Introduction
The Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) is a public research university located in Madrid, and one of the oldest universities in the world (founded in 1499). It is located on a sprawling campus that occupies the entirety of the Ciudad Universitaria district of Madrid, with annexes in the district of Somosaguas in the neighbouring city of Pozuelo de Alarcón.
The UCM enrols over 70,000 students (10,2% international students), more than 6,900 faculty and over 3,400 administration and service staff. UCM consistently ranks as one of the top universities in Spain. According to the prestigious ranking QS, UCM was in 171st place worldwide in 2024, fith among the Spanish universities; it stands out for the employability of its graduates (second Spanish university) and for the quality of the academic training it offers (third place nationwide). ARWU (Shangai) ranks the UCM among the top 5 Spanish universities; standing out for the number of eminent alumni, and also for the number of scholarly articles published. Moreover, the ranking underlines the quality of its educational environment, and its research excellence, as well as its national and international prestige.
The UCM currently offers 73 degrees, 24 double degrees, 173 university master’s degrees, 55 doctoral programmes and 10 international degrees, in 26 Faculties and 139 Departments.
Research and Education
The UCM is a broad-scoped university in which almost every field of knowledge is envisaged. From the 2021 research annual report (the last consolidated figures), there has been a total income of 29M€ for research activities, of which 35% has been obtained through EU funded programmes. The research at UCM is developed through its 26 faculties, 9 associated centres, 28 university institutes and research centres, 6 schools for professional specialization, 14 university clinics and hospitals, and 10 research assistance centres and ICTS.
Both students and researchers benefit from an extensive collection of volumes in any of the 31 UCM libraries (more than 2,7 million of volumes), as well periodic publications exceeding 15.500 en 2021. The historic collection of UCM’s library reaches 194.000 volumes and there are substantial historic and artistic funds all over the 13 museums and the 16 art, entomological, palaeontological, etc. collections.
More detailed information on R&D and Higher Education activities of the UCM can be found on Facts and Figures.
UCM: Campus of International Excellence
UCM is located in the “Campus de Moncloa” at Ciudad Universitaria of Madrid. This location is a large space devoted to Science and Higher Education. With over 10,000 researchers and 10% of the national scientific production of Spain the “Campus de Moncloa”, which houses two universities and several research centres is a unique environment, fostering synergies in higher education, research, innovation and social and cultural projection.
This uniqueness has favoured the awarding of the “Campus of International Excellence” label to the institutions joining this “Campus de Moncloa”. The UCM through the Campus of International Excellence is committed to specialization in five thematic clusters to achieve scientific and teaching excellence: Global Change and New Energies, Materials for the Future, Agri-Food Industry and Health, Innovative Medicine and Heritage. The distinctive strengths of each cluster will converge to create unique configurations marked by their innovative and interdisciplinary character, highly competitive at the European level, and producing significant progress in knowledge transfer.
More information on the Moncloa Campus of Excellence can be found on http://www.campusmoncloa.es/
UCM: support to researchers in mobility programmes
As a Local Contact Point of the EURAXESS Service Network the UCM provides support to foreign researchers moving to the institution to develop R&D projects. Details on the support and the information provided through the EURAXESS Local Contact Point can be found here: EURAXESS Network Local Contact Point.
The UCM is committed to improving its Human Resources policies in line with the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (C&C), which was endorsed in December 2015. In May 2017, the UCM started its Gap Analysis and the development of its Action Plan to align its practices and policies to the principles of the Charter and Code. Finally, in March 2018, the UCM finished this first process and published the Action Plan (HRS4R, Excellence in Research). It was subsequently awarded the distinction “HR Excellence in Research” (known as HRS4R), awarded by the EC to selected institutions to help and support a stimulating and favourable environment for research. HRS4R culminates in the recognition of human resources excellence in research by the EC for institutions that have made progress in adapting their human resources policies to the principles set out in the C&C. The UCM has since continued the implementation of this action plan, moving forward with the scheduled tasks, and mantained the distinction after the interim evaluation in August 2020. UCM is currently undergoing reaccreditation; the information has been sent to the European Commission and is awaiting their visit.
All the aspects related to grant proposal preparation and the management of international Fellowships and Grants are dealt at the UCM by the European Office for R&D. This unit provides advice and support throughout the proposal preparation and the negotiation process of the Contracts and Agreements and the following management of the projects. A smooth financial management of the grants is guaranteed by the Economic Management Unit of the FGUCM which deals regularly with more than 100 active international grants.