Iberdrola reaffirms its commitment to talent and employability with a new edition of the "Energy 4 Future" scholarships
Iberdrola continues to develop its commitment to talent, excellence and employability by participating in a new edition of the "Energy 4 Future" scholarships, an action that is part of the company's social dividend.
"Energy 4 Future" (E4F) is an initiative that forms part of the Horizon 2020 MSCA-COFUND Programme and offers young researchers the opportunity to develop their projects in the field of clean energy in a network of universities and research centres of recognised international prestige located in Europe and the USA.
Thus, once again, Iberdrola Foundation Spain, in collaboration with the European Commission's Research Executive Agency (REA), is promoting this international post-doctoral research programme with joint funding of 4 million euros for 28 researchers. Last November, the meeting for the first call of the programme was held.
The grants cover five areas of study: photovoltaic energy, wind energy, storage, smart grids and electric vehicles. To facilitate geographical mobility and the transfer of knowledge between academia and industry, the programme includes host periods of 18 to 21 months at universities and research centres, as well as professional stays of 3 to 6 months at Iberdrola's headquarters in the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Spain. The registration period for these scholarships in their second call is from 1 February to 30 March 2023. The evaluation period runs from April to August, followed by the interview phase in September. In October, the beneficiaries of these 2-year fellowships will be notified, starting in January 2024. The research will be carried out at 15 European and American research centres and universities: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Rochester Institute of Technology, in the United States; University of Strathclyde and Imperial College of London, in the United Kingdom; Université de Bordeaux, in France; and Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, in Germany.
In Spain, eight centres will participate: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Universidad Carlos III, Universidad de Cantabria, Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, Universidad del País Vasco, Universidad de Salamanca, IMDEA Energía and Polymat - Basque center for Macromolecular Design and Engineering.
This initiative replaces the previous scholarship programme for young researchers promoted by the Iberdrola Foundation Spain since 2011, to which it has allocated more than 3 million euros to promote the development of 180 researchers.
It is also part of Iberdrola's commitment to excellence in training. The Iberdrola Foundation collaborates with scholarship programmes of various institutions such as the Fulbright Commission, which each year calls for Iberdrola-Fullbright scholarships; the Carolina Foundation, which has a programme for Mexican and Brazilian students; and the restoration workshops of the Museo Nacional del Prado and the Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, which allow future specialists to complete their training in the conservation and restoration programmes of these institutions.
In addition, Iberdrola is currently open a new call for applications for its Master's scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic year, with the aim of promoting excellence in the training of new generations and fostering young talent. Iberdrola's social dividend is also reflected in its responsibility to the environment; in its 12,000 volunteers; in the more than 350 million euros dedicated annually to innovation; and in the fact that, in the past year alone, nearly 4,500 new professionals have joined the group.
