Leonardo grants are given to support researchers and promote their careers. These grants are intended for 30 to 45 years old researchers to promote innovative and personal projects that address current scientific and humanistic challenges of our society.

BBVA Foundation has awarded 64 grants in Spain. There were 1,500 applications to the grant. 6 grants have been awarded in the Valencian Community, 4 of which have been given to researchers of the Universitat de València in the fields of Biology, Environmental Sciences, Basic Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Pau Carazo Ferrandis (Valencia, 1979) is a biologist and a Ramón y Cajal researcher of the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (ICBIBE) of the Universitat de València. He has written more than 30 articles in scientific magazines such as Nature, Ecology Letters and PNAS. He will try to prove that global warning can regulate sexual selection evolution and has an unsuspected impact in the extinction of certain animals.

Jesús Ferrando Soria (Catadau, Valencia, 1984) is a chemist and researcher of the Institute for Molecular Science (ICMol) of the Universitat de València. He is co-author of 63 publications in international scientific magazines and owes a patent. He analyses Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs). They are porous compounds that have interesting structures and magnetic properties. They can be applied in several fields such as catalysis and pharmacology.

Aleix Eixea Vilanova (Vila-real, Castelló, 1985) is an historian and post-doctoral researcher of the Valencian Government. He belongs to the Department of Prehistory, Archaeology and Ancient History of the Universitat de València. He will study the territorial mobility patterns of Homo Neanderthal and Sapiens in the Iberian Peninsula during the Palaeolithic by means of the analysis of flint raw materials.

Ángel Romero Martínez (Burjassot, Valencia, 1987) is a psychologist, doctor in Neurosciences and fellow professor of the Department of Psychobiology of the Universitat de València. He studies violence towards women in couple's relationships.  The grant will study brain connectivity, the cognitive profile and emotional behaviour of abusers. The results will determine effective rehabilitation programmes and reduce the number of victims.

Leonardo grants are available in 11 scientific fields: Biology, Environmental and Earth Sciences; Biomedicine, ICT, Engineering and architecture, Economy and Social sciences, Communication and Information Sciences, Humanities, Arts, Music, Literature and Theatre.

Apart from the UV researchers, Alejandra Sanjuán (La Fe Institute for Health Research), Maria Morant (UPV) and the free-lance architect Ángela López have received the grant in the Valencian Community.