Institutional organisation
Institutional organisation
CREAF is a public research center which exists as a consortium between different public entities (administrations, universities, and research centers and institutes).
The consortium
The consortium
The highest governing body is the Governing Council, which is represented by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the University of Barcelona (UB), the Institute of Catalan Studies (IEC), the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), the Government of Catalonia through four departments: Territory (DT), Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda (ACC), Economy and Finance (ECO) and Interior (INT) and the Institution of Research Centers of Catalonia (CERCA). The President of the Governing Council is the Minister of Territory and Sustainability and the Director of CREAF is the Secretary.
The Executive Commission is appointed by the Governing Council and is formed and represented by the Government of Catalonia through the Department of Territory and Sustainability (DTOS), Department of Business and Knowledge (DEMC) and the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda (DACC); the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB); the University of Barcelona (UB); and the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC). This Executive Commission will carry out the agreements adopted in the Governing Council and is responsible for supervising the investigation activities, approving the operational funds and ensuring that the annual objectives are met.
Governing organizations
Governing organizations
The Board of Trustees appoints the CREAF's Director, who has wide powers for the purpose of carrying out his/her duties of management and administration of the Center and its staff. The Director responds directly to the Board of Trustees. The Executive Comission is named by the Board of Trustees and has the role of handling institutional and functioning issues in direct connection with the institutions included in the consortium.
Governing Council
Governing Council
The Governing Council is the highest governing body. On the one hand, it appoints and supervises the person in charge of CREAF Management to carry out the management and administration of the center and its staff. On the other hand, it appoints the Executive Committee to deal with institutional and operational problems.
The Governing Council is formed and represented by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the University of Barcelona (UB), the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (IEC), the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), the Generalitat de Catalonia through affiliation to the department with competences on the environment and the Foundation Institution of Research Centers of Catalonia (iCERCA).
Representatives of the Governing Council
Mr. David Mascort, Counselor of the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda.
Mr. Joan Pino, Director of CREAF
- Mr. Javier Lafuente Sancho, Rector of UAB
- Mr. Joan Guàrdia Olmos, Rector of UB
- Ms. Maria Teresa Cabré, President of IEC
- Ms. Eloísa del Pino Matute, President of CSIC
- Ms. Anna Sanitjas, General Director of Forest Ecosystems (DACA)
- Mr. Pere Sala Martí, Director of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia
- Mr. Marc Vilahur Chiaraviglio, General Director of Environmental Policies and Natural Environment (DACA)
- Mr. Joaquim Nin i Borredà, Secretary of Universities and Research (DEC)
- Mr. Joan Delort Menal, General Director of Prevention and Extinction of Forest Fires (DI)
- Mr. Lluís Rovira, Director of the Foundation I-CERCA
Executive commission
Executive commission
The Executive Commission carries out the agreements adopted by the Governing Council and is responsible for overseeing research activities, approving operating funds and ensuring that annual objectives are met.
The Executive Commission is formed and represented by the Generalitat de Catalunya through assignment to the department with competences on the environment, the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the University of Barcelona (UB), and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC).
Executive commission
Executive commission
- Mr. David Mascort, Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Government of Catalunya
- Mr. Joaquim Nin i Borredà, Secretary of Universities and Research (DEC)
- Ms. Anna Sanitjas, General Director of Forest Ecosystems (DACA)
- Mr. Javier Lafuente Sancho, Rector of UAB
- Mr. Joan Guàrdia Olmos, Rector of UB
- Ms. Rosa María Menéndez López, President of CSIC
International Scientific Committee
International Scientific Committee
The CREAF International Scientific Committee is made up of six internationally renowned researchers:
Ivan Janssens
Ivan Janssens
Researcher at Research Group of Plant and Vegetation Ecology, Antwerpen University, Belgium.
Rob Jackson
Rob Jackson
Researcher at Nicholas School of the Environment, EUA. Duke’s Center on Global Change Director i director al Duke’s Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry Laboratory.
John Grace
John Grace
Emerit professor University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Director at Institute of Atmospheric and Environmental Science, University of Edinburgh.
