The reinforcement, of around 8.5 million euros, resulted from the new assessment made by the Foundation on the activity and relevance of the research centers, says UAlg in a statement.

The FCT assessment considered criteria such as scientific merit, relevance and internationalisation of research, as well as the quality of the strategic plan and organisation of the units over the last five years.

According to the academy, the Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behavior (ICArEHB) and the Center for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) received the maximum rating of “Excellent”.

The Marine and Environmental Research Centers, Arts and Communication, Tourism, Sustainability and Well-Being, and the new Biomedicine Center, the Biomedical Center Research Institute, were rated “Very good.”

The new research unit of the University Center for Research in Psychology and the Center for Research in Adult Education and Community Intervention were classified as “Good”.

According to UAlg, the centers have a total of 439 researchers, a number that could reach close to 450 by 2025.

The academy states that its growth “is greater than the national average”, having captured 2.59% of all funding, while its researchers are only a portion of 2.08% of national researchers.