The purpose of the group is to study the influence of digitalisation on citizens, actors, institutions and political processes. In this sense, it is proposed to analyse various phenomena such as:
- The impact of digitalisation on citizen participation and democratic quality.
- The transformations of digitalisation in the forms of organisation and functioning of political actors, particularly parties.
- The regulation of the digital performance of political actors.
- The different ideological conceptions linked to digitisation policies in different countries.
- Public Administrations as well as their policy impact.
- The impact of digitisation on public policy making and evaluation.
- The study of the changes in power relations in different institutions, groups and social movements brought about by digitalisation.
- Digitalisation and transformations in the functioning of political systems (representation, transparency, integrity, accountability).
Geostrategic issues and problems related to peace, security and defence policies are becoming even more relevant (and even urgent) today, given the new challenges and risks in these fields. For this reason, it can be said that this is one of the areas of greatest interest in terms of transferring the results of research activity in the social sciences. Universities and research centres cannot ignore this effort, both from the point of view of specialised postgraduate teaching (specialisation courses, Master's Degrees, PhDs) and research activity.
The Institute of Human Rights of the Universitat de València has set up the interdisciplinary team "Geostrategy for Peace, Security and Defence (GPS+D)", directed by Professor Consuelo Ramón Chornet and made up of professors of International Law, Political Science and International Relations. The aim of this group is to set up scientific, teaching and research activities aimed at developing knowledge in the field of geostrategy, security and the culture of defence and peace, based on the basic principle that lies at the origin of the Institute itself, namely, the development of the culture of human rights.
Likewise, the Group aims to contribute to the dissemination, diffusion and transfer of the results of its work, and contemplates the basic objective of specialised training typical of university institutes.
Naturally, the GPS+D maintains (and will try to develop) relations of exchange and collaboration with other groups and centres of higher research, both Spanish and foreign, and also with centres of similar characteristics in the Armed Forces and international organisations.
The research activity carried out by this group focuses on two essential and complementary aspects of legal activity. On the one hand, in the study of process as an instrument for obtaining effective judicial protection, when in the development of a legal relationship a conflict has arisen or a rule of a criminal nature has been violated, which compromises the essential values and principles of our society, producing in both cases an alteration of social peace and an affectation of legal security, which are essential for the progress of any nation. On the other hand, in the analysis of the complementary instruments to the jurisdiction capable of offering - or not - effective protection of the right and legitimate interests of individuals, when these are compromised in the different areas: civil, criminal, labour or administrative.
As a corollary, the research that this group is developing and will develop involves tackling Article 24 of our Constitution form an interdisciplinary, critical and broad position, which involves a review of constitutional jurisprudence in this respect and its extension to the international sphere, especially that of the EU. Thus, the members of this research group have been paying special attention to European and international law, through participation in various research projects, publications and courses on the procedural activity of international courts, the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments - or not - as well as international legal cooperation.
The research group “ReDePol” (acronym for “Religion, Law and Politics”) was created as a channel for the dissemination and intercommunication of all research and transfer activities related to the study of the legal regime of the religious factor - understood as an integral element of culture and collective identity - and its political and social consequences.
Despite the traditional difficulties in defining what is religious, it is undeniable that what is religious refers to man’s relationship with transcendence, a relationship that initially involves an act of rational and free acceptance by man, which is the act of faith. Thus the act of faith is the first and fundamental characteristic of the religious fact in today’s societies. Alongside this, religion has other essential components: doctrinal (beliefs), cultural (rituals) and moral (ethical behaviour). If we add to this the fact that the externalisation of human acts is an anthropological necessity, religion acquires a social dimension because it originates precisely in a human act (the act of faith). In other words, man has always proceeded in association for the expression and exercise of his religious feelings. Consequently, the religious phenomenon, which has its origin in an internal act, acquires a social or community dimension, which as such a society needs a juridical order to structure it [Ubi societas, ibi ius]. The juridical relevance of the religious fact is inscribed in its social significance. Religion operates in civil society, relates to other non-religious citizens, is subject to civil authorities... Consequently, the religious phenomenon is of public relevance for state law both in terms of foreseeing the civil consequences of religious behaviour, its relations with other members of the political community outside one’s own religion, or the subjection of confessions or groups of believers to state rules. This legal system is the object of study of the science of State Ecclesiastical Law. However, the religious phenomenon is not exhausted in its legal treatment, but must also be covered by the study of other social and human disciplines (psychology, anthropology, politics, philosophy, education, etc.).
For this reason, this group was created with the aim of incorporating specialists from these disciplines, in order to complete a vision of the religious phenomenon from a global perspective.
