It falls under the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the Secretary of State for Universities, Research, Development and Innovation. Its mission is bringing about scientific and technological progress. The Council collaborates with both other organizations both within and outside of Spain.
CSIC was created in 1939, the year the Spanish Civil War ended, as the idea of the then Minister of National Education José Ibáñez Martín and scientist José María Albareda Herrera. Martín was the first president and Albareda the first secretary general. Albareda had a doctorate degree in Pharmacy and Chemistry. He met Opus Dei founder Josemaría Escrivá in 1937 and asked to become a numerary. Escrivá helped Albareda also escape the Republican government over the course of the Civil War. After escaping to Burgos, Albareda began working with Ibáñez Martín on the structure of what would be the CSIC. Albareda was also the first rector of the University of Navarra.
The council encompasses 120 centers and institutes across the country and more than 10,000 staff members and generates approximately 20% of all scientific work in Spain.3 It includes more than 3200 scientists and 3800 pre- and post-doctoral researchers.4 It covers all fields of knowledge and is organized around three main areas known as: “Society, Life, Materia,” with four “connection axes” between them to address multi-disciplinary research. The Interdisciplinary Thematic Platforms (PTIs) are an initiative of the CSIC aimed at “the resolution of great global challenges.”
