The fourth edition of the Salud Investiga Awards includes a new modality that recognizes biomedical innovation
The awards, which are convened annually from this year, aim to distinguish and publicize the R & D & I in Health developed by Andalusian professionals.
The Ministry of Equality, Health and Social Policies has recently convened the fourth edition of the Salud Investiga Awards, a contest that aims to recognize R & D & I in Health and science of excellence by professionals of the Andalusian Public Health System (SSPA). In this way, the objective of the awards - which were biennial in nature and which are convened annually from this year on - is to publicize the projects, initiatives and outstanding professional careers that, from Andalusian health, contribute to the generation and application of knowledge, as well as to promote research and innovative work.
The awards are available in six categories, open to individuals, groups, and projects. New for this year's edition is the addition of the "Biomedical Innovation" category, which stems from the need to recognize the cross-cutting and multidisciplinary nature of technological development and innovation within the Andalusian Public Health System. This new category joins the already established categories of "Isabel Fernández for Healthcare Research," "Youth," "Scientific Alliances and Cooperation," "Public Health," and "Cutting-Edge Research."
The bases of the call can be consulted at the following link and the research staff interested in participating may send their request until January 24 at 15.00:XNUMX p.m. The presentation of candidatures will be done exclusively through the telematic application available on the web, where the candidates will be able to access the application form and attach the necessary documentation. After the deliberation process, the jury -chaired by the Deputy Minister of Equality, Health and Social Policies, Aquilino Alonso-, will decide the award, making it public at the ceremony. The awarded researchers will receive a sculpture and an accrediting diploma.
Recognition of scientific practice in Andalusia
Framed in the so-called Health Investiga Spaces, an initiative promoted by the Ministry of Equality, Health and Social Policies and managed by the Andalusian Public Progress and Health Foundation, the awards include up to six modalities to which professionals who develop their scientific work in within the Andalusian Public Health System.
Thus, the "Isabel Fernández Award for Healthcare Research" category recognizes the ongoing work of professionals who dedicate their efforts to the search for innovative solutions for healthcare through scientific development. The jury will consider professionals who generate knowledge and efficiently apply research results to healthcare. They will also assess whether the knowledge generated is transferable to industry, with the goal of extending it to society.
The "Young" category aims to promote and recognize the scientific activity of professionals born after 1974 who, within the Andalusian healthcare system, carry out high-quality research activities with commitment, ethical integrity, and methodological rigor. The objective of this category is to encourage scientific talent and vocation from the beginning of their careers. To be eligible for the award, a minimum of three scientific publications is required, either as first or last author, or as corresponding author.
Thirdly, the "Scientific Alliances and Cooperation" category recognizes contributions to strengthening and coordinating the R&D&I system within the Andalusian Public Health System, thereby increasing its efficiency and impact on citizens' health. In this regard, activities that foster the cohesion of research groups and increase critical mass within the Andalusian healthcare system will be considered, as well as strengthening public-private cooperation and the participation of Andalusian research groups in international R&D&I activities. Collaboration between universities, clinicians, and companies, as well as cross-border cooperation for the development of research projects, and the exchange of young researchers will also be considered.
On the other hand, research in the field of public health contributes to risk control, promotes healthy habits and behaviors, promotes active aging, and empowers citizens to take control of their own health, thereby engaging them. Therefore, the "Public Health" category rewards the results of research conducted in the area of health surveillance and promotion for the general population, as well as research that identifies problems and areas for improvement, monitors the organization, quality, and scope of services, identifies intervention measures, and evaluates their impact on health and their application.
The fifth of these categories, "Cutting-Edge Research," aims to recognize the results of scientific projects dedicated to the exploration and discovery of new fields of biomedical study that can develop new avenues for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. This category includes stem cell research, nanomedicine, and genetic research carried out with originality, intellectual risk, and heterodoxy, which, in Andalusia, is geared toward becoming the medicine of the future.
Finally, the 2013 Salud Investiga Awards this year include a new category, "Biomedical Innovation," which stems from the multidisciplinary and transversal nature of technological development and innovation. Advances in technology, the creation of wealth within the framework of sustained development, and the transfer of information and knowledge are driving forces behind the advancement of biomedicine. Thus, this new category aims to recognize the results achieved through the multidisciplinary work of professionals in the Andalusian Public Health System, who are capable of addressing, from different specialties, the path from an idea to its materialization, in a process of organizational or healthcare innovation in a product. Areas in which this type of innovation finds great potential include, among others, quality management, evaluation and organization, participation, and social and healthcare care.
