University of Coimbra secures funding for new projects to boost research in Portugal and Europe
The UC is involved in five national and European projects on gender equality, research data management, research management, research assessment, and science communication.
The University of Coimbra (UC), through its Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (iiiUC), is involved in five national and European projects on gender equality, research data management, science management, research evaluation and science communication. These projects share the common goal of improving and promoting research in Portugal and Europe in areas such as open science, research career development and scientific literacy.
The European project Fostering INCLUsive biomeDicine gender Equality Plans in Research and Higher Education Institutions (INCLUDE), funded by the Horizon Europe programme, brings together 11 partners and is coordinated by SmartVenice. It aims to improve access to career development and reduce gender inequalities in research and higher education. The project will develop gender equality plans, particularly for the health sector, to enhance inclusion, career attractiveness, and talent retention.
The national consortium Research Data Management Network (RE.DATA), led by the University of Coimbra (UC) and the University of Minho, is funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology through its Scientific Computing Unit. It brings together five Portuguese higher education institutions: The Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, the University Institute of Lisbon, the University of Coimbra, the University of Minho, and Nova University Lisbon, in collaboration with 14 research data management centres. It will contribute to the establishment of a support network for research data management in Portugal and to the implementation of policies and best practices in this area.
The Research Management Framework (RM Framework) project, led by the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA) and funded by Horizon Europe, aims to support the development of a European qualification system for research management to improve research management within the European Research Area (ERA). Thus, the RM Framework will guide policymakers and trainers while empowering research managers.
The University of Coimbra has also secured financial support for the Transforming Research Assessment through Responsible Research Training of Early Stage Researchers (TREASURE) project, funded by the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment. This pilot project aims to implement open science practices at the University of Coimbra, thereby contributing to developing alternative metrics for assessing researcher performance, particularly in projects involving early-career researchers.
Alongside these new projects, the UC is also securing funding from Horizon Europe for another edition of the European Researchers' Night, held annually on the last Friday of September (falling on the 26th in 2025), through a consortium of nine partners led by the University of Lisbon. This year, besides the traditional night that promotes science in downtown Coimbra, the funding will support closer interaction with schools in the Coimbra district through the Researchers@Schools initiative, aiming to enhance scientific literacy and raise awareness of the role of research in addressing global challenges.
The five projects represent a total funding amount of €2,218,975.62, with the University of Coimbra receiving €531,820.03. This funding will help strengthen the scientific and academic standing of the University of Coimbra in emerging topics, both nationally and internationally.