The scientific debate on the legitimacy and limits of the criminal law of dangerousness has not ceased to grow in our country in recent years. And in this respect, the notable prominence that this model of approaching the fight against crime is acquiring in the framework of comparative law is undoubtedly a determining factor. Spanish criminal law is by no means alien to this trend, and a good example of this are some of the new features included in the LO 1/2015, reforming the Código Penal:
- The scope of application of probation is extended.
- Relevant aspects such as the review regime of the new revisable permanent prison sentence are made dependent on parameters of dangerousness.
- The possibility of registering genetic profiles of persons convicted of serious crimes in the police DNA database is introduced as an accessory penalty, as long as it can be concluded that there is a serious risk of reoffending.
- The regime of suspension of the execution of the custodial sentence is revised, expressly conditioning the imposition of numerous rules of conduct to criteria of the dangerousness of the offender.
- Finally, some types of offences have been reformulated and others newly created have been incorporated - including offences that elevate mere preparatory acts to the category of a criminal offence - in which it is possible to detect a clear influence of the characteristics of the criminal law of dangerousness and so-called Preventive Justice. Along the same lines, Real Decreto (Royal Decree) 1110/2015 creates the Central Register of Sex Offenders.
The aim of the research group on the Criminal Law of Dangerousness is to study this growing political-legislative trend centred on the idea of public safety and the objective of combating the criminal dangerousness of offenders to the utmost with a predominance of innocuous mechanisms. To this end, we analyse, from a general perspective, the basis of this model and highlight its limits from the point of view of the guarantee principles that should govern the fight against crime in a State governed by the rule of law; and in turn, and on the basis of the above, we examine the various aspects and institutions of positive law already referred to that constitute manifestations of this criminal law paradigm.
The research initially focuses on the projection of this legislative trend in the framework of crimes against sexual freedom and gender violence, although it is subsequently extended to other areas of crime, such as crimes of terrorism or public disorder, which are also clearly affected by the criminal law model of dangerousness.
All of this is approached from a dogmatic and political-criminal perspective and without losing sight of the reference to comparative law, and specifically the Anglo-American, German and Italian criminal legal systems.
DATS is a Research Group attached to the University Research Institute on Traffic and Road Safety (INTRAS). The research group was created in 1995 and is formed by professors and researchers of renowned prestige.
The aim of the DATS Group is focused on Consulting, Research, Development, Innovation, Training and Dissemination Projects in the fields of Transport, Traffic, Mobility and Road Safety.
It develops its projects both for administrations and institutions as well as for companies, whether public or private, national or international, in order to respond to the needs of its clients, as well as in general to solve the social problems represented by traffic accidents, poverty and environmental degradation across the world, with special attention to developing countries.
Therefore, one of the main activities is the accompaniment in the diagnosis of problems and detection of opportunities, as well as the definition of solutions and strategies to guide decision-making.
The work of the DATS Group has contributed to increase knowledge in the field. In this sense, the group has made an effort to disseminate findings through books, articles in scientific journals and/or scientific and outreaching conferences. Likewise, the group has actively participated in and with mass media with the aim of communicating and raising public awareness.
Consequently, the following services are included in its Service Charter:
- Preparation/Drafting of Strategic Plans for Transport, Logistics, Sustainable Mobility, Local and Urban Planning, Road and Workplace Safety (in-itinere and in-mission accidents).
- Definition, development and implementation of interventions, measures and counter-measures in the fields of Transport, Mobility and Road Safety.
- Legislative, Regulatory and Normative development.
- Deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
- Assessment and recruitment, especially of drivers, both positive and negative, including the development of instruments to achieve these goals.
- Design and teaching of training and education programmes, as well as the necessary teaching tools and resources (including those based on technologies such as Virtual Reality, especially simulators, and Augmented Reality). It is aimed at scholars, professionals, technicians and users/citizens in general.
- Creation of communication and advertising campaigns, including Corporate Social Marketing campaigns.
- Evaluation of Plans, Programmes and interventions, including those related to legislative, regulatory and normative development (Legislative Assessment).
