Sumários

RMPP #11: International collaboratio. Eurpean RTD.

22 Abril 2026, 18:00 • Ana Moutinho

Dear All,

Many thanks for attending our class yesterday.

Please find attached the presentation.

And, just like that, we have finished the course content.

Next week, we will have our policy brief previews.

 

Please remember the instructions and deadlines:

 

The RMPP evaluation asks you to choose any give topic in research and innovation, as long as it is timely and relevant, and produce a policy brief aimed to help decision makers to get quality information. Imagine you are an aide to a parliamentarian and the topic is on the legislative agenda. What would be the basics on which to have an informed opinion?

 

The assignment has 3 phases:

  1. You choose the topic and send me an exec summary until the 26th April;
  2. You will be asked to pitch it during the last session of the semester (29th April). It is a moment to shortly present its relevance and angle, collect feedback and fine tune your approach. You can use a couple of slides and a maximum of 3 minutes for your initial presentation, which will be followed by a Q&A from the room.
  3. You hand in the final version, in pdf format, by email, until the exam date/hour = 1st Season: 07th May 2024, 18:00 – 20:00.

Please respect the following structure:

Title

Executive Summary

Intro + Problem Statement

Benchmark + Analysis

Recommendations

References

For reference, please find attached an AI-prompted factsheet about Policy Briefs, edited and revised by me.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: on the 29th April, class will run from 19h00-21h00, due to the field trip you’re taking with Tiago Capela Lourenço.

See you soon,

Ana

RMPP #10: Fundraising. Science for Policy.

15 Abril 2026, 18:00 • Ana Moutinho

Dear All,

Many thanks for attending our class yesterday.

Please find attached the presentation.

We have seen the importance of evidence-based decision making and scientific advice.

Also, how behavioural sciences are being increasingly relevant in policy-making. About that, check 50 of the most common cognitive bias we all share.

Nudges used in the design of policies have been around since the 2010s (reading, reading), with its ups and downs.

In the field of public admin and innovation, there is also the concept of sludge, namely sludge audit (check Australian example), as a structured behavioral science method used to identify, quantify, and reduce "sludge"—unjustified, excessive frictions (paperwork, complex steps, long waits) that prevent people from accessing services.

Next week it will be our last content session, dedicated to international collaboration, EU Research and Science Diplomacy.

NOTICE: on the 29th April, class will run from 19h00-21h00, due to the field trip you’re taking with Tiago Capela Lourenço.

Best,

Ana

RMPP#9: Post-Award

8 Abril 2026, 18:00 • Ana Moutinho

Dear All,

Many thanks for attending our class yesterday.

Please find attached the presentation.

Next session, we will be finishing up the fundraising bits and pieces and move away from the project lifecycle and into Science for Policy.

Hot in the agendas is evidence-based policy making and the role of SAM – Science Advice Mechanisms (remember COVID?).

We will also poke on innovation in governments and public admin.

As an anticipation for these debates, browse the Executive Summary of this OECD Report (2022):

Tackling Policy Challenges Through Public Sector Innovation – A Strategic Portfolio Approach

Best,

Ana

RMPP #8: Pre-award. Grantsmanship

25 Março 2026, 18:00 • Ana Moutinho

Dear All,

Many thanks for attending our class yesterday.

Please find attached the presentation.

Next session, we will be going into post-award. That is the paradise of compliance with contractual, financial, and reporting requirements.

I starts with grant agreement preparation (remember AGA?), and goes into budget control, recruitment and procurement, reporting, risk and consortium coordination.

Have a nice Easter break,

Ana

RMPP #7: Research funding

18 Março 2026, 18:00 • Ana Moutinho

Dear All,

Many thanks for attending our class yesterday.

Please find attached the presentation.

I mentioned a recent Nature article on the use of AI by PhD students. Please find it here:

AI and the PhD student: friend or foe?

Graduate students increasingly use artificial-intelligence tools to draft, code and search — but many fear it could erode the very skills a doctorate is meant to build.

 

Next session, we will be still dwelling on funding, but will also go into pre-award and grantsmanship – just in time for the deadline of FCT R&D Projects in All Scientific Domains.

Have a happy Spring opening (20th March),

Ana