The NOVA Doctoral School is once again supporting PhD students with a free online workshop, “Research Design with the Idea Puzzle Software,” scheduled for 15 October 2025, from 2pm to 6 pm. This edition brings an exciting twist: a prize for the best research project.
The Idea Puzzle is a decision-support tool designed to enhance the coherence of research proposals, theses, and academic papers. With over 7,000 projects shaped worldwide, it offers an internationally acclaimed approach rooted in the philosophy of science—the discipline that explores the foundations and methods of scientific inquiry.
By guiding researchers through 21 essential questions, the software helps structure ideas and assess decision-making progress. The workshop will be led by Ricardo Morais, the creator of the Idea Puzzle method, whose project was a finalist for the Sage £15K Concept Grant in 2023, praised by the jury for its originality.
Free registration is required – secure your place now!
As in previous years, the workshop is aimed primarily at first- and second-year PhD students who wish to align the theoretical, methodological, empirical, rhetorical, and authorial components of their projects more effectively.
Participants with an institutional email address ending in ‘unl.pt’ or ‘novasbe.pt’ will have free access to the Idea Puzzle software before and after the session.
They may also apply for the Idea Puzzle Prize, worth €1000, until 31 October 2025.
The session will be certified by Idea Puzzle and will combine a theoretical presentation with the practical application of the method to each participant’s project, article or thesis.
Registration is free but mandatory. Please use the following form to register!
Add to calendar
