To future-proof themselves, scientists must have strength of character and a set of flexible personal skills that enable them to respond to unpredictable environments and multiple pressures: just having excellent technical skills is no longer enough to be an excellent scientist. The ability to work with others, listen, adapt and be tolerant of differences are skills that are learned through life experience, but they can be improved and enriched if we focus on them.

The PRBB Intervals programme has a dual purpose. Firstly, it provides learning opportunities that support personal and professional development, enabling all our staff to become more effective influencers, whatever their current or future role in society.

Secondly, it encourages relationship-building between people in all the PRBB centres, across disciplines and profiles.

Last year, the Intervals programme ran 36 courses involving a total of 450 places. Course attendees gave very positive feedback, with 90% of them rating the courses as excellent or very good.

The programme is organised into three thematic learning areas:

• Self skills: courses that focus on developing personal skills such as thinking, creativity and personal mastery.
• Interpersonal skills: courses that focus on the interrelationships between individuals, generally one-to-one, but also in small groups or teams.
• System skills: courses that focus on developing the skills that enable an individual to interact effectively with large groups and the public, both in a scientific and non-scientific context, and to find their own path through the complex social system of science.

●Auditorium

The PRBB Auditorium is designed for scientific conferences. It is located high up, in the heart of the PRBB building and overlooking the sea. It has a separate access and holds up to 250 people. 

The auditorium is a unique space, with annexed areas that can accommodate coffee breaks, cocktail parties, dinners and poster sessions. It also features a wide range of audiovisual equipment controlled by experienced technicians who are available throughout an event.

●Seminars

Four rooms for conferences, seminars, workshops and training sessions are available on the ground floor with independent access from the inner courtyard of the building. They have natural lighting and hold between 30 and 90 participants in a theatre-style layout. The seminar rooms are named after some of the most important scientists in history: Marie Curie, Charles Darwin, Ramón y Cajal, and Rita Levi-Montalcini.

The hire also includes the opportunity to use part of the inner square for catering and poster sessions. The audiovisual equipment is user-controlled.

The PRBB Consortium is a public entity (see the Transparency Portal) and is subject to the public procurement regime. By following the link below you can access the PRBB Consortium contractor profile on the public procurement services platform of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

This website publishes all the tenders processed by the PRBB Consortium, as well as the tender awards and formalisations of contracts, including minor contracts.

→ PRBB Contractor Profile

At the PRBB we want to provide an environment that celebrates diversity and helps all scientists, regardless of their gender, origin or other conditions, to develop their careers and carry out excellent research.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee at the PRBB

The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (EDI) of the PRBB, formed by members of the six centers, is responsible for catalyzing the development of inter-institutional initiatives to create awareness and promote a real environment of equal opportunities. The tasks and actions of the committee include:

• Organize campaigns, surveys and events to raise awareness and visibility of different diversities: women scientists, the LGTBIAQ+ community, people with disabilities, etc.
• Promote inter-institutional initiatives to achieve an inclusive and respectful environment for everyone (#BeRespectful)
• Foster the creation of self-managed communities, such as the LGTBIAQ+@PRBB or the BeyondAbility@PRBB groups, and support them.
• Create informative and educational material and resources about diversity in science.

You can see some examples of these initiatives on social networks with the hashtag #PRBBdiversity or in articles in El·lipse with the tag #diversity. 

The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion dossier at the PRBB (PDF) explains more details about the composition of the EDI Committee and its initiatives, such as the installation of inclusive toilets and a lactation room, among others. All activities are in the annual report. 

Communities at the PRBB

There are several grassroots groups of residents who meet regularly to discuss issues of common interest. If you'd like to be part of one of these groups, or if you're part of a community that's not yet represented and would like to create a new EDI@PRBB group, send a message to edi@prbb.org.

LGTBIAQ+@PRBB 

If you are a person from the LGTBIAQ+ community or want to work for this cause, this is your group! Every month we meet to organize activities, propose ideas or share experiences. 

BeyondAbility@PRBB 

Do you have any physical, learning or psychological disorder or disability? Join our group to find ways to improve our work environment and educate our community! 

Beach volleyball

The PRBB Beach Volleyball Championship is the park’s biggest social event. Each year, more than 500 people in 90 teams take part in the tournament with games held every day over a four-month period (April to July).

Choir and Orchestra

The PRBB Orchestra was founded in March 2015 and has been growing and improving since then. There are three rehearsals each month, usually on Mondays from 1:30 pm to 3 pm. Borja Mascaró Vidal conducts, and the repertoire is a mix of classical and popular music, where the different parts are generally transcribed and adapted to the levels of the individual musicians.

Any resident can join the PRBB choir. You don’t need musical knowledge or experience, only the desire to sing! The choir is conducted by Oscar Salvador, and there is a weekly rehearsal, on Thursdays from 6 pm to 8 pm, in one of the rooms off the inner square.

Yoga Sessions

“Stress-free Mornings with Yoga” is on the menu every Tuesday and Thursday from 8 am to 9 am. The Hatha Yoga classes are conducted in English by a certified teacher and are suitable for all levels, including beginners. Just wear comfortable clothes and bring a yoga mat. The yoga sessions are co-financed and exclusive to residents.

#PRBB Live - Musical Lunch Breaks

A series of 35-40 minutes concerts to enjoy live music, where musical groups made up of at least one PRBB resident entertain at the interior square of the PRBB. The cycles are organized in spring and autumn. If you are a musician, get in touch!

Incubakers

In 2013, a group of PRBB researchers decided to do their bit to make the world a better place. The results are the eagerly awaited Incubators solidarity breakfasts, held each month in the building's inner courtyard.

One member of the group chooses a charity, calls his fellow Incubakers, makes a poster and organises a fantastic solidarity breakfast. When the bake sale is over, they transfer the money to the chosen NGO and that's it; sweet and simple.