More Science, Better Society

(not available in Portuguese)

The More Science, Better Society dialogues are aimed at stimulating discussion of ongoing scientific and technological activity in Portugal by researchers within the scope of the Scientific Employment Stimulus Programme, within the scope of a strategy for the next decade and with a special impact on the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It includes sessions that aim to stimulate debate on the participation of Portugal and Portuguese institutions in the future 9th European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, 2021-2027, “Horizon Europe”.

The convergence towards Europe of knowledge over the next decade must mobilize and guide us. And while it is true that the most recent statistical data show a considerable increase in public and private investment in Portugal in recent years, as well as in the number of researchers, our joint effort involves continuing to combine the capacity and interests of the scientific community with the needs of citizens, companies and civil organisations. We benefit from the experience of launching initiatives and public participation laboratories by Ciência Viva and the preparation by FCT and ANI of mobilizing research and innovation agendas, but we have to know how to increase the level of demand and our growing scientific maturity.

The More Science, Better Society dialogues thus represent an ongoing effort by researchers and teachers to mobilize open dialogue between the scientific and academic communities and Portuguese society through a continuous and systematic process of aligning strategies and ensuring mechanisms and ways to stimulate the production and dissemination of knowledge, in close relation to major societal problems and the development of Portugal in the global context.

The More Science, Better Society dialogues include presentation sessions of ongoing scientific activity by new researchers in terms of their experiences and challenges, as well as the presentation of scientific employment plans by institutional leaders.

The sessions, starting in Lisbon and Porto, will be complemented by a series of dialogues in Ciência Viva Centers, to be held from November throughout the country and open to the public, but specifically aimed at young people and schools.

The presentations to be included in the More Science, Better Society dialogues refer to researchers and those responsible for institutions supported under the Scientific Employment Stimulus Program in 2018, including:

• 500 employment contracts for PhD researchers in all scientific areas and in the four contractual categories: i) 276 Junior Researcher contracts; ii) 154 Assistant Investigator; iii) 66 for Principal Investigator; and iv) 4 Coordinating Researcher;
• 400 employment contracts for PhD researchers in all scientific areas within the scope of 67 scientific employment plans by institutions and/or consortia of institutions;
• More than 3,600 employment contracts for PhD researchers in all scientific areas within the scope of new R&D projects and the application of the new legal regime to stimulate scientific employment;

Permanent monitoring of the scientific employment stimulus program has been carried out through the Scientific Employment Observatory, with systematic updates published online.

session 1 : Lisbon, October 31, 2018, 2pm-6pm; Thalia Theater

session 2 : Porto, November 13, 2018, 2pm-6pm;

See the Session Program

Watch the videos of both sessions of the event here .