Informação Relevante | [Docentes] 8.ª Edição dos Projetos Semente da UC | 8th Edition of UC Seed Projects – Applications open from 26 October to 27 November

Caros Investigadores,
Caras Investigadoras,

A Universidade de Coimbra vai lançar a 8.ª Edição do concurso Projetos Semente de Investigação Interdisciplinar, financiado pela Fundação Santander Portugal.

As candidaturas estarão abertas de 26 de outubro a 27 de novembro de 2026.

O concurso destina-se a investigadores/as em início de carreira, até dez anos após a conclusão do doutoramento, que pretendam desenvolver projetos de investigação interdisciplinares e alinhados com as Áreas Estratégicas da UC, promovendo a independência científica, a colaboração entre diferentes áreas do conhecimento e o desenvolvimento de competências de liderança.

Nesta edição serão atribuídos cinco prémios, um por cada Área Estratégica da UC, no valor de 20 000 € por projeto, correspondendo a um financiamento total de 100 000 €.

À semelhança das edições anteriores, o concurso pretende incentivar a colaboração entre investigadores/as de diferentes áreas científicas. Cada equipa deverá integrar investigadores/as de pelo menos duas unidades de investigação distintas da Universidade de Coimbra.

Convidamos os/as investigadores/as elegíveis a conhecerem esta oportunidade e a explorarem a possibilidade de desenvolver uma proposta interdisciplinar com colegas de outras áreas.

A página da 8.ª edição, incluindo o regulamento, o modelo de candidatura e as restantes informações, estará disponível a partir de 26 de outubro, data de abertura do concurso, em: Projetos Semente da UC

Com os melhores cumprimentos,

João Ramalho-Santos
Vice-Reitor para a Investigação
_____________

[EN]

Dear Researchers,

The University of Coimbra is launching the 8th Edition of the Seed Projects for Interdisciplinary Research, funded by Santander Portugal Foundation.

Applications will be open from 26 October to 27 November 2026.

The call is aimed at early-career researchers, within ten years of completing their PhD, who wish to develop interdisciplinary research projects aligned with UC’s Strategic Areas, fostering scientific independence, collaboration across different fields of knowledge, and research leadership.

This edition will support five projects, one in each of UC’s Strategic Areas, with €20,000 awarded to each winning project, for a total funding of €100,000.

As in previous editions, the call encourages collaboration between researchers from different scientific fields. Each team must include researchers from at least two different research units from distinct domains at the University of Coimbra.

We encourage eligible researchers to learn more about this opportunity and consider developing an interdisciplinary proposal together with colleagues from other areas.

The 8th Edition webpage, including the call rules, application template and further information, will be available from 26 October, when the call officially opens, at:

UC Seed Projects

Kind regards,

João Ramalho-Santos
Vice-Rector for Research
_______________________________________________
Universidade de Coimbra • www.uc.pt
Com os melhores cumprimentos,

Marta Santos
(Pelo Secretariado)

Report - Health Misinformation: Public Perceptions of Threat to the UK

A London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine report

Published: 28 September 2026

Authors: Pete Wilton & Dr Ben Kasstan-Dabush

Foreword

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) has a long track-record of developing innovative approaches to countering false or misleading health information (health misinformation). While health misinformation has always been with us, in the last few years changes to the technological and political landscape have enabled it to spread further and faster around the world, threatening to undermine trust in health experts and institutions.

That was why in January 2025 LSHTM launched a new initiative focusing on fighting dangerous health misinformation in the UK through interventions in the media, online, and on social media. While misinformation is global the response often has to be national or even local and what we quickly realised is that there is still a lot we don’t know about the prevalence and impact of health misinformation in the UK.

How equipped are Britons to identify false or misleading health claims? What do they do to factcheck if these claims are true? Are our fears about the harms of health misinformation on the UK population justified? And, if they are, who is being harmed and how can we help them to protect themselves? These were just some of the questions we had.

Of course one survey was never going to give us all the answers, but we believe the findings detailed in this report are an important first step towards gathering some of the ‘missing evidence’ on health misinformation in the UK. We hope that this report will help to motivate and inform all those working to make ours a healthier, stronger society.

Professor Liam Smeeth
Director, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Continued . . .

My source: BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour - 36mins 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0032qn8

'How can medical misinformation harm women, and how do we combat dangerous myths? Nuala McGovern is joined by former consultant breast surgeon and cancer survivor Liz O'Riordan and Dr Rachael Kent, whose academic research focuses on the impact of digital technology on mental and physical health.' 

