In an important step forward for the decentralization of scientific research in Chile, Dr. Mariana Lazzaro-Salazar, alternate director of the ANID Anillos Project ATE230028 Ecos of Climate Change and academic at the Maule Center for Advanced Studies Research at the Catholic University of Maule (UCM), has been appointed as a member of the Scientific Committee of the University Research Fund (FIU), an initiative promoted by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation.
Her participation in this national event not only represents recognition of her academic career and commitment to excellent research, but also strengthens the institutional capacities of the UCM, a regional university that has demonstrated growing leadership in research with territorial relevance.
What is the FIU?
The Research Fund for Universities (FIU) is a public policy that marks a structural change in the funding model for university research. Unlike other competitive funds geared toward individual projects, the FIU seeks to provide sustained, long-term financing to higher education institutions to strengthen their research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) capabilities, focusing on regional and national challenges.
The program operates under two main lines:
FIU Territorial: Aimed at universities with institutional accreditation between three and five years old. It aims to strengthen research from the regions, promoting strategies that respond to the identity and needs of the territories.
FIU Frontera: Aimed at universities with accreditation of excellence (6 or 7 years). It seeks to promote high-impact research with national and international reach.
Both modalities share common objectives: increasing R&D spending, fostering inter-institutional and productive sector collaboration, and promoting technology transfer and the development of advanced human capital.
UCM: the only university in Maule to win the FIUT award
In this context, the Catholic University of Maule was the only institution in the Maule Region to be awarded the FIU (National Research Institute of the University of Maule) in its territorial branch (FIUT). The awarded project, entitled "UCM Roots: R&D&I that consolidates and expands from the heart of the Maule," includes an initial nine-month period to conduct a thorough assessment of the institutional research network and design a strategic plan for its long-term consolidation. This plan may be implemented in a second phase, projected to extend up to ten years.
In a note published in the Vrip Bulletin (UCM), Dr. Francisco Letelier, director of this initiative, emphasized that "in the last decade, the UCM has made significant progress in research volume, production of high-impact scientific articles, number of doctoral programs, and creation of research centers. However, there is still a gap between the knowledge produced and regional issues."
The FIUT seeks precisely to reduce this gap, allowing regional universities to consolidate their research lines and respond in a more coordinated and sustained manner to the country's social, productive, and environmental challenges.
A key role for Dr. Lazzaro-Salazar
The addition of Dr. Mariana Lazzaro-Salazar to the Scientific Committee of the FIUT fund awarded to the UCM is a testament to the impact of the academic work carried out in the regions. As a researcher in the areas of intercultural health studies, socio-environmental issues, and discourse and language, her focus on sustainability, heritage, communication, and sociocultural and territorial equity will be key in the evaluation and guidance of the strategic research proposals promoted by the fund.
From her role in the ANID Anillos Project ATE230028, Dr. Lazzaro has promoted an interdisciplinary vision that crosses scientific research with local knowledge and cultural practices, in line with FIUT's transformative objectives.
Impact on the ANID Rings Project ATE230028
This recognition strengthens the position of the ANID Anillos Project ATE230028 Ecos of Climate Change as a nationally relevant research platform. The active participation of its members in strategic forums such as the FIUT reflects the team's commitment to impactful research, knowledge decentralization, and engagement with the environment.
The project, funded by the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID), studies the sociocultural responses of rural communities to climate change, coordinating biodiversity, culture, and sustainability. In this sense, Dr. Lazzaro-Salazar's inclusion in the Scientific Committee of this new public policy allows for a coherent vision combining scientific research, social relevance, and territorial equity.
Keywords: FIUT, Anillos Project, Dr. Mariana Lazzaro-Salazar, Catholic University of Maule, decentralization, sustainability, regional science, ANID, UCM, research ecosystems, public policies, territorial equity.