We want to increase the use of Catalan in research, knowledge transfer and the dissemination of science to society.
Research, clear and in Catalan
Catalan is a language of science, but its use in research, knowledge transfer and scientific dissemination needs to be further strengthened.
1. An academic language
It is estimated that around only a hundred of the six thousand languages in the world are academic languages (i.e. used as a vehicle for university teaching and the transmission of scientific knowledge). And Catalan is one of them.
In the 13th century, thanks to Ramon Llull, Catalan was the leading European language (after Latin) in terms of scientific output. Furthermore, we now have a standardised language for transmitting knowledge at all levels of specialisation. We also have organisations that guarantee the development of scientific terminology in Catalan in all areas of knowledge.
2. A language for sharing
Catalan is the thirteenth most spoken language in the European Union, with over 10 million speakers, is taught at 150 universities around the world, is spoken in four countries, ranks 20th in terms of Wikipedia entries (where it is also among the top positions in the quality rankings), and is the 12th most influential language in the world according to the latest language survey by the French Ministry of Culture.
It is, therefore, a language for sharing, it has maintained its position in the territory where it originated more than a thousand years ago (despite the prohibitions to which it has been subjected) and it has made significant contributions to universal thought and culture.
3. Minoritized language
Catalan is not a minority language (with few speakers), but rather a language that has become minoritized in the areas where it is historically spoken (that is, a language which, due to external political factors, has been pushed out of certain areas of use, areas that it is now fighting to recover).
Making Catalan a functioning research language helps to ensure its continued existence in the only area in the world where it is spoken (and also helps, therefore, to preserve the linguistic diversity of planet). It is clear that if Catalan is to be a fully functioning language, science and research are strategic ambits because they reinforce the prestige of the language and help empower its speakers.
4. Primary language
The legal framework establishes that Catalan is the primary language of the universities and the language to be used as a matter of course in their activities. For this reason, the university and research system in Catalonia aims to increase its use in research and scientific meetings, in the transfer of scientific knowledge to society, and in scientific dissemination.
Given that a significant portion of research is funded by public contributions, it is only fair to maximise the social return on this investment by disseminating knowledge among the population, especially among professionals interested in developments applicable to their field. This dissemination in the immediate environment should above all be carried out in the primary language, rather than in academic lingua francas.
5. Language in a multilingual context
The adoption of English as the academic lingua franca explains the limited presence of most academic languages (including Catalan) in publications that communicate the latest research to other specialists.
For this reason, the Helsinki Initiative advocates for multilingual academic communication. The aim is to guarantee access to scientific knowledge in national languages and to reward researchers for interacting with heritage, culture and society. The proposal seeks to ensure that expert evaluation processes value high-quality research, regardless of language or publication channel, and that metric systems adequately consider publications in journals and books in all languages
Within this framework of balanced multilingualism in science, it is appropriate for research staff to use English primarily in international circles and Catalan in their own linguistic domain. In this way, researchers can project their research into the society that supports them, which is especially important for transfer, dissemination and research that has an impact on the territory.
Monographs and journals at the URV
Through the URV Publications imprint, we aim to raise the profile of university research findings and make knowledge accessible and available to society.
Teaching materials in Catalan
Teaching is one of the main missions of the university, and university publishers have always been concerned with providing both students and society with the materials that will guide them on the path to learning.
Awards for University Publishing in Catalan
The Awards for University Publishing in Catalan aim to highlight the importance of university publications in the transfer of knowledge in Catalan, and to emphasize the value and quality of the work carried out to promote and normalise the use of the Catalan language.
Josep M. Pujol Prize for the best doctoral thesis written in Catalan (URV)
The Language Policy Committee awards these prizes annually, which consist of the publication of the winning works in the Cum Laude collection of URV Publications and the award of €1,500 to the author for publication rights.
Grants for theses in Catalan (Catalan Government)
Grants for doctoral theses in Catalan are intended to help students pay for the expenses and administrative fees associated with the completion of their doctoral thesis and with the process of obtaining their doctoral degree certificate.
Language used for theses at the URV
Check out the data regarding the use of Catalan in the thesis presented at the URV.
