Isascon Lacunza, new Director General of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology

The Board of Trustees of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) on Tuesday appointed Isascon Lacunza Aguiripengua as the new Director General of the Foundation, which is under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Lacunza is an expert in science advisory projects, scientific talent mobility and attraction, open science, and gender equality in research. Until her appointment as Director General, she was Director of FECYT's Public Policy Division and Coordinator of the Congressional Office of Science and Technology (Office C), a leading initiative to provide scientific advice to the Legislature. He has been involved in managing and promoting iconic FECYT projects, such as the EURAXESS initiative to attract and retain talent; In strengthening European human resources management policies in the field of research from a gender perspective; It launched mentoring programs to diversify scientific careers and gender equality (REBECA and FELISE). Likewise, she was the coordinator of the promotion and support provided by FECYT to associations of Spanish scientists abroad and other European projects of interest to the Foundation in areas such as science diplomacy and science for public policy. She also has international experience, and between 2012 and 2014 she was Executive Director of LIBER (European Research Libraries Network), where she led the engagement of its partners in the open science movement and in European projects. He has also contributed to publications, including C-Reports of the House of Representatives Office of Science and Technology, as well as articles on research mobility and science diplomacy: a review of the European Charter and the Code of Conduct for Members of the House of Representatives. Researcher Recruitment (2021); Calling for systemic change: towards an EU science diplomacy to address global challenges (2021) and Spanish science diplomacy: a global and collaborative bottom-up approach (2017). Lacunza holds a degree in Food Science and Technology and a Doctorate in Chemical Sciences from the Autonomous University of Madrid and studied in the Executive Program in Governance in the Public Sector at ESADE.