The National Agency for Research and Development (ANID) announced the results of the Fondef IDeA 2026 Technological Research Competition (Fondef IT), a call for proposals in which the University of Santiago de Chile was awarded two R&D projects from the Faculty of Engineering.
Everyday life is full of processes that happen simultaneously, often unnoticed. A cup of coffee slowly cools down, a car gradually accelerates, and the room dims as evening falls. This fluid evolution of physical reality is what we call the continuous world.
Today, however, more processes rely on digital systems that gather data and make decisions at specific intervals. Take modern vehicles: onboard sensors constantly evaluate metrics like speed and distance to determine precisely when to accelerate, brake, or adjust course.
Today, physical processes and digital technologies are deeply interconnected. Every day, we rely on cyber-physical systems—from smart consumer electronics and communication networks to automated industrial operations. However, bridging the gap between continuous real-world processes and digital control systems remains a major challenge, particularly when it comes to performance, efficiency, and security.
One hundred and thirty thousand years ago, Earth entered a warming transition period, from an ice age to the beginning of the Eemian Interglacial Period. While Neanderthals were recolonizing northern Europe and Homo sapiens were exploring routes beyond the African continent, the planet was home to an impressive megafauna, including mammoths, mastodons, and saber-toothed tigers, during a period when global temperatures were higher than they are today and sea levels were several meters higher than they are now.
The National Agency for Research and Development (ANID) announced the results of the Fondef IDeA R&D 2026 competition, which received a total of 871 applications and awarded funding to 102 projects, representing 11.71% of the initiatives submitted.
The presentation of the scope and expected results marked the launch event for the Fondef project “Scaling Up the Dynamic Vibration Absorber System Applied to the Mitigation of Noise Induced by Railroad Tracks,” which is being developed by the University of Santiago de Chile (Usach).
With their project “Resilient Water Smart Group,” students Catalina Orellana and Alejandro Daza from the Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering emerged as winners of the 2025 edition of AQUA 365. Their innovative proposal exceeded the jury’s expectations, supported by a compelling pitch developed with the guidance and mentorship of the FING Innovation Center team.
The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Santiago de Chile (USACH) excelled in early-stage research, securing 10 Fondecyt Iniciación 2026 grants. This achievement surpasses last year's results and underscores FING's dedication to innovation, technological development, and nurturing young talent in Chilean engineering.
USACH earned a total of 19 Fondecyt projects in this year's call, with more than half, 10, from the Faculty of Engineering. This highlights FING's leadership in supporting emerging researchers tackling national challenges.
Driven by the concerning number of marine species illegally discarded at sea, Dr. Chang’s proposal seeks to develop an Artificial Intelligence solution to tackle pressing challenges such as overfishing, pollution, and climate change.
The L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award highlights the scientific and technological contributions of women globally. Historically, the award has recognized three Chilean women: Gloria Montenegro (1998), Ligia Gargallo (2007), and María Teresa Ruiz (2017).
One of the candidates for the 2026 award is Dr. Andrea Mahn Osses, an academic in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Bioprocesses and Vice-Dean of R&D and Postgraduate Studies at the Faculty of Engineering, whose solid track record in research has led to her nomination in the Health Biotech category.