“Seed Projects for Interdisciplinary Research”: Applications open for early career researchers at the UC
The 7th edition of the SeedProjects@UC initiative is open for applications until 6 November. Five projects will be funded at €20,000 each.
From 6 October to 6 November, applications will be open for the seventh edition of the Seed Projects for Interdisciplinary Research initiative, promoted by the University of Coimbra (UC) through the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIUC) and funded by Fundação Santander Portugal. The programme supports research projects proposed by early-career researchers that span multiple areas of knowledge.
Five projects will be funded, each receiving €20,000. Researchers from the University of Coimbra who have completed their PhD (and defended their thesis) within the last ten years are eligible to apply, provided their projects are interdisciplinary and involve at least two UC research units from different scientific fields.
Any projects submitted should fall within one of UC’s five strategic areas: Health; Climate, Energy and Mobility; Natural Resources, Agri-Food and Environment; Digital, Industry and Space; and Heritage, Culture and Inclusive Society.
The SeedProjects@UC initiative promotes collaboration across different scientific areas and fosters future research endeavours. According to the Vice-Rector of the University of Coimbra for Research, João Ramalho-Santos, the competition offers an opportunity to support early-career researchers, representing “a milestone for young scientists to gain their first experience as lead investigators, an important factor for future applications for larger funding.”
Since its inception in 2019, the Seed Project Awards for Interdisciplinary Research, sponsored by the Santander Portugal Foundation, have funded 29 projects by early-career researchers at the University of Coimbra (UC), to the tune of €580,000.
Applications must be submitted online by 17:00, 6 November. Detailed information on the competition rules and evaluation criteria is also available on the initiative's website.
The UC Strategic Areas Unit (NAE) manages the operational aspects of the initiative in collaboration with the UC Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC).