Support for scientific research is the essence of the Atapuerca Foundation and takes place through three main lines of action: support for the annual excavations at the sierra de Atapuerca sites; financial aid for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral research; and, finally, support for other research projects on prehistory and human evolution, both in Spain and in the rest of the world.
ANNUAL EXCAVATIONS
The Atapuerca sites have been excavated systematically since 1978. Currently, more than 300 individuals involved in the Atapuerca project are involved every year in the dig season, which runs for six weeks between June and July.
The Foundation works closely with the Atapuerca Research Team (EIA), providing support in terms of security, logistics and documentary management for the excavations. In addition, during the season, a significant part of the Foundation's team is actively engaged in communication, social media and image-related tasks and institutional relations.
Although the main funding for the dig is provided by the Regional Government of Castilla y León, the Foundation also contributes financial support, demonstrating its commitment to research and to publicising knowledge about human evolution.
The work performed by the Foundation is essential not only for the proper handling of the excavations but also for ensuring that future generations of researchers have the right conditions in place to continue unravelling the secrets of human evolution.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH
The Atapuerca Foundation grants financial assistance for research, with the aim of supporting the education of the young people linked to the Atapuerca project, aided by Fundación Duques de Soria in this programme until 2009. Thanks to the initiative, 94 members of the Atapuerca Research Team have had the opportunity to study, or are still studying, the information drawn from the Atapuerca sites. Many of the recipients have gone on to further their careers at research centres and universities, both in Spain and abroad.
The financial aid programme is made possible thanks to the contributions from the Atapuerca Foundation's trustees and partners. Looking to the future, the Foundation intends to continue expanding opportunities, fostering international collaboration and promoting new lines of research, with the aim of consolidating its benchmark position in terms of supporting and promoting the study of human evolution. Through these measures, it aspires to make a decisive contribution to the advancement of science and the training of new generations of researchers in the field.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
The Atapuerca Foundation collaborates with Fundación Palarq in promoting a number of archaeological research projects. Its contribution has spread to countries such as Eritrea, Senegal, India, Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus region, consolidating the joint commitment of the two foundations to research in human evolution and archaeology.
The Atapuerca Foundation has also helped to foster the global reach of the Atapuerca project. To this end, it cultivates an international cooperation network that makes it possible to work jointly to carry out activities involving scientific exchange, teaching and dissemination. One example is its collaboration with Instituto Cervantes, the Museum of Georgia, University College of London, the Museum of Gibraltar and the University of Buenos Aires, among others.