FCT Session – La Caixa Foundation

On June 17, at 3:00 p.m., the Thalia Theater in Lisbon will host a session aimed at strengthening cooperation between the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the La Caixa Foundation (FLC). The cooperation between the institutions is intended to be permanent and multidisciplinary, aimed at supporting and stimulating new research and innovation activities and Portugal's positioning in Iberia and Europe, based on three lines of funding and promotion of research and innovation projects:

a)Iberian Initiative for BiomedicalResearch and Innovation – i4b, launched in 2018, with two editions already completed and 16 projects already underway with national R&D institutions, with the launchof the third edition of this initiative currently in progress;

b)Iberian Initiative for Research and SocialInnovation – i4s, with the launch of its first edition, already accepting applications for 2020;

c) Promove Program, aimed at promoting Portugal's inland regions through research and innovation, expanding the scope of previous editions , with the launch of a new phase in summer 2020.

The three initiatives share a matching funds principle, whereby FCT matches FLC's contribution to research and innovation projects to be carried out in Portugal, which are selected in each annual Call.

Since 2018, and within the scope of the i4b initiative, more than €6.4 million has already been contracted with national R&D institutions. Over the next five years, between 2020 and 2025, the three initiatives are expected to invest a further €20 million inresearch and innovation projects in Portugal.

In the case of the PromoveProgram , there will be a specific framework to allow projects to be integrated into the Portuguese Government's strategic objectives for the development and enhancement of the interior.

The session will also present two Portuguese projects that recently received awards under the Caixa Impulse Program to support the global response to COVID-19, namely: i) the development of a translational vaccine to prevent COVID-19; and ii) the ATENA project on the development of an invasive ventilator.

The session will be broadcast via webstreaming here. 

Event Program:

3:00 p.m. Opening:

• Helena Pereira, FCT
• Artur Santos Silva, FLC

3:15 p.m.: Iberian Initiative for Biomedical Research and Innovation – i4b (short presentations)

• Rui Cerqueira, University of Porto

Sequential Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

• Bruno Silva-Santos, Institute of Molecular Medicine – IMM

Next generation CAR-DOT cells for allogeneic adoptive cancer immunotherapy

• Miguel Soares, Gulbenkian Institute of Science – IGC

Metabolic Reprogramming in Sepsis

• Leonor Saúde, Institute of Molecular Medicine – IMM

“A novel approach to promote spinal cord regeneration in mammals”

3:45 p.m.: Caixa Impulse – supporting the global response to COVID-19 (short presentations)

• Helena Florindo, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon

“Development of a translational vaccine to prevent COVID-19”

“Making pancreatic cancer sensitive to immunotherapy”

• Tiago Rebelo, CeiiA

“ATENA: Development of an invasive ventilator”

 4:05 p.m. Debate

• Isabel Ferreira, Secretary of State for the Promotion of the Interior, MCT
• João Ferrão, ICS and FLC
• Mireia Castillo-Martin, Champalimaud Foundation
• Eduardo Coelho, Stabvida

Moderators: José Amaral, FLC; José Paulo Esperança, FCT

4:30 p.m. Closing

• Signing of the FLC-FCT protocols

Closing remarks: Manuel Heitor, MCTES