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The accreditation is valid for four years until the 2017 call, for five years in the 2018 - 2021 calls, and from the 2023 call it will last for six years, in all cases without the possibility of renewal. Once the accreditation has been completed, the centers or units may re-present themselves for a new call in competitive competition. The accreditation implies the granting of an aid of four million euros for four years in the case of the centers (€4.5 million from the 2023 call) and two million euros for the units (€2.5 million from the 2023 call).

Centers or units of excellence

The support actions for "Severo Ochoa Centers of Excellence" and "María de Maeztu Units of Excellence" are aimed at those centers or units that meet the requirements established in the calls and that conduct and execute cutting-edge basic research, ranking among the best in the world in their respective areas. Networked centers or units are excluded.

Therefore, consolidated centers or units applying to this program must demonstrate that their research activity meets the required standards of excellence and is characterized by:

• Having a high level of impact and competitiveness in their field of activity on the global scientific stage.
• Periodically subjecting their research activities to scientific evaluation processes by external and independent scientific committees.
• Developing their research activities according to a strategic plan or strategic research program that aims at generating cutting-edge knowledge.
• Providing activities for training, selecting, and attracting human resources at an international level.
• Maintaining active collaboration and exchange agreements at the institutional level with high-level research centers.
• Working on enhancing knowledge transfer and dissemination activities to society.

Benefits of accreditation

Accreditation as a «Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence» or «María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence» will be valid for five or six years and will provide:

• Funding to develop the strategic plan or program, characterized by a high degree of flexibility, and its execution must exclusively follow strategic criteria, duly justified, for the accredited center or unit.
• Grants for pre-doctoral contracts for the training of doctors, of the State Training Subprogram.
• Increased reputation and social and scientific recognition, which will give them preferential visibility in obtaining sponsorship aids, among other benefits.

Scientific leadership

The "Severo Ochoa Centers of Excellence" and "María de Maeztu Units of Excellence" must have a Scientific Director, who is not necessarily the person in charge of the center. The Scientific Director must be a researcher recognized by their peers according to the most demanding standards and must also have significant leadership capacity in organizing research. The "Severo Ochoa Centers of Excellence" and "María de Maeztu Units of Excellence" must be reference centers or units and clear examples of the quality and relevance of cutting-edge scientific research conducted in Spain. As such, they should serve to lead and boost the capabilities of our research system as a whole and its international projection.