Annual Report 2022

The Foundation and the Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom (SRUK/CERU) grant this award to recognise and publicise the accomplishments of young Spanish researchers working in the United Kingdom.

The winner receives a commemorative sculpture by the artist Cristina Iglesias and a cash prize to finance any aspect that promotes their scientific work: purchase of equipment, publication of results, specialist training, work-life balance, etc.

In the seventh edition the award was granted to Dr. Nuria Tapia Ruiz for her achievements in the field of fundamental materials chemistry. Her principal contribution consists in the creation of lithium and sodium ion batteries that are longer-lasting, cheaper and safer than the current models.

The prize giving ceremony for the 2022 and 2020 editions (the latter was cancelled due to the health emergency) took place on 14 November at the Spanish Embassy in London. The chemical engineer Susana García López won the 2020 edition for her research into mechanisms to capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial activity.

Fundación Banco Santander launched this grant programme in 2012 to enable scientists of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) to undertake this business course at the IE University.

The candidates are selected for the impact of their work on cancer and the practical applications of their findings on healthcare.

The programme comprises eight modules: strategy, economic context, finance, marketing and sales, human resources, operations, legal aspects and entrepreneurship. The format is a mixture of in-person and online sessions to make it easier for participants to reconcile their training with their professional activity. The final test consists of the presentation of a business plan, prepared by the group, to a jury of business management and marketing experts.

Fundación Renal Íñigo Álvarez de Toledo is a non-profit foundation that provides holistic assistance to persons with kidney disease. It also has dialysis centres, promotes research into kidney disease and organises an international cooperation programme.

Thanks to sponsorship from Fundación Banco Santander, it has developed Nefrodiet, an application for mobile devices that helps patients follow a diet designed to slow the advance of chronic kidney disease. In 2022 a simpler and more intuitive version of the app was launched and information on the composition of different foods was updated in line with the latest scientific data.

Endorsed by the Spanish Society of Nephrology and the Spanish Society of Nephrological Nursing, Nefrodiet has been included since its launch in the annual report of Fundación iSYS (an organisation that evaluates digital health projects) as one of the best Spanish health apps.