ComFuturo iAGE
Addressing the Global Ageing Challenge through Excellent Research, Digitalisation and Innovative Solutions
Fundación General CSIC (FGCSIC) is a private non-profit organisation created by a joint initiative of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and its founding patrons. With broad experience in promoting public-private collaboration programmes in research and innovation, in 2014 FGCSIC launched the ComFuturo programme, an alliance with the CSIC and leading private entities to attract the best young scientific talent.
Comfuturo is a programme that enables the recruitment of highly qualified postdoctoral young researchers at CSIC for a period of three years. Its goal is to support the development of innovative scientific projects with transformative potential. In addition to the backing of the CSIC, Comfuturo benefits from the collaboration of private partner entities, fostering a unique environment for cutting-edge research and impactful scientific advancement.
After four successful previous calls for young researchers at the Spanish national level, FGCSIC expanded ComFuturo in 2022 with a MSCA Cofund project (Horizon 2020), attracting international talent, through a comprehensive programme that included quality training and industrial and international research secondments.
Now, FGCSIC has launched a fourth edition of ComFuturo in the framework of ageing and digitalisation, which again, is under a MSCA Cofund project, this time in Horizon Europe.
ComFuturo iAGE, a 60-month programme, will award 10 ComFuturo 36-month fellowships to Experienced Researchers of any nationality who have obtained, at the time of the corresponding call closing, their PhD in the last 8 years and who had not resided or carried out their main activity (work or studies) in Spain for more that 12 months in the last 3 years. The ComFuturo fellows will be selected in principle through a single call and an objective and transparent process which will include an international external evaluation. The Spanish National Research Council will recruit them, hosting them and their projects in its research centres and institutes.
The ComFuturo call will include eligible broad topic areas for the proposal or research projects that address, from any scientific-technical discipline, the challenge of ageing, especially through projects that include digitalisation approaches, whilst guaranteeing free topic selection by researchers.
ComFuturo aims to contribute to obtain a generation of researchers who are leaders in their fields of specialization, but at the same time, versatile and multifaceted, for an improvement in their employability prospects and a successful development of their professional careers, whether in the public or private sector.
This COMFUTURO iAGE programme aligns with European, national, and regional policies, particularly those under the RIS3 strategy in Spain, which prioritizes, in various Spanish regions, innovation in ageing and digitalisation. As Europe faces significant demographic changes, the integration of digital technologies in addressing ageing challenges is crucial for ensuring sustainable development and improving the quality of life for its ageing population. Digitalisation presents a transformative opportunity to develop new solutions for healthcare, social inclusion, and the independence of older adults. By fostering research in these areas, the programme not only supports scientific advancement but also addresses pressing societal needs, contributing to the strategic goals of Spain and Europe under the Horizon Europe framework.
ComFuturo iAGE,
a MSCA-COFUND programme
The ComFuturo Programme is supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND of the European Commission. The MSCA are the European Union’s flagship funding programme for doctoral education and postdoctoral training of researchers. They fund excellent research and innovation and equip researchers with new knowledge and skills, through mobility across borders and exposure to different sectors and disciplines.
The MSCA promote excellence and set standards for high-quality researcher education and training in line with the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the recruitment of researchers.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement Nº 101217423. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency, granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”
About ComFuturo’s
call for proposals
Eligible researchers will have to comply with the MSCA mobility rule: to not have resided or carried out their main activity in Spain for more than 12 months in the three years immediately before the call deadline (except duly justified cases which will bedetailed in the Call Guidelines that will be published here when the time arrives). In addition, researchers will have to be in possession of a doctoral degree (having obtained their PhD in the last 8 years maximum, again except duly justified cases).
The call for ComFuturo will be published on the EURAXESS website and announced on www.comfuturo.es, www.fgcsic.es and social media.
The beneficiary ComFuturo fellows will be selected following a transparent, merit-based, rigorous and fair selection procedure, which will include a first phase of peer review by scientific and technological experts, as well as a second phase of personal interviews.
