04-03-2026
On this World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, NOVA FCT announces the winners of the 1st edition of the Professor Fernando Santana Award | "Promoting Sustainability and Innovation in Sanitary Engineering", which recognizes innovative and sustainable projects in sanitary engineering, focusing on the water and waste sectors.
In the Academic Category, the distinguished winners are: Rita Alexandra de Jesus Marques Dias, with her doctoral thesis "Integrated Assessment for Steroid Hormones Removal from Wastewater Using Peracetic Acid and Drinking Water Treatment Residuals", and Lisa Pohl Figueiras, with her master's dissertation "Challenges in calculating and meeting Portugal's target for incorporating recycled materials in public works: The case of buildings". Each winning work in the Academic Category receives a cash prize of 500 euros.
In the Professional Category, the award goes to the WaterGov project – Collaborative process to strengthen governance of water supply and sanitation services, submitted by Rita Oliveira Mota Amaral from LIS-Water – Lisbon International Centre for Water.
The jury for both categories was chaired by a member of NOVA FCT's Management Board and included the Associate Dean for the Scientific Council, as well as experts in water and waste sectors from ERSAR, AdP – Águas de Portugal, LIS-Water, Environmental Engineering College of the Order of Engineers, About Media Group, and NOVA FCT's Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, ensuring an independent and rigorous evaluation.
The Professor Fernando Santana Award is a NOVA FCT initiative honoring Professor Fernando Santana's legacy and reinforcing the Faculty's commitment to sustainability and innovation in sanitary engineering.
