The aim of the call was to support survey-based research that allows data to be obtained on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Portuguese society.

O objetivo do concurso foi apoiar projetos de investigação sobre o impacto da pandemia da Covid-19 na sociedade portuguesa.

Behind rejection of the other, and xenophobia, lie factors such as the country’s macroeconomic evolution, individual economic vulnerability and worker exposure to job competition.

Does emigration always bring with it a dose of ambition? We analyse whether immigrants are more oriented toward success, risk, and money than their non-migrant compatriots.

Are women worse at competing? This article shows that factors exist, of a cultural nature, that can explain part of the discrimination that women suffer in the jobs market.

Stress, depression, insomnia, tension, feeling of uselessness… This article analyses how the mental health of workers was affected by the economic crisis and long-term unemployment. 

Are mothers at a disadvantage when being considered for promotion at work? This study shows that they are not, providing that they have not taken options such as flexible or reduced working hours or teleworking.

The impact of the covid-19 crisis on the labour market is being more pronounced in the Mediterranean countries and is concentrated on workers with low salaries and in precarious jobs, as well as women and younger workers.

In Spain barely 3.3% of the total of social transfers in the year 2016 targeted children, against the European average of 9%. However, this study shows that it is the most effective way of eradicating poverty.

An experiment in gender discrimination confirms that, under equal conditions, women have 30% fewer probabilities of being invited to a job interview.

Does childhood obesity as a result of a disadvantaged family environment exist? 

We analyse the relative influence of the family background and the skills of each person on social mobility. Are there differences between the Nordic countries and those in southern Europe such as Italy and Spain? 

Is labour polarisation occurring in Europe? This study, prior to the covid-19 crisis, shows that in Spain, in barely 25 years, employment in higher-quality occupations has almost doubled. 

The welfare system in Spain has never paid great attention to housing. However, it is a key aspect and one that has repercussions in other dimensions such as health and education.

The most visible face of loneliness is the feeling of not having people to call on or trust in case of need. Who does it affect most? We analyse the influence of factors such as age and gender.  

Despite a slight increase in participation by men, this study shows that housework and childcare represented a heavier workload for women during the lockdown.

What was the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on poverty and inequality in Portugal? This article demonstrates how the crisis caused by the pandemic resulted in a loss of income for the Portuguese population and how its impact was asymmetric in the different regions of the country.

”la Caixa” Foundation launches an open and competitive call to fund excellent, innovative and socially-oriented research projects. Proposals must generate new knowledge to broaden our understanding of the major challenges of today’s society, using quantitative methods.

In Portugal, the covid-19 pandemic led to temporary school lockdowns and a generalised move to online teaching. This article uses data from a survey administered to teachers between March 2020 and January 2021 in three rounds of questionnaires.

This research addresses the implementation of Covid-19 prevention and control measures, pedagogical practices, children’s and professionals’ well-being and digital health literacy in early education services for children ages 0-3 in Portugal.

The Social Observatory of the ”la Caixa” Foundation has announced a call to support research projects on technology and society in Portugal, using quantitative survey data in social sciences.Funded projects will receive up to 25,000 euros each (exclusive of VAT).

This study aims to identify and evaluate the main perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge about Covid-19 vaccination of three at-risk groups: teachers, health professionals and older adults.

In many countries, the incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates of the covid-19 virus have disproportionately affected non-white people, but there is a lack of published data explaining this phenomenon. Are admissions to intensive care units proportional among white and black people? Are physicians more likely to, unknowingly, pay more attention to white patients and therefore be more likely to offer them life-saving intensive care treatment?

This study explored mental health outcomes in 640 Portuguese adults from three different groups (SARS-CoV-2 survivors, individuals who were tested but had negative results, and individuals who were never tested).

More than one year into the pandemic, employment and hours worked are still lower than in the pre-pandemic period. This article uses secondary data from the Labour Force Survey, conducted by Statistics Portugal, and data on the registrations at Public Employment Offices (Instituto para o Emprego e Formação Profissional).

The Social Observatory of ”la Caixa” Foundation launches an open and competitive call to fund excellent, innovative and socially-oriented research projects.

The impact of covid-19 on older people in nursing homes has been thoroughly researched, but less is known about the impact on health professionals.

This study provided data on the impact of covid-19 on the health and well-being of Portuguese respondents. Results show that they reported their health to be worse than before the pandemic and that access to healthcare was greatly affected, with surgeries or medical appointments cancelled or postponed.

