CSIC is the largest public multidisciplinary research organization in Spain, with more than 6000 scientist working on different disciplines. The CSIC has 135 institutes or centres, including 51 Joint Research Units with universities or other public research institutions. The purpose of CSIC is the development, coordination and diffusion of multidisciplinary scientific research. CSIC collaborates with national and international universities, public RTD organizations, SMEs, companies and other scientific and technological institutions.

CSIC has participated in more than 7.700 European projects using different funding instruments, such as Framework Programmes (FP), CECA, INTERREG and LIFE+ Programmes. Under FP7, CSIC has signed more than 440 projects (including 42 coordinated by CSIC as well as 22 ERC). CSIC will participate in MERCES with its two largest marine research institutes in the Mediterranean Sea, the INSTITUTE OF MARINES SCIENCES (CSIC-ICM) and the CENTER FOR ADVANCED STUDIES BLANES (CSIC-CEAB).