The results of the Call for Scientific Research and Technological Development (IC&DT) Projects in All Scientific Fields 2023 (MPr-12-2023 - ICDT/2023), promoted by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) in conjunction with the Innovation and Digital Transition Programme - COMPETE 2030 and the Regional Programmes for the North, Centre, Lisbon, Alentejo and Algarve, have been released. This call for proposals aims to fund IC&DT projects focused on the development of research activities in all scientific areas. The application submission period ended on 21 March 2024, and a total of 2,550 proposals were submitted.

The project 'ROOTS - Ecologies of impact and value of educational mobilities: young adults returning to low-density regions after higher education' (COMPETE2030-FEDER-00874300) was one of the projects funded under this programme. The project, coordinated by Sofia Marques da Silva, Associate Professor at FPCEUP and researcher at CIIE, aims to study the educational mobilities of young adults from low-density areas, assess the impact of returning to home regions after higher education, improve policies and organisations' support measures, and develop frameworks to harness the potential of returning youth. This is a participatory applied research using a variety of methods, which includes an interdisciplinary team and social actors, and the creation of a collaborative laboratory (ROOTS'Lab).

In this project, in which CIIE/FPCEUP is the leading institution, the research team includes higher education institutions and government and civil society organisations: Sofia Marques da Silva (PI), Marta Sampaio, Amélia Veiga, Nicolas Martins da Silva, Armando Loureiro, Maria Saudade Baltazar, Patrício Costa, Sara Faria, Vitor Baltazar Dias, Luis Miguel Correia Chaves and João Lopes Almeida.

With a total cost of 249,739.20 euros, Roots will be co-funded by the Innovation and Digital Transition Thematic Programme (COMPETE 2030) of Portugal 2030, to the tune of 212,278.32 euros. It will run for 36 months, starting on 4 October 2025.

Congratulations to the team!