2021 Research Leaders: Leading institutions in Earth & environmental sciences

The 2021 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.

Table criteria

Position Institution Share 2019 Share 2020 Count 2020 Change in Adjusted Share* 2019–2020
1 Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain 30.80 31.25 149 -3.0% Decrease
2 University of Barcelona (UB), Spain 7.27 6.99 41 -8.1% Decrease
3 Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Spain 2.15 6.48 19 187.7% Increase
4 University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Spain 1.87 4.67 10 138.2% Increase
5 Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Spain 3.07 4.61 36 43.4% Increase
6 University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain 1.49 3.97 11 155.0% Increase
7 University of Girona (UdG), Spain 1.16 3.79 12 211.6% Increase
8 Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), Spain 2.26 3.48 11 47.0% Increase
9 University of Granada (UGR), Spain 4.06 3.11 17 -26.8% Decrease
10 Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), Spain 0.70 2.83 7 285.8% Increase
11 University of Valencia (UV), Spain 1.20 2.52 11 101.4% Increase
12 King Juan Carlos University (URJC), Spain 2.60 2.35 9 -13.7% Decrease
13 University of Cantabria (UC), Spain 4.09 2.33 5 -45.5% Decrease
14 Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Spain 1.53 2.03 11 27.0% Increase
15 Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Spain 1.84 1.66 8 -14.0% Decrease
16 Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Spain 1.87 1.59 9 -19.0% Decrease
17 University of Seville (US), Spain 0.14 1.56 7 961.7% Increase
18 University of Alicante (UA), Spain 0.36 1.37 4 268.9% Increase
19 University of Oviedo (UniOvi), Spain 0.17 1.18 7 570.3% Increase
20 University of Extremadura (UEx), Spain 0.81 1.14 5 34.6% Increase
21 University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Spain 3.26 1.09 9 -68.0% Decrease
22 BC3 Basque Centre for Climate Change, Spain 0.50 1.07 5 103.1% Increase
23 Jaume I University (UJI), Spain 0.43 1.01 3 125.4% Increase
24 Centre de Recerca Matemàtica (CRM), Spain 0.00 1.00 1 0.0% Increase
24 University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Spain 1.25 1.00 3 -23.5% Decrease
25 University of León (ULE), Spain 0.50 1.00 3 90.3% Increase
26 National University of Distance Education (UNED), Spain 0.00 0.93 3 0.0% Increase
27 Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Spain 2.26 0.93 2 -60.7% Decrease
28 University of Vigo (UVIGO), Spain 0.07 0.83 4 984.4% Increase
29 Agricultural Technological Institute of Castilla and Leon (ITACyL), Spain 0.00 0.80 1 0.0% Increase
30 Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Spain 0.96 0.70 13 -30.2% Decrease
31 Pablo de Olavide University (UPO), Spain 0.89 0.70 8 -24.8% Decrease
32 Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Spain 1.94 0.68 5 -66.4% Decrease
33 Institut d'Estudis Catalans (IEC), Spain 0.51 0.67 20 26.6% Increase
34 Spanish Weather Service (AEMET), Spain 0.11 0.64 3 449.1% Increase
35 Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), Spain 0.00 0.60 3 0.0% Increase
36 University of Valladolid (UVa), Spain 0.24 0.60 7 135.2% Increase
37 University of Cádiz (UCA), Spain 1.84 0.59 10 -69.4% Decrease
38 University of Málaga (UMA), Spain 1.50 0.58 5 -62.8% Decrease
39 Water Technology Center (CETAQUA), Spain 0.00 0.54 2 0.0% Increase
40 University of Almeria (UAL), Spain 1.61 0.51 9 -69.6% Decrease
41 Ramon Llull University (URL), Spain 0.00 0.50 1 0.0% Increase
42 University of Zaragoza (Unizar), Spain 0.61 0.49 8 -22.5% Decrease
43 Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Spain 0.10 0.45 6 305.5% Increase
44 University of Cordoba (UCO), Spain 0.00 0.44 5 9,112.9% Increase
45 Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC), Spain 0.00 0.43 1 0.0% Increase
46 Volcanology Institute of the Canaries (INVOLCAN), Spain 0.72 0.39 2 -48.2% Decrease
47 University of Burgos (UBU), Spain 0.00 0.37 3 0.0% Increase
48 National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), Spain 0.28 0.35 6 19.6% Increase
49 University of Alcalá (UAH), Spain 0.84 0.34 5 -60.8% Decrease
50 Servicio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Prehistóricas (SIAP), Spain 0.00 0.33 1 0.0% Increase
50 University of A Coruña (UDC), Spain 0.02 0.33 2 1,333.8% Increase
51 Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Spain 0.01 0.30 3 1,991.7% Increase
52 Spain Ministry of Defense, Spain 0.41 0.30 4 -29.8% Decrease
53 Geoservei Projectes i Gestió Ambiental, S.L., Spain 0.00 0.29 1 0.0% Increase
53 Catalan Water Agency, Spain 0.00 0.29 1 0.0% Increase
54 University of Huelva (UHU), Spain 0.04 0.28 7 526.0% Increase
