Policrisis, Horizons and Directions for sustainable futures - A Socio-Ecological toolkit for impactful doctoral research 2026-2027 - NEW COURSE, 2026-2027 EDITION -

Objectives:

This course provides a transdisciplinary (life and social sciences) space to engage with the socio-ecological contexts of your research to deepen impact and find new transdisciplinary methods that meet the researcher’s care for sustainable futures.  

The course empowers participants with: 

1) A toolkit to articulate the socio-ecological relevance of your research in relation to Anthropocene's policrisis such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequalities. 

2) Interdisciplinary competence, critical and (eco)systemic thinking to analyze complex challenges through socio-ecological frameworks that can better bridge research and policy and open new horizons for sustainability. 

3) Analytical skills that increase research creativity and capacity to identify leverage points for higher impact towards sustainability.  

4) Collaborative skills through peer and active learning, and network building across disciplines. 

5) Engagement with scientists with funded high-impact research illustrating the course’s themes.  

Main Deliverables by the end of the course:  

1) A conceptual map of your own research (current or future) within socio-ecological systems. 

2) A guide/ action plan of practices and methodological principles for engaged science that serves just and sustainable futures (collectively created throughout the course).  

In sum, this program provides theoretical grounding in (eco)systemic thinking while offering direct engagement with local researchers, cross-disciplinary networking across PhD programs, and local participatory projects, simultaneously investing in academic growth and social integration.

Participants have to be present at 85% of the contact hours (this means that they can miss one half-day) and actively participate in all activities.  

This course can give credits to PhD programmes at CIÊNCIAS or of programmes with partnership from CIÊNCIAS and other institutions with 6h-7h of contact hours per ECT, as a function of specific requirements. For these students additionally to the exercises done during the week the delivery of a written report done after the course is mandatory. For programmes with less hours of contact per ECT (getting 6 ECTs from the course) students need to do an additional assignment (summary report). If needed 1 or 2 additional hours of contact may be added. Such report(s) are also advised for other students intending to request creditation of the course in their institutions.

Directed to: MSc students, PhD students and PostDocs in research on themes of: biology, biodiversity, ecology, evolution, environmental/energy studies, sustainability science or environmental sociology, or related.  

Independently of academic level, the course will be useful for researchers who: 
1) Wish to expand their understanding of historical contexts and future possibilities shaping modern socio-ecological challenges;
2) Seek support in framing the social or ecological relevance and impact of their research projects; 
3) Want to explore how their care about sustainable futures, and their ecological and social values, can enrich their scientific practice;
4) Want to develop skills for framing socio-ecological impact in future projects, whether at the experimental design or grant writing stage. 

Minimal formation of students: BSc in biology, biodiversity, ecology, evolution, environmental/energy studies, sustainability science or environmental sociology, or related.