Lichen fields (Teloschistes capensis) in the Namib Desert (Namibia)

Drought and warming experiments to study the effects of climate change on Mediterranean vegetation (Cultive Laboratory)

Sampling the structure and functioning of freshwater ecosystems in the Barco lagoon
(Sierra de Gredos, Spain)

Laboratory for the analysis of chemical compounds and nutrients in physiological, environmental, and pharmacological samples (Nutrilab Laboratory)

Ordesa Valley from the Hunters' Route
(Photo: David S. Pescador)

Monteverde Cloud Forest (Costa Rica)

Global Change Research Institute

Formally created in September 2023, the Global Change Research Institute (IICG) is a research institute at Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) with 95 researchers working on the advancement of science at the margins of knowledge with a clear vocation for public service. Its staff and laboratories are located on the Móstoles Campus of the URJC, in Madrid (Spain).

    Mission

    The MISSION of the IICG is to become a national and international reference in its field of research, as well as to serve as a bridge between the academic world, public administrations and society.

    Vision

    • To become an international reference institute in research related to Global Change.
    • Development of excellent Basic Science, consolidating the national and international leadership of the IICG-URJC research team in the field of ecology.
    • Development of effective Applied Science to contribute to the improvement of society’s well-being. Ecology is intended to serve as a tool to overcome the environmental urgency in which we are immersed. This can only be done through what is known as Translational and Applied Ecology.
    • Transfer of generated knowledge to society, including support services for administrations and the productive sector, and a vocation for disseminating scientific results. This transfer to society of the knowledge generated will be carried out through postgraduate teaching activities and training courses open to other sectors of society.
    • To be an efficient Institute, with a high capacity to obtain resources for developing the best possible research while maintaining financial equilibrium.
    • To establish a working framework based on ethics, cooperation, respect for diversity, equal opportunities, and environmental and social responsibility.

    Strategic objectives

    The IICG has 5 main strategic objectives:

    1. High-impact scientific production.
    2. Technical assistance to Public Administrations.
    3. Direct services to the productive sector.
    4. Development of innovative actions of a socio-political nature that affect political and business decision-making.
    5. Dissemination of all this scientific and technical knowledge.

    Equality Commission

    of the Global Change Research Institute

    The Equality Commission of the IICG-URJC was created to actively promote equal opportunities, raise awareness of inequalities, propose improvements, foster a safe and violence-free workplace, and provide support in cases of inappropriate, violent, discriminatory, or other forms of mistreatment. You can find all the information here.