João Castro
“João successfully led the approved application for the FAIRway project – Um Caminho para Promover a Ciência Aberta Através da Gestão do Ciclo de Vida dos Dados de Investigação. Thanks to this approval, INESC TEC (part of a consortium with CIIMAR and BIOPOLIS-InBIO) was acknowledged as one of the 10 National Centres for Research Data Management under the National Programme for Open Science and Open Research Data, promoted by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The main objective of the project, which runs from January to December 2025, is to improve research data management in Portugal and encourage the adoption of good practices in line with national and European priorities. João sacrificed his holiday period in August 2024 to prepare the application and coordinate the work with the project partners. Obtaining this project not only reflects the fair recognition of the excellent work carried out by João in the area of research data management over the last few years, but also emerges as a valuable opportunity to benefit the support scientific community. With a strong academic background and previous experience in R&D, João contributes to a new generation of INESC TEC Support Services, as strategic partners of our researchers and whose work directly impacts the success of INESC TEC’s mission. The coordination and execution of this project, focusing on the monitoring of Data Management Plans for several European projects, will certainly be a great challenge, but I truly believe that João will overcome it successfully. Congratulations, João!”
– Isabel Macedo, Head of the Management Support Service
You were involved in the (successful) application of the FAIRway project. Could you tell us a little more about this initiative, as well as about the work you did throughout this application process?
The FAIRway project, led by INESC TEC in partnership with CIIMAR and BIOPOLIS-InBIO, is one of the 10 initiatives recognised as a National Centre for Research Data Management by FCT. The main objective is to promote good data management practices in line with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles, and with national and European policies, like the National Plan for Open Science and Research Data (PNCADAI). In this sense, FAIRway aims to promote the training of researchers and professionals who can support activities related to data management (data stewards), encourage the publication of data and actively participate in a collaborative national community for the exchange of experiences and good practices in data management. During the application process, I coordinated the drafting of the proposal and the structuring of the activity plan, namely in the definition of the strategy and general objectives aligned with the open data policies, considering the different moments of the data life cycle.
Following this process, INESC TEC was recognised as one of the National Centres for Research Data Management; how do you comment on this result? What impact will it have on the work of your service, as well as the institution?
The recognition of INESC TEC as one of the National Centres for Research Data Management by FCT is a significant milestone that validates the work we have developed in this area and positions the institution as a national reference in this domain. It strengthens INESC TEC’s role in promoting good data management practices, as well as our ability to support researchers and other institutions that seek to implement data management services. As to the Management Support Service, it represents an opportunity to broaden the impact of our initiatives in the area, develop new skills and consolidate a collaborative community dedicated to research data management.
What were the main challenges during this application process?
The application process took place in August, and this turned out to be the biggest challenge. Although it’s a nice, calm period for writing, it also became quite lonely at times. The exchange of ideas with the Management Support team, which always ensures valuable feedback, was not always possible. In addition, it was necessary to deal with availability between partners who were on vacation, which made the process mostly asynchronous. Another challenge was meeting the needs and objectives of the institutions involved, ensuring a robust and comprehensive plan.
Could you also tell us a little more about your activities in monitoring the Data Management Plans of different projects?
The Data Management Plan (DMP) is a document that specifies a whole set of data management practices to be implemented during and after a research project, to promote FAIR principles and compliance with Open Science policies. My collaboration in DMP-related activities at INESC TEC projects involves different aspects. I have been involved in many projects since the very beginning, responsible for the preparation of the document – especially in projects led by INESC TEC. In other cases, I am invited as a formal reviewer or to comment on documents prepared by the partners, to provide support in defining INESC TEC’s contributions, to implement good practices, to participate in clarification sessions with researchers or even to present the DMP to European reviewers, among other activities. Basically, I am available to support our researchers and partners on issues related to DMP.
Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
Undoubtedly, the people and the good environment they provide. I am part of an extraordinary team, which feels like “home”. There is also a spirit of collaboration among all people of the, which I greatly appreciate. Moreover, I can develop my activities with great autonomy, surrounded by innovative projects and ideas.
How do you comment on this nomination?
I’m very proud, thanks to these kind words. The head of the Management Support team makes achieving my goals an easy process. Thank you, Isabel! I also wish to emphasise Inês Sousa’s daily collaboration and the motivation shown to participate in FAIRway’s activities. Finally, I would like to thank Professor Cristina Ribeiro, for all she represents in my academic career, and Professor Gabriel David, for promoting data management activities at INESC TEC.
Manuel Marques
“The CAP coordinators would like to nominate Prof. Manuel Joaquim Marques for his performance in raising funds, negotiating and executing the service provision project for the company DMS. The project involved the design of an optical device for led signalling with demanding requirements for optical performance and energy consumption.”
– CAP coordinators
You were involved in a service provision project for the company DMS; could you tell us a little more about the activities performed throughout the process, as well as the main objectives and results?