The selected ComFuturo fellows will incorporate to the corresponding CSIC host institutes, to carry out their ageing & digitalisation research projects for three years.
Special consideration will be given to the originality and innovative nature of the research project, its applicability and potential for transfer to the productive fabric, and the alignment with ageing and digilitalisation, as well as the ability of the candidate to set and achieve far-reaching objectives.
ComFuturo projects must:
- Be original and aim to resolve current problems related to ageing, especially through innovative digitalisation techniques and methodologies
- Have an innovative approach and a high potential of transferring the expected results to the productive fabric
- Be carried out in a CSIC research institute. A Declaration of interest letter digitally signed by the Director of the proposed CSIC institute will be attached to the application, indicating the predisposition to accept the fellow.
- Have a maximum duration of three years (36 months)
- Comply with the eligible research areas which will be announced in the Call Guidelines. Projects that focus on ageing which incorporate digitalisation approaches (a strategic priority for Europe) and/or Spain´s RIS3 priorities related to ageing and digitalisation, will be highly valued.
- Follow the call rules regarding Ethics aspects of the proposed research
CSIC
the host institution
The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is the largest public research institution in Spain and one of the most renowned institutions in the European Research Area (ERA). It is affiliated to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the Secretary General for Research.
Its mission is to promote, coordinate, develop and disseminate scientific and technological multidisciplinary research, in order to contribute to the progress of knowledge and economic, social and cultural development; as well as to train researchers and provide advice to public and private entities in these fields.
CSIC mainly develops its scientific and technical activity through its more than 120 research institutes, which are distributed throughout the national territory. Research in CSIC extends in three Global Areas: Society (S), Life (V) and Materia (M), and four connection axes between them (SV, SM, VM, SVM), which allow to address interdisciplinary research, initiatives of excellence and knowledge transfer, and tackle frontier issues in virtually all areas of knowledge.
CSIC has been awarded by the European Commission with the HR Excellence in Research seal, a distinction that officially recognizes and accredits the body’s commitment and effort to improve all processes related to recruitment, working conditions, training, management and responsibility of the CSIC research staff, in accordance with what is established in the European Charter and Code of Conduct for Researchers.
Secondments,
Training
and Career Guidance
ComFuturo fellows will be able to carry out secondments in the facilities of ComFuturo’s Partner Organisations or other possible companies or entities. These secondments will be an important part of the ComFuturo fellowships within the programme development and will allow ComFuturo fellows to gain new skills for their research, wider career and personal development, and the chance to apply their skills in a different environment.
Training in a broad range of competences will also be provided to the ComFuturo researchers. This will comprise training on research skills offered by CSIC and Partner Organisations, as well as multiple short courses in transferrable skills, which will be coordinated by FGCSIC, and that will include topics such as entrepreneurship, knowledge and technology transfer or ethics in science. The training programme will aim to broaden the fellows´ research background and to help them develop their individual skills in order to prepare them to become first level researchers and to promote their employability whether in academia o in the private sector.
In addition, fellows will be encouraged to develop, together with a series of supervisors, a Personalised Career Development Plan (PCDP), which, following Europe’s recommendations, will include research and innovation objectives and other researchers´ training and career needs, establishing short and long term objectives for their career development.
A bit of history…
origins of ComFuturo
FGCSIC created ComFuturo in 2014, a moment when the activity of the Spanish public science, technology and innovation system had serious financing problems, as a consequence of the economic recession scenario. The situation mainly affected the youngest researchers, with abandonment of their scientific career or expatriation in order to develop their skills. Many programmes for the incorporation of young scientists were cancelled.
In that context, FGCSIC created ComFuturo, a public-private alliance with the Spanish National Research Council and leading private entities to respond to the unemployment of highly qualified young scientists, capturing the best young research talent and enabling them to apply their valuable skills to solving problems of industrial and social interest.
In 2018, FGCSIC launched the second edition of the programme. The dramatic loss of researchers as a result of the crisis had recovered partially, but there still was, and there still is, a strong need for programmes that attract young scientific talent, the key of our future.