Multidisciplinary analysis of the impact of digital disconnection within the framework of labour relations. The technological transformations that the current labour market is undergoing are causing significant changes in the sphere of workers and in business management. Without a doubt, this is a challenge for the agents involved in the workplace (workers, employers, Governments, trade unions and business associations) to strengthen the protective spirit of labour regulations and guarantee basic labour rights such as rest, health and safety at work, privacy, work-life balance, secrecy of communications and data protection. In this sense, the research group analyses the worker’s right to digital disconnection, as well as its possible impact on people management and business competitiveness. All this always pointing out that it is a labour right whose effectiveness ultimately comes both from a mechanism to enhance the freedom and self-determination of the worker’s plan, as well as a guarantee of effective, free and equal business competition within the framework of a social market economy. In this context, the research group clarifies a basic and fundamental labour right today, but with many edges that need to be polished. To this end, in line with its multidisciplinary nature, it deals with the legal assets protected in labour law: to a greater or lesser extent and directly or indirectly, health (art. 15 EC); freedom (art. 1.1 EC) - including freedom of enterprise and productivity (art. 38 EC) -; dignity and free development of personality (art. 10 EC); equality (arts. 1.1; and 9.2 EC); confidentiality and privacy (art. 18.1, 3 and 4 EC); honour (art. 18.1 and 4 EC); and family (39.1 EC). Succinctly, the group intends to deal with the exercise of the right, its legal-practical implications in labour relations (with special emphasis on telework), its current state in the world (with international studies of the law in other countries), its relationship with the prevention of occupational risks (computer fatigue and hyperconnectivity), as well as with gender perspective, diversity, confidentiality and privacy, work-life balance, video-surveillance and corporate control (the need for all kinds of digital software means that the control of workers is growing considerably) and the technological side of it, among other aspects: the BYOD ("bring your own device") study, internal protocols on the use of digital devices and work time management software available to private and public companies.
The aim of the research group is to analyse the economic and social behaviour of economic and social agents, from an interdisciplinary perspective based on methodologies of economic analysis, game theory, quantitative, experimental and computational methods.
Main research lines:
- Symbiosis evolution: The Symbiosis is an important factor for the promotion of evolutionary novelties. Studying it requires a joint analysis of the eukaryote host and its closely associated microorganisms by employing genomics and metagenomics. Moreover, the symbiosis of insects and humans is studied in a fundamental manner.
- Synthetic biology. The study of genomes of a microorganism variety offers clues for the comprehension and synthesis of minimal cells with applications in biomedicine, bioremediation and biotechnology.
- Genetic study of aphids: Taxonomy and reproductive polyphenism. Identification of genes and regulating channels for aphid reproduction (parthenogenesis vs sexuality).
The research team's main objective is to develop research and training activities aimed at understanding and improving the educational reality of families and children. In addition to this, the specific objectives of our team are aimed at:
- To understand children's needs and perceptions, especially with regard to their rights to protection and participation, and to put forward proposals for improvement in this respect.
- To analyse the main problems and difficulties faced by families and their members, and to develop proposals for improvement.
- To deepen the tools and specific work strategies in the field of family and childhood. Collaborate with various agencies involved in families and children's lives (schools, social services, primary care centres, specialised services, third sector entities, etc.). To develop research and collaboration projects and agreements with different institutions.
- To propose training proposals in relation to families and children aimed at graduates of the different UV degrees and professionals.
- To disseminate the findings of our research team to the scientific community and society as a whole.
All the members of the team are professors at the Universitat de València as well as specialised professionals working in the field of family and children. The team director, as well as other professors, focuses her teaching and research activity mainly in the field of families and children, with theses directed on this subject, research projects and publications in journals and collective works. Among the projects it has directed the research; Design of an instrument to analyse the relationship between filio-parental violence and family structure and educational style; and participated, among others, in the research; Validation of an instrument for the evaluation of family educational styles and establishment of guidelines for the design of intervention programmes with families; (Universitat de València) and; Family practices and co-responsibility: Analysis of values and proposal of educational strategies for the conciliation of personal, social and working life; (Universidad de Barcelona). Among its latest publications we highlight; Families and minors: challenges and pedagogical proposals.
Likewise, it is responsible for and participates in different specialised training initiatives aimed at both graduates and professionals in this field (Postgraduate course "Specialised intervention with families and children: procedures and techniques for action"; training and research programmes in family intervention aimed at professionals from the specialised family and child services (SEAFIs) of the Valencian Community; national and international congresses -ERNAPE and AIFREF-; conferences; courses, etc.).
Deteriorating environmental conditions, mainly caused by human activities, are a major health risk. Pollution, environmental degradation, deforestation and biodiversity loss are not only affecting ecosystems and climate, but also have serious consequences on the production of safe and quality food and on the population.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the safety of the food we consume and the environment where we live in has become a top priority for consumers and public authorities alike. The Research Group on Food and Environmental Safety (SAMA-UV) is dedicated to research in environmental and food sciences and provides state-of-the-art technology and analytical services for the determination of contaminants and natural compounds, focusing its activities in the areas of environmental health, food quality and safety as well as risk assessment and human exposure studies. The pollutants with which the research group works and for which it has advanced analytical methodology include both regulated and emerging pollutants and their degradation products (ex. pesticides, drugs of abuse, human and veterinarian medicines, perfluorinated compounds, flame retardants, etc…).
