PRR Project

Summary

In the 2023–2024 evaluation of Research Units, ISAMB was rated “Very Good”, with high laboratory intensity, just 0.10 points below “Excellent.” For that evaluation, our proposal focused on funding Human Resources to retain and attract qualified talent. This call represents an opportunity to address infrastructure gaps and modernize the scientific and technological facilities, in line with our 2025–2029 strategic plan, reinforcing digital transformation & scientific excellence: 1. Consolidate/expand international impact in Environmental Health (Strategic Objective 1) 53% of the proposed budget is allocated to the modernization of major scientific equipment and instrumentation, to improve research quality, enhance participation in competitive projects, and consolidate integration into international networks (notably EIRENE and ELIXIR, with which collaboration already exists under the Horizon Europe PARC project). 2. Expand education and outreach (Objectives 2 and 4) 12% of the budget is allocated to audiovisual and scientific communication equipment for shared workspaces and videoconferencing, strengthening knowledge dissemination and (inter)national collaboration, including with PALOP countries and European partners. 3. Implement Environmental Health data infrastructure (Objective 3) 28% of the budget is allocated to expanding and modernizing computing systems, secure and redundant storage, and communication networks, essential for analyzing and visualizing health and environmental data. In synergy with iSTARS at FMUL (data science unit), collaboration with sharing platforms (BioData.pt, Biobancos.pt, PRISC, DataLab, RCTS) will ensure interoperability, open access, and integration within RNIIE and ESFRI. 4. Strengthen internal cohesion (Objective 5) 7% of the budget is allocated to renewing shared equipment in common workspaces, bringing together researchers at different career stages, fostering multi- and interdisciplinary collaboration, and optimizing resource use.