Advanced Training

ICIQ has a strong commitment to offer training programmes for undergraduates, graduate students and doctoral researchers. We prepare a new generation of researchers with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle the most important challenges in chemical research. We are convinced that an integral education beyond chemistry is crucial to achieve outstanding research results and fruitful life achievements.

Training Programmes

The ICIQ Graduate Student Programme ICIQ’s PhD student programme is at the core of our commitment to education. We foster graduate students in their path to think, design and execute a research project under the supervision and mentoring of an ICIQ Group Leader. The programme targets highly qualified and talented graduate students with an enthusiastic interest in chemical research and has been successful in attracting students from all over the world.

In 2020 we launched three calls of our PhD Fellowship Programme. A total of 22 graduate students joined ICIQ through ICIQ’s fellowship programme. We also incorporated PhD students through other funding calls: 3 FI (AGAUR); 1 FPU (MECD); 2 Estancias breves FPU(MECD); 7 FPI (MICIU).

PhD theses defended in 2020

MORE INFO
Date
Name
Thesis titleSupervisors
24.01
Abolfazl Ghaderian
Ruthenium Complexes as Molecular Water Oxidation Catalysts Prof. Antoni Llobet / Dr. Carolina Gimbert
13.02
Rosie Somerville
Mechanisms of Ni-Catalysed C–O Functionalisation and Carboxylation ReactionsProf. Rubén Martín
14.02
Ángel L. Mudarra Alonso Coinage Metal Complexes in C-C and C-N Bond-Forming Reactions Prof. Feliu Maseras / Dr. Mónica H. Pérez-Temprano
20.02
Marino Börjesson
Ni-Catalyzed Reductive Carboxylation Reactions with Carbon DioxideProf. Rubén Martín
21.02
Jesús San José Orduna
Trapping Elusive Cp*CoIII Metallacycles: Implications in C–H Functionalization Processes Dr. Mónica H. Pérez-Temprano
08.05
Konstantin Karajovič
Theoretical Study of Nickel Phosphide Ensembles for Selective HydrogenationProf. Núria López
28.05
Lingjun Hu
Advancing C1 Catalysis by Spatiotemporal Analysis and Dynamic Operation Prof. Atsushi Urakawa
10.06
Miguel Claros Casielles
Development of Visible-Light Photoredox Methodologies towards the Activation of Carbon-Halogen Bonds Prof. Julio Lloret / Dr. Alicia Casitas
12.06 Imma Escofet
Computational Mechanistic Studies in Gold(I) Catalysis and Design of New Chiral Ligands Prof. Antonio M. Echavarren
22.06 Giuseppe Zuccarello Chiral Pyrrolidinyl-Biphenyl Phosphine Ligands in Gold(I) Catalysis Prof. Antonio M. Echavarren
08.07
Nurtalya Alandini
1,4-Dihydropyridines as Versatile Reagents in Photochemical Carbon-Carbon Bond-Forming Processes Prof. Paolo Melchiorre
09.07
Pablo Bonilla
Combining Iminium Ion-Mediated Catalysis and Photochemistry to Develop Enantioselective Radical Processes Prof. Paolo Melchiorre
13.07 Alicia Martínez Carrión
The Hydroformylation Reaction: from Covalent to Supramolecular Approaches and Operando Kinetic Studies Prof. Anton Vidal
16.07
Guillem Peñuelas
Towards Recognition of Polar Molecules in Water Using Aryl-extended Calix[4]pyrrole Receptors Prof. Pablo Ballester
07.09 Daniele Mazzarella
C-C and C-B Bond Forming Strategies Driven by the Photoexcitation of Organocatalytic Intermediates Prof. Paolo Melchiorre
02.10 Daniel Bafaluy
New Strategies for C(sp3)-H Functionalization Prof. Kilian Muñiz / Prof. Rubén Martín
15.10 Jianing Xie
Advancing Pd-catalyzed Stereoselective Allylic Substitution Reactions Prof. Arjan. W. Kleij
11.11 Junshan Lai
Immobilization of 2,4-cis-Diarylprolinol Silyl Ethers, Isothioureas, SPINOL-Derived Phosphoric Acids and Their Application in the Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis in Batch and Flow Prof. Miquel À. Pericàs & Dr. Sonia Sayalero
12.11 Margherita Zanini
Transition Metal-Catalyzed Reactions of Heteroatom-Substituted AlkynesProf. Antonio M. Echavarren
18.11 Marco Mastandrea Harnessing Visible Light for the Development of Novel Synthetic Strategies Prof. Miquel À. Pericàs
24.11 Andreu Tortajada Nickel-Catalyzed Reductive Carboxylation and Amidation of Organic Matter Prof. Rubén Martín
25.11 Thomas L. Duhamel Design of New C(sp3)-H Functionalization Through Halogen Catalysis Prof. Kilian Muñiz / Prof. Rubén Martín
09.12 Federico Dattila Theoretical Models for the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 on Copper Catalysts under Working Conditions Prof. Núria López / Dr. Rodrigo A. García Muelas
10.12 Estefanía del Castillo Applications of the Hofmann-Löffler Reaction for C-H Functionalization in Total SynthesisProf. Kilian Muñiz / Prof. Antonio M. Echavarren
14.12 Anastasia Tkacheva Complex Anionic Halide Reagents as a Novel Useful Compound Class for Direct C-H Functionalizations: Studies Towards Aromatic Amination Reactions Prof. Kilian Muñiz / Prof. Miquel À. Pericàs
15.12 Shang-Zheng Sun Ni-Catalyzed Reductive Coupling Reactions to Forge sp3 Carbon Linkages Prof. Rubén Martín
22.12 Primavera Pelosin Water Oxidation Catalysis Using First Row Transition Metals Prof. Antoni Llobet

