Multimorbidity and Frailty in Older Adults: Clinical and Therapeutic Challenges

The Prize is intended to recognise and reward the best scientific article published on the theme “Multimorbidity and Frailty in Older Adults: Clinical and Therapeutic Challenges”, without restrictions as to the year of publication, reporting the results of research conducted by a researcher under the age of 35 at the closing date for applications and affiliated with an institution within the Portuguese science and technology system.

Only one original article may be submitted by each applicant. The article must have been published or formally accepted for publication (proof of acceptance being required) in a national or international peer-reviewed journal in the relevant field.

Applicants must be either the first author of the article or a co-author whose equal contribution is explicitly acknowledged in the publication.

Researchers under the age of 35 at the application submission deadline, affiliated with an institution within the Portuguese science and technology system.

Applications must be submitted between 6 July 2026 and 30 September 2026 (5:00 p.m. Lisbon time) through the online application form available at: :https://concursosfct.formstack.com/forms/premiojoaomonjardino2026-

The following documents must be attached to the application form:

• A copy of the applicant’s Citizen Card or other valid identification document.

• A letter from the head of the research group confirming that the research was conducted within their laboratory/institution, with their knowledge and approval, and endorsing the application. The letter must specify the applicant’s contribution to the published article or to the article accepted for publication.

• Proof of acceptance of the article, if it has not yet been published.

Incomplete applications or applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Evaluation Panel

The applications will be evaluated by the following Jury:

Catarina Oliveira (Chair of the Jury) — Emeritus Full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra (FMUC), PhD in Neurology. Former President of the National Council of Ethics for the Life Sciences (2003–2013), she has held extensive academic leadership positions and coordinated doctoral programmes. Her research focuses on ageing and neurodegenerative diseases, with more than 300 scientific publications, participation in several European consortia, and multiple national and international distinctions.

Joana Palha — Full Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Minho, PhD in Biomedical Sciences. Her research focuses on neuroscience and endocrine regulation, with more than 100 scientific publications and leadership of competitively funded research projects. She is actively involved in international scientific networks and research evaluation activities.

Manuel Veríssimo — Professor at FMUC, PhD and Habilitation in Internal Medicine. A specialist in Geriatrics and Internal Medicine, he combines extensive clinical, academic, and institutional experience. He is the author of more than 200 scientific publications and has received several distinctions in the fields of healthcare and clinical research.

Nuno Cortez Dias (FPPV Representative) — Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon and physician at the University Hospital Centre Lisbon North. He holds a PhD in Medicine and certification in Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology. His clinical, scientific, and teaching activities focus on cardiac electrophysiology, with numerous scientific publications, awards, and coordination of international training programmes.

Manuel Silva Santos (FCT Representative) — Full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra and Scientific Director of the Multidisciplinary Institute of Ageing (MIA-Portugal). He obtained his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Kent and conducts research in molecular biology, protein synthesis, genomics, and the biology of ageing. Founder and former Director of iBiMED and of the Department of Medical Sciences at the University of Aveiro, he also coordinated the GenomePortugal consortium and has an extensive international scientific record, as well as a significant contribution to the training of researchers in Portugal.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• Scientific quality of the article;

• Relevance of the study and its findings to the theme of the Prize;

• Contribution of the applicant to the published article or article accepted for publication.

The Prize consists of a monetary award of EUR 10,000 (ten thousand euros), funded in equal parts by the two Foundations and paid as a single lump-sum payment.