Editorial Note 

At a time when scientific research is all over the papers, not always for the best reasons, in a heated debate encompassing several aspects, including the discussion about its role in contemporary societies, which should be its sources of funding, and the consequences of disinvestment etc., the work of Portuguese researchers working among us or abroad is extremely productive, giving us the necessary hope of what the advancement of science can mean to our lives, both individually and collectively.

The results of the “SCImago Institutions Rankings 2014? released in early February show that six Portuguese universities are among the top 40 in this Ibero-American ranking, with the University of Lisbon being the best Portuguese institution, coming second in this ranking that evaluates the scientific outcomes of higher education institutions.

Also with regard to the CAML, many awards and prizes have been granted to scientists and research teams, especially the Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM). It must be pointed out that some of those prizes and awards do not cover the scientific environment alone, as they have a global scope, such as the Pessoa Prize, which is awarded to an individual from the scientific and cultural milieus in our country. In 2013, the prize was awarded to Maria Mota, following the prizes given back in 1996 and 2010 to Professors João Lobo Antunes and Carmo Fonseca, respectively.

So, in this 39th edition we underline the second place attained by the University of Lisbon in the SCImago 2014 ranking which, in the words of the Rector of ULisboa, Professor António Cruz Serra, is a “very positive outcome that fills us with pride”. We also mention the prizes awarded to researcher Edgar Gomes by the European Research Council, the work conducted by researcher Paula Ravasco, the Sociedade de Ciências Médicas Prize and also the IMM-FMUL Projects that received awards of the Genesis Gilead Programme. In addition, three research projects aimed at the optimization of biological therapies in chronic and disabling inflammatory diseases were also granted prizes (2013PFIZER Awards).

And because these are necessarily times of cooperation, we refer to the protocols recently signed between the CAML and hospitals and clinics in Cape Verde and Angola, and to several projects implemented under our cooperation with Portuguese Speaking African Countries as part of the Platform to Support and Fund this Project, involving the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon/Association for Research and Development of the Faculty of Medicine, Santa Maria Hospital and the Industry.

We also evaluate the always stimulating Research Day, which took place on 11 December 2013. It is an event that truly excites the students who participate and often open up to research after this experience.

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The Editorial Team
news@fm.ul.pt