Open Call for HEALTH + SCIENCE Exploratory Projects 2025

Applications are now open for the 2025 HEALTH + SCIENCE Call for Exploratory Projects, promoted by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS). The period for submitting applications runs until 5 p.m. (Lisbon time) on July 22, 2025.

This Call is being held as part of the program to stimulate scientific research, Saúde + Ciência (Health + Science), funded through the ACSS budget, which is transferred to the FCT, and is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation and the Ministry of Health, to encourage cooperation between higher education institutions, research centers and entities under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.

The maximum funding per project is 50,000 euros, with a total budget of 1.6 million euros.

The Call aims to promote innovative ideas and relevant scientific issues by supporting IC&DT projects with the potential to foster technological and organizational innovation, improve the efficiency of healthcare systems and put the citizen at the center of care, promoting a more sustainable and humanized healthcare model.

Research projects must fall within one of the three thematic areas: Access to Health, Active Ageing or Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.

In the thematic area of Access to Health, proposals that develop solutions to improve the provision of care in remote or disadvantaged regions, reduce socio-economic barriers to access to services and integrate mobile and telemedicine technologies will be valued. In the field of Active Ageing, the aim is to support initiatives that promote the autonomy and well-being of the elderly population, combat social isolation and introduce assisted technologies. In the area of Health Promotion, support is given to projects that encourage healthy lifestyles, prevent chronic diseases and reduce the consumption of harmful substances, contributing to greater health literacy and strengthening public health in Portugal.

The proposals submitted must include two or more beneficiaries, including at least one non-business entity from the R&I system - such as higher education institutions, state laboratories and private non-profit R&D institutions - and one non-academic entity supervised by the member of the Government responsible for health. The selected applications must demonstrate the potential of their proposals to transform healthcare, promoting quality, accessibility and citizen satisfaction.

Projects will have a maximum duration of 18 months, without interruption, and may be extended, in duly justified cases, for an additional period of up to 6 months.

The Health + Science Program is one of several partnerships established between the government departments of Health and Science, as well as between FCT and the Directorate-General for Health. These partnerships also include Portugal's membership of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which Portugal joined a few days ago, almost 30 years after first announcing its intention to join.

The Health + Science Programme also falls within the scope of the partnerships established between the FCT and different departments, namely with the Ministry of Youth and Modernization(Digital Twins for Smart Territories and Amalia) and the Ministry of Defence(Defence + Science).

For more information on the Call and the application conditions, please visit the Call page.