Investigation Commission
The Vice-Rector for Research at the Catholic University (UC), Pedro Bouchon, led the CRUCH Research Commission between 2022 and 2024, strengthening the role of collaboration between universities, government agencies, and international stakeholders. “We were able to consolidate the group of CRUCH Vice-Rectors for Research, ensuring the participation of diverse voices across the country and reinforcing our community,” he stated.
The new board of directors of the commission, made up of representatives from different parts of the country, will be chaired by the Vice-Rector of Research and Postgraduate Studies at UDA, María José Gallardo. Meanwhile, the acting rector for the next two years will be Juan Yuz, from USM.
For two years, the Research Commission of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) was chaired by the Vice-Rector of Research of the Catholic University (UC), Pedro Bouchon, who contributed significantly to positioning the Commission as a key instance to articulate university research, promote national scientific development and strengthen the Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation (STKI) system.
Bouchon, whose term ended in early December 2024, prioritized strategic collaboration among academic institutions, government agencies, and international actors during his tenure. “We were able to strengthen the group of vice-rectors of research at CRUCH, ensuring the participation of all voices across the country and reinforcing our community,” the vice-rector commented.
The Commission played a fundamental role in influencing public policies related to strengthening research and innovation and its transfer to society. To this end, it worked closely with the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation (MinCiencia); the National Innovation Agency (ANID); the Chilean Academy of Sciences; the CTCI Council; Icare; and Parliament.
Hallmarks of the period: articulation and collaborative work
One of the Commission's achievements was its contribution to the Technology and Knowledge Transfer Law, promoted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MinCiencia). To analyze the proposed law, working groups were organized with experts from the CRUCH universities, resulting in a proposed document. Bouchon presented these proposals to the Future Commission on Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation of the Chamber of Deputies. "This law is an example of how collaborative work between universities and government agencies can generate significant progress for the development of science, technology, and innovation," Bouchon noted.
Furthermore, in conjunction with the Undersecretariat of Science, the following was generated Action Plan for Strengthening Research, Development and Innovation (R&D&I) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
“It was quite remarkable that we set ourselves the goal of creating working groups, we established them, we worked in them, we generated documents, we provided feedback on them, and that ended up in a plan. That means a lot of collaborative work and coordination, in order to achieve concrete results, and that makes me happy,” he said.
During this period, a structural problem was also addressed: the legal challenges to projects funded by ANID and the difficulties in accountability for funds. To this end, the Commission fostered coordination with ANID, the Academy of Sciences, and the Executive Committee of CRUCH, and a work plan developed by ANID was agreed upon. This plan regularizes outstanding issues and establishes efficient mechanisms for the application, implementation, and accountability processes. This proposal was presented to the Comptroller General of the Republic, who subsequently approved it.
Another collaborative effort was with the National Council for Science, Technology, Innovation, and Knowledge (CTCI) and its initiative “Chile Looks at its CTCI.” Vice-Rector Bouchon participated in a series of discussions that will lead to a report with proposals for updating the National CTCI Strategy 2026.
On the other hand, the management process included an evaluation of the equity of the metrics used to assess institutional competitions, as well as the inclusion and prioritization of resources. Through an analysis of bonus schemes in ANID research competitions, the measures employed to reduce barriers to entry for women and increase the participation of researchers from underrepresented regions and other groups were reviewed. This provided an opportunity to understand and examine the advantages and disadvantages of the different bonus mechanisms and the variety within the system. In this context, relevant international cases and their use of bonuses in research competitions were sought to inform a critical analysis of the national situation, with a view to its improvement.
“We presented the extreme variety of metrics used in our country and failed to identify a pattern. We believe it is essential to conduct a critical analysis that will allow us to develop proposals based on international models,” Bouchon reflected.
Finally, Bouchon highlighted two aspects that contributed to the successful management of the period. He emphasized the collaboration of the CRUCH General Secretariat throughout the process. “The work we were able to define was very collaborative and constructive,” he stressed. He added that communication was very important, especially the opinion columns and participation in debates. “Representing the voice of CRUCH is crucial to having an effective impact on the STI community,” he explained.
New directive 2024-2026
Continuing to strengthen the Commission, which benefits the CRUCH universities and the science, technology, knowledge and innovation system, is one of the challenges of the new board – made up of seven members – which began its term of office on December 1, 2024.
The presidency was assumed by Vice-Rector of Research and Postgraduate Studies at the University of Atacama (UDA), María José Gallardo; in the Vice President, the Vice Rector of Research and Postgraduate Studies of the Catholic University of the Most Holy Conception (UCSC), Antonio Brante; and in the position of Secretary, the Vice-Rector of Research and Development of the University of Chile (UChile), Christian González.
Regarding representation by macro-regions, by the In the northern zone, Rodrigo Sfeir, Vice-Rector of Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at the Catholic University of the North (UCN), was elected.; by the Central-northern zone, the Vice-Rector of Research and Postgraduate Studies of the Alberto Hurtado University (UAH), Antonia Larraín; by the central-southern zone, the Director of Research at the University of Talca (UTalca), Roberto Jara; and by the southern macrozone, the Vice-Rector of Research and Postgraduate Studies of the University of Los Lagos (ULagos), Oscar Díaz.
In these next two years, The Commission will have the support of the rector of the Federico Santa María Technical University (USM), Juan Yuz Eissmann, who was elected to perform this role by the CRUCH plenary session on January 16.
The new president of the Commission stated that “one of my main challenges will be to contribute to territorial development through research, guided by principles of equity, inclusion, gender equality, excellence, human rights, democracy and, above all, the diversity of each of the universities that make up this Council.”.
The Vice-Rector of the University of Atacama (UDA) emphasized that “research and knowledge generation are fundamental to the progress of our cities, regions, and the country.” Along these lines, she stated that her objective “is to work together with the members of the commission, as well as with other commissions of the Council and with stakeholders from the public and private sectors and the general public, to highlight the impact that science has on the quality of life of all people in our country.”.
For his part, the Vice-Rector of UCSC, Antonio Brante, expressed that “I receive this appointment with joy and also responsibility, and as a way to contribute to the development of research from our CRUCH universities, and to contribute to the generation of collaborative spaces for discussion, analysis and decision-making with the relevant actors that make up the R&D ecosystem in Chile.”.
Regarding the challenges, he distinguished between internal and external ones. “Internally, we must continue strengthening the work of the vice-rectors' committee together with the rectors of the CRUCH (Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities), in order to consolidate the collegial and collaborative work we carry out from different regions and institutions.” Among the external challenges, he identified the need to “continue strengthening ties with the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Commerce (CTCI), with the decision-makers who define and promote public policy initiatives. Furthermore, we must continue to promote science communication and its importance to society as an engine of sustainable development for our countries.”.
Text: CRUCH Communications (*)
(*) This note was prepared based on a UC press release, written by Eliette Angel and Richard García [See here], supplemented with information gathered by CRUCH Communications.
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