We commemorated on 11th July the 30th Anniversary of the Scientific and Technological Research and Innovation Support Bureau (GAPIC).

On 11th July 1989 the Coordination Commission of the Scientific Board unanimously approved this Bureau's constitution, with the purpose of promoting and coordinating the FMUL's scientific research, especially together with Medicine students at undergraduate level, and also nowadays with our Integrated Master's Study Programme in Medicine (MIM).

Its mentor, Professor David Ferreira, aims as such to enrich the FMUL with a structure to, as Professor João Ferreira, Ph.D (GAPIC Coordinator 2009-16) affirmed in his tribute to this figure of the FMUL, “provide an opportunity to its students to ask a scientific research question, test it, and be able to share the genuine emotion of a discovery – exactly how they experience it.”

The continuation of the work launched by Professor David Ferreira and the success of various activities promoted by GAPIC, over these 30 years, is due to the commitment of various coordinating teams that have passed through this bureau and which is currently under the coordination of Prof. Ana Espada de Sousa, Ph.D (link to article).

To celebrate GAPIC's 30th Anniversary, two posters were produced and displayed at the FMUL's main entrances, one with the main milestones and the other with the main activities, and a further video was produced and sent to the entire FMUL community, in which we symbolically review these 30 Years in 30 Seconds.

Since its origin, various initiatives have been promoted by GAPIC, most notably including:

• The "Education through Science" Programme (1997), GAPIC's ex-libris, which has allowed undergraduate students to undertake research projects "Education through Science" Programme - GAPIC, 30 years Promoting Science”.


• The AstraZeneca Foundation Research Grant / FMUL (2004), stimulating young doctors to undertake scientific activities (“AstraZeneca Foundation Research Grant / FMUL - GAPIC, 30 years Driving Science”).


• The GAPIC David Ferreira Award (2016) designed to recognise the best Undergraduate Dissertations / Integrated Masters Study Programme Theses in Medicine (“GAPIC David Ferreira Award - GAPIC, 30 years Valuing Science”).


• The FMUL Research Day (2012), jointly organised by GAPIC and the AEFML, during which projects conducted in the context of various GAPIC competitions are presented to the FMUL's scientific community.


• The Research Support Courses designed to support students, young researchers and resident doctors in their studies and research projects (Including "Bibliographic Research," "Systematic Reviews as a Clinical Research Project," "Preparing Clinical Cases for Publication" and "Introduction to SPSS").


• The GAPIC Alumni Network, which, supported by the Facebook page, constitutes a gathering place for Students, Alumni, Tutors, Researchers and Lecturers, a space to share experiences, news and discoveries in the scientific world (“GAPIC Alumni Network - GAPIC, 30 anos a Connecting Researchers”).

And because GAPIC's target audience are above all students, your opinion on all of the work conducted over the past 30 years is vital to us (“GAPIC: The Student Perspective (AEFML)”), as well as always having the opinion and perspective of our GAPIC Alumni.

30 Years gone by and were are now keen on seeing what the Future has in store for us. Join us! GAPIC's just a click away

 



The Scientific and Technological Research and Innovation Support Bureau (GAPIC)

gapicmail@medicina.ulisboa.pt