The Fondecyt Regular program, promoted by the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID), is one of the main sources of funding for research in Chile, allowing researchers to develop high-impact projects in various disciplines. In its 2025 call, Universidad de Santiago was awarded 31 projects in different areas of knowledge, ranking fourth nationally and third among public universities.
The Faculty of Engineering lead with 11 projects, followed by the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology with 7 awards, and the Faculty of Science with 5 initiatives. In addition, the Faculty of Humanities and the Institute of Advanced Studies contribute 3 projects each, while the Faculty of Technology and the Center for Studies in Food Science and Technology (CECTA), add one each, reflecting the diversity and impact of the research developed at Usach.
The Vice Rector’s Office for Research, Innovation and Creation (Vriic) valued these results as a reflection of the institutional commitment to the advancement of science and technology. In this regard, Vice Rector Dr. Alberto Monsalve, emphasized that “the award of these 31 projects not only evidences the excellence of our university, but also reflects our commitment to the development of knowledge and research as fundamental pillars of our institutional mission. At Usach, we understand that the generation of science and technology is key to the progress of the country, so this result motivates us to continue supporting our researchers.”
The Director of Research, Dr. Maritza Páez, highlighted the importance of supporting projects and the research community: “At Dicyt we continue working to strengthen the conditions that enable our scientific community to develop high-impact projects. Our commitment is to accompany researchers at every stage, from the application to the execution of their projects, providing tools and support that allow them to consolidate their lines of study and project their results nationally and internationally.”
The following is the list of projects awarded to Usach researchers in this 2025 version of the Regular Fondecyt program:
| Title | Researcher | Executing Unit |
| Towards a robust theoretical description of quantum yields in inorganic molecular complexes | Daniel Alejandro Aravena Ponce | FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY – MATERIAL CHEMISTRY DEPT. |
| NeuroMetaEvo: Integrating Metaheuristic Techniques with Neuroscience for Advanced Neuromorphic Algorithm Design | Javier Baladrón Pezoa | FACULTY OF ENGINEERING - COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPT. |
| Accurate stabilized reduced order models for direct and inverse problems in nonlinear thermally coupled liquid-solid phase-change flows | Ernesto Francisco Castillo Del Barrio | FACULTY OF ENGINEERING – MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPT. |
| Academic performance in Chilean universities: A comprehensive assessment of its determinants in a context of massiveness | Dante Miguel Castillo Guajardo | FACULTY OF HUMANITIES - ENZO FALETTO STUDY CENTER |
| The stability of austenite in medium Mn steels | Felipe Manuel Castro Cerda | FACULTY OF ENGINEERING-METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING DEPT. |
| Faster than Real-Time Simulations Using Data-driven Reduced-order Models for Online Dynamic Security Assessments | Héctor Patricio Chávez Oróstica | FACULTY OF ENGINEERING – ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING DEPT. |
| Exploring Quantum Symmetries: from Dirac materials to non-Hermitian Physics and their role in spacetime theories | Francisco Correa | FACULTY OF SCIENCE – PHYSICS DEPT. |
| Studies on the molecular basis of Isavirus virulence: discovering the viral Fusion protein as the key of virulence in non-terrestrial orthomyxoviruses. | Marcelo Cortez San Martín | FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY - BIOLOGY DEPT. |
| Exploring theoretical and observational consequences within extended unimodular cosmologies | Norman Francisco Cruz Marín | FACULTY OF SCIENCE – PHYSICS DEPT. |
| Resilience of the Chilean Communist Party 1990 to 2020: Comparison of ideological adaptations, electoral and organizational changes with the communist parties of Italy, Spain and France. | Raúl Elgueta Rosas | ADVANCED STUDIES INSTITUTE |
| Distributed Secondary Control Strategies for Massive Integration of Hybrid AC/DC-Microgrids into Distribution Systems | Enrique Antonio Espina González | FACULTY OF ENGINEERING – ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING DEPT. |