The activities focused on the design of a new transparent piece to be incorporated into variable-message signs. This specific piece is placed between the RGB led and the face of the panel to shift the light towards the drivers, while reducing sun glare. This project stems from the need to comply with future European standards that regulate said signs, as well as the company’s goal to remain competitive in the market – namely in terms of energy consumption. The initial stage, in close collaboration with the company, had two completely different levels: the first – more interesting to me – was to innovate in terms of design! It sounds simple, but it required reflecting a lot, after major efforts to try to fully understand the various aspects of the issue at hand and analyse the results during the final application stage, without ever leaving any idea – as strange as it may seemed – unchecked. The second level consisted of performing computer simulations on the various ideas that emerged; after analysing the results, with varying degrees of satisfaction, we resorted to said simulations to reflect and mature new ideas, before repeating the simulations again.
What were the main challenges?
Time! We can only be creative if we have free time to do so, and when we can actually relax. It takes a lot of work to gather all the information possible and understand it, but it is only possible to innovate through “leading-edge” ideas; and we need to be relaxed to fulfil them.
The second was to find the balance with industrialisation processes; for example, the manufacturing limitations that forced significant changes to the initial design. In this case, I am talking about the moulds: for the extraction mechanism of the small parts of the moulds to work correctly, it was necessary to meet certain limitations in terms of possible angles. Another challenge identified stemmed from the fixing brackets – the design of specific spacers, different from those with standard dimensions, can lead to significant costs.
We also realised that LEDs feature a small mirror that increases the emission of light but also increases the amount of sun light that enters the device and reaches the LED – something that was quite complicated.
Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
I’ve been at INESC TEC for (more or less) more than 40 years, and the “novelty” side of things has always been a major factor, as well as exploring new topics (and ways to interconnect them). This cross-cutting work in different or new areas (like optical communications, in 1982) translates into a huge personal satisfaction! There are also minor negative aspects, but I wouldn’t change anything even if I could. During this project, I had the chance to work closely to the “final product”, and I am proud to know that it is already possible to find several million in the signs placed on roads all over the world. This is also important when it comes to data I can use while teaching, namely about the important steps to take between the development of a prototype and the final product.
How do you comment on this nomination?
I was not expecting it! This project involved a thorough and elaborate work, different from common processes, but also very important from the industry’s point of view. Since the activities did not “stand out” that much, I did not expect them to be so valued within the team. I truly hope that all BIP readers can identify this product when driving around.
Pedro Moura
“We nominate Pedro Moura for his excellent contributions within CRIIS – in particular, at TRIBE LAB, namely the promotion, leadership and organisation of team-building activities during the years 2023 and 2024; his work also had a key impact on the Centre’s activities in embedded systems and IoT for agriculture, with more than a dozen prototypes developed at TRIBE. Due to his dynamism, and the way he promotes team spirit, we believe that it’s only fair to nominate Pedro for this section.”
– CRIIS coordinators
You’re part of the TRIBE LAB, and the Centre’s coordinators emphasised the relevance of your work concerning the team-building activities. Could you tell us a little more about these activities, and what kind of tasks you performed? How do you rate them?
Team-building is an opportunity to provide the team with moments of leisure, learning and communication. The TRIBE has always been characterised by a cohesive team; however, the group has evolved, the diversity of outlooks and personalities has increased, and we feel that we should keep up with this growth, boosting what is good for the team. As an example: we already organised open communication activities outdoors, with individually proposed themes; we also promoted our “Olympics” activities on the beach, with running competitions, traditional games, sand art and mindfulness; we also promoted nature walks, improvised escape rooms in the laboratory, and organised certified mental health and financial management workshops, among other activities. I’d say that we’ve been organising this type of activities for at least two years, on a monthly basis – with quite positive feedback. I’d also like to highlight the active and important participation of the entire team in organising the activities. So far, my role has been to coordinate, design and improve these initiatives together with Tatiana Pinho. More recently, André Baltazar and Isabel Pinheiro took over the management of the project with new ideas, and I will join the rest of the team members, helping – and enjoying – the best that I can.
Regarding the area of embedded systems – IoT for agriculture, your work in the laboratory was also recognised; among the different projects in which you were/are involved, are there any that you wish to highlight, due to their impact or the results achieved?
I’d like to mention two projects. First, Moxoh, due to the cross-cutting activities and potential impact on society. It complies with the One Health monitoring concept, focusing on the early detection of pests with networked alert signals and the monitoring of biodiversity. The second project, TL.HEART, is a tailor-made hardware prototype that acts as a modular solution, thus meeting multiple needs. They stem from our evolution in embedded systems over the years, with a major impact on several prototypes developed by the team.
Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
Undoubtedly, hardware design and prototype management, from a market perspective. They are both quite challenging. The prospect of adding value to what we develop, while idealising and designing solutions at the lab, it’s the most exciting aspect of my job.
How do you comment on this nomination?
It’s a major recognition that motivates me. I’d like to thank the Centre’s coordinators for all the opportunities.
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