Polytechnic Institute of Leiria

The Polytechnic Institute of Leiria (IPLeiria) is a public institution of higher education, at the service of society, dedicated to the production and diffusion of knowledge, creation, transmission and diffusion of culture, science, technology and arts, applied research and experimental development. IPLeiria develops its activities in the aim of education and training, research, provision of services to the community and extending cooperation in educational, cultural and technical areas. IPLeiria has invested in modern and well-equipped facilities, which provide support services with excellent quality. Presently, IPLeiria has approximately 1.150 workers, of which about 800 are teachers (half with doctoral degrees), and has more than 11.000 students, distributed mainly in post-secondary education, degree and master courses. The IPLeiria is present in the region of Leiria and West through higher education schools and research units located in Leiria (School of Education and Social Sciences – ESECS; School of Technology and Management – ESTG; School of Health – ESSLei), Caldas da Rainha (School of Arts and Design – ESAD.CR), Peniche (School of Tourism and Maritime Technology – ESTM) and Marinha Grande (Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development – CDRSP; which is the unit leading this proposal). IPLeiria is an innovative and entrepreneur Higher Education Institution with a dynamic and robust ecosystem of Research and Innovation (R&D+i) strongly orientated to the economy and society. This R&D+i ecosystem is composed by five higher schools, one Knowledge Transfer Centre, more than 130 laboratories and nineteen research centres, of which two are scientific infrastructures linked both to the Science and Maritime Technology and Industry (CETEMARES building – MARE-IPLeiria Marine and Environmental Science Centre; CDRsp Building – Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development). IPLeiria also participates actively in three business incubators, one business association, one technological centre, one technological park, four competitiveness (competitive) and technology (technological) clusters, one business school, two regional energy agencies and one centre for scientific dissemination (Ciência Viva Centre). IPLeiria has developed a strong collaboration with society, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region of Leiria, either by research, development projects or through R&D+i services. Considering the last 6 years, over 300 national (67%) and international (23%) projects have been approved, as well as more than 90 – Vales I&DT/ Inovação – R&D+I services to SMEs. Until the end of 2015, IPLeiria had an outstanding performance associated to the Industrial Property rights and  has had 17 patents, 13 utility models, 30 brands and 68 design models approved by the National Institute of Industrial Property. The Research and Innovation IPLeiria ecosystem means Added Value to society!

Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra

The Polytechnic of Coimbra (IPC) is a public higher education institution created in 1979, which encompasses six schools: Coimbra Agriculture School (ESAC); Coimbra Education School (ESEC); Oliveira do Hospital Management and Technology School (ESTGOH); Coimbra Health School (ESTeSC); Coimbra Business School (ISCAC) and Coimbra Institute of Engineering (ISEC). By combining strong practical activities with solid theoretical education, the courses available are labour market oriented and assure high employment rates. Updated info evidences that IPC: has got almost 10.000 students, 653 teachers and 378 non teachers? personnel; has got more than 45% of personnel with a PhD degree; researchers/teachers are integrated in more than 60 scientific R&D centres recognized by FCT, including CERNAS hosted by IPC itself; researchers and technical staff are involved in 5 national and 6 H2020 financed projects at the moment, among several technical and scientific specialized and applied services to SME; has been increasing its relative position in scientific production rankings (15th in Portugal), aiming at short-medium term to set among the first 10 national institutions and within the SCIMAGO ranking top 120 Latin American institutions; has been involved in more than 15 national and international patent processes over the past few years, in the scientific fields of Mechanics; Electronics and Automation; Health Sciences and Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences. With the vision of gaining national and international scientific scale and weight, IPC has recently created the Coimbra Applied Research Institute (i2A), which aims to: a) promote, stimulate, support and manage applied research activities; b) contribute to the rationalization and integrated management of IPC scientific resources; c) develop applied research and technology and knowledge transfer to industries and community to better develop and improve products, processes and services. i2A coordinates 6 high tech laboratories focused on health, biomechanics, ICT and natural and endogenous resources issues, with an investment amount over 3,2 M€ and fully aligned with the national and regional RIS3. These labs aggregate top scientific equipment’s and infrastructures, as well as multidisciplinary and integrated research teams. They are the Laboratory of Applied Biomechanics – LAB; the Laboratory of Applied Health Sciences – LABINSAÚDE the Laboratory of High Performance Computation – LACED; the Laboratory of Robotics and Human Interaction – ROBOCORP; the Laboratory of Sustainable Industrial Solutions – SISUS and the Laboratory of Endogenous and Natural Resources Valorization – VALOREN.

