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The Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados (IMDEA), or Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies, in English, is a project of the Madrid   Regional Government, included in the IV Regional Plan of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation 2005-2008 (PRICIT) , of which the aim is to put in place advanced research centers and higher education and training in the  Community of Madrid. The project took shape between 2006 and 2008 with the creation of eight IMDEA Institutes.

Organization
Each of the Madrid Institutes for Advanced Studies is managed by an independent foundation. There are currently eight institutes: Institute IMDEA Water, Institute IMDEA Food, Institute IMDEA Social Sciences, Institute IMDEA Energy, Institute IMDEA Materials, Institute IMDEA Nanoscience, Institute IMDEA Networks and Institute IMDEA Software.

Each of these eight institutes specializes in an area of knowledge, as indicated by their names:


 * Institute IMDEA Water is pooling knowledge from experimental, legal and social sciences as well as engineering, with the aim of generating the cross-disciplinary approach required to address water management in the 21st century as efficiently as possible. Its research focuses on the scientific and social aspects of water (supply and demand; quality and quantity; physical, chemical and biological characteristics; time and space variability; watershed processes; and economic, ecological, and equity considerations).


 * Institute IMDEA Food, initially set up with the aim of developing useful research in different food-related areas, such as nutrition and health, or food quality and safety, by agreement from the Scientific Council, has increasingly focused research on Nutritional Genomics, given its international scientific relevance, limited activity in the Community of Madrid, and high potential for transfer in the medium term.


 * Institute IMDEA Social Sciences is a research center for the analysis of the social problems of our time. Among other goals, the Institute seeks to create research groups capable of studying social problems from different intellectual perspectives simultaneously; promote interaction between social scientists and the business community; encourage the youth to do research in the field of social sciences and help them complete their training and education in several disciplines at the same time; and make it easier for social scientists who have trained or are currently doing research outside the Community of Madrid to join the region's science and technology system.


 * Institute IMDEA Energy has been created with the aim of promoting and undertaking R&D in energy-related areas, with the main focus on those topics related to renewable energies and clean  energy technologies. The Scientific Program of IMDEA Energy, managed by the Foundation, has been designed with the aim of contributing to the future establishment of a sustainable energy system based on the development of renewable energies and clean energy technologies that have no or minimal environmental impact.


 * Institute IMDEA Materials conducts research in Materials Science and Engineering. The main objectives of IMDEA Materials are: excellence in Materials Science and Engineering research; technology transfer to the industrial sector in order to increase business competitiveness; and to attract talented researchers from all over the world to the Community of Madrid to work in a truly international and interdisciplinary environment.


 * Institute IMDEA Nanoscience, created by a joint initiative of the Community of Madrid and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, aims to become a flexible framework where new research groups are created that bring together the best scientists currently working on Nanoscience in the Community of Madrid and renowned researchers from other international institutes, in order to create new teams capable of addressing problems related to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. The Institute also aims to educate technical and scientific personnel, as well as promoting technology transfer and the creation of businesses, which will help the economic development of Madrid and Spain.


 * Institute IMDEA Networks is working in the field of communication networks, aiming to develop pioneering ideas that help shape the future of networking over the coming years. Researchers at IMDEA Networks study the emergent properties of today's networks in order to be able to improve the algorithms and protocols that allow these networks to operate. Computer networking research consists of creating mathematical models as well as validating theories through simulations and measurements in test beds and/or real-world deployments.


 * Institute IMDEA Software seeks to conduct excellent research to devise methods that allow for the cost-effective development of software products with high-quality, sophisticated functionality, i.e., safe, reliable, and efficient. The focus of the Institute includes all phases of the software development cycle (analysis, design, implementations, validation and verification), as well as methods, languages, and tools. Its distinguishing feature is its focus on approaches that are rigorous and at the same time allow for building practical tools.

The governing, representative and administrative bodies of the IMDEA institutes are their respective Boards of Trustees. The trustees may be permanent or elected and help bring balance to this body, as some of the trustees are chosen from among internationally renowned scientists, others are experts in areas related to the foundations' goals, working at universities and other research centers on the Board; and others come from businesses that are on the Board. Expert trustees with business experience or recognized professional prestige in the sectors related to the foundations' goals may also be appointed1.

Another important body within the organizational structure of each IMDEA Foundation is the Scientific Council, or Scientific Advisory Board, composed of internationally renowned researchers in the areas related to each Institute's goals. The functions of this Council include advising the Director in the development of the annual action plan and the four-year plan of objectives; evaluating the results of both of these plans; advising the Council on all scientific work submitted for its approval; and making proposals to the Council for the renewal and appointment of internationally renowned trustees.

Also, the Director of each IMDEA Institute must be chosen by the Board of Trustees, from among internationally renowned experts in the areas related to the Foundation's goals who have demonstrable experience in directing groups, projects or institutions.

Objectives
According to their statutes, the mission of each IMDEA Foundation is "to provide new research capacities, technological development and innovation" in the field of their respective branches of knowledge. These capacities should help to:
 * 1) Carry out scientific research of international excellence.
 * 2) Achieve research of excellence and quality, focused and driven by the real needs of society, especially aimed at improving the technology level and competitiveness of the Community of Madrid.
 * 3) Strengthen collaboration and cooperation with business sectors.
 * 4) Create a framework that facilitates the incorporation of international researchers, creating or using buildings, infrastructure and equipment in order to conduct internationally competitive research.
 * 5) Ensure the availability of technologies that will produce tangible results in the medium-long term.
 * 6) Better exploit research results.
 * 7) Act as a monitoring and foresight observatory for research in these areas.
 * 8) Encourage the participation of society, mobilizing its resources in favor of universities, public research bodies and innovation and technology centers in the Community of Madrid.
 * 9) Contribute towards the training and education of researchers and technicians in cooperation with the academic institutions involved.1