UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA

Their core work

NOVA University Lisbon is a multi-faculty Portuguese research university with deep strengths in life sciences, structural biology, and biotechnology. Their core research translates molecular-level understanding — protein structures, biocatalysis, synthetic biology — into applications like drug discovery, biomaterials for wound treatment, and regenerative medicine. They also maintain significant capacity in public health research, food systems, and an unusually strong digital humanities and cultural heritage portfolio. With 124 H2020 projects and over EUR 41M in EC funding, they function as one of Portugal's primary gateways into European research networks.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2018), NOVA focused on foundational life sciences — structural biology, drug discovery, regenerative medicine, precision medicine, and biocatalysis — alongside security research and smart cities. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted toward synthetic biology, public health (accelerated by COVID-19), cancer research, and open science infrastructure (EOSC). A notable geographic expansion toward Latin America also emerged, signaling internationalization beyond Europe.

NOVA is moving from fundamental structural biology toward applied biotechnology and health, while building international partnerships beyond Europe — particularly with Latin America.

How they like to work

NOVA coordinates a third of its projects (41 of 124), which is unusually high for a Southern European university — they are comfortable leading consortia, not just participating. With 1,107 unique partners across 67 countries, they operate as a major hub rather than relying on repeat partnerships. Their heavy use of MSCA fellowships (27 projects) and CSA coordination actions (25 projects) shows they invest heavily in training researchers and building research networks, making them a strong anchor partner for consortium-building.

NOVA has collaborated with over 1,100 unique organizations across 67 countries, making their network one of the broadest among Portuguese universities. Their partnerships span all of Europe with growing connections to Latin America and global health networks.

What sets them apart

NOVA combines world-class structural biology infrastructure (NMR, EM, X-ray crystallography) with applied biotechnology and a strong public health portfolio — a combination that few Southern European universities can match at this scale. Their high coordination rate and massive partner network make them an effective consortium leader, particularly for projects that need a Portuguese anchor with global reach. Their unusual strength in digital humanities alongside hard sciences also makes them a rare partner for interdisciplinary calls that bridge STEM and social sciences.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MIMESIS
  Largest coordinated project (EUR 1.8M, 2015–2022), developing antimicrobial biomaterials inspired by plant defensive surfaces — a direct bridge from biology to medical devices.
• GEO-C
  EUR 1.3M joint doctorate in geoinformatics for open cities, demonstrating NOVA's capacity to lead large-scale doctoral training programmes.
• iNEXT
  Pan-European research infrastructure for NMR, EM, and X-rays — positions NOVA as a key node in Europe's structural biology infrastructure network.