9th Edition of the Health Marathon Awards

The application period for the 9th edition of the 2022 Health Marathon Awards opens today. This year's support is directed at Research in Infectious Diseases. As in previous editions, these awards aim to promote Portuguese scientific research in different areas of biomedicine. Two awards of 20 thousand euros will be given for the categories of junior and senior researcher. Applications will be accepted until January 17, 2022.

The 2022 Health Marathon Awards distinguish two scientific research projects in the area of infectious diseases. The projects must be developed in Portugal. Portuguese or foreign researchers and/or physicians who have completed their doctoral studies less than ten years ago, in the case of the junior category, or more than ten years ago at the time of the opening of this Call, in the senior category, may apply for these awards. The funding will be awarded for a maximum period of two years and will begin between June and December 2022.

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) supports the logistic management of this Call and proposes the panel of judges that will carry out the evaluation, which will be composed of scientists of recognized international merit in the field of biomedicine. The evaluation and selection process is based on several criteria, including the scientific merit of the candidates and the impact that the proposed research work may have on the discovery of better treatments, cure and prevention of infectious diseases. The awarding of these prizes encourages applications that involve partnerships between research institutions based in Portugal and hospitals or other national or foreign health institutions. After the best candidates have been screened at Call, the Scientific Council of the Health Marathon will choose the two winners according to the jury's recommendations.

In the previous edition, the Health Marathon Awards rewarded research projects in Rare Diseases. Susana Lopes, researcher at CEDOC - Nova Medica School - Faculty of Medical Sciences of Lisbon, was awarded in the senior category for the project "Combating Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD)", and Sara Carvalhal, researcher at the Algarve Biomedical Center - Research Institute (ABC -RI), was awarded in the junior category for the project "Understanding the Contribution of Mitotic Defects in Rare Diseases with Microcephaly".

The Health Marathon Awards were created with the purpose of promoting Portuguese scientific research in different areas of biomedicine, and related to the different themes of the Health Marathon editions. This initiative is funded mainly through donations raised during the annual Marathon da Saúde TV show, broadcasted by RTP. Janssen was one of the main partners in the eighth edition of this initiative and will associate its name to one of the prizes to be awarded.

For more information, see the page of the Call.