José Mariano Gago (1948–2015)

The FCT notes with deep regret the passing of José Mariano Gago. Scientist, president of JNICT, and minister, Mariano Gago was a leading figure in science in Portugal and became a reference for an entire generation of scientists, who benefited from his invaluable legacy to science, technology, and scientific culture in Portugal. 

FCT joins the scientific community in paying a heartfelt and well-deserved tribute to José Mariano Gago on Monday, April 20. At noon, researchers and other staff members at research centers and faculties are asked to gather in front of the main doors of their respective institutions for five minutes.

As Minister responsible for Science, José Mariano Gago put the country's scientific and technological development on the political agenda. He implemented or paved the way for fundamental changes in the traditional national scientific research system, promoting its modernization and internationalization.

He promoted a generational break with the scientific research system of the past, making room for new researchers and new research institutes, based on international peer review and high standards. He invested in the internationalization of science, for example, through Portugal's membership in major international scientific organizations (CERN, ESA, ESO, ESRF) and the creation of partnerships with leading universities in the US.

He advocated the appropriation of scientific culture by citizens as one of the central pillars of scientific and technological development in Portugal. Through the creation of the National Agency for Scientific Culture – Ciência Viva, and other measures, he promoted the direct involvement of researchers, public and private organizations, students and their families, and citizens in general in the growth of science in Portugal. 

He was Portugal's first Minister of Science, having held the position in four governments: from 1995 to 1999, from 1999 to 2002, and finally from 2005 to 2011, as Minister of Science, Technology, and Higher Education. He was president of the National Board for Scientific and Technological Research (JNICT), predecessor of the FCT, between 1986 and 1989. As President of JNICT, he organized the first Science and Technology Conference (1987), launched the S&T Mobilization Program (1987-1989) and began negotiations for the first structural financing program for Science and Technology – the CIÊNCIA Program, which ran from 1990 to 1993. Internally, he reorganized the JNICT advisory system, introducing a specialized level for each scientific area and a general advisory council.

In 1997, as Minister, he divided JNICT into three autonomous organizations: FCT (funding), the Science and Technology Observatory (OCT, with the statistics and studies component), and ICCTI (for international relations).

We leave you with an excerpt from the speech given by the Minister of Planning and Territorial Administration, Luís Valente de Oliveira, at the inauguration of José Mariano Gago as President of JNICT in 1986, which still resonates today: "Science and technology must now have a common goal, which is the harmonious development of the country (...)

For this reason, the new President of JNICT was sought to be not only a great specialist, but also possessed the qualities of a scientist-humanist, capable of reconciling pure and applied research, the humanities with the sciences, science with technology, technology with economics, and economics with society and with mankind, the ultimate beneficiary of all our efforts and the focus of all our concerns.

The new President should also be someone who is easy to talk to and persuasive, because it is urgent to raise awareness of science and technology among many people. He or she should also be sensitive to regional interests and, in a very Portuguese tradition, be open to the world and value international relations, without being a foreigner.

The FCT tribute to Professor Mariano Gago on April 20, 2015.