The National Call “Enfermería Valdecilla,” promoted by IDIVAL in collaboration with the Nursing Directorate of the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital and funded by Fundación Caja Cantabria, aims to encourage the participation of nursing professionals in the design and development of research projects.

Projects may address any area of Nursing Practice and will have a duration of two years.

Budget and Categories:

This year, as a new feature, the call has a total budget of €10,000 and introduces a new project category:
• Best Project: €4,000.
• Best Project to be carried out within the Cantabria Public Health System: €3,000.
• Best Project to be carried out at Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital: €3,000.

Requirements:

1. Original and unpublished research projects, either individual or team-based, are eligible, provided that the principal investigator is a nurse practicing within the national territory.
2. Principal investigators (PI) must not have previously obtained competitive funding as a principal investigator.
3. Collaborators who have received funding in previous editions of this call and have not submitted the corresponding follow-up report in the last 5 years may not participate.
4. The researcher(s) responsible for the scientific-technical execution of the projects, or the PI, must have a formal employment relationship with the institution where they carry out their professional activity throughout the entire duration of the project.
5. Only one project per PI may be submitted and funded. A PI may only be actively involved as PI in a maximum of one project.
6. For the categories “Best Project to be carried out within the Cantabria Public Health System” and “Best Project to be carried out at Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital,” the PI must demonstrate a formal employment, civil service, or statutory relationship with the corresponding institution. Specifically:
◦ For projects within the Cantabria Public Health System, the PI must have an employment, civil service, or statutory relationship with the system or with the University of Cantabria as a faculty member with clinical duties.
◦ For projects at Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, it is mandatory for the PI to have a formal employment relationship with this institution.

Documentation:

Applications and supporting documents must be submitted using the standardized templates available on the IDIVAL website.

The following documents must be provided:
a) Project proposal using the standardized template.
b) CVA of the PI and collaborators.
c) PI’s declaration confirming they have not been the principal investigator of another research project with competitive funding (standardized template).
d) Research Ethics Committee approval. Projects must have, prior to initiation, a favorable opinion from the appropriate accredited Research Ethics Committee, in accordance with Law 14/2007 of July 3 on Biomedical Research, in which the applicant appears as principal investigator. At the time of application, proof of submission to the relevant committee will be sufficient.

Application Deadline: From May 1 to June 30, 2026.

More information: HERE

The PRIM-VAL call from IDIVAL is aimed at promoting health research and innovation in Primary Care by partially or fully funding projects developed in this field. The program has a total budget of €23,400.

The maximum amount granted per project is €10,000, and project duration will be 2 years, with the possibility of extension.

Project requirements

In general, research and innovation projects related to the scope of Primary Care will be considered, preferably those focused on patient care, chronic diseases, and highly prevalent conditions. Projects must be carried out mainly within the public healthcare system of Cantabria and must be oriented toward research, innovation, and development in the health sector.

Principal Investigator (PI) requirements

The PI must be a professional working within the Public Health System of Cantabria. Residents in training are excluded. The PI must maintain their employment relationship throughout the duration of the project.

To serve as PI in this call, at least 60% of their indexed publications from the last 3 years must include IDIVAL affiliation.

Research team requirements

The research team must consist of at least three members, including the PI, and at least 50% must be Primary Care professionals from the Public Health System of Cantabria. Additionally, at least half of the research team must belong to the Public Health System of Cantabria.

Collaborators from other public or private institutions, whether national or international, may be included, and their CVs must also be provided.

A Co-PI figure is allowed and does not need to meet the PI eligibility requirements.

Required documentation

The following documents must be submitted along with the application:

1. Project proposal using the standardized template.
2. CVA curriculum or link to the researcher profile on the IDIVAL research portal for the PI and all team members.
3. Letters of interest from companies, institutions, scientific societies, or patient associations not participating in the project will also be accepted.

Applications may be submitted from April 15 to May 15 at the following link: https://aplicacionesidival.idival.org/ConvocatoriasPropias/es/Convocatorias/VerConvocatoria?Id=1451

Valdecilla hosted the presentation of the event, which donates all proceeds from race bibs to IDIVAL each year to directly fund oncology research projects and “turn donations into real cures.”

The 16th Luchamos por la Vida March will take place next Sunday, April 12, in Los Corrales de Buelna. This well‑established regional solidarity event donates all funds raised through participant bibs to the Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL) to directly support oncology research projects and, according to its organizers, “transform donations into real cures.”

This year’s event was officially presented in the Gómez Durán Auditorium at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital (HUMV) and featured the participation of Óscar Fernández Torre, Director General of Planning, Organization, Knowledge Management and Digital Health; Galo Peralta, Managing Director of IDIVAL; Luis Mariano López, Director of Nursing at the hospital; and Ricardo Martínez Portilla, President of the Luchamos por la Vida Association.

The event, which brings together sport, social commitment, and support for research every year, will allocate all funds raised to scientific projects aimed at tackling the disease. This edition is expected to sell out the 6,000 bibs made available.

