Operation of Research and Development Units integrated into University of the Azores supported by more than 296 thousand Euros - Communication

Vice-Presidência do Governo Regional

The Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government, through the Regional Directorate for Science, Innovation and Development, approved this year more than 296 thousand Euros in funding for 11 Research and Development Units integrated into the University of the Azores (UAç), under the PRO-SCIENTIA programme.

Nine units accredited by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) applied for this call, along with two units that are formally and legally established at UAc but have not been accredited by this entity.

The criteria for this year's support were based on a new methodology and funding calculation formula compared to previous years. The call for proposals was launched at a particularly auspicious moment, coinciding with the release of the results of the latest FCT evaluation.

Accordingly, the funding for each Research Unit was based on the number of units applying, their respective FCT evaluation and number of PhDs involved, through the allocation of a differentiated and proportional weighting.

In this regard, grants ranging from 3,000 to 67,000 Euros were awarded. The units covered by this measure are as followes: the Centre for Overseas, the Azores Biodiversity Group, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Social Sciences, the Institute for Volcanology and Geological Risk Assessment, the Okeanos Institute, CIBIO/Azores, the Smart Systems, Science and Engineering Centre, the Centre for Atlantic Studies and Applied Economics, the Azores Biotechnology Centre, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Childhood and Adolescence, and the Centre for Humanistic Studies.

With this funding, the Vice-Presidency of the Government aims to contribute to the sustainability and promotion of research conducted by the University of the Azores.

For the Vice-President of the Regional Government, Artur Lima, "the research conducted by these units brings prestige to the Region."

“We continue to invest in innovation developed in the Azores. Our success also depends on regional scientific capacity, ” stated the government official. 

“This is why we support the improvement of resources, scientific infrastructures, working conditions for researchers, and the integration and training of grant recipients,” emphasised Artur Lima.