The Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) has 18 applications proposed for funding in the provisional results of the 8th edition of the Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus, corresponding to the 2025 call and promoted by the Foundation for Science and Technology. In the Environmental Sciences evaluation panel, these applications account for 38.1% of the positions proposed for funding, including half of the Assistant Researcher positions. The results were announced on 30 September 2026.
Of the 86 applications supported by CESAM, 18 were recommended for funding, corresponding to a success rate of 20.9%, compared with 17.6% at the University of Aveiro and 13.5% nationally. CESAM thus accounts for 36.7% of UA’s 49 selected applications, out of a total of 278 submitted by the University. In a national call with 2,956 applications and 400 positions recommended for funding, CESAM represents 2.9% of applications and 4.5% of the selected positions.
The strongest result was recorded in the Environmental Sciences panel, where CESAM accounts for eight of the 21 positions nationwide — 38.1% of the total. This includes five of the ten Assistant Researcher positions, representing half of all positions in this category, and three of the eleven Junior Researcher positions.
CESAM also achieved a significant representation in the Environmental Engineering and Environmental and Industrial Biotechnology panel, with three of the 14 positions nationwide, corresponding to 21.4% of the total. All three CESAM applications are in the Assistant Researcher category, representing 60% of the five positions selected in this category.
The 18 selected applications, distributed across seven evaluation panels, reflect the multidisciplinary nature of CESAM’s environmental research. Biological Sciences, Earth Sciences, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Health Sciences, and Mechanical Engineering join Environmental Sciences and Environmental Engineering, bringing together different perspectives to study environmental systems, understand their links with health, and develop solutions for sustainability.
| Evaluation panel | CESAM Junior Researcher | CESAM Assistant Researcher | CESAM total | National total | CESAM share of panel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Sciences | 3 | 5 | 8 | 21 | 38.1% |
| Environmental Engineering and Environmental and Industrial Biotechnology | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 21.4% |
| Animal and Veterinary Sciences and Agri-food Biotechnology | 0 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 13.3% |
| Biological Sciences | 2 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 10.0% |
| Earth Sciences | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 16.7% |
| Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Systems | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 12.5% |
| Health Sciences | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 8.3% |
Overall, 12 applications were selected in the Assistant Researcher category and six in the Junior Researcher category. CESAM accounts for 7.6% of the 157 Assistant Researcher positions nationwide and 2.5% of the 243 Junior Researcher positions. Assistant Researcher positions make up two-thirds of CESAM’s selected applications, compared with 39.3% at the national level.
The number of positions increased by 20% compared with the 15 announced in the 7th edition, rising from ten to 12 in the Assistant Researcher category and from five to six in the Junior Researcher category.
These results represent an opportunity to strengthen CESAM’s research teams and support the continuity of scientific careers at different stages of development.
The results are provisional, with the prior hearing period running until 15 October 2026.