Funding oncology research and clinical work

As the organizers highlighted, it is a festive day focused on health and solidarity, and this year’s edition will culminate in the funding of two specific IDIVAL projects.

Part of the funds will support the continuation of research on the “assessment of molecular markers in the progression of aggressive breast cancer: metastasis and DNA damage,” led by researchers Virginia Álvarez and Alfonso Bolado.

The project aims to further study how cellular transformation and dissemination occur in aggressive breast cancers, including triple‑negative types. This phase will delve deeper into the molecular and biological aspects related to therapy response (both conventional and radon‑derived treatments). It will also examine the mechanisms behind cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy and conventional treatments, as well as cytoskeletal alterations involved in cellular dissemination.

Additionally, as a new feature this year, the donation from Luchamos por la Vida will support the team led by IDIVAL researcher Jaime Jimeno in advancing the project “Optimization of clinical research in breast cancer through automated data extraction using artificial intelligence.” This clinically oriented project aims to analyze clinical data from patients who have undergone breast cancer surgery, with special attention to their long‑term outcomes.

The organizers also emphasized that this year Luchamos por la Vida will refurbish 21 benches in the waiting rooms of the Oncology and Hematology departments at Valdecilla Hospital “to make waiting as comfortable as possible for cancer patients and their families.”

Since its inception, the march has donated €350,000 to health research projects carried out at IDIVAL.

Registration now open

Registration for the 16th Luchamos por la Vida March is now open and can be completed through the following website: https://www.gedsports.com/race/16a-marcha-solidaria-luchamos-por-la-vida-2026

For those unable to register online, the organization will open its headquarters this afternoon from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

For just €3, participants will not only join a “major solidarity event” but will also receive a welcome pack including the official event T‑shirt, a backpack, their race bib, a 2‑for‑1 voucher for the Puente Viesgo Spa, a refreshment bag at the end of the march, and the chance to enter a prize draw.

The event also features a full program of activities, including sports exhibitions, guided classes, music, a solidarity community meal, and activities for children such as workshops, games, inflatables, and face painting.

Leading specialists will address the latest advances in diagnosis, genetics, and therapies for neuromuscular diseases

Santander will host the 1st Northwest Neuromuscular Disease Update Conference on May 29 and 30, 2026, a scientific meeting that will bring together neurologists and neuromuscular disease specialists from hospitals across northern Spain. The goal is to share the latest clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic developments in this field.

Organized as an in‑person event, the conference aims to promote knowledge exchange among professionals and update the management of complex neuromuscular disorders, incorporating recent advances in genetics, targeted therapies, and differential diagnosis.

The meeting will begin on Friday, May 29 at 17:15, with a welcome session led by Dr. Jorge Madera and Dr. Ana Lara Pelayo from Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital. The scientific program will follow, including presentations on myasthenia gravis and new targeted therapies by Ana Lara Pelayo, as well as an update on immune‑mediated neuropathies beyond CIDP, presented by César Ramón from San Agustín University Hospital.

The afternoon will continue with highly relevant topics such as genetic updates and therapeutic perspectives in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), presented by Jorge Madera, and newborn screening and therapeutic switching strategies in adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), led by Daniel Santirso from the Central University Hospital of Asturias.

On Saturday, May 30, the program will resume with sessions focused on clinical practice. Adrián Ares, from León University Hospital, will present an update on inflammatory myopathies, while Germán Morís, from the Central University Hospital of Asturias, will address dropped head syndrome from a semiological and differential diagnosis perspective.

The second day will also include clinical debate, a Q&A session, the “Neuromuscular Challenge”, and will conclude with the awards ceremony and official closing.

The conference is supported by healthcare and pharmaceutical partners committed to research and the development of new therapies for these conditions, including Argenx and Janssen.

Registration is available through this link: https://forms.gle/cpjZJXfeojhEPrWn8

By 2040, 27% of the Spanish population will be over the age of 65, and life expectancy will have increased by three years compared to 2021. This progressive ageing will not only reshape the demographic structure but also significantly increase the prevalence of chronic diseases.

In this context, the Valdecilla Health Research Institute (IDIVAL), firmly committed to research and the prevention of pneumococcal disease in the adult population, has developed an educational infographic. This condition particularly affects people over 65, as well as patients with chronic illnesses or those who are immunocompromised.

The infographic highlights that investment in prevention is a highly efficient strategy to reduce mortality, disability, dependency, and the high healthcare costs associated with pneumococcal disease.

Indeed, this disease not only presents high mortality rates among at‑risk groups but can also lead to severe long‑term consequences, such as reduced lung function, increased risk of cardiovascular events, and loss of personal autonomy, all of which have a direct impact on patients’ quality of life.

To this burden we must add a significant economic impact: more than 2.686 billion euros annually in healthcare costs, driven, among other factors, by increased hospitalisations and the need for additional interventions related to therapeutic resistance.

For all these reasons, adult vaccination stands out as a key cost‑effective intervention capable of improving population health and contributing to the sustainability of the healthcare system.

