For the first phase of the strategic program MaX-CSIC, the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology I2SysBio (joint centre UV-CSIC) presented its self-assessment which was reviewed by two evaluators. In this first phase, the CSIC recognizes the effort towards excellence made by its research centres and has been passed by a total of 40 institutes. The distinction entails the award of 20,000 euros for the development of a scientific project proposal and a plan of excellence.

The MaX-CSIC Project is an initiative to promote scientific excellence within the institution. To this end, a general self-assessment framework, accessible and easy to use by all the institutes, was implemented. In 2023, the first ASPIRA-MaX CSIC excellence awards were presented to several centres that successfully participated in the pilot experience of the project: The Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), the Leonardo Torres Quevedo Institute of Physical and Information Technologies (ITEFI-CSIC), the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME-CSIC), the Milà i Fontanals Institution for Research in the Humanities (IMF-CSIC) and the Institute of Public Policy and Public Goods (IPP-CSIC).

A team of experts analysed the leading research centres within the CSIC to determine their defining characteristics. This has served to design a program that can be exported to other research centres to enable them to advance towards scientific excellence. The program includes, among other proposals, the granting of financial aid so that research centres can develop their own action plan. To this end, an itinerary is established that involves the allocation of resources and accreditations of excellence.

Thus, the scientific project and the excellence plan elaborated in the first phase will be evaluated by internal and external committees. Passing the second phase will lead to the award of up to €300,000 for the implementation and development of the excellence plan. They will also receive the ASPIRA-MaX Sagrario Martínez-Carrera seal of excellence. The third and last phase will consist of the ex-post evaluation so that the centres that obtain a positive evaluation will receive the ASPIRA-MaX Margarita Comas Seal of Excellence, the highest recognition for the effort towards scientific excellence granted by the CSIC presidency.

Each seal bears the name of a researcher who has developed her career in one of the three scientific areas of the CSIC: Josefa Barba, a pharmacy graduate and doctor of science, developed a prolific career in the field of neuroscience and learning processes; Sagrario Martínez-Carrera, PhD in chemistry, worked in the Department of Crystallography of the now Blas Cabrera Institute of Physical Chemistry and is considered one of the exponents of Spanish science in the mid-20th century, and Margarita Comas, PhD in biology and writer, developed her scientific career in pedagogy, standing out for her work in the introduction of science didactics in Spain and the homologation of women and men in the academic space.