Ex Carta & The Writer's Map

'Ex Carta - The Nurse's Map'

The bookshop is lost to me now, but I have seen Huw Lewis-Jones's The Writer's Map before, and was well impressed. So it was worth leafing through the Times's Luxx supplement to learn of an exhibition on this theme:

Ex Carta - Zentralbibliothek Zürich

Includes:  Signposts for Navigating Moral Landscapes

Tuesday, 17. November 2026 - 18:00 - 20:00 o'clock

How do people find their bearings when faced with moral conflicts and life-changing decisions? 

Drawing on the ancient motif of Heracles at the Crossroads, Professor Emeritus Paul Michel explores the symbolic significance of paths, crossroads and choices of direction. The lecture examines how such visual and narrative motifs have been used since antiquity to illustrate questions of virtue, responsibility and the conduct of life. It also considers why these enduring images continue to resonate today. At its core is the question of what forms of guidance can help us navigate the moral landscapes of the contemporary world. 

Free of charge. Please register in advance. The event will take place on site at the Zentralbibliothek Zürich and will be held only in German. 

Huw Lewis-Jones, (2018) The Writer's Map - An Atlas of Imaginary Lands, Thames & Hudson.
https://www.thamesandhudson.com/products/the-writers-map

These two resources bring home the unique nature of care and caring and the journey of assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation, with the 'return' point often uncertain. Based on person-centredness alone this is unique. Of course, there is much additional variation and complexity as 'The Nurse's Map' may of course be that of another profession. The application of Hodges' is unique to the participants.

My source: Richard Askwith. Adventures into imaginary universes, Luxx. The Times, 3.10.26. pp.82-85.

Laws, Rules, Promises & Campaigns

They are not all represented on W2tQ, but many have been posted over the years. Campaigns launched in the aftermath of avoidable deaths within NHS delivered care. The initiatives seek to translate grief into positive affirmative action by making a difference to patient safety, the quality of professional care, policy and funding in some instances. At least drawing attention to the latter.

It is staggering that staff need to be 'reminded' of what should be professional, practice-based, and philosophical (personal - team, ethics and ethos, and values integral to nursing, and healthcare interaction that should be integral and ingrained. 

I thought "What's my motivation?" was a theatrical cliché?

Poppy's Promise is a commitment to making every healthcare experience more compassionate, respectful and person-centred. It supports staff to work in partnership with patients, families and carers, ensuring every voice is heard and every person feels valued.

Oliver's Campaign: The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is named after Oliver McGowan, whose death shone a light on the need for health and social care staff to have better training. The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a statutory requirement that CQC-registered providers must ensure their staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role.  

Jess’s Rule makes sure GPs take a ‘fresh eyes’ approach with patients, making them think again to diagnose and catch serious illnesses earlier. Jess’s Rule – Three Strikes and we Rethink - was launched in England on the 23rd September 2025 by Department of Health and NHS England and in The Isle of Man on the 31st March 2026 by Manx Care. It is endorsed by the Royal College of General Practitioners.

Martha’s Rule helps us notice early signs that someone may be deteriorating and gives you the right to request a rapid review if you’re worried that your or your loved one’s condition is getting worse. This may include a review by the Critical Care Team. Sometimes small changes happen before they show in tests. These can be early warning signs. Martha’s Rule makes sure we listen to concerns and act on them.

Nobody should be separated from the people they love and who care for them. John's Campaign works for the right of people with dementia (and other disabilities or individual needs) to be supported by their family carers — in hospitals, in care homes, and wherever care happens.

Dáithí's Law: Dáithí Mac Gabhann was born in October 2016 with a condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, which basically means that Dáithí was born with half a working heart with the left side not forming correctly in the womb. More information on HLHS can be found here. Dáithí has now been waiting for the gift of a new heart for over 7 years.

Activism is not restricted to patients, parents or guardians but key campaigns have followed through staff efforts:

A message from Kate about the campaign…
“Hello, my name is Dr Kate Granger MBE and I’m the wife of Chris and the co-founder of the #hellomynameis campaign”

⃟ 

The initial website for Hodges' model 1998-2015 and now archived, featured four pages of links to resources associated with the domain they represented. The SOCIOLOGY links included:

Patients, Carers & Self-Care

individual

|
INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES             

humanistic ------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL   

|

group

Patient - Nurse ...	Patient - Nurse ...
Guardian - Parent Family Carer	Government Funding Policy makers

In Hodges' model, if neglect, accidents, untoward - serious - never incidents, what is complex, complicated, preventable signify anything; it is the collapse of a situation to the individual-group axis.

