The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is Spain’s largest public research institution, covering all fields of science and technology through its numerous institutes across the country. Many CSIC institutes collaborate extensively with universities for postgraduate programs (Master, PhD) and host doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers.
The Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC, is the Spanish National Research Council and the largest public research body in Spain. It is not a university, but it trains a large number of doctoral researchers, around two thousand at any given time, in cooperation with universities. Its headquarters are on Calle Serrano in Madrid, and its roughly 120 institutes and centres are spread across the country. About 11,000 people work for the organisation, and about one in five researchers comes from abroad.
The CSIC was created in 1939, but its roots go back to the Junta para Ampliación de Estudios, founded in 1907 under the presidency of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, a Nobel laureate in medicine. That body sent young Spanish scientists abroad and created laboratories for physics, chemistry and natural history. The CSIC still runs a series of historic institutions, among them the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid and the Residencia de Estudiantes, a cultural centre that hosted Federico García Lorca and Salvador Dalí.
The research covers all fields: biology and biomedicine, chemistry, physics, materials science, earth sciences, agriculture, food, information technology, humanities and social sciences. Joint units with universities allow researchers to teach, and some institutes sit on university campuses, as the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Centre does at the Autonomous University of Madrid. The council also manages large facilities, including marine research vessels and scientific collections, and it publishes dozens of journals.
Students do not enrol at CSIC for a degree. Doctoral candidates register for a doctorate at a partner university and carry out their research in a CSIC institute, usually with a pre-doctoral contract, which gives a salary. Positions are announced in public calls by the council, the ministry and regional agencies. Master’s students may complete internships in the institutes. Check the current calls and the conditions for non-EU candidates.
The research culture is international, and English is the working language in many groups, while Spanish is used for administration. Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville host the largest clusters of institutes.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, Agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Ergonomics, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Metrology, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Quality, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
CSIC has a vast network of national and international collaborations with universities, research centers, and industry. It is a key player in European research frameworks. Many of its researchers also hold university teaching positions.
Research:
Cutting-edge research across all scientific disciplines, from humanities and social sciences to life sciences, physical sciences, materials science, and engineering.
Famous Alumnis:
Margarita Salas, Mariano Barbacid, Juan Ignacio Cirac
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
11000
Current students***:
2000
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
10000
Pros
Spain’s premier public research organization, offering unparalleled research opportunities across a multitude of disciplines. Excellent for doctoral and postdoctoral training via its institutes.
Cons
CSIC itself is not a university and does not award degrees directly; these are granted by collaborating universities. Research opportunities are institute-specific.
Best For
PhD students and postdoctoral researchers across all scientific and technical disciplines seeking to work at leading Spanish research institutes.
Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación follows much the same lines as this school, with astroscience, agriculture and bioinformatics as common ground, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely master's and doctoral.
The comparison with Barcelona School of Telecommunications Engineering is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on nanotechnologies, optics and signal processing, and it is also a public institution and also offers bachelor's programmes.
Where this school leans on marine science, food science and bioinformatics, Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo does the same, and it is also a public institution and also offers diploma programmes.
Both schools build their programmes around astroscience, aerospace and nanotechnologies, and Facultad de Ciencias Físicas is the one to compare first within the country, since it is also a public institution and also offers bachelor's programmes.
Also strong in computer vision, chemistry and robotics, Escola Técnica Superior de Enxeñaría makes a sensible second look at home; it is also a public institution and also offers bachelor's programmes.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Beyond national borders, Institut Polytechnique de Paris stands out as a comparable school for aerospace, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies; it is far larger, with about 8,000 students against roughly 2,000 here, and is also a public institution.
AgroParisTech in France is the nearest foreign match on marine science, agriculture and food science; it teaches at the same levels, namely master's and doctoral, and covers logistics and life sciences as well.
Students considering a move abroad can look at Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland, where metrology, astroscience and quality also form the core, and it is far smaller, with about 300 students against roughly 2,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Seen from abroad, EPFL (Switzerland) is a close relative on subject matter, since metrology, aerospace and bioinformatics are central to both, and it also offers bachelor's programmes, and is far larger, with about 12,000 students against roughly 2,000 here.
For bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics outside the home country, Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan is a natural reference; it covers life sciences as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 1,200 students against roughly 2,000 here.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
What is CSIC?
The Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas is the Spanish National Research Council and the largest public research body in Spain.
Is it a university?
No. It trains doctoral researchers in cooperation with universities but does not award its own degrees.
Where is it located?
The headquarters are at Calle Serrano 117 in Madrid, and its roughly 120 institutes and centres are spread across Spain.
When was it created?
In 1939, with roots in the Junta para Ampliación de Estudios, founded in 1907 under Santiago Ramón y Cajal.
How large is it?
About 11,000 people work for the organisation.
What fields does it cover?
Biology, biomedicine, chemistry, physics, materials, earth sciences, agriculture, food, information technology, humanities and social sciences.
Which historic institutions does it run?
The Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid and the Residencia de Estudiantes, among others.
How can you do a doctorate there?
You register for a doctorate at a partner university and carry out the research in a CSIC institute, usually with a pre-doctoral contract. Check the current calls.
Do doctoral candidates get a salary?
Pre-doctoral contracts normally include a salary, but conditions depend on the call and the funding agency.
What languages are used?
English is the working language in many research groups, and Spanish is used for administration.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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