Ignition Grants for Interdisciplinary Research at NOVA
A key strategic goal of NOVA University Lisbon is to promote collaborative and interdisciplinary research initiatives, driven by multidisciplinary teams, to tackle complex scientific and societal challenges.
In line with this objective and with the support of Fundação Santander Portugal, the Ignition Grants for Interdisciplinary Research are designed to support early to mid-career researchers (PhD holders) in developing their work at NOVA and aim to foster interdisciplinary collaborations within NOVA’s R&D Units.
This call aims to encourage the early development of original and interdisciplinary scientific ideas from any areas of knowledge, with the results expected to pave the way for the expansion of these ideas into broader and more ambitious research project
This call funds interdisciplinary projects that tackle complex scientific and societal challenges, developed by researchers integrated or developing their research at NOVA.
As an Ignition Grant, the funding aims to encourage the early development of original and interdisciplinary scientific ideas led by a junior PI from any areas of knowledge. These results are expected to pave the way for the expansion of these ideas into broader and more ambitious research projects. The funding for each project is 30.000€.
2025 Call
To be elegible, the Principal Investigator (PI) of the project must hold his PhD for less than 12 years, and lead a team of 5 researchers maximum (PI included). Team members must be from, at least, 2 different Research Units from NOVA (different Organic Units and different scientific domains), and can also include external collaborators.
Find all eligibility details at the Regulation and Application guidelines document .
Applications are submitted by filling an online form. An english scientific description of the project should be uploaded, for which the template can be found here . The application is only completed once the Principal Investigador is also registered at the Santander Open Academy platform.
Applications for the 2025 Call is open between December 3rd, 2024 and January 30th, 2025.
- Isabel Rocha, Vice-Reitor for Research and Innovation, NOVA University Lisbon (President)
- António Estevão Candeias, Universidade de Évora
- Joana Gonçalves de Sá, Nova School of Buiseness and Economics, and LIP Lisboa
- Hugo Gamboa, LIBPhys – NOVA School of Science and Technology
- Cláudia Cavadas, CNC – Universidade de Coimbra
- Nuno Morais, GIMM – Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine
- Maria Ascensão Reis , UCIBIO – NOVA School of Science and Technology
For any information about the Ignition Grants for Interdisciplinary Research, please contact nova.research@unl.pt.
Winners of 2025 Call
- 15th edition– 2022 – Exact Sciences and Engineering – Junior Researchers
- 14th edition – 2021 – Life Sciences, awarded a project of reserachers from FCT NOVA and NMS
- 13th edition – 2019/2020 – Social Sciences and Humanities, awarded a project of researchers from FCSH and FCT; and a project of researchers of FCT, FCSH and NMS
- 12th edition – 2018/2019 – Exact Sciences and Engineering, awarded a project of researchers from FCT NOVA and ITQB NOVA
- 11th edition – 2017/2018 – Life Sciences, awarded a project of researchers from NMS|FCM, FCSH and Nova SBE
- 10th edition – 2016/2017 – Social Sciences and Humanities, awarded a project of researchers from FCSH and FCT
- 9th edition – 2015/2016 – Exact Sciences and Engineering, awarded a project of researchers from FCT and FCSH.
- 8th edition – 2014/2015 – Life Sciences, awarded a project of researchers from NMS/FCM and ITQB.
- 7th edition – 2013/2014 – Social Sciences and Humanities, awarded ex-aequo to two projects of researchers from IHMT and FCSH.
- 6th edition – 2012/2013 – Exact Sciences and Engineering awarded a project of researchers from FCM, IHMT and FCT.
- 5th edition – 2011/2012 – Life Sciences, awarded a project of researchers from FCT e do IHMT.
- 4th edition – 2010/2011 – Social Sciences and Humanities, awarded a project of researchers from FCSH, FCT and Nova SBE.
- 3rd edition – 2009/2010 – Exact Sciences and Engineering, awarded a project of researchers from FCT and ITQB.
- 2nd edition – 2008/2009 – Social Sciences and Humanities, awarded a project of researchers from FCT and Nova SBE.
- 1st edition – 2007/2008 – – Life Sciences – awarded a project of researchers from ITQB and FCT.