For the people involved they will simultaneously hear and feel a catastrophe.

Armed with Hodges' model, plus early insights into informatics, the oscillation between the person on your caseload, and not just beyond the spouse, partner and family but out to the political-zone of aggregation that is your caseload, the local and national population and statistical reports has always been fascinating.

Viewed theoretically, or practically the vertical axis of Hodges' model appears simple, and yet holds great power. A gift of abstraction and dramatic effect - for actor and audience alike. As an 'actor' we can see  our practice and its character humanistic - mechanistic played-out literally through the horizontal axis. Before we act, we can reflect upon the quality and humanity of our care. The audience, peers, families, managers, community, commissioners can also follow the 'narrative', (or lack of it!). Is there a paradox here in these virtual-digital times that the what is really material in care and caring is missing? We must hope the coroner does not need to attend [the play], being able to concentrate on other matters.

Previously: 'compassion' : 'communication' : 'safety' : 'listen' : 'motivation'

Poppy's Promise: "What happened next would change our lives forever"

April 2021:

'After my due date passed, I was admitted to hospital to be induced. Labour began and everything appeared normal. As first-time parents, we trusted that our baby was safe and that if something was wrong, someone would tell us. We had no reason to think otherwise.

During labour, opportunities to recognise that Poppy was in distress were missed.

Monitoring that should have taken place did not happen.

By the time concerns were recognised, panic had replaced reassurance.

I was rushed to theatre frightened, confused and not fully understanding what was happening to my baby. ...'

Poppy's Promise read more ...

My source: BBC Radio 4 Today 0736 mins:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0032fq8

POISONING THE WELL AND SILENCING IN ARGUMENTATION: ONLINE WORKSHOP - Student Commentators Needed!

WE ARE LOOKING FOR STUDENT COMMENTATORS FOR THE ONLINE WORKSHOP ON POISONING THE WELL AND SILENCING IN ARGUMENTATION.

The expressions of interest from student commentators deadline is November 15^th (the submission deadline for the associated Topoi issue is 15^th February) PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS!

 

What is this about?

Among the fallacies traditionally regarded as particularly dangerous, poisoning the well stands out. The literature describes poisoning the well as an argumentative move that consists in providing information about an interlocutor to diminish the credibility of what they have already said, or will say, thereby “poisoning” their ability to contribute - silencing them. Despite the fallacy’s importance, work on it and on silencing in argumentation is limited. 

 

The Poisoning the Well and Silencing in Argumentation Online Workshop (and the associated call for papers at Topoi) will contribute to filling this gap.

 

Student Commentators Needed!

We are now looking for student commentators! Student commentators will receive the paper they comment on two weeks before the workshop. Commentaries will be ten minutes long.

 

Look here (scroll down a little) to find the papers that will be presented at the workshop: 
Critical Thinking and Civic Engagement Lab.

 

If you are interested in commenting, please contact Amalia Haro Marchal/Katharina Stevens under 
ahmarchal AT fcsh.unl.pt and katharina.stevens AT uleth.ca by November 15th!

 

Make sure to state your first, second and third choice for papers to comment on with a short explanation, we will assign based on interest and compatibility!

 

My source (and via KS): Philos-L "The Liverpool List" is run by the Department of Philosophy, University of Liverpool https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/philosophy/philos-l/ Messages to the list are archived at http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/archives/philos-l.html.

DSA & Q-Lab: 'In an Age of Answers, Questions Matter More Than Ever'

This afternoon I joined an online webinar organised by THE DIGITAL STATECRAFT ACADEMY:

'Gaining understanding by structuring inquiry: 
probing data with one right question after another is almost here'

The art, science, and practice of governing well in the algorithmic age

The Digital Statecraft Academy (DSA) is a global hub for cultivating visionary public leaders ready to navigate the complexities of data, AI, and digital governance. Backed by world-leading academic and policy institutions, DSA equips today’s leaders with the tools, knowledge, connections, and foresight to govern ethically, strategically, and resiliently in a rapidly evolving digital world.

 

There is a manifesto to read and endorse: and Ten Principles of Digital Statecraft

 

Also highlighted was Q-Lab 

About Q-Lab

Questions shape what becomes visible, what is investigated, what is funded, and ultimately what societies come to know. They are fundamental not only to scientific inquiry but to a wide range of sectors and practices—from education and journalism to policymaking, medicine, law, and business, among others.

