and broader international partnerships, especially with Latin America — a valuable trajectory for consortia seeking global reach.

How they like to work

UAM coordinates a substantial share of its projects (39 of 104), especially Marie Curie training networks and ERC grants, demonstrating strong project leadership capability. With 920 unique consortium partners across 65 countries, they operate as a major network hub rather than a loyal-partner institution — they constantly form new connections. Their heavy involvement in MSCA-ITN and MSCA-RISE schemes means they specialize in building cross-border researcher training pipelines, making them an ideal partner for consortia that need mobility and training components.

UAM has collaborated with 920 unique partners across 65 countries, making it one of the most broadly connected Spanish universities in H2020. Their network extends well beyond Europe into Latin America, reflecting dedicated MSCA-RISE mobility projects with that region.

What sets them apart

UAM combines world-class theoretical physics and neuroscience with a remarkably broad collaboration network spanning 65 countries — unusual breadth for a single university. Their strength in MSCA training networks means they don't just do research; they build the human infrastructure that keeps European science competitive. For consortium builders, UAM offers a rare combination: deep fundamental expertise that can anchor a project scientifically, plus proven capacity to manage complex multi-partner training and mobility programs.

Highlights from their portfolio

• UNBICAT
  ERC-funded (€1.99M) project on bifunctional catalysis, showcasing UAM's ability to secure top-tier individual excellence grants as coordinator.
• HBP SGA1
  Part of the €1B Human Brain Project flagship — UAM contributed brain reconstruction, neuroinformatics, and HPC simulation expertise.
• ORTHOUNION
  Randomized clinical trial for bone regeneration using stem cells (€824K coordinated by UAM), demonstrating their translational medicine capabilities.