Polytechnic Institute of Santarém

The Polytechnic Institute of Santarém (IPSantarém) is a public Portuguese Higher Education Institution with more than 35 years of experience in the fields of higher education and applied research. IPSantarém integrates five Schools and a Research Unit, located in the cities of Santarém and Rio Maior. IPSantarém delivers vocational, bachelor and master degree programmes, regarding the specialization areas of the schools: 1) School of Agriculture (ESAS): Agriculture & Nutrition; 2) School of Education, (ESES): Education, Arts & Multimedia Communication; 3) School of Management and Technology (ESGTS): Management & Technology; 4) School of Health (ESSS): Health & Nursing; 5) School of Sport (ESDRM): Sports & Physical Activity. IPSantarém also develops a lifelong training programme and an international student and staff exchange programme. It is connected to several research centres in the different fields of expertise, and has a strong connection with the regional community. ESDRM was established in 1997. This young institution is focused in Sport and Exercise Sciences, in the fields of higher education, research and lifelong learning. The school provides 2 short programs, 6 graduation programs (1st cycle), 2 master degree programs (2nd cycle) and several short term programs (which do not provide a degree) on the following subjects: Sports Coaching (Football, Handball, Swimming, etc.), Fitness and Health, Outdoor Sports & Nature Tourism (Mountain, Ocean, River, Cycling, Orienting, etc.), Sports Management, Physical Activity and Special Populations (Children, Pregnant Women, Older People, Clinical Conditions), and Physical Activity and Healthy Lifestyle (European bachelor programme, taught in English). The School has a Sports Research Centre (LID) – connected to the Research Unit of IPSantarém – including the areas of Physiology, Biomechanics, Motor Control, Sport Management, Sport Psychology and Sport Pedagogy. ESDRM staff is also involved in other research centres, supported by the National Foundation for Science & Technology (FCT), such as: 1) CIDESD – Centre for Research in Sports, Health & Human Development (ESDRM is part of the consortium); 2) CIEQV – Quality of Life Research Centre, within a consortium made by IPSantarém and IPLeiria; 3) CIPER – Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance – Faculty of Human Kinetics – University of Lisbon; and 4) CI&DETS – Centre for the Study of Education, Technologies and Health – IPViseu. ESDRM has a strong connection with the community, through its professional services, that help to develop: Sport and Fitness Assessments and Sport Monitoring, Sport Organisations Management, Sport Events, Tourism Organisations, Exercise Programs in Municipalities, Life Long Learning courses, among other services, by partnering us in research, consultancy, new technologies and services and recruiting ESDRM students and graduates for placements or employment.

Leiria Hospital Center

The Research Centre (RC) of Leiria Hospital Center (LHC) E.P.E. is an organ that aims the promotion and coordination of all the studies and research projects in the various fields of knowledge, to be held in the LHC. The RC’s mission is to coordinate and streamline the implementation of the research activities at the institution, creating the necessary instruments to develop local projects and the establishment of partnerships with entities outside the LHC.

1. Skills of RC: a) Organize, promote, monitor and disseminate studies and research projects carried out in the LHC and implement and maintain an updated database of the research projects, clinical trials, papers, presentations, and questionnaires in the LHC, developed by LHC professionals as part of their qualification; b) Validate and submit all clinical study and projects applications to the Administration Board and to the Local Ethics Committee (when applicable); c) Support the clinical and non-clinical research teams in all administrative and logistical matters directly related, particularly as regards the financing of projects and external audits; d) Support the clinical research teams in all the day-to-day research activities, including (but not limited to): – Prepare and support the conduction of study visits; – Perform data entry and query resolution; – Feasibility management; – Support the process of documentation collection for study submissions. e) Encouraging the establishment of research groups, conducting research projects and clinical trials; f) Stimulate national and foreign institutional scientific cooperation.

2. They are also objectives of RC: a) To propose to the Administration Board to establish protocols with external entities, aiming to support research conducted at the institution; b) Disclose external funding for scientific research to LHC research community and support the respective applications. Are associate members of the RC, all integrated researchers, or not, in clinical and nonclinical teams or others research groups for studies or research projects underway in the CHL.

3. Scientific activity in 2015: – Clinical trials – 7; Observational studies with drugs – 3; Observational studies promoted by external entities – 4; Observational studies promoted by internal entities – 26; Academic studies conferring academic degrees – 6; Academic studies not conferring academic degrees – 4; Nonclinical research studies – 2.

4. Scientific production indicators: Regarding scientific production indicators, it should be noted that LHC has annually through its health professionals, a significant number of publications in international peer-reviewed journals (both with and without impact factor) and in national magazines. In terms of communications and conferences, the LHC has also various publications in books of conference proceedings, posters, presentations at international and national scientific meetings.