Footballer Pepe has given his name to a new Research Grant, worth 18,000 euros, created to “attract scientific talent to contribute to scientific production and research results” in the health area. Applications are open until December 20, 2023.

The announcement of the Pepe Grant was made by the Associate Laboratory RISE – Health Research Network, created in 2021 by CINTESIS – Center for Health Technology and Services Research, and UnIC – Cardiovascular Research Centre, research units based at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP). They are joined by the CCUL – Cardiovascular Centre of the University of Lisbon at FMUL and the CI-IPOP (Research Center of IPO-Porto).

The grant was officially announced during the “RISE Day: The Societal Impact of Clinical Research”, which took place on October 25 at FMUP, with the presence of the CINTESIS coordinator and FMUP director, Altamiro da Costa Pereira, and RISE coordinator, Fernando Schmitt.

Researchers from CINTESIS were present at this initiative, especially those who lead RISE’s thematic lines, namely Luís Azevedo (CINTESIS@RISE/FMUP), Fernando Magro (CINTESIS@RISE/FMUP) and Conceição Calhau (CINTESIS@RISE/NOVA Medical School), joined by Adelino Leite-Moreira (UnIC@RISE/FMUP), Carmen Jerónimo (CI-IPOP@RISE), as well as António Soares, executive director of CINTESIS and RISE. Elisa Keating and Nuno Vale (CINTESIS@RISE/FMUP) were also speakers, among others.

The initiative was also attended by Nuno Sousa, vice-president of the Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Innovation (AICIB), David Zielinski, executive director of Harvard Catalyst, Maria da Graça Carvalho, member of the European Parliament, and Pedro Rodrigues, vice-rector of the University of Porto.

Applications for the Pepe Grant must be submitted using the form available online and the eligibility requirements can be read in the respective regulations.