The BOE publishes the 2026 National Research Awards for twenty researchers

The Official State Gazette publishes this Monday, September 28, 2026, the granting of the National Research Awards and the National Research Awards for Young Researchers for the year 2026, the primary scientific recognition awarded by the State. Order CNU/1009/2026, of September 21, issued by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, distinguishes twenty researchers across as many categories. The text appears in Section III of the BOE no. 239, with the official reference BOE-A-2026-20146.

The awards were announced through Order CNU/131/2026, of February 10, and are governed by the regulatory bases approved by Order CNU/474/2024, of May 13. Each award is endowed with 30,000 euros and is not divisible, as only one person per category may be selected; the total funding amounts to 600,000 euros, charged to budget application 28.06.463B.482 of the General State Budgets for 2026.

The senior awards recognize the merit of Spanish researchers with an extensive scientific career and international relevance in their fields. The category for young researchers distinguishes Spanish researchers up to 40 years of age with excellent work and relevant achievements. The juries for each category previously issued a report specifying the result of the evaluation.

The ten National Research Awards

• Santiago Ramón y Cajal, in biology: Crisanto Gutiérrez Armenta.
• Leonardo Torres Quevedo, in engineering and architecture: José Miguel Adam Martínez.
• Ramón Menéndez Pidal, in humanities: Carmen Julia Gutiérrez González.
• Gregorio Marañón, in medicine and health sciences: Ángel María Carracedo Álvarez.
• Alejandro Malaspina, in natural resource sciences and technologies: Jose Antonio Sobrino Rodríguez.
• Blas Cabrera, in physical, materials, and earth sciences: Carmen Isabel Álvarez Lorenzo.
• Enrique Moles, in chemical science and technology: Daniel Maspoch Comamala.
• Juan de la Cierva, in knowledge transfer: Jesús Martínez de la Fuente.
• Julio Rey Pastor, in mathematics and information and communication technologies: Ángel Lozano Solsona.
• Pascual Madoz, in law and economic and social sciences: Juan José Dolado Lobregad.

The jury reports highlight trajectories such as that of Ángel María Carracedo Álvarez, a pioneer in forensic DNA techniques and genomic medicine, or that of Ángel Lozano Solsona, whose contributions were key to the development of 4G and 5G and lay the foundations for 6G. In the area of biomedical materials, the work of Carmen Isabel Álvarez Lorenzo on smart hydrogels and drug delivery is highlighted, while Jesús Martínez de la Fuente has accumulated licensed patents and several spin-off companies in nanobiotechnology.

The ten awards for young researchers

• Margarita Salas, in biology: Mireia Vallés Colomer.
• Matilde Ucelay, in engineering and architecture: Mario Merino Martínez.
• María Moliner, in humanities: Pablo Alonso González.
• Gabriella Morreale, in medicine and health sciences: Biola María Javierre Martinez.
• Ángeles Alvariño, in natural resource sciences and technologies: Laura Castro Santos.
• Felisa Martín Bravo, in physical, materials, and earth sciences: Miguel Anaya Martín.
• María Teresa Toral, in chemical science and technology: Katherine Villa Gómez.
• Ángela Ruiz Robles, in knowledge transfer: Ana Novoa Pérez.
• María Andresa Casamayor, in mathematics and information and communication technologies: Jorge Calvo Zaragoza.
• Clara Campoamor, in law and economic and social sciences: Cristina Cadenas Sánchez.

Among the youth categories, the ruling recognizes research on the human microbiome and its link to mental health (Mireia Vallés Colomer), the development of plasma space thrusters with applications in space debris removal (Mario Merino Martínez), and the optical recognition of music through computer vision and artificial intelligence (Jorge Calvo Zaragoza).

Endowment, payment, and appeal processes

The payment of the prize amounts will be processed following the publication of the award order and will be conditional upon evidence that the awardee meets the requirements of article 34.5 of the General Subsidies Law 38/2003, of November 17.

The order, which concludes the administrative process, may be optionally appealed for reversal before the body that issued it within one month from the day following its publication in the BOE, or challenged directly before the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the Audiencia Nacional within two months. The resolution is signed on behalf of the Minister of Science, Innovation, and Universities (Order CNU/670/2024, of June 25), by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Universities, Juan Cruz Cigudosa García.

The publication of the twenty awardees closes the annual cycle of the call and provides visibility to the winning research groups in areas ranging from biology and chemistry to the humanities, economics, and knowledge transfer. For the readers, the order also serves as the official reference certifying the identity of the awardees and the economic and administrative conditions of the recognition.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 239, September 28, 2026, Sec. III. Other Provisions, p. 127119 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-20146).