The José Mariano Gago Prize for Prospective Analysis, worth 10,000 euros, aims to develop research and prospective studies.
Founded in 1991 as a private non-profit association, the Instituto de Prospectiva was created by José Mariano Gago to promote free thinking and debate on fundamental issues for the future of Portuguese society and Europe.
The figure of José Mariano Gago
Hired in 1979 as a full professor in the Physics Department of the Instituto Superior Técnico, José Mariano Gago developed his research in the field of experimental physics of elementary particles in Paris, at the Polytechnic School, but also in Geneva, at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), and in Lisbon, at the Experimental Particle Physics Laboratory, which he founded and of which he was president.
In the mid-1990s, after the creation of the Prospective Institute, Mariano Gago was appointed Minister of Science and Technology in the XIII Constitutional Government, a position he held until 2002. He was the first to hold a ministerial post dedicated exclusively to science and technology and promoted various initiatives to promote scientific and technological culture in Portugal and the European Union.
He then held the portfolio of Higher Education until 2005 and was responsible for a major reform of the system in Portugal, including creating the Higher Education Assessment and Accreditation Agency. He died in Lisbon on 17 April 2015.
Application procedure
With applications open until the end of December, the prize that now honours his legacy is aimed at young teachers and researchers, of Portuguese or foreign origin, up to 40 years old, as long as they have obtained their doctorate less than 10 years ago and intend to work on these issues in Portugal.
Candidates must submit an original written proposal for a prospective research project that is multidisciplinary and international in scope. Applications may be made individually or collectively, and there must always be a responsible researcher. For more information, please visit the official website.