€2.7 million grant to support science-based research journalism
Oeiras, 27th February 2025
The program will run over the next two years across Europe, has been named Journalism and Science Alliance and its main feature is that the competing teams must be made up of at least one journalist and one scientist.
“The aim is for scientists to contribute with the scientific work needed to support journalistic investigations”, explains António Granado, professor at NOVA FCSH and leader of the project. “This fact will allow the exploration of more complex themes, ensuring the reliability of the information reported”, he adds.
For Ana Sanchez, professor at ITQB NOVA and also a member of the project, the program opens up an “extraordinary opportunity” for collaboration between scientists and journalists: “Investigative journalism enriched by scientific research also reinforces the role of science in society, highlighting the importance of facts and evidence-based explanations.”
Paulo Nuno Vicente and Pedro Coelho, both professors at NOVA FCSH, are the other members of the team responsible for this program, which hopes to support around 75 investigative journalism projects over the next two years.
For now, the NOVA team and the European Journalism Centre will prepare the programme’s regulations and launch the first call for projects before the start of summer 2025.
“The awarding of this scholarship reinforces the role that NOVA has played in promoting quality journalism in Portugal and, from now on, also in other European countries”, says João Sàágua, rector of NOVA University of Lisbon. “It is also recognition of the importance that Higher Education institutions can have in combating misinformation”, he adds.
