16-12-2025
The project “From Research to Societal Change – NOVA’s Digital Health Model Recognised as a European Lighthouse”, coordinated by Ricardo Jardim Gonçalves, professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and researcher at UNINOVA/CTS, was one of the winning entries of the 3rd edition of the Research Impact Narratives Challenge of NOVA University Lisbon.
Built on more than five years of interdisciplinary research and several European projects, the initiative developed an innovative model that combines digital health, environmental monitoring and citizen engagement, initially piloted in Madeira and now being replicated in other contexts across Europe and Asia. Among other outcomes, it has fostered healthier and more resilient communities, improved tools to support public health decision-making, created new forms of citizen participation and led to the creation of the new Master’s in Digital Skills for Health at NOVA, thus ensuring impact at the level of advanced training as well.
Launched in 2023, the Research Impact Narratives Challenge is an initiative of NOVA University Lisbon that invites faculty and researchers from all academic units to translate the impact of their research projects into accessible narratives, reinforcing the visibility of science’s contribution to society.
NOVA FCT was also awarded an Honourable Mention with the project “ImproVITA – Extending the shelf life of food products to decrease food waste”, led by Liane Meneses, researcher at LAQV-REQUIMTE. ImproVITA is a natural preservative that extends the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables, helping to reduce food waste along the value chain and to decrease associated greenhouse gas emissions, in line with several Sustainable Development Goals.
The awards were presented during the NOVA Science & Innovation Day 2025, an event that celebrates research and innovation across the NOVA ecosystem, held on 15 December at the Rectory of NOVA University Lisbon.
