Category: Training

NANO4AQUACULTURE: One Health Solutions is a four-week online and five-day in-person training program designed to take participants from core scientific foundations to hands-on innovation in sustainable aquaculture. Through four integrated modules, trainees explore how nanotechnology applied to functional nutrition and advanced monitoring tools can enhance environmental safety, animal health, and system resilience.

The program uses an immersive challenge-based learning approach that encourages teamwork, creativity, and real-world problem solving. In the virtual phase, participants build their scientific and methodological grounding while forming teams and outlining initial strategies for a shared challenge. During the in-person phase, teams bring their ideas to life through hands-on workshops and technical visits, co-designing nanotechnology-based solutions such as functional feeds, biosensors, and monitoring tools. Guided and mentored by academics and industry experts, they refine their prototypes and strategies, transforming initial concepts into practical, well-developed solutions. The experience builds towards a final pitch to an international jury, giving participants a taste of professional and entrepreneurial environments and preparing them to contribute meaningfully to the future of sustainable aquaculture.

Applications are open until 4 May 2026.

The 1Health1Welfare Summer Research School offers an immersive and inspiring experience for students from undergraduate to doctoral level. By combining a curricular week at ICBAS with a laboratory internship — which may take place at another partner institution — the program provides a unique opportunity to develop theoretical and practical skills and to engage actively in cutting‑edge research projects in the field of One Health One WelfareIt opens the door for those who want to explore, discover, and transform knowledge into real impact.

The concept of One Health highlights the connection between human health, animal health, and ecosystem balance, going beyond zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance to include the environment and well‑being. Complementarily, One Welfare emphasizes the relationship between animal and human well‑being, evident in contexts of companionship, production, or work. The Covid‑19 pandemic demonstrated that these challenges require interdisciplinary collaboration and dialogue between science and society.

The summer course aims to provide learning and research experience in One Health One Welfare, combining theoretical training with participation in scientific projects aligned with societal challenges. The approach will be student‑centered, using active learning methodologies and strengthening the link between biology and society.

Training in partnership with: Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP), i3S – Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, and Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO-InBio)

Note: The research internship may be carried out at another institution beyond the partner organisations, subject to agreement with the Course Direction.

The applications are open until 25 May 2026 and are aimed at students from the University of Porto and other institutions who are currently enrolled in, or have completed, a degree programme (Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD) in the field of life and health sciences.

The course, for students and graduates, will have a strong laboratory component aimed at protecting human and animal welfare.

A week of theoretical-practical component followed by at least 3 weeks of intense practical-laboratory work linked to the One Health. This is the challenge of the Summer Research School 1Health1Welfare that the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS) will host between July 10th and September 8th. This is one of the first training opportunities resulting from the One Health strategy that the School has been reinforcing lately.

Based on the connection between animal and human well-being, widely associated with the One Health concept, the course aims to provide participants with the opportunity to acquire knowledge and research methods in one of these five areas: Immunology and infection; Animal nutrition; Parasitology; Conservation and management of wild populations; Animal welfare and human-animal interaction.

The research work can be carried out at ICBAS or at one of the institutions associated with the course, namely the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP), the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) or the Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources of the University of Porto (CIBIO).

The objective, according to the researcher in charge, Anna Olson, is to “bring students and research closer together”: “Participants will gain a theoretical and practical basis in the One Health research methodology and will experience the scientific process in its real context”, ensures the coordinator.

The applications are open until the 19th of May and are intended for students, from the University of Porto and other institutions, who are attending, or who have completed, a cycle of studies (bachelor, master or doctorate) in the area of Life and Health sciences.