The results of this activity has enabled the research group to interact and collaborate with other national and European teams researching similar topics through the attendance and paper presentation at numerous international meetings and conferences and articles in scientific journals. As a whole, the research activity carried out has generated 15 book chapters and more than 180 publications in international CSI journals with a high impact rate such as Analytical Chemistry, TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, Journal of Chromatography, Analytica Chimica Acta, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, Food Chemistry, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, etc.
The group’s research is mainly funded through research projects within the framework of grants for R&D projects at both regional and national level, and also within the framework of various integrated actions with the cooperation of other research groups in the European Union. The group also has collaborations and agreements with companies in the food and environmental sector.
This group, which is now applying for access to the register of research groups, has been developing for decades, based on the pioneering studies and research in the field carried out by Professor Jesús Ballesteros, several lines of research, prolonged and updated over time, on various facets of human rights, In recent years, these have focused specifically on issues related to international justice, with special attention to the challenges of peace and sustainable development, the most recent results of which are the following funded research projects, in addition to a significant number of publications and monographs in prestigious publishers and scientific journals:
- Prometeo Phase II project. Reference: PROMETEO II/2014/080. (From 1-1-2014 to 31-12-2017) The role of law in the fight against poverty and social exclusion. Grants for research groups of excellence.
- Global Justice Programme (Diké). Grants to research groups for the constitution and accreditation of ISIC (Higher Institutes for Cooperative Research) networks of excellence. Reference: ISIC/2012/017 (From 1-1-2012 to 31-12-2015).
- PROMETEO Programme for research groups of excellence. Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian Government). From 1-I-2010 to 31-XII-2013. Human rights, sustainability and peace. Main researcher: Jesús Ballesteros.
- The MEC R+D+I Research Project, directed by Dr. J. Ballesteros: Globalisation and International Justice: human security, peace and sustainable development (SEJ-2007-67270/JURI).
- The Generalitat's R+D+I project (2007-2008) directed by Dr. Encarnación Fernández: States in crisis and international justice (GV/2007/061).
- The R&D&I project funded by the Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian Government), directed by Dr. Pilar González Altable: The theory of democracy in the face of contemporary challenges; civic competence and globalisation (GV00-158-08).
This research group also constitutes the core of professors responsible for a doctoral programme that has a long history dating back to 1989 with the doctoral programme entitled "Derechos humanos, ética y democracia" (Spanish for Human Rights, Ethics and Democracy). This programme was followed by "Human Rights and Current Problems" (an international programme in collaboration with the University of Palermo and with a mention of quality); at present, Professor Ballesteros himself directs the PhD programme entitled "Sostenibilidad y Paz en la era posglobal" (Spanish for Sustainability and Peace in the post-global era).
The formal constitution of this group responds to an increasing demand for specialised studies and work, with a practical orientation, in the field of human rights, peace and sustainable development, which contribute new lines of action and suggest effective mechanisms for the protection and guarantee of rights in different fields in the face of the new challenges facing society.
There is a broad social awareness of the need to deepen the idea of the indivisibility and interdependence of human rights, as a response to the terrible scourges (wars, underdevelopment and the indiscriminate and savage exploitation of natural resources) that plague humanity. Society demands to assume the perspective that gives primacy to the full realisation and fulfilment of all rights for all human beings (not only those of the first world) and to put the emphasis not only on economic growth but on a truly human and sustainable development (centred on the satisfaction of people's basic needs). From this perspective, it is possible to contribute to peace-building at the local level (countries devastated by conflicts of all kinds) and at the global level. In other words: peace, development and the realisation of rights can only be achieved together.
The LISITT group was set up in 1989 with the aim of filling the existing gap in Spain in the area of telematics applications in the field of traffic and transport. Its initial activities were focused on the execution of international research and development projects within the European ESPRIT and DRIVE programmes of the 2nd Framework Programme of the European Union.
Since its origins, LISITT has specialised in the study and development of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), covering technological, organisational and strategic aspects. LISITT has been carrying out projects for more than 20 years for national traffic and transport administrations, including the Directorate General of Traffic, the Ministry of Public Works and its regional counterparts in the Basque and Catalan Governments. LISITT is currently a multidisciplinary group (Physics, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Mathematics, Geography) that brings together more than 60 professionals, all of them university graduates, including civil servants, contracted teachers and its own research staff, and has established itself as a reference group in consultancy on telematics applied to transport, in the development of ITS systems, and strategic consultancy on management issues and the development of traffic systems.
