The Strategic Projects Unit, coordinated by Laura Cabana, plays a key role in the implementation of ICMAB’s Strategic Plan and its Severo Ochoa Programme of Excellence. This unit ensures that the institute’s strategy, funding and initiatives are effectively aligned with ICMAB’s long-term objectives.
Currently, the SPU is structured around three specialised offices:
- Institutional and Strategic Projects Office, coordinating institutional initiatives such as the Severo Ochoa programme and major partnerships.
- International Projects Office, supporting researchers in preparing and managing international funding proposals, supported by the PROLIDER project.
- Talent Office, focused on attracting, retaining and developing research talent, which started thanks to the TALICMAB project.
A strategic approach to people and excellence
The Talent Office, created in 2024 and led by Dolors Grillo, aims to place people at the centre of ICMAB’s strategy. It promotes a proactive approach to talent management, helping the institute attract and nurture top-tier researchers and professionals.
Empowering researchers and professional development
The Talent Office focuses on several key areas:
- Attracting and retaining talent across all career stages and in all areas of the ICMAB (including researchers, maintenance, administration, technicians, etc.)
- Supporting researchers in identifying and applying for individual fellowships and funding opportunities.
- Designing training and career development programmes to enhance scientific and transferable skills.
- Fostering mentoring, networking and community-building activities within ICMAB.
- Promoting diversity, inclusion and wellbeing as essential elements of a healthy research environment.
Through these initiatives, the Talent Office strengthens ICMAB’s human capital and contributes to its international reputation as a leading research centre in materials science.
The research talent support cycle at ICMAB
The Talent Office coordinates a comprehensive support cycle based on various career assessment tools. This cycle is designed to assist researchers throughout their professional journey at ICMAB — from onboarding to career advancement. This talent support cycle includes:
- Welcome Day & Institute Culture: introducing new researchers to ICMAB’s values, structure, and community.
- Career Day with former ICMABers: fostering networking and sharing career experiences beyond academia.
- Training Plan: offering a wide range of training sessions on research skills, management, and transferable competences.
- CV Analysis and Career Support: providing personalised guidance for professional development and fellowship applications.
- Project Writing Support – Personal Fellowships: helping researchers prepare competitive personal fellowship and grant proposals.
This integrated approach ensures that every ICMAB researcher — from early-stage PhD candidates to senior scientists — has access to resources, mentoring, and opportunities to grow and succeed.
Two years of talent development activities
Some highlights include:
- Career Development Programme and Integral Training Plan, for developing researcher and ICMAB professional abilities, needs, and long-term career goals. For example, the Narrative CV training for senior researchers course.
- ICMAB Welcome Days, offering new staff and students an introduction to the institute’s environment and values.
- Mentoring sessions connecting early-stage researchers with experienced ICMAB scientists.
- Career Days with former ICMABers, where alumni shared their professional paths in academia, industry, and beyond.
- Individual CV and proposal reviews, supporting applications for competitive fellowships such as MSCA, Ramón y Cajal, or Beatriu de Pinós.
- Future Leaders in Materials Science programme, to meet young researchers who will lead the materials science research of the future
These initiatives have contributed to building a stronger, more connected and motivated research community at ICMAB, aligned with the institute’s vision of excellence and innovation.
From TALICMAB to long-term impact
The creation of the Talent Office has been driven by the TALICMAB project, developed under ICMAB’s Severo Ochoa framework. Over the past two years, TALICMAB has laid the foundation for a structured and strategic approach to talent management, including career development, training, and researcher support programmes.
As the TALICMAB project concludes in December 2025, the Talent Office will continue its mission as a permanent part of the Strategic Projects Unit, ensuring that ICMAB’s people and strategy continue to advance together.
The program is funded by Grant GPE2023-001262-T funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.
