Frequently asked questions

What is the Health Research Institute (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria) of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC)?

The Health Research Institute (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria) of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC) is a functional structure of multidisciplinary and translational biomedical research of excellence, oriented to basic, clinical, epidemiological, and health services research, which will have its headquarters in the complex that houses the Hospital Clínico San Carlos.

It is the result of the relationship between the Madrid Health Service (SERMAS) through the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (HCSC) and Primary Health Care Centres in the area of influence, the Complutense University of Madrid (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) (UCM), the Polytechnic University of Madrid (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid) (UPM), the Biomedical Research Foundation (Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica) of the HCSC (FIBHCSC), and the Department of Health (Directorate General for Research, Training and Health Infrastructures) of the Community of Madrid.

What are the advantages of being part of the IdISSC?

Firstly, the IdISSC allows the perfect interweaving of the teaching, research and clinical activity that exists in all the entities that make it up, and the development and improvement of the organisation and management of R&D&I as an essential support for scientific activity.
It allows for a more efficient organisation of research resources and infrastructures, which improves the raising of new resources in the future.
It allows talent to be recruited.
It also allows for the promotion of emerging groups
An HRI with an excellent scientific critical mass attracts companies, thereby boosting development and innovation in health science activity.
Finally, over time, all of this makes it possible to increase the economic resources available for research, both through competitive calls for proposals and through collaboration with biotechnology companies and information and communication technology companies, among others.

Can new groups be created?

Of course, the IdISSC provides for the incorporation and resignation of research groups within its scientific structure. The incorporation of new research groups has different procedures, depending on their origin, as indicated below:

Incorporation of an external research group to the entities that make up the Institute:

If a research group belonging to an entity that is not currently part of the IdISSC is interested in joining the scientific structure of the Institute, it should contact its highest government body to initiate the procedures for the incorporation of the entity as a full member of the Institute.

Once the entity is part of the Institute, the group will follow the procedure for inclusion in the scientific structure set out in the IdISSC Integration Plan.

Incorporation of a research group belonging to one of the entities that currently make up the Institute:

The phases for incorporating a new research group belonging to one of the entities that make up the Institute are as follows:

The first phase of the process of incorporation of a research group is the preparation of a report containing information on the composition, activities, and scientific results of the group over the last 5 years, which will be submitted to the Scientific Directorate.
The Scientific Directorate, after analysing the information received, will present the report to the Research Committee, which will assess the suitability of the incorporation and may be advised by the External Scientific Committee.

Finally, the Governing Council will issue a final assessment, which may be one of the following 3 options:

Proposal for the incorporation of the research group into the Institute.
Proposal to incorporate the staff of the proposed group as part of another research group.
The incorporation of the research group into the Institute is discouraged.

What are the requirements for a researcher to join the IdISSC?

He/she must collaborate in a research group that pursues the institutional aims referred to above.

Do the groups necessarily have to include members from the UCM and the Hospital?

The groups must be made up of the people who usually work together on one or more lines of research, whether they all belong to the Hospital, the University or both. The IdISSC has “pure UCM”, “pure Hospital” and mixed groups.

Can the same researcher be part of two different groups?

Researchers and research support staff may only be part of one group but may collaborate on projects and publications with other groups.

Can a researcher from other institutions join the Institute?

In accordance with the agreement for the creation of the IdISSC, people from one of the signatory entities (Complutense University of Madrid, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos, and Madrid Health Service (including the Primary Health Care Centres in the area of influence and other centres dependent on the Madrid Health Service) may form part of the Institute.

However, those entities of a similar nature that wish to establish forms of coordinated action with the Institute and whose relationship with the Institute has been reflected in a document, as defined in Royal Decree 339/2004, of 27 February, may form part of the IdISSC as members of the same, as defined in Royal Decree 339/2004, of 27 February, may also form part of the IdISSC. Once another entity is incorporated into the Institute, the integration of its researchers, research groups, and teams are assumed.

A researcher who belongs to a hospital that is already a health research institute could not be part of the IdISSC.