PISGa Awards 2026: the Xunta announces 13,000 euros for health research

The Galician Agency for Health Knowledge Management announces the Galicia Health Research Awards (PISGa) for the year 2026, the third edition of awards distributing up to 13,000 euros across four financial prizes. The call is approved by the Resolution of October 5, 2026, published in the Official Gazette of Galicia (DOG) no. 196, of October 15, 2026, in section III, Other provisions, with the official reference CVE-DOG ersdlhq3-owy6-0yc6-mao2-enafskxy8007. The deadline for submitting applications is one month from the day following publication.

The regulation approves the regulatory bases and the call under procedure code SA304E, under a competitive bidding regime in accordance with Law 9/2007, of June 13, on subsidies in Galicia. The summary of the call, with identification number BDNS 935052, is published in the same section of the bulletin with the reference CVE-DOG zopsndu0-2dq5-ohm1-ffy0-8zvfyyu7qtt6, and the full text can be consulted in the National Subsidy Database.

The action is framed within the Galician Health Strategy 2030 and the Galician Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3 Galicia 2021-2027), as well as Law 14/2011, of June 1, on science, technology, and innovation. The Agency, created by Decree 112/2015, of July 31, signs the resolution through its president, Antonio Gómez Caamaño.

Two modalities and 13,000 euros at stake

• Award for health research projects in primary care: 5,000 euros for the first prize and 3,000 euros for the second.
• Award for emerging health research trajectories: 3,000 euros for the first prize and 2,000 euros for the second.

In each modality, three honorary mentions are also granted, without financial endowment, consisting of a researcher recognition diploma. The financial prizes are delivered in kind —materials and small non-inventoriable equipment, subcontracting of R&D&i services, attendance at courses and congresses, or grants for publications in scientific journals— and are accompanied by a trophy and a diploma. The funding is entirely borne by the Agency, charged to budgetary applications 12.A1.561C.443.25, 12.A1.561C.443.28, and 12.A1.561C.443.29 of the general budgets of the Autonomous Community for the year 2027.

Who can apply and how

• Primary care: any clinical healthcare and/or nursing professional from the Galician public health system with a project carried out significantly in a health center of the Galician Health Service (Sergas) or in its instrumental research entities.
• Emerging trajectories: researchers employed by a Sergas research institution, with an emerging group and future projection, holding a doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent) and a maximum age of 40 years on the deadline date; the limit is extended to 42 years for people with recognized disabilities.

Members of the jury, as well as people related to them by consanguinity up to the fourth degree or by affinity up to the second, are not eligible for the award, and no candidacy may be awarded in more than one category. Applications must be submitted electronically using the standardized form (Annex I) available on the electronic headquarters of the Xunta de Galicia, completed with Annexes II and III in the case of projects.

Jury, criteria and resolution

The jury consists of four members: the presidency, held by the head of the Agency, and three members appointed by the accredited health research institutes through their scientific directorates —the Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IISGS), the Santiago de Compostela Health Research Institute (IDIS), and the Biomedical Research Institute of A Coruña (INIBIC)—. The secretary serves with a voice but without a vote. Previously, a selection committee composed of the Health Research Planning and Promotion Area and four experts chooses a maximum of five finalists per category.

The evaluation criteria are distributed as follows:

• Primary care: translational research and transfer of results (30 points), research experience and capacity (25), strategic priority of the Galician public system (25), and benefits and rapid applicability (20).
• Emerging trajectories: scientific-technical quality and originality (40 points), leadership and scientific independence (40), and impact on healthcare practice (20).

In both cases, a minimum score of 60 points is required. The maximum period to resolve and notify is two months from the publication of the resolution; after this period without an express resolution, the application is understood to be rejected by administrative silence. The delivery of the awards will take place at a public event organized by the Department of Health and Sergas through the Agency, and additional information can be requested on the website acis.sergas.es, by telephone at 981 55 51 03 and 981 56 80 54, or at the address investigacion.acis@sergas.es.

The call continues a line of promotion for translational research that seeks to retain new talent within the Galician public health system and transfer scientific results to healthcare practice. For professionals of the Sergas and health research institutes, the PISGa are a direct means of financing primary care projects and recognizing emerging careers, with a deadline that closes one month after publication in the DOG.

Source: Official Gazette of Galicia, no. 196, October 15, 2026, section III, p. 52678 (official reference: CVE-DOG ersdlhq3-owy6-0yc6-mao2-enafskxy8007).