Networks

Others

The 26 departments that make up the UdL form a basic structure able to bring together the human capital needed for research. This structure is complemented by the UdL-IRTA Foundation, the IRBLleida Foundation and the Agri-food Science and Technology Park, which were jointly set up by the University of Lleida and a number of Catalan public institutions. The University also has a research support network designed to enable research groups to work together in providing scientific technical services. Amongst the most outstanding are the electron microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry services. Both are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and have proved to be invaluable in leading research projects.

Research management is undertaken by the Vice-rector's Office for Research and the R&D&I Support Office. The latter is in charge of promoting and publicising activities, as well as of making contacts with businesses. It was set up in 2005 when the University's CTT was reorganised. Since then, it has managed considerable sums in funding obtained through projects and services provided to businesses that have approached the University.

The Catalan Government's Directorate General of Research has classified 44 UdL research groups in its consolidated category. This means they are officially recognised as groups of scientific excellence. These highly competitive groups and others belonging to the UdL receive resources both from national research finance agencies (DGICYT, CICYT, FIS, amongst others) and from the European Union. The structure of research groups also includes emerging groups belonging to the University. These resources make it possible to form groups of new researchers who are entitled to preferential financing from the UdL over a three-year period. They are thus able to train and improve so that they become competitive groups.

The Vice-rector's Office for Research outlines complementary lines of action to support academic staff in the sphere of research. These are manifest in actions for mobility (short and long stays at research centres, travel arrangements for those attending conferences, visiting lecturers’ programme); training (additional grants for UdL research students and pre-doctoral students); and a wide range of other financing initiatives to enable researchers organise congresses and scientific conferences or to publish scientific works.

INSTITUTIONS AND CONSORTIA WITH UdL INVOLVEMENT

Institute of Educational Sciences - Centre of Continuing Education (ICE-CFC) 

The ICE runs continuing education programmes for teachers, gives advice to and organises continuing education courses for businesspeople, professional associations, etc. It also carries out research and innovation tasks in education and teaching for teachers at all levels, as well as producing educational materials for children, adolescents or citizens' groups.

www.ice.udl.cat

UdL-IRTA Foundation (Institute of Agri-Food Research and Technology) 

This institution, formerly the UdL-IRTA Centre, carries out various lines of research in several areas with the help of UdL lecturers and the IRTA's own researchers. They have worked in such fields as extensive crops, crop protection, animal production, post-harvest and fruit-growing technology.

IRBLleida Foundation (Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida) 

Research centre set up jointly by the university and the Catalan Government's Ministry of Health. Its aim is to promote the synergies in biomedical research between the two institutions.

www.irblleida.org/en/

Forest Technology Centre of Catalonia 

The Forest Technology Centre of Catalonia is a consortium between the University of Lleida, Solsonès County Council, Lleida Provincial Council, the Catalan Research Foundation and the Catalan Government's Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Action. The Centre's job is to provide training and disseminate knowledge to professionals and students in the sector, conduct research applied to the forest environment, and have an active involvement in the development and transfer of technology (R&DT) to the stakeholders in the sector.

http://ctfc.cat/asp_ang/ctfc_inicio.asp

Agri-food Science and Technology Park 

A consortium between the University of Lleida and La Paeria that aims to promote R&D activities between universities and businesses and to create new knowledge-based businesses.

www.pcital.com

R&D&I Support Office 

The R&D&I Support Office is the unit whose mission is to encourage and manage research activities carried out in the University’s various departments and to act as an interface between the University and businesses. 

The purpose of the office is to promote the process of technological innovation in the industrial fabric of our society. It is expressly dedicated to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMES) through the transfer of the results of research carried out or which may be carried out at the University. This relationship is mutually beneficial as research must be linked to the needs of society and business. This is particularly relevant given that work conducted in research and development is one of the most commonly used variables for measuring a country's competitiveness. 

Unlike mass production in the past, new production conditions and the importance of services linked to intelligence make universities essential partners for businesses.

The office performs the following functions:

• Collaboration in negotiating, managing and monitoring agreements between the University and businesses and institutions.
• Seeking public and private sources of finance in Spain (CDTI, CIDEM), Europe (EUREKA) and Latin America (IBEROEKA).
• Support and management of regional, national and international research programmes (particularly the European Union's R&D framework programme and specific actions with South America).
• Financial management of UdL-specific qualifications, namely, master's degrees, postgraduate courses and specialisation courses in new technologies.
• Other services such as advice on technology training, analysis, standardisation and testing; encouraging the exchange of research staff between businesses and research centres.

Last modified: 06/09/2011