Centres of Excellence 'Severo Ochoa' and Units 'María de Maeztu'

The Severo Ochoa and María de Maeztu call is Spain's excellence accreditation route for research centres and research units. It is administered by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación and sits inside the institutional-strengthening strand of the state plan for scientific and technical research and innovation. The call recognises the highest-performing institutions and finances the strategic plan they put forward for the next four years. The 2026 budget is EUR 80,000,000, with applications open from May 27, 2026 to June 17, 2026. Accreditation can remain valid for up to six years, and the process is competitive. The route has two recognition types: Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa for full research centres, and Unidad de Excelencia María de Maeztu for research units. Applications are handled in Spanish, and the call is aimed at institutions already operating at a very high level. The strongest candidates are those with clear international relevance, demonstrated impact, and a strategic plan that is more than a wish list. The programme rewards institutions that can show sustained excellence, a coherent research agenda, and the capacity to deliver at scale over a four-year period. In practice, it is a prestige-and-capacity instrument: the accreditation matters, but so does the ability to turn that status into a focused institutional plan with real execution behind it.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.