Protocol between FCT and the Directorate General of Health for financing Research Programs in Cardiovascular Diseases

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) / National Programme for Cerebro-Cardiovascular Diseases (PNDCCV) signed a protocol , at the beginning of last December, with a view to integrating national participation in the ERA-NET Cofund ERA-CVD network – Research Programmes in Cardiovascular Diseases, within the scope of the Horizon 2020 Programme.

Cerebro-cardiovascular diseases, namely Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) or Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), are the main causes of death in Portugal, currently constituting one of the main public health problems in the country. Therefore, combating these diseases is considered a priority by the Ministry of Health through the PNDCCV, carried out by the DGS.

The impact on public health and, consequently, the social and economic impact that Cerebrovascular Diseases represent for Portugal, justify special attention and investment in the discovery of new therapies and technologies that improve the efficiency in combating these diseases. In this sense, it is expected that this institutional cooperation between the FCT and the DGS will contribute to better supporting the national scientific community that develops research in the area of cardiovascular diseases, resulting in the promotion and advancement of scientific knowledge and technological development.

This partnership will be implemented through joint financing of projects with Portuguese coordination or participation, selected within the scope of Calls joint transnational projects launched by ERA-CVD, the European network that aims to fund transnational Research and Development (RI) projects in cardiovascular research. It should be noted that the first Call of the ERA-CVD network , in 2016, opened this January, with a view to selecting research projects in the area of Heart Failure for funding.