28 September marks the kick-off of applications for the first edition of the Carolina Fernandes‑Henriques Research Initiation Grant. This initiative aims to support undergraduate students in Biology at Ciências ULisboa in their first contact with scientific research.
Applications are open for 10 working days, until 13 October 2026.
Carolina Fernandes-Henriques
Created thanks to the contribution of the family of the former Biology student at Ciências ULisboa, the grant aims to honour her legacy by supporting a new generation of young scientists. More than recognising academic performance, the initiative seeks to value students with scientific curiosity, critical thinking, autonomy, and engagement in different dimensions of life beyond the university.
The initiative seeks to value students with scientific curiosity, critical thinking, autonomy, and engagement in different dimensions of life beyond the university
This scholarship enables the student to carry out, over a period of five months, a research project in the field of Biology, supervised by a PhD lecturer from the Department of Biology at Ciências ULisboa (indicated by the applicant at the time of application).
The grant has a monthly value of €701.12, in accordance with the research grant table of the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), and includes personal accident insurance. At the end of the grant period, students must submit a report and present the work developed in a session organised by the host laboratory.
This grant enables the student to carry out, over a period of five months, a research project in the field of Biology
Carolina’s Legacy
Carolina Fernandes‑Henriques began her scientific path at Ciências ULisboa, where she studied for a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and was one of the first students of the Faculty to receive a grant from the Fundação Amadeu Dias. This financial support allowed her to take her first steps in research and later led her to international institutions such as Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the University of Bordeaux, and the University of Tsukuba in Japan, before completing a PhD in Neuroscience at the City University of New York (CUNY), in the United States.
Beyond science, Carolina stood out for her involvement in sport, student representation, the promotion of women in science, and various volunteering and community initiatives. She was a national university and under‑23 athletics champion and took part in several academic and civic activities.
Carolina passed away in 2024, at the age of 30, shortly after completing her PhD. Her journey and her connection to Ciências ULisboa remain, however, an inspiration to the academic community. The creation of this grant by Carolina’s family now makes it possible to transform that memory into a concrete opportunity for other students.
Beyond science, Carolina stood out for her involvement in sport, student representation, the promotion of women in science, and various volunteering and community initiatives.
The grant also has a distinctive feature: in addition to an interest in research and academic performance, applicants must demonstrate participation in extracurricular activities such as sport, the arts, volunteering, student associations, holding worker‑student status, or other forms of civic engagement.
Students enrolled at Ciências ULisboa in the 2026/2027 academic year may apply, provided they are attending the 3rd year of the Bachelor’s degree in Biology, an Erasmus programme, or a Minor within the degree, and have no more than one outstanding curricular unit at the time of application.
Carolina’s journey and her connection to Ciências ULisboa are an inspiration to the academic community.
The initiative thus recovers a central idea in Carolina’s journey: science is not made only inside the laboratory. Curiosity, commitment, creativity, resilience, and a willingness to engage with society are also part of a scientist’s training.
All information regarding requirements, documentation, and the application procedure is available here.