“Portugal, Social Balance Sheet” is an annual report that analyses poverty and social exclusion in Portugal.

The Social Observatory of the ”la Caixa” Foundation has announced a call to support research projects on the social reality of young people in Portugal, using quantitative survey data in social sciences.

No projeto em que este artigo se baseia, foram analisados os artigos científicos publicados entre janeiro de 2020 e abril de 2021 sobre as desigualdades associadas à Covid-19.

The Social Observatory of the ”la Caixa” Foundation has announced a call to support research projects on education and society in Portugal.

People who work in research are a pillar of the system. Are the working conditions of this sector favourable in Portugal and Spain or are they forcing a brain drain?

What are the factors that define a country’s research and innovation system? The first Dossier from the Social Observatory of the ”la Caixa” Foundation analyses the case of Spain and Portugal in international comparison.

Portugal, together with Denmark, is an exception within the framework of the EU-27 and has percentages of women scientists and engineers that slightly exceed the European average.

While the participation of female PhD holders in Portugal is situated above the EU‑27 average in all fields of knowledge considered, in Spain the participation of female PhD holders is situated below the European average in the fields of art, humanities and social sciences.

In Portugal and Spain, the proportion of innovative companies, and the degree to which these collaborate with other companies and organisations, is below the EU-27 average

In 2019, the percentage of total public spending assigned to R&D was 0.82% in Portugal and  1.24% in Spain, both below the EU-27 average.

Despite growth in the last 10 years, the relative position of Portugal and Spain, with regard to patent applications, is a long way behind that of countries that are leaders in innovation.

Does Portugal attract more talent than Spain? In 2020, the attraction of international talent was situated above the European average (18.7%) in the case of Portugal (29.1%) and below the average (17.2%) in the case of Spain

Portugal and Spain are situated above the European average in percentage of women researchers in all sectors considered, although the lowest participation corresponds to the business sector and the highest, to the governmental sector.

Spain stands at the head of the countries of the EU-27 in the global computation of digital society indicators (connectivity, Internet use, etc). Portugal, however, is situated at the tail end.

Who publishes most: men or women? The percentage of women who publish in the STEM areas in Portugal and Spain is higher than the European average, which reflects how the proportion of women researchers in the academic sector exceeds, in turn, the European average.

Who invents most: men or women?  The proportion in Portugal is one out of every four and in Spain, one out of every fiver. Do they exceed the European average?

Portugal is in an intermediate situation in relation to the leading countries in environmental innovation, whereas Spain is among the leading countries.

The model of governmental support for business R&D differs between Portugal and Spain, with a predominance of indirect support in Portugal`s case and direct support in that of Spain

How has science developed in Portugal and Spain and how has it influenced the construction of the Iberian nations?  The two books reviewed here analyse the subject.

One of the great current challenges in research is process integrity and the reliability of results. What reforms are taking place in this area?

International excellence, strong support for innovation and transfer and bringing science closer to society. CaixaResearch Institute symbolises the commitment of the ”la Caixa” Foundation to supporting biomedical research.

Successful experiences such as the Patient Innovation Platform confirm that the future of innovation in health involves connecting patients, carers and other agents from the care sector.

What is society’s opinion regarding the possible impacts of science and technology? Establishing citizen participation mechanisms is necessary to generate confidence and detect points for improvement.

How should science be evaluated? Does the possibility exist of using other criteria beyond bibliometric impacts, which value different facets of the social impact of research?

Challenge-Driven Innovation is a research funding programme that is pioneering in Europe due to its multidisciplinary, intersectoral and challenge-oriented focus.

In Portugal and Spain, only 6% of PhD holders work in the business sector. There is a broad margin for improvement in the relationship between science and business.

Research and innovation in Portugal and Spain have developed along parallel paths, albeit with some distinctive features. 

Andrew W. Wyckoff, the OECD’s current director of Science, Technology and Innovation, reviews the major challenges posed by the digital transformation in the economic, social and educational sphere. 

This article examines how being motivated by disease prevention (“safety”) or pleasure promotion (“pleasure”) shapes the way people construe sexual health and pursue their sexual goals.

The Social Observatory of ”la Caixa” Foundation launches an open and competitive call to fund excellent, innovative and socially-oriented research projects. Proposals must generate new knowledge to broaden our understanding of the major challenges of today’s society, using quantitative methods.

The Social Observatory call to support research projects in social sciences that use data from quantitative surveys on factors of vulnerability in childhood Portugal is open until 5 April.