HEALTH + SCIENCE: Call for Exploratory Research Projects 2025

National health faces complex challenges that require innovative and strategic approaches to promote the well-being of the population. For this reason, the Ministry of Health has outlined a plan for research and development in health with the aim of strengthening the knowledge base, bringing the national health system closer to the best research being done in Portugal and, in this way, improving the quality of services offered to the population, promoting sustainable and citizen-centered practices. This plan covers several priority areas, such as clinical research, access to health, active aging, prevention and health promotion, mental health, digital health, personalized medicine, and other strategic areas.

It is with these objectives that the Central Administration of the Health System I. P. (ACSS) and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) open the present competition of the Health + Science program, aimed at promoting innovative ideas and relevant scientific issues through support to IC&DT projects with the potential to foster technological and organizational innovation, improve the efficiency of health systems and put the citizen at the center of care, promoting a more sustainable and humanized health model.

Applications, with a maximum duration of 18 months, must include two or more beneficiaries, including at least one non-business entity from the I&I system and one non-academic entity under the supervision of the member of the Government responsible for health.

The following entities are considered non-business institutions of the I&I system:

i) Higher education institutions, their institutes and R&D units;

ii) State, international or associated Laboratories with head office in Portugal;

iii) Non-profit private institutions whose main objective is R&D activities, including Collaborative Laboratories (CoLab) and Centres for Technology and Innovation (CTI);

iv) Other non-profit public and private institutions developing or participating in scientific research activities.

Non-academic institutions are considered all entities under the supervision of the member of Government responsible for the area of health not included in the academic environment, including those that integrate the academic clinical centers (CAC), local units of health, whether primary care, hospital and/or public health and Portuguese Institutes of Oncology (IPO).

In accordance with Point 7.4 of the Announcement for Submission of Proposals, the Principal Contractor must be a non-business entity of the R&I system (Point 3.1 of the Announcement).

The healthcare units of the Autonomous Regions, as well as entities in the health sector of the Armed Forces, are eligible to apply to the Health+Science Call, namely as “non-academic entities” for the purposes of consortium composition.

Applications must be presented to FCT, in English, from May 20, 2025, to July 22, 2025, at 17:00 Lisbon time, using a specific online form and submitted through myFCT platform.

The PI, the core elements, as well as the remaining elements of the Portuguese research team, are responsible for submitting an updated version of their CV in English on the CIÊNCIAVITAE platform.

The Statement of Commitment for the Principal Contractor will be available on myFCT platform, for agreement by the head of the Principal Contractor or someone appointed by the PI, following the deadline for submission of applications and up to August 5, 2025 at 17:00 (Lisbon time).

The evaluation of applications will be carried out by a panel of experts affiliated with foreign institutions, independent and of recognized merit and suitability, to be designated by FCT, I.P.:

The methodology of selection and hierarchy of applications is based on the indicator of Project (MP) based on the following evaluation criteria:

    A. Scientific quality and innovative character of the project, in an international to cover one or more of the thematic areas promoted in this competition (40%);

    B. Scientific merit of the IR and the research team (35%);

    C. Feasibility of the work program and its relevance and the impact on participating non-academic entity(ies) and/or in the National Health System (25%).

The merit of the project is obtained through:

                                                                                          MP = 0.40A + 0.35B + 0.25C

The projects are fully financed by national funds through the ACSS budget, transferred to FCT, in accordance with the protocol signed between both entities. The total budget allocation for this call is € 1.600.000.

The maximum funding per project is € 50.000 (fifty thousand euros).

The funding to be granted under this call shall be non-reimbursable, applying the option of simplified costs in the form of a lump sum. The contribution is paid upon presentation of evidence and results that demonstrate the effective completion of the project as contractually agreed.

Regardless of the project’s approved funding amount, the initial advance payment for the project is 75% of the approved funding. The remaining amount, up to the approved funding for each project, is paid upon closing of the scientific and financial components of the project, through a final reimbursement payment method.

Within the scope of this call, the indirect costs are a fixed rate of 25% of all the estimated direct eligible costs. The expenses for the adaptation of buildings and facilities are limited to a maximum of 10% of the project’s total eligible expenses.

The Call is subject to this Announcement for submission of Proposals, by FCT Projects Regulation, published in Regulation No. 999/2016, in its current wording, i.e., amended and republished by Regulation no. 5/2024 and corrected by the Declaration of Rectification no. 366/2024/2, published in the Diário da República, 2nd series, no. 100, of May 23, 2024, and by other applicable national and community legislation.

Before submitting a proposal, applicants are advised to read the documents of the call, all available at the call’s webpage.

For information related to this call, please contact concursoprojetos@fct.pt.

None of the information published on this webpage overrides the official Announcement for Submission of Proposals.