The FRONTIERS programme is an innovative initiative coordinated by the European Research Council (ERC). The main goal is to design a residency program for specialized journalists so they can experience an immersive period at a research institution and develop their reporting ideas. CRAG is part of the first European institutions hosting residencies, among other centers in Germany, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Croatia.  

In the first call, the 7 awarded journalistic projects were selected from over 30 applicants and cover a range of cutting-edge topics, including the effects of climate change on glaciers, agroecology, gene editing, rare diseases, immunology...

About Javier  

Javier Pérez Barbuzano is a freelance science journalist from the Canary Islands, with an extensive career as a journalist, contributing to renowned media such as Sky & Telescope, Eos, Science News, Materia/El País, and BBVA Openmind. With a background in Environmental Sciences, he holds a Master's in Science Journalism from Boston University (2017) and has collaborated with prestigious institutions like the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the University of Florida, and the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics. 

This week he began his stay at our center, which will last until December, introducing himself and his project proposal to the CRAG community in a seminar held in the auditorium. As he expressed himself: 

"I want to go where my knowledge ends and learn about possible solutions being developed for the major problems we face. It's an opportunity to get to know the technologies that will reshape the food landscape of the future"

In his seminar, the journalist explained, among other topics, his professional experience in the field of science journalism and shared some helpful tips for both interviewers and interviewees. He also encouraged CRAG’s research community to engage in conversations and meetings with him. 

CRAG’s Director María Lois emphasized the center's interest and involvement: 

“We are delighted to welcome Javier today and to be part of this interesting and innovative initiative. We are confident that this experience will contribute to his professional development as well as making our science more open and accessible.” 

In his first week at CRAG, Javier has already started talking with some of our researchers and delving into their work and research areas. We wish him a wonderful and enriching experience, as we are sure it will be for everyone.

Welcome Javier! 

You can read more information about the project here.