Free correction of theses in Catalan (URV)
The Language and Publications Service offers trainee researchers at the URV a free service for correcting theses in Catalan.
Researchers who wish to use the service should submit a request via this electronic form.
Free correction/translation of thesis abstracts (URV)
The Language and Publications Service offers trainee researchers at the URV a free service for the:
- Correction of thesis abstracts in Catalan
- Translation into English of thesis abstracts in Catalan
- Translation into Catalan of thesis abstracts in English
Requests should be made via this electronic form.
Activities
Grants and prizes
Joan Oró grants for the promotion of scientific cultura in Catalan
- Objective: to strengthen scientific dissemination in Catalan, with a particular focus on promoting young talent and audiovisual projects
- Intended for: individuals and organisations
- Topic: innovative initiatives that bring scientific and technological knowledge closer to the public, with special attention on the social benefits derived from the application of knowledge
- Organised by: Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation and the Department of Research and Universities of the Catalan Government
Creus Casas Sicart research grants
- Objective: to promote local research projects
- Intended for: teaching and research staff at universities in the Vives Network who carry out local research with a local or regional study centre at the Ramon Muntaner Institute
- Topic: any field of knowledge
- Organised by: Vives Network of Universities and Ramon Muntaner Institute, in collaboration with the Catalan Government
Research dissemination in the humanities
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Objective: to support projects by university chairs,research centres and institutes and university research groups in the field of Catalan literature
- Intended for: universities with centres, chairs, research institutes or research groups in the field of literature
- Topic: organisation of events (conferences, lecture series, seminars, courses, symposiums, congresses, etc.), publications and exhibitions aimed at disseminating research in the field of literature within the linguistic sphere of Catalan or Occitan
- Organised by: Institució de les Lletres Catalanes (Catalan Government)
Emili Giralt i Raventós Grant. Wine Cultures
- Objective: to stimulate research into winemaking from the perspective of the social sciences and humanities
- Intended for: individuals or teams with research projects
- Topic: vine cultivation and wine and cava production analysed from the perspective of the social sciences and humanities
- Organised by: VINSEUM (Museum of Wine Cultures of Catalonia), in collaboration with Mútua Catalana and with the support of the University of Barcelona, the University of the Roussillon, the University of Girona and the University of Lleida
- Wine Cultures Collection
Ramon Amigó i Anglès Research Prize
- Objective: to complete the study of onomastics in the Camp de Tarragona region and promote it in other places
- Intended for: teaching staff and students at the universities in the Vives Network
- Topic: Catalan onomastics
- Organised by: URV (Department of Catalan Philology) and the URV Foundation, with the support of the Department of Culture of the Catalan Government
Jesús Tuson Prize for linguistic diversity
- Objective: to promote research into and transfer of humanity's linguistic heritage
- Intended for: teaching staff and students at universities in the Vives Network
- Topic: linguistic diversity around the world
- Organised by: Endangered Languages Study Group, Vives Network of Universities, Òmnium Cultural
Competitions
"Do you want to know what I am researching?"
- For URV doctoral students
- Monologues on the research project or topic (prize for the best monologue in Catalan, cumulative with other prizes)
- Organised by: URV (ComCiència and the Doctoral School)
"Present your thesis in 4 minutes"
- For doctoral students at Catalan universities
- Brief explanations about their research (special prize for theses in Catalan)
- Organized by: Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation
Monologue Competition by the Science Club
- For older people who study or work in science or technology, including pre-university education specialising in science (excluding media and performing arts professionals).
- Monologues on science or technology
- Organised by: Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation, Vives University Network and the Science Week Organising Committee
Platforms and portals
- Objective: to disseminate science in Catalan through a platform of blogs by scientists from the Catalan-speaking territories.
- Content: various subject areas (currently: logic, mathematics, astronomy and astrophysics, physics, chemistry, life sciences, Earth and space sciences, agricultural sciences, medical sciences, technological sciences, science and society, psychology).
- Organised by: Enciclopèdia Catalana Foundation
- Objective: to disseminate science in Catalan and bring scientific knowledge to everyone
- Content: reports, experiences, information, reviews, stories and experiments
- Organised by: Open Science, a university student project funded by crowdfunding