Each Millennium Institute will receive about $ 700 million and two of them involving scientists from the CMM.
Under the 2009 contest, the winners were chosen from a total of 27 proposals, of which seven were finalists and submitted to interviews.
After a thorough evaluation process, the Governing Board of the Millennium Science Initiative (MSI), who chairs the Planning Minister, Felipe Kast, announced the results of the third call for project bid for Millennium Science Institutes, call issued in last December, in which three proposals were the highest grades, participating researchers from CMM in two of them.
These are the projects:
1. Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience of Valparaiso (CINV) whose Principal Investigator is Dr. Ramón Latorre de la Cruz and Alan Nilly as principal investigator will be housed in the Corporation Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience of Valparaiso and Valparaiso University, co- Host participation of other institutions, which include the University of Talca, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the Centre for Mathematical Modeling (CMM), University of Chile, represented by Dr. Tomás Pérez-Acle, acting as Principal Investigator.
2. Millennium Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy (IMII) whose Principal Investigator is Dr. Alexis Kalergis Parra and will be housed at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de Chile and Universidad Andrés Bello.
3. Biomedical Neuroscience Institute (BNI) whose Principal Investigator is Dr. Andrés Couve Correa, who is professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Chile. This Institute is involved, as Research Associate, Dr. Jaime Ortega, who is a Research Associate at the CMM.
New Millennium Science Institutes have a duration of ten years subject to evaluation during the fifth year in office, a period extending for a second five years, and have resources to develop cutting-edge research that line the $ 700 million annually, an amount that is subject to budget allocated to the ICM program each year.
The selection
The winning projects were selected from a total of 27 drafts that were submitted to open competition from the December 13, 2009, after which he invited 13 of them to submit final proposals, of which seven were finalists and submitted sa visits and interviews by the Program Committee of the ICM abroad.
The ICM supports the creation and development of the Institutes and Nuclei are centers of excellence in scientific research with a mission focused on increasing productivity and competitiveness in science and technology in Chile. Because of their nature, make them a key link between basic science and the scientific and technological development, and also a basic pillar of a knowledge-based economy, with a view to innovation and economic and social development of Chile.
Invesiones enhance R & D
The Minister Felipe Kast noted the high level of scientific groups finalists and in particular those that won, and has demonstrated the relevance of the MSI Program to strengthen scientific and technological research in Chile. “This is an example of the important efforts of the country to support and enhance the capabilities of innovation, research and development,” said Secretary of State.
Economy Minister, Juan Andrés Fontaine, who became chairman of the instance from 1 January next year, stressed the importance of increased investment in research and development of good standing, both innovation-oriented business and the science base, which is “definitely needed to move towards a knowledge-based economy.” Similarly, stressed that the activities of the Millennium Science Institutes should add value both from a scientific standpoint and in its impact on the national economy.
For its part, the Executive Director of the ICM, Claudio Wernli, said the number of applications increased by 93% compared to the last contest 2005 for Institutes, adding they were also more projects that reached the list of finalists, all featured in to his scientific and technological in their projections.
The evaluation criteria were based on scientific excellence and academic projects and researchers, as well as the ability to do work in a team project to allow schools in one of world stature. Also based their decision on the excellence of its proposal for training of young scientists, collaborative networking with other institutions in the region and the world, and the projection of its progress towards the external environment, particularly to the education sector, the industry, services and society.
Continuity of the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB)
It was also decided on an extension for a further period of five years of the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), established in 2006 and led by Dr. Mary Kalin, recently honored by the National Natural Science Award 2010. The work of its first five years was evaluated by a panel of foreign experts and the ICM Program Committee who recommended continued funding to the IEB based on his outstanding performance in their respective spheres of action.