The work carried out since its origins has consolidated LISITT as a Spanish reference group in consultancy on telematics applied to transport, in the development of ITS systems, and strategic consultancy on management, development and maintenance of traffic systems for administrations, as reflected by the fact that LISITT has been participating for more than 10 years as expert advisors representing the Directorate-General for Traffic in different national and international standardisation committees and in European working groups on ITS systems, including the World Committee for Standardisation in ITS systems ISO/TC204, the European Committee for Standardisation of ITS systems CEN/TC278 and the Spanish Committee for Telematics applied to transport and road traffic AEN/CTN 159. The role played by LISITT in the creation, assistance and monitoring of the Euro-regional SERTI project (1995 - 2006), the Euro-regional ARTS project (1997 - 2006) and the European EasyWay project (2007-2013) should also be highlighted.
Apart from these consultancy activities in the standardisation groups in the field of ITS systems, LISITT's most important projects are grouped around the following topics:
- Consultancy to traffic administrations on coordination and organisation of international traffic control and management projects.
- Technical assistance to public administrations in traffic management and information systems.
- Study, development and maintenance of traffic information systems for public traffic administrations.
- Coordination and execution of R&D&I projects, both from the European Union and national calls for proposals.
- Analysis, design, construction and development of information systems for private companies.
- Computer security, data protection and privacy.
Criminal law has a two-faced character: on the one hand, it prevents the commission of crimes and thus protects the rights of all citizens, and on the other hand, it guarantees that the state's power to punish is exercised in accordance with a series of guarantees, which is why it especially protects the fundamental rights of the accused and convicted. It is from this tension between prevention and guarantees that dogmatics has traditionally studied the foundations and limits of the legal system. To this end, the central position of constitutional principles and the protection of fundamental rights has served to defend a political-criminal discourse in which respect for the general principle of freedom can legitimise the state's ius puniendi. However, the analysis of contemporary criminal law shows a marked tendency towards an increase in punitive rigour and towards the consideration of criminal dangerousness as a basis for criminal sanctions. This trend can be easily observed in the legislative reforms of the Spanish Criminal Code since its approval in 1995, being of particular importance the Organic Law 1/2015 on the reform of the Criminal Code, which introduces institutions of dubious constitutionality such as permanent revisable prison, as well as the expansion of security measures such as probation. In both cases, it is prognoses of criminal dangerousness that are the basis for the execution of sanctions.
The research group on "Crime Prevention and protection of civil liberties" aims to study this evolution, starting from respect for constitutional principles and the protection of fundamental rights as a methodological framework for research, in order to critically assess the inadequacies of these new political-criminal trends, using the training in Criminology of most of the members of the group to establish relations between Criminology and Criminal Law. The interdisciplinary nature of the research group will make it possible to study responses that can adapt the guarantee-based discourse to the implementation of effective preventive techniques in the face of the new political-criminal challenges of social change, as well as assessing the suitability of new forms of conflict resolution, such as restorative justice, to the criminal justice system, such as criminal mediation. Likewise, specific criminological phenomena will be studied, such as the prevention and treatment of sexual crime, as well as cybercrime cases where the criminal act presents a correlation with the advances derived from information technology.
In any case, the activity of the research group will seek to offer a perspective that integrates comparative criminal law, as well as international regulations, in order to reinforce the resulting lege lata and lege ferenda proposals.
The research activity to be carried out by the "New Conflicts and Process" Research Group focuses on the study of the constant adaptation of procedural rules to the new conflicts generated in society, both by the economic crisis - which requires an interpretation of the legal system in accordance with the context in which it is applied - and by the growing evolution of legal relations through the information society, and, in general, by the massification of litigation.
The procedural instrument must be adequate to enable both individuals who bring cases before the courts and the courts to obtain and grant, respectively, judicial protection of rights and legitimate interests. The lack of adaptation of procedural rules to the new conflicts generated by today's society can be an obstacle to obtaining effective judicial protection (art. 24 EC), one of the fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution. In civil proceedings, for example, there is an increasing tendency to socialise them, moving from individual proceedings between two opposing parties to proceedings for the defence of collective interests of general scope, the defence of which cannot, for practical reasons, be the responsibility of individual parties. As far as criminal proceedings are concerned, the planned reform of these requires the incorporation of the doctrine developed by the TC - and which has been the subject of detailed study by this research group.
This research group already has a long track record, backed up by nationally and internationally subsidised research projects, which have analysed issues such as techniques to improve the effectiveness of certain rights; the reform of civil procedure and its current application by legal professionals; the system of appeals before the high courts of justice, the reform of criminal procedure or the right to appeal in criminal procedure, the latter being the subject on which it is currently working.
