2003-2007 - Universidade Técnica de Lisboa

Internal Evaluations
Internal Evaluation Reports
Associate Laboratory review 25 June 2006.pdf)
( Implementation of the recommendations
Concerning the comments of the Advisory Board (AB) on Theme B, we understand they reflect a lack of Board specific expertise in the covered areas, as the
different scales of involved problems (e.g., global versus local, individual versus the collective, simple sensors vs complex nodes like cognitive robots) is common
to ambitious projects worldwide (e.g., nano-thera initiative in Switzerland, SWARMS project in the USA) and call for the intervention of multidisciplinary research
areas and viewpoints. Most of the Theme B research was actually developed in the framework of similar projects at the European level. Even so, the Theme B
Achievements and Future Plans sections of this report reflect some of the recommendations, namely clarifying the goals and underlining the interaction with other
groups on sensor networks related research, through collaborative research testbeds and projects.Furthermore, it should be underlined that the Associate aspect
of the lab is reflected in the strong interaction among 3 ISR research groups that compose Theme B. Concerning theme D similar steps were followed, in line with
the recommendations of the AB. Research effort on signal processing methodologies was refocused to a networked sensing setting, with recent engagement in
joint interdisciplinary projects in the area of sustainable energy systems. These projects involve strong cooperation between thematic areas B and C, (energy
building optimization, central activity of theme C). Following the same strategy, in the scope of EC-fundend projects FreeSubNet and Grex, the interplay between
acoustic communications and networked control of multiple marine vehicle is being explicitly addressed, both at the theoretical and practial point of view in a true
cooperative effort between themes A and D.
Concerning theme A, the key concern of the reviewers is that the goals set forth in the original proposal are too many and too challenging. We agree that
embarking on a pioneering R&D in Portugal to effectively bring together marine science and technology is a difficult experience, and one that may have led to an
underestimation of the effort and resources required. However, in our opinion the scope of the work done and the potential acquired for true ocean intervention
(after having secured the scientific equipment that was badly needed to equip our marine vehicles) shows that considerable progress has been done towards
meeting the main goals established.
Future Internal Evaluations
An international evaluation panel will be convened every two years.
Future Objectives
Summary of proposed future objectives
The future objectives rely on reinforcing the strong interdisciplinarity of ISR-LA and the exploration of formal analogies between different fields in the natural,
social and engineering sciences. In general, future activities must require a tight symbiosis between science and technology with societal and economical impact.
Also, keeping the key strategic investment in methodologies from basic sciences is expected to produce new theoretical and practical results of great impact. In
line with this strategy, we intend to aggregate to the AL people or a research group in Mathematics, namely in the areas of Dynamical Systems, Algebra and
Geometry. Also, due to the increasing involvement of the AL in the development of experimental platforms and networked systems, the AL must attract other
research groups of excellent quality existing in the country in areas such as embedded and distributed systems. The interaction between robots and humans is
becoming a challenging issue, appealing to the close cooperation of research teams in the areas of neural and cognitive sciences, psychology, design, etc.
Tacking benefit of some past and somehow dispersed work on different topics in a generic area that could be referred to as Biosystems, we intend to foster the
creation of a research group with the critical mass that is required to face theoretical and practical challenges in a number of areas that may include bio-inspired
computing and modeling, biomedical Imaging and classification, etc.
There is an interest in Public Policy that cuts across all the lines of research, namely in topics such as environmental management, sustainable development of
biological systems, fisheries, exploitation of energy and mineral resources, sustainable energy systems, technological management, and networked industries. This
may evolve to the creation of a line of research addressing eventually subjects that are at the core of those topics and interacting with the other lines of research.
Future vision of the LA
In the near future, we will address the reformulation of the actual AL, as it is somehow envisaged in the previous section. This reformulation will hinge on the
creation of new research groups and/or research lines and also on the integration of other research units. Out of this process will probably emerge a different
organizational structure for the new AL which will be reflected in its name: Institute for Systems Research in Science, Technology and Policy (ISR-STP).
The key thrust of the AL activity will be threefold: research, training, and public service. In both research and training, the AL will complement its internal
multidisciplinarity with external cooperation by networking with highly reputed research and academic institutions and industrial partners worldwide. To this effect,
impetus will be given to the exchange of scientific personnel, participation in international projects, and hiring of exceptional PhD students and senior researchers.
Public service is foreseen as one of the most important missions of the AL. This can take the form of consultancy services to public administration bodies,
including governmental departments and local administrations.
We will reinforce outreaching activities, in particular by taking initiatives to disseminate scientific knowledge and culture to the public at large, with special
attention being given to the organization of summer schools and internships.
Human Resources
2008 2009 2010 2011 Total
Nr of researchers from previous contract 9 7 7 7 30
2008 2009 2010 2011 Total
Nr of researchers to be hired 0 4 6 7 17
Total 9 11 13 14 47