CAF-Elhuyar Awards highlight work and projects promoting scientific culture

Researchers Xabier Artaetxebarria Artieda and Antton Alberdi Estibaritz and journalist Edu Lartzaguren Urdangarin have been awarded.

Enrique Hurtado Mendieta, for his part, has received a scholarship to develop the project Txalaparta digital and interactive, and the Award has been for Kepa Altonaga Sustatxa.

The Caf-Elhuyar Awards ceremony took place today at the Kutxa Cultural Center in Tabakalera (Donostia). The motto of this edition was “Get the vaccine for scientific culture” and, after the awards ceremony at the International Center for Contemporary Culture, they have shown that scientific culture is part of culture.

From left to right: Antton Alberdi Estibaritz, Xabier Artaetxebarria Artieda, Enrique Hurtado Mendieta, Edu Lartzaguren Urdangarin, Kepa Altonaga Sustatxa

The award aims to recognize and promote articles, journalistic works and social inclusion projects that highlight scientific and technological issues and research. Thus, the works awarded by the members of the jury in this edition have been the following by category:

In fact, the category of original articles consists of two subcategories, in which the prize is endowed with 2,000 euros and the sculpture of Imanol Andonegi Mendizabal.

Xabier Artaetxebarria Artieda (San Sebastian, 1982) has received the award for the article “Why are we good?”.

The award for the publication article based on the author’s doctoral thesis was for Antton Alberdi Estibaritz (Elgoibar, 1987) for the article “Non hegoa, han han han han zangoa: saguzar belarrihandi alpina”.

On the other hand, in the category of scientific journalism works a work created and published in Basque in 2015, with 2,000 euros and the sculpture of Imanol Andonegi is awarded. This year Edu Lartzaguren Urdangarin (Eibar, 1969) collected it by an article published in Berria: “Cow and come back.”

In addition to the awards, the Caf-Elhuyar Awards grant a grant of 5,000 euros to promote projects that serve as a bridge between science and society. This year Enrique Hurtado Mendieta (Sodupe, 1973) has received the creation scholarship in Science in society for his project “Txalaparta digital y interactiva”.

Finally, the Board of Trustees of the Elhuyar Foundation awards the Elhuyar Award of Merit. Through it, it recognizes the work done in the normalization and socialization of Basque. And this year he has decided to deliver it to the zoologist and disseminator Kepa Altonaga Sustatxa.

In the awards ceremony, in addition to the winners and some of the members of the jury, Adrián Merino Estrella, head of Labor Relations of Human Resources of CAF and representative of the management in the Basque Commission, Jose Mª. The President of the Elhuyar Pitarke Foundation of Basque Culture and the Director General of CIC nanoGUNE, Markel Olano Arrese, Deputy General of Gipuzkoa, Garikoitz Agote Alberro, Director of Innovation of the Provincial Council of Basque Culture, In addition, among the guests are researchers at the university level.

Specifically, the jury in charge of judging the articles of disclosure and journalism has been composed of:

- Leire Cancio Orueta, Director General of Elhuyar - Arturo Elosegi Irurtia, ecologist and researcher at the UPV - Marian Iriarte Ormazabal, chemist and researcher at the UPV - Alberto Barandiaran Amillano, journalist and director of the INITIATIVE - Uxune Martínez Mazaga, responsible for scientific dissemination

On the other hand, the projects presented to the scholarship of creation in science society have judged:

- Garazi Andonegi Beristain, head of the scientific unit Elhuyar - Josu Rekalde Izagirre, director of the Department of Art and Technology of the UPV - Koldo Almandoz de La Cruz, film director

Finally, here are some of the award-winning works:

Award General Disclosure Article

- Title: “Why are we good?” - Author: Xabier Artaetxebarria Artieda (San Sebastian, 1982). After studying Telecommunications Engineering at the University of Navarra, he completed his doctoral thesis at the CIMA research centre in Pamplona. During his thesis he made stays at the University of Utrecht and Iowa. Since the end of the doctorate he has worked in the research department of the company CAF.

Artaetxebarria recalls in his article that we associate the law of the jungle with cruelty, that is, that the strong crushes without mercy. However, studies in recent decades have shown that altruistic behaviors are more widespread in nature than previously thought, both among individuals of the same species and among different species. “But is this not against natural selection?” asks Artaetxebarria. The jury considers that it has addressed this issue in an appropriate and attractive manner.

Award for the dissemination article based on the author's doctoral thesis

- Title: “Non hegoa, han hanga: following the trail of the alpine orejón bat” - Author: Antton Alberdi Estibaritz (Elgoibar, 1987). After studying Biology at UPV-EHU, he completed his doctoral thesis on the ecology and evolution of the alpine orejón bat (2014). He currently works at the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) in the reconstruction of the ecology of post-glacial bats in Europe with the old DNA and in the research of the influence of intestinal microorganisms on the adaptation of animals to changes in the environment.

Alberdi also left the question when the thesis began: “Why is this bat, unlike the rest, attached to the high mountains? Where is this animal kept? Where do you hunt? What temperatures can it withstand? What do you eat?” Through the thesis he answered these questions and reported the results of the research in the article. In the opinion of the jury, the most technical aspects have also been easily explained and the images attached are of great help and utility.

Prize for scientific journalism works

- Title: “Behi eta berriz” - Author: Edu Lartzaguren Urdangarin (Eibar, 1969). He studied audiovisual journalism at the Complutense University of Madrid. He began his career as a journalist on the radio. Ostiela! was a member of the journal's board of directors and published numerous articles in the publication. Worked in the newspaper Euskaldunon, since her birth she has worked as an editor in Berria. In 2013 he received the Argia Award for interviews published in Berria.

Lartzaguren wins the prize with a report published in the news. The jury believes that the reader joins the title. The report is completed with expert interviews, which increases the value of work. The jury also highlighted the richness of the language and the infographic and layout used.

Grant of creation in scientific society

- Title: “Txalaparta digital y interactiva” - Author:Enrique Hurtado Mendieta (Sodupe, 1973). After graduating in Fine Arts from UPV, he completed his master's degree in Design for Interactive Media at Middlesex University (London). The doctorate was carried out at the UPV/EHU on the digital txalaparta. She has been awarded several awards both nationally and internationally.

According to the jury, the project presented by Hurtado is elaborated, well defined and feasible. He believes that being based on txalaparta can arouse people's interest and is also applicable to other areas. On the other hand, the use of free technology contributes significantly to socialization, so in this sense, it also fully conforms to the objectives and criteria of the scholarship.

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