The development of new complex chemical systems for industrial application, such as chemical sensors or new materials for controlled release, requires a multidisciplinary approach; including knowledge of fields such as analytical, organic and inorganic chemistry, electronics and engineering. The Research Group on Organic Materials for Detecting and Controlled Release, MODeLiC, of the Universitat de València, mainly works on two research lines:
1. Synthesis, characterisation and assessment of chemical sensors for the detection of all kinds of small species with environmental and biomedical applications. In this field, the group has been working in recent years on the design and assessment of sensors, mainly colorimetric and fluorometric, for the detection of chemical warfare agents (nerve gases). Over the last few years, work on sensors for this type of agents has aroused great interest in the international community as the existing methods are expensive and require specialised personnel, which makes their use complicated in situations of attack with this type of agents on civilians. The group’s second area of interest is the detection of pollutant gases. The area of application in this case is both industrial and in public environments. Within this section, the group is working on sensor preparation for nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulphide and other pollutant gases. It is noteworthy that some of these gases (nitric oxide, hydrogen sulphide) are species found in cells and are responsible for certain biological responses. For this reason, work is also being done on the assessment of the sensory response of prepared compounds in cells. More recently, work has been carried out on the preparation of colorimetric sensors for the detection of chemical submission drugs (particularly, GHB) in beverages. The prepared sensors are able to recognise the presence of the drug in all types of drinks. These sensors can be used “in situ” by anyone as they are easy to use, safe and selective.
2. Design and characterisation of materials for the controlled release of drugs, highlighting applications in the treatment of osteoporosis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s syndrome and the detection and treatment of solid tumours (hypoxic environments). One of the current challenges raised in drug development is to find new methods or delivery systems that represent more effective and safer alternatives than the pharmaceutical forms already available. Therefore, in many cases, it is advisable to look for alternative dosage forms that allow better access of the drug to its place of action. In order to improve the control of drug release, our group employs a new approach consisting of the preparation of “smart materials” that are regulated by external stimuli. The design of nano- or micromaterials functionalised with molecular gates is a very fertile and promising area of work that is taking traditional coordination chemistry and supramolecular chemistry to the boundaries of nanoscience, molecular biology and biochemistry. These systems are inspired by bio-channels and bio-gates and generally by biological processes that originate transformations triggered by specific chemical species. The study of this release model can be applied to a large number of pathologies, but our group is studying inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This disease includes two related pathologies, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Furthermore, the preparation of theranostic materials is a research field that is arousing more interest every day. These materials allow simultaneous detection of a pathology and its treatment. In this field, organic-inorganic hybrid materials have proven to be a very useful alternative for obtaining this type of compounds.
The concept of “language variation” is key for the study of the evolution of languages and of social, professional and educational communicative systems. Social, cultural, health, economic, technological and educational transformations are developed, conveyed and reflected through their linguistic and communicative manifestations. The aim of the group is to study the progress that current society is undergoing through the analysis of the essential linguistic variables that are involved and interact in human communication. These variables depend on the profiles of speakers (e.g. idiolectal, dialectal variation, according to gender, age, social status, level of education, etc.) and on the uses they make of language according to the interpersonal identities they adopt (i.e. register variation), the codes they use to communicate (i.e. variation of mode), the different textual platforms they use (i.e. variation of discursive genre) and the different persuasive strategies with which they convey their intention and image (i.e. stylistic variation). The analysis of these variables requires approaching the study of communication at different scales, from its macro and hyper discursive aspect (e.g. interrelation between the variables that interact in business or academic communication, or the complexity of multimodal communication of social media and digital platforms) and also of its micro discursive components (e.g. variation of phonetic, morphological, lexical and syntactic units). As highlighted by experts in language variation (Bayley, 2013; Chambers and Schilling, 2018), in order to address comprehensive and innovative studies in this field, it is necessary to keep up to date the methodology needed to define and classify the categories, criteria and parameters essential to understand and analyse these variables and their interrelation.
Some of these have been extensively studied (e.g. dialectal variation) and others are currently being studied (e.g. variation of discursive genre), but there are still many ambiguous and controversial aspects of other relevant variables, such as those involved in communicative register variation. This type of interpersonal and contextual variation covers the whole spectrum of human interaction, from that which takes place in the most sophisticated and conventional contexts to that which takes place in the most intimate and familiar settings. There are different degrees of dependence and interrelation between various registers in the same communicative act, which has posed a difficult challenge for experts, particularly when it comes to accessing real data and compiling large and representative corpora. Moreover, throughout history, its study has been approached from many different perspectives, including heterogeneous, ambiguous and confusing variables that have generated controversy within this field of research. This theoretical heterogeneity and methodological complexity have hindered the development of in-depth and wide-ranging studies on this language variety, which could effectively transfer their results to society and the labour market, offering practical methods and tools for understanding, learning and mastering it. There are other variables in a similar situation (e.g. idiolectal variation, stylistic variation, genolects, chronolects, etc.).
