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

Region/country

Sector

Subject/journals

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

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

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).
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.
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2021 Research Leaders: Leading institutions in Earth & environmental sciences

Table criteria

Footnote