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The initiative promoted by the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera and coordinated by the IDAEA-CSIC and the IQAC-CSIC runs from January to June 2026
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The programme addresses human and environmental health, exploring scientific areas such as pollution, chemistry, biology and nanomedicine
Students from the “Bojos per les Biociències i la Salut Global” programme together with the programme coordinators, Ana Sotres and Alicia S. Arroyo, during the programme’s opening event. | Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera
The programme Bojos per les Biociències i la Salut Global, coordinated by the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC) and the Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), is part of the excellence initiative Bojos per la Ciència, promoted by the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera for upper secondary school students with a strong interest in science, technology and research.
In this second edition of the programme, the number of participants has increased compared to last year (21 students compared to 15), confirming the growing interest among students in this initiative, which combines high-level scientific training in human and environmental health with direct contact with researchers from IDAEA and IQAC.
Over 16 theoretical and practical sessions taking place between January and June, participants will gain first-hand insight into how a research centre operates and will be able to explore potential scientific careers at a key stage in their academic journey.
More students and a stronger commitment to biosciences
Following the positive reception of the first edition, the programme has expanded the number of places available and incorporated more sessions coordinated by IQAC-CSIC, with the aim of strengthening the bioscience and biomedical content (such as nuclear magnetic resonance, drug design and photopharmacology), an area that attracts particular interest among applicants to “Bojos per la Ciència”.
Throughout the course, students will work alongside researchers from both centres on topics such as environmental pollution, chemical analyses, toxicology, model organisms, medicinal chemistry and environmental diagnostics, combining laboratory sessions, practical activities and fieldwork.
“The programme offers students a fantastic opportunity to learn how a research centre operates. It is also very diverse, and they will be exposed to many research topics that are not covered in the classroom. This will give them a broad range of possibilities for the future, which we believe will be very enriching,” says Ana Sotres, one of the programme coordinators.
Environmental sampling to assess pollution in the Llobregat River
The programme kicked off on 24 January with a first field trip to the Llobregat River, where researchers Carlos Barata, Liliya Sokalchuk and Alba Julià showed students how environmental samples are collected in a river such as the Llobregat to assess the impact of pollution on the biodiversity of this ecosystem. During the activity, students learned sampling techniques, sample preparation for subsequent laboratory analysis, and how to interpret scientific results.
Researcher Carlos Barata and two participants collect water samples from the Llobregat River during the programme’s first session. | Alicia S. Arroyo
“Our aim is for students to understand how science addresses complex problems such as environmental pollution and how this affects human health, and for them to experience the day-to-day work of research in a real environment,” explains Alicia S. Arroyo, one of the programme coordinators.
“Bojos per les Biociències i la Salut Global” offers participants the opportunity to experience science from the inside, from fieldwork to laboratory work and data analysis. In addition to acquiring scientific knowledge, the programme fosters key skills such as critical thinking, teamwork and science communication.
Discover the full programme: Bojos per les Biociències i la Salut Global