With the aim of contributing to the advancement of this field, the main objectives of the SILVAGroup are the following:
- To delve into the fundamental categories, criteria and parameters for the study and analysis of language variation, and the factors involved in its current behaviour in the English language and other majority languages, such as Spanish and German.
- To investigate language variation from a comprehensive pragmatic approach, highlighting its interpersonal and multimodal dimensions in its fluctuation throughout everyday communication from public to private settings.
- To work from emerging technologies, corpus linguistics and other multidisciplinary fields of human communication, contrasting advances and results between languages.
- To design methodologies for the study of language variation, useful in the search and detection of distinctive features that shed light on definition and typology of its parameters of analysis, and also practical for learning and mastering them, especially at a social and professional level.
- To participate in platforms and projects for the dissemination of research, especially in international conferences and impact publications, in order to encourage further study of RV and to publicise the results of the group’s activity.
- To constitute a national and international support platform for research in this field and for its dissemination.
The group’s research activity will be structured from the IULMA, based at the Universitat de València, to which most of the members of the group belong, and is made up of a multidisciplinary team of both young and experienced researchers from the UV, UPV and UA.
All the members of the group share the essential research lines for the study of RV: language variation, corpus linguistics and contrastive linguistics. The group also has experts in other relevant research lines. This multidisciplinary nature provides this team with the advantage of approaching language variation from different but complementary areas of knowledge and research lines, allowing an innovative depth and perspective and results that can really bring a significant advance in the field.
The Research group to which this application refers is called “Sustainable development, global and regional governance, contemporary international and European order and values.” This is a subject on which the applicant Research group has been working for several years with the support of various regional, national and international research grants and projects.
In the current phase of development of the Research group’s activities, the focus is broadening from the perspective of environmental protection to the wider aspects of sustainable development, which includes three pillars: economic, social and environmental. This is an essential concern of contemporary international and European communities, whose constitutional foundations for the coming years have been set out in the document entitled “The Future We Want”, adopted at the Rio + 20 Summit on Environment and Development, held on June 2012 under the auspices of the United Nations. The main elements of the Research group’s activity, as its name suggests, are four.
Firstly, contents related to the paradigm on sustainable development in its international and European dimension, including, among other issues: the legal nature of the concept of sustainable development, the content of the notion of sustainable development in its economic, social, cultural and environmental aspects, the basic characteristics of the criterion of sustainability, issues linked to disparities in the development of peoples, the concept of common but differentiated responsibilities, the notions of developed countries, developing countries and emerging countries, as well as intergenerational justice.
Secondly, it will examine all the issues linked to global governance in the field of sustainable development, paying particular attention to the evolution of the international institutional framework, both at global level (institutions of the United Nations Organisation system) and at a regional level (Latin America, Africa, Asia, Antarctica, Arctic), proposals and implementations in the economic, social and enviromental fields in order to achieve sustainable development. In this context, particular attention will be paid to developments within the European Union and the Council of Europe.
Thirdly, as the Research group is mainly composed of internationalists specialised in Law and International Relations, particular attention will be paid, among other issues, to the impact of the concept of sustainable development in the various sectors of International Law (International economic law, International human rights law, International environmental law, International labour law), conceptual and normative developments at international and European level, with particular attention to new legal instruments that have been recently adopted and those that will be adopted in the coming years. The results of the research will be issued in scientific publications, whether articles in national or international indexed journals, or monographs published by publishers of excellence.
Fourthly and finally, we will analyse the values that both the international community and the European Union consider necessary to govern their relations and therefore worthy of legal protection, both at international, European and national levels.
Continuing the tradition of the Research group, our activities will also include: participation in various research activities at transnational level, organisation of and participation in scientific conferences at international, European and national level, participation in the Meetings of the Parties on the International Conventions for the protection of the environment, contribution to the development of legal instruments in the status of international experts, membership in various bodies linked to the effective implementation of international and European standards in the field, etc.
Violence in intimate relationships, and in particular in parent-child and intimate partner relationships, is a huge social problem in our societies, with high costs at the individual, family and societal levels. Violence in intimate relationships affects large numbers of people throughout their life cycle, constitutes the majority of violence acts committed in our societies and remains a fundamental public health and human rights issue. Although significant progress has been made in recent decades in the recognition and understanding of this social problem, there are still many questions, challenges and controversies that arise for a better understanding and prevention of such a complex and multifaceted problem.
