The Medal of Merit in Research and University Education was created for honorary purposes to distinguish the people and entities that have excelled, eminently, in the development and promotion of university education and scientific and technical research. In this way, they become creditors of a public recognition that serves as a fair reward and that encourages other people and entities to follow their example.
Those decorated with this distinction are:
- María José Alonso (July 2020). Professor of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), where he has led since 1992 a pioneering research group in Spain in the field of nanomedicine and drug and vaccine delivery systems, has received the Medal of Merit in Research and University Education in the silver category.
- Luis Rinanes (July 2020). Professor of Research and head of the coronavirus laboratory of the National Center of Biotechnology (CNB) of the Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), has received the decoration in the silver category.
- Mariano Esteban (July 2020). Associate Research Professor Ad Honorem of the National Center for Biotechnology (CNB) of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and leader of the Poxvirus and Vaccines group of the CNB, has been awarded in the silver category.
- María Dolores Cabezudo Ibáñez (March 2019). Awarded in the gold category, she is a distinguished researcher in the field of chemistry, professor of Food Technology at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) until her retirement, and research professor at the Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC) on leave.
- Emilio Lledó Íñigo (March 2019). Professor of History of Philosophy, teaching that he taught in Germany and Spain and author among other works of Philosophy and Language (1971) and Language and History (1978), has been awarded the medal in the gold category.
- María Vallet Regí (March 2019). Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and director of the Department of Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Complutense University of Madrid, she has been awarded in the gold category for her contributions to Biotechnology and Medicine.
- Santos Juliá Díaz (November 2019). In its gold category and posthumously, the Medal of Merit in Research and University Education recognizes its relevant university work carried out through the deep study of the history of Spain.
- Margarita Salas Falgueras (November 2019). Considered as the forerunner of molecular biology in Spain, she has posthumously received the Medal of Merit in Research and University Education in its gold category.
- Santiago Griusada García (November 2010). Creator and secretary of the Valencian Foundation for Advanced Studies and maximum promoter of the current Rei Jaume I Awards, he has been awarded the medal in the gold category for his dedication to research in various fields in the area of biochemistry.