Postdoctoral researchers at ICIQ have an outstanding opportunity to develop their research careers in a collaborative and international environment. We believe in empowering postdoctoral researchers and strengthening their leadership skills. In 2020 we succeeded in obtaining six Marie Curie Sklodowska Actions – Individual Fellowships (MSCA-IF) grants. Moreover, ICIQ benefited from one Beatriu de Pinós (AGAUR) and one postdoctoral grant from the COFOUND programme ICIQ Impulse for Talented Postdoctoral Fellows.

We participated in two Master programmes. The URV/ICIQ Master in Synthesis, Catalysis and Molecular Design provides scientific training in the design of new methods of synthesis, development of catalysts, computational design and management of environmentally friendly chemical processes. The Master also focuses on providing the skills needed to address research and development tasks and innovative activities in the industry. Eleven ICIQ Master students were awarded one of the institute’s master projects fellowships. 13 students enrolled in this master thanks to the ICIQ master research projects grants.
We also participated in the Master of Multidisciplinary Research in Experimental Sciences (BIST-UPF), which provides in-depth hands-on research training in multiple fields. Students undertake a 6-month major project and a 10-week minor project in two different research disciplines in different BIST centers. Two ICIQ students obtained grants to pursue the BIST-UPF master programme.

ICIQ Summer Internship Programme, which is sponsored by Fundació Bancària La Caixa, brings together outstanding undergraduate students who make the most of their Summer holidays by working in one of ICIQ’s research groups during the months of July, August, and September. In 2020, due to COVID-19 pandemic, we had to cancel this programme. Instead, we had nine undergraduate students who did short internships in different research groups throughout the year.

Transferable Skills Courses

TRAINING COURSE NAME
AUDIENCE
OBJECTIVES
PROVIDER
How to be an effective researcher
New PhD studentsEnhance the effectiveness of postgraduate researchers by providing them with an opportunity to build their understanding, skills and confidence in communication, planning and time management, problem solving, leadership and assertiveness. Help researchers to have a greater self-awareness of learning and working styles.ICIQ- Vitae - BIST
Chemical Reactions TechnologiesICIQ researchers
The aim of the workshop is to give support to users of the Chemical Reactions Technologies unit
Internal (Marta Giménez, CRTU)
IP Management at ICIQICIQ researchersIntroduce the existing forms of IP titles and the way IP is managed at ICIQ.Internal (Fred Ratel, IP unit)
more info
TRAINING COURSE NAME
AUDIENCE
OBJECTIVES
PROVIDER
Leadership in Action
Postdoctoral researchersThis workshop allows researchers to explore and develop their leadership skills. Participants have the opportunity to look at relevant theory, to practice their unique leadership styles and to receive feedback.CRAC VITAE-BIST
RSA general overviewNew researchers
Regular sessions for new researchers about ICIQ instrumentation facilities.Internal (Gisela Colet, RSA)
Alternatives to Helium as carrier gas GC
ICIQ researchersAgilent Technologies
How to survive a PhDNew PhD studentsEnhance the effectiveness of the new PhD students by providing them with an opportunity to improve the following skills: communication, teambuilding, conflict resolution, time management, project management, and creativity.Internal (HR Unit)
From science to business
BIST researchersProvide researchers with the tools to launch a new business exploiting scientific or technical knowledge.ESADE - BIST
Leadership and management skills for senior PI
Group leadersAimint at improve the communication, collaboration and leadership skills; at provide useful tools for balancing the roles of manager, leader, scientist; conflict resolution. and negotiation; acquire skills in order to make and communicate hard decisions; and analyze how to actively shape the culture of science at their institution.



HFP Consulting - BIST
High Throughput Experimentation Workshop
ICIQ researchersInternal (Xisco Caldentey, HTE lab)
Safety measures in thermal processesICIQ researchersMassó Analítica