The INN-VAL innovation support program at IDIVAL aims to promote innovation in general and, specifically, intrapreneurship within the IDIVAL environment by partially or fully funding innovation projects that foster collaboration between the healthcare sector, the university setting, and industry.

Project Requirements

In general, projects must involve new developments with potential for transfer to the National Health System and may be partially carried out at the university or in companies. Innovation projects must be developed primarily within the public healthcare system of Cantabria and must focus on innovation and development in the healthcare field.

Projects will have a duration of 2 years, with a maximum funding amount of €25,000 per project.

Project Modalities

All submitted projects must apply under one of the following modalities:

• Modality A: Development of innovative health technologies.
• Modality B: Innovation aimed at generating non-directly economic value.

Requirements for the Principal Investigator (PI)

• The PI must have an employment relationship with IDIVAL, the Public Health System of Cantabria, or the University of Cantabria as a faculty member with clinical activity or, alternatively, as a member of an IDIVAL research group. Residents in training are excluded.
• The PI may not have an active Inn-Val project at the time the call closes.
• To serve as PI in this call, at least 60% of their indexed publications from the past 3 years must list IDIVAL as an affiliation.
• A PI may only participate as such in one project application in this call.

Application Submission

Applications are open from April 1 to April 30 and must be submitted through the IDIVAL website. Required documentation includes:

1. Project proposal: using the standardized templates provided.
2. CVA or link to the IDIVAL research portal for the PI and team members.
3. Company participation: If companies are involved, a signed letter from the company representative stating awareness of the project and interest in participating.
◦ Declarations of interest from companies, institutions, scientific societies, or patient associations not participating in the project will also be accepted.
4. Clinical environment studies: Projects conducted in clinical settings must include written authorization from the center’s management and the head of the main unit or service, submitted at the time of application.

More information and application submission at the following link:
https://aplicacionesidival.idival.org/ConvocatoriasPropias/es/Convocatorias/VerConvocatoria?Id=1446

The Marqués de Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL) received the institutional visit of Núria Montserrat Pulido, Minister for Research and Universities of the Generalitat of Catalonia, as part of her trip to Cantabria to learn first-hand about the scientific activity carried out by various research centres linked to the University of Cantabria.

During her visit to the region, the minister also toured leading facilities such as the Institute of Physics of Cantabria (IFCA) and the Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria (IBBTEC), with the aim of gaining deeper insight into their main research lines and exploring potential synergies and avenues for scientific collaboration.

At IDIVAL, the meeting served to identify and analyse cooperation opportunities in key areas such as attracting and developing research talent, knowledge transfer, and the promotion of joint scientific initiatives.

The visit is particularly significant, as Núria Montserrat is a member of IDIVAL’s External Scientific Council and maintains a close connection with the institution. Furthermore, her previous role as coordinator of the Biobanks and Biomodels Platform of the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) further strengthens this link, having fostered close collaboration with the Valdecilla Biobank and joint work in the field of biobanking.

Members of the Health Economics Group at the Marqués de Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL) and the University of Cantabria (UC), participants in the European project “Intelligent Digital Twin for Social Prescribing in Primary Healthcare” (SAM, acronym for Health, Social, Assets and Map), aimed at improving healthcare and population well‑being and framed within the Interreg Sudoe programme, recently visited the pilot area in Lisbon with the goal of continuing to advance the development and implementation of innovative digital health solutions.

During their stay in Lisbon, a field visit was carried out to observe local practices and contexts relevant to the development and implementation of digital health and innovation initiatives. The team also held an institutional meeting at ULS Santa Maria, where knowledge exchange and discussions on strategies to integrate technological innovation into health services were promoted.

The agenda also included a meeting with political representatives from the Alvalade Parish Council, where proximity initiatives, social innovation, and new avenues of collaboration between healthcare institutions, academia, and the community were discussed.

During the visit, team members toured various health assets previously identified in the area, established contact with managers of formal assets, and held meetings with researchers from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon who are part of the SAM consortium. These types of exchanges strengthen international cooperation and enable the sharing of key experiences to advance towards more innovative, collaborative, and people‑centred health systems.

Improving social and healthcare services and personalised social prescribing in urban and rural settings

The project has a total budget of 1.96 million euros, of which 1.47 million come from ERDF funds, and is coordinated by researcher Olga de Cos, from the IDIVAL Health Economics Group and the UC’s ETAO group.

The initiative brings together 25 partners, including beneficiaries and associated entities from Spain, France, and Portugal, such as research centres like the Aragón Health Research Institute, IBIMA‑FIMABIS, and the Portuguese AIDFM, as well as public administrations including the Health Department of the Government of Cantabria, the Health and Consumer Affairs Department of the Regional Government of Andalusia, the Primary Care Management of the Government of Aragón, the Penagos City Council, the Communauté de communes du Pays de Nay (France), and the Câmara Municipal de Almeida (Portugal). In Cantabria, the SAM model will be deployed in the rural health centre of Penagos with the aim of improving the quality of life of the most vulnerable populations.