In Reglas y consejos sobre investigación científica (1923) (Precepts and Counsels in Scientific Research, 1951, for the English translation), the Spanish Nobel laureate Ramón y Cajal confided the solution to the secular scientific backwardness of Spain to “educating the cream of our youth in the best European and American centers of scientific research”. This recipe was not really implemented until the last thirty years of the 20th Century, when a number of circumstances, notably the restoration of democracy in Spain and the financial support from public and private institutions made it possible for a large number of our best students to complete graduate degrees in those centers. Ramón y Cajal did not foresee, however, that a large number of them would remain abroad for many years upon completion of their degrees, or simply never return to Spain. Yet that is precisely the case (as the composition of our Board of Trustees clearly shows).

Although IMDEA Social Sciences will welcome scientists of any nationality, it will have as a priority to revert the current brain-drain of Spanish scientists. The Institute will devote much of its effort to that end.

Scientists already holding a tenured position elsewhere will become Permanent Research Faculty when joining IMDEA Social Sciences on a full-time basis. Those who do not hold a tenured position prior to joining the Institute will be on a Tenure-track Research Faculty appointment for a maximum period of six years. At the end of this period, the Board of Trustees will either grant tenure or terminate the appointment. However, tenure-track faculty may apply for early tenure review at any time within this six-year period, in which case the Board of Trustees will either grant tenure or terminate the appointment at that time.

It is also a priority of IMDEA Social Sciences to provide an adequate academic environment for social scientists already working at Universities and Research Centers in the Autonomous Community of Madrid. When joining IMDEA Social Sciences, those scientists will become Affiliated Research Faculty of the Institute. In general, this position will be held by tenured faculty at both national and foreign universities and research centers who wish to do a part of their research at IMDEA.

Members of the scientific community on sabbatical leave from their institutions may be appointed as Visiting Research Faculty at IMDEA Social Sciences.

PhD candidates holding fellowships, scholarships or any other study grants from national or international public or private institutions are eligible for appointment as Research Assistants, provided that the Institute approves their application and at least one Permanent Research Faculty accepts to supervise their work.