55 Rovira i Virgili University (URV), Spain 0.33 0.27 5 -22.4% Decrease
56 Naval Military Academy (ENM), Spain 0.00 0.25 1 0.0% Increase
57 University of Murcia (UMU), Spain 0.70 0.23 5 -68.9% Decrease
58 University of Jaén (UJU), Spain 0.41 0.20 4 -53.8% Decrease
59 Naturalea, Spain 0.11 0.19 1 61.3% Increase
60 Entidad de Saneamiento y Depuración de Aguas Residuales (ESAMUR), Spain 0.00 0.17 1 0.0% Increase
60 Open University of Catalonia (UOC), Spain 0.00 0.17 1 0.0% Increase
60 Empresa Municipal Aguas de Murcia (Emuasa), Spain 0.00 0.17 1 0.0% Increase
60 Amphos 21 Consulting S.L, Spain 0.25 0.17 1 -36.3% Decrease
61 Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage (IAPH), Spain 0.04 0.15 4 282.3% Increase
61 Regional Government of Andalusia, Spain 0.04 0.15 4 282.3% Increase
61 Spain Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (MECD), Spain 0.04 0.15 4 282.3% Increase
62 University of Salamanca (USAL), Spain 0.15 0.14 1 -6.6% Decrease
63 Generalitat Valenciana, Spain 0.10 0.13 2 23.2% Increase
64 Spanish National Research Centre for Human Evolution (CENIEH), Spain 0.05 0.11 3 123.8% Increase
65 World Wildlife Fund Spain (WWF Spain), Spain 0.00 0.10 1 0.0% Increase
65 INS Valerià Pujol, Spain 0.00 0.10 1 0.0% Increase
66 Museo Arqueológico de la Comunidad de Madrid (MAR), Spain 0.00 0.09 1 0.0% Increase
67 Institute of Evolution in Africa (IDEA), Spain 0.00 0.08 1 0.0% Increase
68 AZTI-Tecnalia, Spain 0.45 0.07 1 -84.8% Decrease
68 Cidetec Foundation, Spain 0.00 0.07 1 0.0% Increase
69 AEMS-Rios con Vida, Spain 0.00 0.06 1 0.0% Increase
70 Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA), Spain 0.00 0.06 1 0.0% Increase
71 Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Spain 0.00 0.05 10 0.0% Increase
72 Gobierno del Principado de Asturias, Spain 0.00 0.05 3 0.0% Increase
73 Barcelona Provincial Council, Spain 0.00 0.05 1 0.0% Increase
73 Catalan Society of Environmental Education, Spain 0.00 0.05 1 0.0% Increase
74 University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Spain 0.38 0.04 1 -91.1% Decrease
74 Observatorio para una Cultura del Territorio (OCT), Spain 0.00 0.04 1 0.0% Increase
74 Serra Húnter Program (SHP), Spain 0.00 0.04 1 0.0% Increase
74 Foro de Transiciones, Spain 0.00 0.04 1 0.0% Increase
74 Germinando Sociedad Cooperativa Madrid, Spain 0.00 0.04 1 0.0% Increase
75 University of La Laguna (ULL), Spain 0.38 0.03 4 -91.2% Decrease
76 Hospital del Mar, Spain 0.00 0.03 1 0.0% Increase
76 Fundación Instituto de Investigación de Prehistoria y Evolución Humana (FIPEH), Spain 0.00 0.03 1 0.0% Increase
76 Fundación Atapuerca, Spain 0.00 0.03 1 0.0% Increase
77 Research Centers of Catalonia (CERCA), Spain 0.36 0.02 2 -94.0% Decrease
78 University of Navarra (UNAV), Spain 0.70 0.02 1 -97.4% Decrease
79 Leitat - Technological Center, Spain 0.10 0.02 1 -85.5% Decrease
80 University of Lleida (UDL), Spain 1.00 0.01 1 -99.0% Decrease
81 Fundación Migres, Spain 0.00 0.01 1 0.0% Increase
82 Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Spain 0.01 0.01 1 -31.0% Decrease

Footnote

Each year, the Nature Index publishes tables based on counts of high-quality research outputs in the previous calendar year. Users please note:

  1. The data behind the tables are based on a relatively small proportion of total research papers, they cover the natural sciences and health sciences only and outputs are non-normalized (that is, they don’t reflect the size of the country or institution, or its overall research output).
  2. The Nature Index is one indicator of institutional research performance. The metrics of Count and Share used to order Nature Index listings are based on an institution’s or country’s publication output in 145 natural-science and health-science journals. The journals were selected on reputation by an independent panel of leading scientists in their fields. The list is reviewed periodically and journals may be removed or added. Articles from eLife were no longer included in the Nature Index from 2023 after the journal changed its publishing model.
  3. Nature Index recognizes that many other factors must be taken into account when considering research quality and institutional performance; Nature Index metrics alone should not be used to assess institutions or individuals.
  4. Nature Index data and methods are transparent and available under a creative commons licence at nature.com/nature-index/.
  5. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The Nature Index database undergoes regular updating, corrections, adjustment of institutional hierarchies, and removal of retracted papers and thus the live website can differ from the frozen research leaders.