9th Edition of the Health Marathon Awards

The application period for the 9th edition of the 2022 Health Marathon Awards opens today. This year's support is aimed at research into infectious diseases. As in previous editions, these awards aim to promote Portuguese scientific research in different areas of biomedicine. Two prizes of €20,000 will be awarded for the junior and senior researcher categories. Applications will be accepted until January 17, 2022.

The 2022 Health Marathon Awards recognize two scientific research projects in the field of infectious diseases. The projects must be developed in Portugal. Portuguese or foreign researchers and/or doctors who have completed their doctorate less than ten years ago, in the case of the junior category, or more than ten years ago at the date of this Call, in the senior category, are eligible to apply for these awards. Funding will be awarded for a maximum period of two years and will start between June and December 2022.

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) supports the logistical management of this Call proposes the jury panel that will carry out the evaluation, which will be made up of scientists of recognized international merit in the field of biomedicine. The evaluation and selection process is based on several criteria, including the scientific merit of the candidates and the impact that the proposed research work may have on the discovery of better treatments, cures, and prevention of infectious diseases. These awards encourage applications that involve partnerships between research institutions based in Portugal and hospitals or other health institutions, whether national or foreign. Once the best candidates for Call have been ranked, the Scientific Council of the Health Marathon will choose the two winners according to the jury's recommendations.

In the previous edition, the Health Marathon Awards recognized research projects on rare diseases, with Susana Lopes, a researcher at CEDOC – Nova Medica School, winning in the senior category – Faculty of Medical Sciences of Lisbon, for the project “Combating PCD (Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia), and in the junior category, researcher Sara Carvalhal, from the Algarve Biomedical Center – Research Institute (ABC-RI), for the project “Understanding the Contribution of Mitotic Defects in Rare Diseases with Microcephaly.”

The Health Marathon Awards were created with the aim of promoting Portuguese scientific research in different areas of biomedicine, related to the different themes of the Health Marathon editions. This initiative is mainly funded through donations raised during the annual Health Marathon television show, broadcast by RTP. Janssen was one of the main partners in the eighth edition of this initiative and will associate its name with one of the awards to be presented.

For more information, please refer to the Call page.