Usach was recently selected as one of the first beneficiaries of the Structural Research Fund for Universities (FIU), an initiative that seeks to strengthen the scientific and technological capabilities of higher education institutions in our country.
“As a country, we have been signaling for many years that increased investment in R&D is needed to boost development and competitiveness. We all agree on this assessment, regardless of the government in power, and yet we have not succeeded. Our view is that research must be an ongoing activity at universities, and therefore requires ongoing funding,” said the minister during her speech.
She added that this is precisely what the FIU aims to do, “to become the structure, the foundation on which many competitive projects are built in universities where research is carried out. If we succeed, we can dream of increasing investment in R&D to 1%. We did not invent this model; it has been used in countries around the world that have achieved a high level of investment in science and technology.”
“At this stage of the project, it is very important that universities dare to dream about what kind of institution they want to be and the role that science and technology should play in this dream.”
“I would like to congratulate the University of Santiago on this project and wish them the best of luck, because this initiative will allow them to rethink the university and its structures to continue helping our country develop in a sustainable way with a regional impact, hand in hand with science and technology,” he said.
The rector of the University of Santiago, Dr. Rodrigo Vidal Rojas, reaffirmed the university's commitment to research excellence, focused on the common good and sustainable development. “This project is an opportunity to expand our frontiers in science and technology. Usach has historically been an institution that transforms, and this fund will further enhance our public mission,” he said.
He emphasized that “the fundamental and most important aspect of this FIU project, beyond the amount, is that it establishes this financing as a structural fund for research and innovation in our country and will undoubtedly be the lasting legacy of the current administration of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation.”
Strengthening key areas
The project was presented in detail by the Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation, and Creation, Dr. Alberto Monsalve González. He explained that in this first stage, a baseline survey and an analysis of institutional gaps in R&D&I are being carried out. The objective is to design a strategic plan to strengthen key areas such as scientific infrastructure, human capital training, and the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment. “We seek not only to strengthen our internal capacities, but also to open up new possibilities for national and international collaboration and to bring knowledge from academia to society, where it is most needed,” he said.
The FIU-Usach Project is part of the Structural Research Fund for Universities, a public policy that seeks to provide sustained funding to higher education institutions to promote long-term scientific projects. With two modalities—FIU Territorial and FIU Frontera—the fund recognizes the accreditation level of each university to promote regional development or address challenges of national and international scope. In the case of Usach, the funding falls under the Frontera modality, aimed at strengthening cutting-edge research with global impact potential.
During the presentation, Vice-Rector Monsalve highlighted that the FIU will enable progress in strategic areas for the country such as energy, the environment, health, and digitization. Concrete actions to this end include the construction and improvement of laboratories, the acquisition of advanced scientific equipment, and the implementation of interdisciplinary training programs. This work structure will be implemented in two phases: an initial stage of diagnosis and strategic planning, and a second phase of execution, the award of which will be subject to the evaluation of the progress made during this first year.
The proposal presented by the Vice-Rector's Office for Research, Innovation, and Creation at Usach seeks to strengthen its R&D&I capabilities, addressing national challenges from a strategic, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary perspective, contributing to the economic, social, and cultural well-being of the country. The funding will be used to strengthen six priority areas: agriculture, aquaculture, and sustainable food; advanced industry and mining; information technology and artificial intelligence; energy and sustainable environment; health and biomedicine; and humanities, arts, and social sciences.
“What comes next is joint and collaborative work between the Usach research community and the management support teams, so that together we can present a project of excellence for the second stage, allowing the University to continue advancing in science, technology, and innovation with impact,” concluded the vice-rector.
Have a look at the audiovisual recording of this activity here.