Get to know the IFT
The Institute for Theoretical Physics (IFT) is a research centre established as a joint venture between the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Its mission is to advance our fundamental understanding of nature through basic research, and its organisation is tailored to the unique nature of this endeavour. The IFT is characterised by its strong focus on the most difficult open problems in fundamental physics and its interdisciplinary approach. This is fostered by the fruitful collaboration between the different research areas of the Institute and the interaction with top international research groups around the world.
History
The history of the IFT began with several precursors in the 1990s. In April 1996, an institute of the same name was created at UAM. Later, on 23 April 1998, it became an associated unit of CSIC. On 31 October 2001, the Government Council of CSIC approved its constitution as a joint research institute. The collaboration agreement for the creation of the IFT was signed on 13 June 2002 and the final commissioning took place on 10 October 2003. Since 2011, the Institute has shared the CFTMAT building with the Instituto de Ciencias Matemáticas (ICMAT).
The Severo Ochoa Excellence Distinction
Over the last decade, the Institute has experienced significant growth in terms of staff, scientific visibility and economic resources. To a large extent, this has been made possible by the Severo Ochoa Excellence Distinction, which has been awarded to the IFT for three consecutive times, covering a 12-year period from 2013 to 2025. This award recognizes Spanish research centers that stand out for the importance and impact of their results worldwide, with the ability to make a significant contribution to advancing the frontiers of knowledge, generating high-impact results and attracting talent. The Severo Ochoa Distinction has shaped the operation of the IFT into an international hub within the European ecosystem of Theoretical Physics.
What we do
The IFT is a center for basic research in fundamental physics. Our research targets three research frontiers: the Elementary Particle, the Universe and the Quantum Frontier.
Management
The SO Project at the IFT is managed by the Severo Ochoa Steering Committee, overseen by the Faculty Scientific Assembly and the Scientific Advisory Board
SOMMa
The Alliance of SO Centres and María de Maeztu Units aims to promote Spanish excellence in research and increase its social impact at national and international levels.
Training
The IFT provides intensive training for young researchers and professionals through the Master and Postgraduate Programs in Theoretical Physics at UAM.
Outreach
The IFT’s flagship outreach activity is our YouTube channel, a reference for physics content in Spanish. It has over 700,000 followers and receives nearly 7 million views per year.
EDI
The IFT is committed to the principles of non-discrimination and equal rights and opportunities. We aim at creating a diverse, inclusive and welcoming environment at the IFT.
The IFT in numbers
- 36 senior faculty
- 4 Emeriti
- 17% women
- 17% international
- 9 junior faculty
- 22% women
- 44% international
- 35 postdocs
- 17% women
- 70% international
- 65 PhDs
- 16% women
- 15% international
- 8 support + IT personnel
- 75% women
- 700K+ YouTube subscribers, 50M+ visits
- Public Lectures
- High School talks
In Numbers
- 250+ papers
- 100+ conference contributions
- 5000+ citations
/ year
- 15+ PhD thesis
- 10+ PhD courses
- 20 MSC thesis
/ year
- 500+ visitors
- 10+ conferences
- 100+ seminars
- 5+ colloquia
/ year
- 5 Million € budget/year in competitive research grants
IFT’s EDI Action Plan, approved by the IFT Scientific Assembly on 17 June 2021, includes an analysis and diagnosis of our institution’s current state of play regarding gender balance among IFT personnel, governing boards, and activities. A summary can be found on this section of the EDI webpage.