Research areas organization
Research areas organization
CREAF's research may be integrated in four fundamental areas, each of them with different lines of research. In our proposed scheme, the first step in organizing CREAF research efforts is to understand the effect of global change (Area of Global Change) on ecosystem functioning (Area of Ecosystem Functioning), and therefore on biodiversity and other ecosystem services (Area Biodiversity). Second, these processes must be observed and monitored (Area Earth Observation), and data must be appropriately analyzed by means of ecosystem modelling approaches and well-designed critical experiments to produce useful research outputs (all areas implied).
Our final and complementary aim is use this information to guide ecosystem management and environmental policies modifying the observed or expected effects of global change through adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Biodiversity
We work with species and communities of plants and animals, approaching studies both from molecular scales and from the entire ecosystem.
Functioning of ecosystems
Each organism, each community and each ecosystem plays an important role in regulating the energy and nutrient cycles that keep the planet alive.
Global change
We analyze the impacts of global change on natural systems, assess their vulnerability and study the capacity for adaptation and mitigation.
Earth observation
Remote sensing and geographic information systems have made it possible to analyze the territory on very large scales and, at the same time, in detail.
As the organisational chart (below) shows, the centre is organised into three main sections: Research, Development & Training; Strategy & Promotion; and Administration & Internal Services.
Inclou tot el personal científic i tècnic del centre. La recerca del CREAF es pot dividir en quatre temes generals: biodiversitat, canvi global, funcionament dels ecosistemes i observació de la Terra. La major part de la plantilla permanent col·labora a través d'aquests diferents temes d'investigació. El personal investigador també s'encarrega de la formació dels i les estudiants de doctorat, que està coordinat per una persona coordinadora de doctorat. El o la coordinadora científica reforça la col·laboració multidisciplinària entre el personal del CREAF i les institucions de recerca externa, per crear noves oportunitats per a projectes d'investigació integrada. El CREAF també té una Claustre d'Investigadors i Investigadores per promoure el debat científic i organitzatiu a nivell intern. A més, aquest organisme millora la transparència en la presa de decisions i l'operació interna, i la responsabilitat conjunta dels i les membres amb la seva estratègia.
Was created in 2011 with the aim is giving support to scientific activities in the fields of communication, outreach, internationalization and fundraising. It was originally composed of two, and later of three departments (all of them led by women) both working in close collaboration with the scientific coordinator and the department in charge of administrative issues and projects budget and reporting:
- Comunication and outreach: its main responsibilities are to define and implement the internal and external institutional communication strategy, to manage the corporate communication channels, to produce multimedia outreach materials, to write tailor-made communications and outreach plans for scientific projects, to engage with mass media through press releases, and to give support in the organization of outreach events, among others.
- Internationalitzation: focused on the pre-award phase, it offers a tailor-made service constantly responding to researchers' needs regarding international (mostly EU) project calls. Its main activities are networking, fundraising, R&I European funding programs advising, contribution to policies and work programs elaboration and proposal preparation assistance, from partner searches to proposal writing and submission.
- Knowledge transfer: since 2015 a national grant allowed the center to hire a new technician who had, among her objectives in the newly created office, to explore the domain of collaboration with private companies. A new set of services to researchers such as assessments on knowledgemanagement and knowledge transfer strategies, research impact assessments or exploitation of project results have already begun to be provided but not yet completely developed.
Provides transversal services to other areas and center staff. It is organized in different traditional departments:
- Project Management: support in the preparation and financial monitoring of European and national projects, especially focused on the postaward phase.
- Administration: accounting of expenses and incomes, budget monitoring and management of receipts and payments.
- Human Resources: personnel management, support to the incorporation of foreign personnel and management of individual fellowships.
- Sceintific and technical services: two units, one of modelling services and the other of IT development.
Committees
Committees
CREAF independent committee
CREAF independent committee
The Internal Committee of the CREAF (CIC) represents the staff of the center and ensures that the labor rights of the staff of the center are respected.
It is made up of voluntary workers and chosen in an open call every four years. One of its members also participates in the Equality Committee.
Equality Committee
Equality Committee
The EDI Committee is the center's equality committee which, together with the Management, ensures that there is room for everyone's talent based on the principles of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
It is coordinated by the person responsible for Talent and Gender - appointed to the Management Committee - and composed of six volunteer members chosen in an open call every 2 years and representing the diversity of people and professional categories of the center. One of the members also participates in CREAF's Internal Committee (CIC).