From left to right: Itxaso Ruiz, officer at the UAM Office for European and International Projects (OPEI UAM); Rafael Oliveros, director of the OPEI UAM; Susana Sánchez Ferro, director of the Madrid Institute for Advanced Study (MIAS); María Ángeles Martín Cabrejas, UAM Vice-Rector for Scientific Policy; Nancy Berthier, deputy director of the MIAS and director of the Casa de Velázquez; Clara Gómez Zapatero, officer at the OPEI UAM; Elvira Casado, officer at the OPEI UAM.
A highly competitive European distinction
“Choose Europe for Science” is a particularly selective pilot programme designed to strengthen Europe’s ability to attract top scientific talent. By supporting only a very limited number of projects, it aims to provide outstanding research conditions and promote international researcher mobility.
MOTYVES has been awarded “cofund” support through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), one of the European Union’s flagship instruments for fostering researcher mobility and career development. The project will receive €1.4 million in funding.
The selection of MOTYVES as one of only 16 projects chosen across Europe represents a major distinction for the MIAS. This highly competitive recognition highlights both the quality of the project and the strength of its institutional environment, as well as its alignment with the European Union’s scientific and strategic priorities. It positions the MIAS among Europe’s leading institutions in terms of talent attraction and research excellence.
Social sciences and humanities in the face of the digital era’s challenges
Beyond its scientific ambition, MOTYVES stands out for addressing the core transformations shaping contemporary society. The project aims to strengthen the role of the social sciences and humanities in analysing and understanding today’s major challenges.
At a time when technological change is reshaping social, economic and political balances, these disciplines are essential for informing public decision-making, supporting societal change and anticipating the impact of innovation.
In this respect, MOTYVES is fully aligned with the European Union’s strategic priorities and anticipates the directions of the future 10th Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10).
MOTYVES seeks to attract talented researchers capable of “going beyond the scope or limits of a field of activity or conceptual framework”, in other words, researchers able to transcend disciplinary boundaries, bridge different approaches and tackle the major global societal challenges of today and the near future with efficiency and creativity.
A unique ecosystem of excellence in Europe
The MIAS, the first Institute for Advanced Study on the Iberian Peninsula, directed by Susana Sánchez Ferro (UAM) and co-directed by Nancy Berthier (CVZ), offers an outstanding interdisciplinary research environment across its two campuses. It is part of leading academic networks both at the European level, through NetIAS, and globally through UBIAS.
Within this framework, selected researchers will benefit from high-level scientific mentoring, integration into international excellence networks, and privileged access to a dynamic economic ecosystem, particularly in northern Madrid, one of Spain’s most innovative regions.
From the Tomás y Valiente experience to MOTYVES
The MOTYVES project builds on the experience of the Tomás y Valiente programme, launched by UAM in 2017, expanding its ambitions and projecting them onto the European stage.
Designed as a tailored training and research programme, it offers a model combining scientific excellence, interdisciplinarity and openness to non-academic environments, with the aim of fostering the development of high-level research careers.