Despite this foundational role, questions are seldom treated as objects of systematic study. Established fields examine intelligence, knowledge production, and decision-making, yet few, if any, take questions themselves as their subject.

How should we define a good question? Which questions are most likely to serve as stepping stones toward breakthrough insights? Who determines which questions matter most? In short, what do we actually know about questions?

Questions Lab (Q-Lab) is the first multidisciplinary initiative dedicated to establishing questions as a field of study and practice, understanding how questions emerge, how they evolve, which questions make the greatest impact, and how they shape the trajectory of knowledge across disciplines and generations, in order to help individuals and institutions navigate complexity, deliberate more thoughtfully, and set better priorities.

I look forward to more events in future.

 

Previously: Questions in eclipse : 'question'

Hodges' model: Is it a virus: or a universal vaccine?

The arrival of 'imposter syndrome' well-over a decade ago(?), from the speaker's podium was an interesting surprise. A case of lived experience, as I'd felt this in trying (and failing) to grapple with the ever-growing, morphing development stack of a software program. Long gone are the days of Sinclair and BBC BASIC. The mountain and learning cliff, was CMS content management system: Drupal. 

What contributed to that feeling back then? Well there was the people I was sat by and sharing time at various European DrupalCons. It was I who was the 'con'. A hobbyist, from pre-PC days. Seeing and hearing what they were creating and the great community. Fascinating also, to see web design fashions come-and-go.

I've written before about Hodges' model being an over-valued idea to me. As a mind-mapping meme it infected me decades ago. Is it a virus? If it is I clearly had no resistance, no immunity. I've always tried to acknowledge, reminded myself that the model is not the be-all-and-end-all.

While the specific mathematical is complex, it is worth trying to grasp some of the intent and meaning (even at the risk of exacerbating imposter reactions). Hestenes provides a paper (and several others):

'ABSTRACT. The discovery of Mathematical Viruses is announced here for the first
time. Such viruses are a serious threat to the general mental health of the mathematical
community. Several viruses inimical to the unity of mathematics are identified, and their
deleterious characteristics are described. A strong dose of geometric algebra and calculus
is the best medicine for both prevention and cure.'

Hestenes, D. (1992). Mathematical Viruses. In: Micali, A., Boudet, R., Helmstetter, J. (eds) Clifford Algebras and their Applications in Mathematical Physics. Fundamental Theories of Physics, vol 47. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8090-8_1

'The computer virus (CV) owes its name and perhaps its genesis to the biological virus
(BV). Like a BV, a CV cannot function by itself, but when attached to a host it replicates
repeatedly until it impairs the functioning of the host, sometimes to the point of disabling
the host altogether. ...

My purpose here is to call your attention to another kind of virus - one which can
infect the mind - the mind of anyone doing mathematics, from young student to professional
mathematician. As I believe this is the first published paper to explicitly identify
such viruses, I take the liberty of naming and describing them as follows: A mathematical
virus (MV) is a preconception about the structure, function or method of mathematics
which impairs one's ability to do mathematics. Just as a CV is program which impairs the
operating system of a computer, an MV is an idea which impairs the conceptualization of
mathematics in the mind. Indeed, as one definition of "virus," Webster gives "something that
corrupts the mind or soul." Since the identification and classification of MVs has only
just begun, it would be premature to attempt a more precise definition. The better course
is to examine some specific viruses to form a form empirical base for further study.
My first example is an easily recognized MV which is extremely virulent and as common
as the common cold. I call it the coordinate virus, designating it by MV/C to denote genesis
and type, and characterizing it as follows:' pp.1-2. (online copy)

Hestenes' biohistory is an interesting conceptual and interdisciplinary bridge. Another construct to add to our  collection. Is there a virus in the models deployed within medicine and healthcare to date? You know, the bed-round of the medical, biomedical, bio-psycho-social? The round were you don't need to count the number of beds, except in the event of a pandemic. Is the omission of the political, even as the socio-economic reality is now a constant point of reference a symptom of a centuries-long infection? 

For a long time now* the legacies that successive cohorts of students, and newly qualified professionals encounter have stood out. Another question is, just how far back in time do we need to travel to find can the origin of this situation? Was there an initial crisis involving the overt expression of 'power'? Can this be found the as the Hippocratic oath butted up - literally - against triage on the battlefield?

Now: Time won't tell (or will it?). Now that - is some virus.