| Digital speech and language markers of extrasylvian dysfunction in neurodegeneration | Adolfo Martín García | FACULTY OF HUMANITIES - LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE DEPT. |
| Bigels: a novel strategy for the co-delivery of hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds in the development of healthier meat products | Begoña Giménez Castillo | FACULTY OF TECNOLOGY - FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPT. |
| Special values of automorphic functions on hyperbolic spaces | Sebastián Daniel Herrero Miranda | FACULTY OF SCIENCE - MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES DEPT. |
| Autonomy and heteronomy in the microcosm of digital native media (MND). A field study based on habitus, new dispositions, capitals and positions that favor new business models in Chile. | René Eduardo Jara Reyes | FACULTY OF HUMANITIES - SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM |
| Artisans in early colonial Chile (1550-1650) | Pablo Lacoste Gargantini | ADVANCED STUDIES INSTITUTE |
| Unraveling genetic factors in alcohol yeast efficiency through multi-omics analysis | Claudio Martínez Fernández | VICE RECTOR’S OFFICE OF RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND CREATION - CENTER FOR FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STUDIES |
| Synthesis of organic and organometallics pyrazoles and pyrazolines derivatives as a promissory strategy for developing potent dual 5-LOX/COX2 inhibitors: Biological assays and in-silico studies. | Carolina Lorena Mascayano Collado | FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY - ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES DEPT. |
| Cosmic Ballet - The Interplay of Heating, Cooling, and Metals at the Cores of Galaxy Clusters and Groups | Valeria Valeska Olivares Sepúlveda | FACULTY OF SCIENCE – PHYSICS DEPT. |
| "Anaerobic co-fermentation of swine manure and seaweed for bioH2, volatile fatty acids (VFA) and bioCH4 production with downstream nitrogen recovery using seaweed modified biochar for a circular bioeconomy perspective". | Jhosané Pagés Díaz | FACULTY OF ENGINEERING - CHEMISTRY AND BIOPROCESSES DEPT. |
| Development of a novel risk-based framework for the performance assessment and design of mass timber buildings exposed to fire hazards | Juan Carlos Pina | FACULTY OF ENGINEERING - CIVIL WORKS DEPT. |
| Spintronic Devices for Boosting Energy Conversion Reactions | Ingrid Oriana Ponce Hormazábal | FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY - ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES DEPT. |
| One-step solvent extraction-electrodeposition using ionic liquids for the recovery of critical elements from spent Lithium-ion batteries | Esteban de la Cruz Quijada Maldonado | FACULTY OF ENGINEERING - CHEMISTRY AND BIOPROCESSES DEPT. |
| Effect of salinity and seasonality on the health status and mucosal immunity performance of Atlantic salmon skin and its association with the Caligus rogercresseyi infestation in marine farms at the Aysén Region (SALTsea-lice). | Felipe Esteban Reyes López | FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY - CENTER FOR AQUACULTURE BIOTECHNOLOGY |
| Investigating the seismic performance of high-rise mass timber-concrete buildings and hybrid systems by multi-scale simulations and shake table experimental testing | Erick Isaac Saavedra Flores | FACULTY OF ENGINEERING - CIVIL WORKS DEPT. |
| INSILE. Displacement, disappearance, affectivity and valuations. | José Guillermo Santos Herceg | ADVANCED STUDIES INSTITUTE |
| Turbulence and total pressure balance in the interconnected dynamic magnetosphere | Marina | FACULTY OF SCIENCE – PHYSICS DEPT. |
| Biosorbent-based microextraction materials for determination of organochlorine compounds in natural water samples | Carla Toledo Neira | FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY – MATERIAL CHEMISTRY DEPT. |
| Harnessing Renewable Energy Surplus: Heat Pump-Assisted Thermal Storage with Nano-Enhanced Phase Change Materials | Diego Andrés Vasco Calle | FACULTY OF ENGINEERING – MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPT. |
| The knapsack problem with scheduled items: Complexity, Resolution Methods, Extensions and Applications. | Óscar C. Vásquez Pérez | FACULTY OF ENGINEERING – INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING DEPT. |
| Optimization of the biological synthesis of epilactose and its purification. | Carlos Felipe Vera Vera | FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY - BIOLOGY DEPT. |