The Rector of the University of Granada, Pedro Mercado, has appointed Professor Blanca Biel as Director of UGR-DONES, following a proposal by the Vice-Rector for Research and Knowledge Transfer, Enrique Herrera Viedma.

UGR-DONES is a strategic initiative to strengthen the University’s connection to the ecosystem of large scientific infrastructures, with particular emphasis on the IFMIF-DONES particle accelerator in Escúzar (Granada).

Blanca Biel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics. She holds a degree in Physics from the University of Granada and a PhD in Physics from the Autonomous University of Madrid. She completed a postdoctoral stage at CEA-LETI Grenoble (France) before joining the University of Granada as a researcher through the highly competitive Juan de la Cierva and Ramón y Cajal programmes. She has held a permanent teaching position since 2019.

Her scientific activity focuses on atomic-scale simulations of the electronic and transport properties of nanomaterials, as well as on the study of materials for fusion using advanced multiscale approaches that integrate machine learning techniques. She is the author of more than 40 publications in high-impact international scientific journals.

Alongside her research work, Blanca Biel is actively involved in advanced training, science outreach and the development of new strategic initiatives. Since 2022, she has directed the DONES-UGR Xcitech School on Science and Technology, an international school focused on interdisciplinary training and dialogue among universities, industry, and major scientific organisations.

She also coordinates several activities related to IFMIF-DONES at the University of Granada and is involved in designing new master’s programmes and creating a European network in the science industry to promote talent development and knowledge transfer in the context of Big Science.

UGR-DONES

The UGR-DONES programme was created as a strategic initiative of the University of Granada to strengthen links with the ecosystem of large scientific infrastructures and, in particular, with IFMIF-DONES. Its aim is to coordinate actions in the areas of research, advanced training, science communication and knowledge transfer, contributing to the positioning of the University of Granada as a reference institution at both national and international levels.

Within this framework, the programme serves as a bridge between the University and a unique scientific infrastructure, aligning with the institutional and territorial strategy for implementing IFMIF-DONES in Granada and reinforcing the University’s commitment to the scientific, technological, and socio-economic development of its environment.

One of the central pillars of UGR-DONES is the promotion of training initiatives to prepare new professional profiles capable of operating in highly complex, multidisciplinary, and international scientific environments.

Through postgraduate programmes, interdisciplinary training activities, and targeted initiatives for students, early-career researchers, and professionals, the project fosters strong connections among universities, industry, and large scientific infrastructures.

UGR-DONES also promotes the international projection of the University of Granada through active participation in European networks and collaborations with other universities, research centres and scientific organisations. These actions enhance the international visibility of the UGR, facilitate knowledge exchange and mobility, and create academic and professional opportunities, consolidating the University of Granada as a key node in the dynamics of large-scale international science.

Text and photo: University of Granada