More Science, Better Society

(not available in Portuguese)

The More Science, Better Society dialogues are aimed at stimulating discussion of the scientific and technological activity underway in Portugal by researchers within the scope of the Scientific Employment Stimulus Programme, as part 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 intended to stimulate debate on the participation of Portugal and Portuguese institutions in the future 9th European Framework Program for Research and Innovation, 2021-2027, "Horizon Europe".

Convergence towards the Europe of knowledge over the next decade must mobilize and guide us. And while the latest statistics 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 is to continue to combine the capacity and interests of the scientific community with the needs of citizens, companies and civil organizations. We have benefited from the experience of launching initiatives and laboratories for public participation by Ciência Viva and the preparation by FCT and ANI of mobilizing agendas for research and innovation, but we must 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 guaranteeing mechanisms and ways of stimulating the production and dissemination of knowledge, in close relation to major societal problems and Portugal's development in the global context.

The More Science, Better Society dialogues include sessions where new researchers present their current scientific activity 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 Oporto, 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 are made by researchers and heads of institutions supported under the Scientific Employment Stimulus Program in 2018, including:

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

Permanent monitoring of the program to stimulate scientific employment has been carried out through the Scientific Employment Observatory, with systematic updates published on the internet.

session 1: Lisbon, October 31, 2018, 14h-18h; Teatro Thalia

session 2: Porto, November 13, 2018, 14h-18h;

See the program of sessions

Watch the videos of both sessions here.