Project List

The NEST project investigates how neurodivergent workers act as "sentinels" within organizational environments, detecting early signs of risk and structural dysfunctions. The study draws on Critical Management Studies (CMS) and Sensemaking Theory (Weick, 1995) and adopts a qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews with managers and employees, complemented by socio-demographic and organizational data collection. The project aims to submit an international scientific article, develop an inclusion toolkit, and prepare future national and international funding applications.

The overall aim of this project is to promote the mental health and well-beingof students at Iscte-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, based on the Stepped Care model, developed in the program for the promotion of mental health in higher education - ACCES Program. Focusing on a promotion and prevention approach, and adopting a logic of collective participation, the following specific objectives are identified: 1. Development of mental health promotion, prevention and adjustment activities (level 1 and 2), with a view to improving skills related to mental health literacy, mental resilience and stress management; 2. Strengthening psychotherapeutic and psychiatric responses for students with common mental disorders of mild to moderate severity (level 3), with a view to early intervention and avoiding more serious pathologies; 3. Strengthening the mechanisms for identifying situations of risk or serious mental illness and referring them to specialized health services (level 4 and 5); 4. Promoting the active participation of the student association in the development, implementation and evaluation of activities;5. Inclusion of students with specific educational needs and other vulnerable groups (1st year students, displaced students, national and international students, students benefiting from school social action, scholarship students from PALOP countries, women students, and LGBTQIA+ students), across the board in the activities developed.

The WISE-AI project aims to address the low participation of women in AI sciences and support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite the increasing importance of AI in various fields, women remain underrepresented in this sector. By combining training and educational play, the project seeks to empower young women in entrepreneurship and AI skills, bridging the gender gap and promoting inclusion and equality. The project will leverage innovative educational methods, using a game-based approach to make learning engaging and effective.

Science for Global Challenges is the motto to engage general public, especially young students, with research activities and scientific knowledge that may answer to major world and European challenges related to environmental, economical and social sustainability. This proposal intends to directly respond to Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) goals of the EU framework program by raising public awareness, also among school communities, about the relevance of science to assure resources preservation, green economy, decarbonization, social equity and inclusion, while bridging the gap between scientists and society, giving researchers the opportunity to perceive the main concerns of citizens and how those understand their work. Schools and their students will be involved in activities during the whole project, in order to ensure scholar impact, icluding the younger. By increasing public and students outreach, ‘SCIGLO’ will contribute simultaneously for two main objectives: (i) improving the understanding of the importance of scientific careers development and science investments; (ii) increasing researchers' understanding of the role of society as a whole for sustainable science policies development.

INITIATE is a project that aims to empower higher education institutions to develop R&I through institution transformation. INITIATE, in its widening dimension, seeks to raise excellence in science and knowledge valorisation of Europe's universities through cooperation and knowledge circulation. Through stakeholder inclusion and co-design approach, INITIATE will design an approach for institution transformation that will reflect on the current needs and resources of the institution, external elements such as policy barriers, good practices from other initiatives and identification of possible collaboration areas with other institutions including local ecosystems. Through iterative process and R&I Labs supported by online tools such as Knowledge Hub, INITIATE will generate policy recommendations for helping stimulate R&I development and scientific excellence in Widening countries, in addition to research outputs and creation of joint applications for other funding sources (e.g. Horizon Europe). The approach will be demonstrated in Croatia, Portugal and north Macedonia. This will finally result in a roadmap for long term uptake of R&I in widening countries with identified replication cases and forming of the Alliance for green energy transition that will assure the long-term sustainability of INITIATE results. The action focuses on universities in Widening countries, in which the cases for the implementation of INITIATE approach will be conducted. Additionally, the project aims to achieve several outcomes, including the successful institutional reform and upgrade of higher education institutions in the R&I dimension, empowerment to be actors of change, and the mainstreaming of a culture of excellence in science and value creation amongst higher education institutions, particularly in less research-intensive institutions and countries. To achieve these outcomes, the project will engage universities as well as local ecosystems.