Research on the various types of violence in intimate relationships has traditionally been kept separate with little interconnection between the different lines of work. However, there is a growing recognition that different types of intimate partner violence share common ground, and that there may be an overlap in the processes, patterns, causes, risk factors and interventions in different types of intimate partner violence, and that an integrating and multifaceted approach to the study of this social problem is increasingly necessary. This research group proposes precisely an integrative approach to the violence investigation in intimate relationships. Through the combined efforts of a group of researchers from the Universitat de València with a solid and recognised career, and a group of national and international collaborators, an integrating strategy articulated around four lines of research is proposed.
Cotino (Director) has been the PI for three consecutive national projects on these issues, one focused on e-government (2005-2008), another on freedom and participation in the social web (2010-2012) and the current one on Open Government (2013-2015), a subject on which continuity is sought. The new R&D&I project of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness is pending resolution. It is entitled “The progress of Open Government. Constitutional legal regime of the implementation of transparency policies, access to information, open data, collaboration and participation, especially through ICTs and e-government” DER2015-65810-P (pending resolution). Cotino is also PI. The results are more than evident, both on the web and in hundreds of publications and papers. Besides some readjustments, this time the internationalisation is boosted by strengthening the foreign team. All the members of the team have worked and cooperated actively in recent years.
This UV group also includes two members who are not part of the Ministry’s project, two point researchers in Spain, Fernández Salmerón and Valero Torrijos, from Administrative Law.
The legal treatment of contents and freedoms on the Internet, liability of providers, hate speech, limits, censorship, etc. will continue to be addressed. On the other hand, given the relatively ethereal concept of open government and the predominance of other disciplines, a constitutional legal treatment is needed to legally decant, sediment and distil all these changes and advances that have just taken place in the last few years with respect to the contents of the concept of Open Government (transparency, participation, collaboration, open data, etc.) and its projection in the legal framework as well as the fundamental rights that are involved. Continuity is sought as we are at a crucial moment in the development of the Open Government. We are on the culmination of a process of fundamentalising the right to transparency and access to public information. This process has not been completed neither by the ECHR, nor the CJEU, nor, especially, by our Constitutional Court and Supreme Court. It is going to be especially important to analyse the interpretation by data protection authorities, transparency authorities, ombudsmen with jurisdiction over this area, and, of course, the ordinary and constitutional courts.
The aim is to analyse and monitor both the application of the transparency law and new administrative laws and reform of the law on re-use, the decree implementing the law on transparency, 2015, as well as the wave of regional laws in the 2013-2015 period in the autonomous community.
Beyond the mere normative analysis, it is a matter of taking into account the practical implementation and policies of open government policies, especially in Spain at the different town, region and state levels. It is a booming issue in 2015-16 in Spain. However, given the transnational nature of the phenomenon, it will also be monitored from a comparative and supranational European and Latin American perspective.
The aim is not only to analyse the constitutional legal development of open government, but also, as far as possible, to influence it on the different legal operators.
It has a solid experience in the dissemination of high quality legal content in classic formats (more than nine collective works and ten congresses), partly through www.derechotics.com or the Cyberlaw clinic and highly visible Twitter profiles of some of the members. In addition to generating and disseminating academic knowledge, it will be conducted an observatory of e-administration 2.0, an analysis of websites of Spanish and international reference; a document of practical legal recommendations and precautions.
The group's research activity focuses on the design of instrumentation and measurement for radiation detector systems. Specifically, the group applies research in two scientific-technical fields: experimental nuclear physics (AGATA, NEDA and TRACE experiments corresponding to European collaborations) and hospital medical physics (collaborations with the La Fe Hospital, Radiophysics Service, and companies in the sector, specifically in radiotherapy and dosimetry).
As regards experimental nuclear physics (the main activity of the group), the group has extensive experience in the design of electronic instrumentation for nuclear physics experiments (originally in experimental particle physics experiments at CERN, specifically in the DELPHI / LEP and ATLAS / LHC experiments) and participates continuously in the National Programme for Particle Physics and Accelerators.
In terms of activity in medical physics (most recent activity), the group is currently collaborating with the La Fe hospital centre (through the IRIMED IIS La Fe-UV Joint Research Unit), as well as with leading European companies in intraoperative radiotherapy and dosimetry. In parallel to these two research activities, the group has transferred technology to the Valencian productive sector, through collaborations with companies.
As a result of the research carried out within the group, some of its members are co-authors of more than 100 indexed articles, as well as co-authors of 2 working patents and have published several book chapters in major North American publishers.
