On the 18th of October, the ERA Chair projects ImmunoHub and MOBILIsE held a round table at i3S to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with Fundraising in Portugal, which was integrated in the R&I Leap Forward Winter School organised by the PhasAge Twinning project. The round table discussion was moderated by Júlio Borlido-Santos of i3S’ Communication Unit, and counted with the presence of three national experts on the theme, Filipa Morais (SOS Children’s Village International), Madalena Abreu (Coimbra Business School), and Sofia Rodrigues (NOVA Medical School and Maratona da Saúde). Joana Caldeira of i3S and one of the founders of the i3S Fundraising initiative, shared the progress and hurdles faced in these early efforts, setting the stage for the constructive discussion that ensued.
The discussion focussed on the national Fundraising system and engaged the close to 70 attendees actively, with valuable exchanges with the members of the round table.
A key point that came out of the discussion was the need for a Fundraising strategy that is aligned with the institute’s overall strategy and that is fully endorsed by the Board of Directors.
Helena Azevedo, MOBILIsE’s ERA Chair Holder, stated that “this was a very productive discussion that not only raised awareness for the potential of Fundraising for an institute centred on health research, like i3S, but also demystified some misconceptions associated to the theme, thus stimulating the involvement of i3S’ management and administrative personnel to support the fundraising cause at the institute”. Pedro Moura-Alves, ImmunoHub’s ERA Chair Holder, added that “this event builds on a previous, more restricted, session on the theme, essentially paving the way for the establishment of a consolidated i3S Fundraising strategy”.