The third edition of ComFuturo marked a significant step forward, as the programme expanded to the international sphere with the support of the MSCA COFUND scheme. 15 fellowships were offered to experienced researchers of any nationality, selected through a competitive and transparent process. The programme combined scientific excellence with industrial and societal impact, supporting research projects aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the strategic challenges proposed by partner organisations. It included international and industrial secondments, and provided comprehensive training to enhance the fellows’ career development.
This third edition, launched in 2022, is currently ongoing and will run until December 2026. It overlaps with the fourth edition, showing the programme’s continuity and increasing relevance in promoting a new generation of versatile, internationally connected scientific leaders.
FGCSIC is now turning its attention to young international Experienced Researchers who can offer innovative and digitalisation solutions to the challenge of ageing through the EU-funded ComFuturo iAGE Project.
Some testimonials from ComFuturo fellows…
“The collaboration with industry facilitated by ComFuturo has significantly expanded my contacts and networks, giving me greater opportunities to make my research more visible and to find funding”. | Lola Fernández-Ortuño. I edition ComFuturo fellow
“Thanks to ComFuturo, I was able to give a significant boost to my scientific career and obtain a position as a Senior Scientist at the CSIC”. | Jordi Isern. I edition ComFuturo fellow
“ComFuturo allowed me to open a new line of research. Entering this field gave me the unique opportunity to collaborate with national and international researchers, adding new members to my team”. | Scott Mitchell. I edition ComFuturo fellow
“ComFuturo has represented a significant opportunity by allowing me to lead my own research project, assuming the overall direction and organisation of the research and management work”. | Consolación Álvarez. II edition ComFuturo fellow
“ComFuturo has had a decisive influence in obtaining other projects and grants, where I am now the principal investigator. It has also allowed the consolidation of a line of research that was at an incipient stage prior to the ComFuturo project, giving me visibility in this field”. | Ignacio Cameán. II edition ComFuturo fellow
“ComFuturo has allowed me to be a leader of my own idea/project, providing funding for expenses, job stability and the opportunity to learn new skills related to the management and leadership of a project”. | Eva Jiménez. II edition ComFuturo fellow
“I highlight the relevance of ComFuturo in the possibility of establishing public-private funding for research projects, a rare initiative in Spain; and for allowing reintegration after the postdoctoral phase abroad. I have been able to lead my own project, meet significant objectives and contribute to the scientific community and society”. | Paz Merelo. II edition ComFuturo fellow
“The independence and autonomy that ComFuturo gave me were essential to apply for and obtain national and European funding, and a scientific career within the CSIC”. | Juan M. Losada. II edition ComFuturo fellow
“A remarkable strength of ComFuturo lies in the direct support of FGCSIC, which has been invaluable to the success of my projects”. | Daniel Matatagui. II edition ComFuturo fellow
“ComFuturo has given me the possibility to do short secondments in other centres and to participate in training courses on transversal competences, innovation and leadership”. | Eva Jiménez. II edition ComFuturo fellow
“I thank FGCSIC for their support during the years I worked as a ComFuturo fellow, which were undoubtedly the most exciting years of my research career“. | Jordi Tronchoni. II edition ComFuturo fellow
“My experience as a ComFuturo fellow has been very enriching, contributing significantly to my scientific development”. | Xavier de Bolós. III edition ComFuturo fellow
“I am sincerely grateful for all the opportunities that ComFuturo has given me, especially the possibility of establishing collaborations with industry that I hope to continue in the future”. | José Carlos García-Abadillo. III edition ComFuturo fellow
“ComFuturo has allowed me to establish myself as a principal investigator, significantly contributing to the next stages of my career, with a Ramón y Cajal fellowship first and later with my position as CSIC Senior Scientist. I express my deep gratitude to the staff of Fundación General CSIC directly involved in ComFuturo for their dedication and support”. | Diego Núñez. III edition ComFuturo fellow