National Scientific and Technical Research Council


The National Scientific and Technical Research Council is an Argentine government agency which directs and co-ordinates most of the scientific and technical research done in universities and institutes.

History

The National Scientific and Technical Research Council was established on 5 February 1958 by a decree of the national government. Its first director was Nobel Laureate Bernardo A. Houssay.
Governed by a board independent from the federal government, it funds scientific research in three basic ways. Firstly, it gives grants for collective work to research teams of well-recognized scientists of every discipline, including social sciences and the humanities. Secondly, it has a payroll of about 6,500 researchers and 2,500 technicians working as employees in different categories, from investigador asistente to investigador principal. Thirdly, it grants scholarships for doctoral and post-doctoral studies to 8,500 young researchers from Argentina and other countries.

Ranking

In 2025, CONICET was ranked as the best Latin American government research institution by the Scimago Institutions Ranking and the 2nd among all research institutions in the region after the Universidade de São Paulo. CONICET holds the 125th position among the most prestigious research institutions worldwide.

Programs

  • Science and Justice: This programs seeks to strengthen collaboration between the scientific community and the judiciary branch.
  • VocAr: Seeks to promote scientific culture and create awareness about CONICET's actions and activities within the education community, youth and the general public.
  • Memory Commission: Strives to recover records of victims impacted by state terrorism.
  • Marine Science Commission: Promotes monitoring and scientific research of Argentinian marine and coastal areas.

    Notable members

  • Carlos J. Gradin—Argentine archaeologist and member of CONICET
  • Andrea Gamarnik—virologist
  • Rosa Muchnik de Lederkremer - chemist and member of CONICET
  • Alberto Kornblihtt—molecular biologist
  • Lino Barañao—biochemist
  • Diego Golombek—biologist and popularizer