FCT and "la Caixa" Foundation renew Framework Collaboration Agreement

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the "la Caixa" Foundation signed a new Framework Collaboration Agreement today, in the presence of the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education (MCTES), Manuel Heitor, and Artur Santos Silva, Trustee of the "la Caixa" Foundation.

This agreement strengthens cooperation between the two institutions, renewing for another three years the partnership established in 2018 with a view to jointly funding research projects in Portugal, as part of three "la Caixa" Foundation programs: the CaixaResearch Health Research Program, the Social Research Call and the Promove Program - The Future of the Interior, to which the CaixaResearch Validate Program has now been added.

The partnership, which began in 2018, is currently based on joint support for projects in three lines of funding and valorization of research and innovation projects:

1. The Iberian Biomedical Research and Innovation Initiative - i4b, which began in 2018 as part of the "la Caixa" Foundation's "CaixaResearch" Health Research Program, with four editions already completed and 30 projects already underway led by national R&D institutions, is currently evaluating the applications submitted for the fifth edition of this initiative;
2. Iberian Social Research and Innovation Initiative - i4s, launched in 2020 as part of the "la Caixa" Foundation's Call Social Research, with two editions already completed in Portugal and 6 active projects coordinated by Portuguese researchers, with the third edition being published today;
3. The Promove Program, launched by the "la Caixa" Foundation in 2018 and with the collaboration of the FCT since 2020 in an edition that allowed the support of 19 projects aimed at promoting the interior regions of Portugal through research and innovation, is currently open until January 19.

All the initiatives under this partnership between FCT and the "la Caixa" Foundation have in common the principle of "matching funds", whereby FCT matches "la Caixa's" contribution to research and innovation projects to be carried out in Portugal that are selected as the best in each annual Call promoted under each of the initiatives. Since 2018 and within the scope of these initiatives, more than 22 million euros have been contracted through support for projects led by national R&D institutions, representing a significant shared investment that reflects the effort of institutional cooperation between public and private foundations.

These collaborative initiatives are part of the policies enshrined in the goPORTUGAL - Global Partnerships in Science and Technology program, also launched in 2018 to enhance the process of internationalizing scientific and technological research in Portugal, developing the creation of scientific and qualified jobs and fostering the creation and growth of new science and technology-based companies.

More information:
Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreements between FCT and "la Caixa" Foundation page