José Mariano Gago (1948 - 2015)

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

FCT is joining the scientific community's initiative to pay a heartfelt and well-deserved tribute to José Mariano Gago next Monday, April 20. At noon, researchers and other employees of research centers and faculties are asked to gather in front of the main doors of their respective institutions for 5 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.

It promoted a generational break with the scientific research system of the past, opening up space for new researchers and new research institutes, based on international peer review and demand. It has invested in the internationalization of science, for example through Portugal's membership of the main international scientific organizations (CERN, ESA, ESO, ESRF) and the creation of partnerships with the main universities in the USA.

He advocated the appropriation of scientific culture by citizens as one of the central pillars of Portugal's scientific and technological development. 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 the first minister to hold the Science portfolio in Portugal, 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), FCT's predecessor, between 1986 and 1989. As President of JNICT, he organized the first Science and Technology Days (1987), launched the S&T Mobilizing Programme (1987-1989) and began negotiations for the first structural funding programme for Science and Technology - the CIÊNCIA Programme, which ran from 1990-1993). Internally, he reorganized JNICT's advisory system, introducing a specialized level for each scientific area and a general advisory board.

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

Here is an extract from the speech given by the Minister for 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 today must have a common goal and that is the harmonious development of the country (...)

That's why we wanted the new President of JNICT not only to be a great specialist, but also to have the qualities of a scientist-humanist, capable of reconciling pure research with applied research, the Humanities with the Sciences, Science with Technology, Technology with the Economy, and the Economy with Society and with Man, the ultimate target of all our efforts and the center of all our concerns.

The new President should also be a person who is easy to talk to and has the ability to persuade, because there is an urgent need to make many people aware of science and technology. He 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's tribute to Professor Mariano Gago on April 20, 2015.