Strategy and aims

The PhD Programme on Technology Assessment is a 3rd cycle graduate programme proposed in the context of the European Union “Bologna Treaty”. This programme of doctoral studies is structured to offer students high quality training in interdisciplinary research. It is a programme that combines academic and scientific/technical training, as well as educational and economic goals. The duration of the programme is typically 4 years. During the PhD, the candidate will perform his/her research in the context of projects of a research centre at FCT-UNL (the Faculty of Sciences and Technology at Universidade Nova de Lisboa) with the support from the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (ITAS-KIT).

The PhD Programme on Technology Assessment (PDAT) intends to prepare researchers and experts to perform autonomous research activities, as well as leading innovation processes fostering economic growth and development.

The programme focus on the methodologies and the analysis of processes of innovation, as well as of technological development in the general context of European and international frameworks.
After concluding the programme, the candidates will be able to acquire, with scientific rigour and with technological and methodological competences, the capacities to intervene in processes of production, transmition and application of knowledge of Technology Assessment in organisations. Furthemore, the student will also develop specific competences and critical capacities to assess and to synthesize new and complex ideas in a context of fast technological and socio-organizational changes. They would be able to promote, in an academic and professional context, the technological and the socio-economical and cultural progress in a framework of a society based on knowledge and collaboration.

The PhD student under this programme will be able to provide knowledge at an advanced level and to develop research skills on knowledge, technology and innovation management, specifically concerning innovation acquisition processes or innovation generation. Furthemore, the student will be able to practically implementate intra-organizational innovations or in the markets served by the organization (innovative companies, spin-offs, risk capital institutions, technological centres, innovation support business organizations, health organizations, research centres, and so forth).

The PhD students in this PhD programme would be able to promote the participation in processes of integration of advanced knowledge of "Technology Assessment" in innovative projects that aims evaluation of technological and complex systems impacts, and the establishment of new knowledge-intensive companies, either in industry or in services, of innovation results or enterpreneurs initiatives, of already established firms or of academical organizations.

The programme provides advanced training to allow the qualified participation in processes of formulation, implementation, execution, follow-up and assessment of Science & Technology policies and strategies at the level of "Technology Assessment" and innovation. Although students can have just a high standard professional background, the programme outcome is providing a scientific knowledge structure and experience that can be applied in both academic (universities, research institutions) or in the economic and political spheres (companies, health organizations, government, parliament institutions).

The PDAT emphasises the development of an original interdisciplinar research work, which must lead to the generation of new knowledge, and the capacity to handle the correspondent methodologies of scientific research. It aims to give the candidates an important group of addicional competences and skill that are essencials requisites for the new challenges in a PhD diploma holder career.

According to recommendations of European University Association, this programme covers a wide group of competences designated as “soft skills” / ”transferable skills” and includes communication and technical writing competences, leadership, time and resources management, promotion of partnerships and team working, scientific ethics and intellectual propriety rights, organization of technical events, and entrepreneurship and transfer of research results to the socio-economical fabric. Finally, the scientific understanding and high level handling of research methods will contribute to develop the critical capability, the synthesis ability, complexity and large dynamics context, preparing the candidates for an autonomous acting and performance.

Specific aims

The following specific aims will be considered: 

• To develop competences and capacities to analyse critically, to assess and synthesize new and complex ideas in a context of fast technological and socio-organizational changes.

• To promote, in an academic and professional context, the technological and the socio-economical and cultural progress in a framework of a society based on knowledge and collaboration.
• To provide knowledge at an advanced level and to develop research skills on knowledge, technology and innovation management, specifically concerning innovation acquisition processes or innovation generation, as well the practical implementation of intra-organizational innovations or in the markets served by the organization (innovative companies, spin-offs, risk capital institutions, technological centres, innovation support business organizations, research centres, and so forth). 
• To promote the participation in processes of integration of advanced knowledge of "Technology Assessment" in innovative projects that aims evaluation of technological and complex systems impacts, and the establishment of new knowledge-intensive companies, either in industry or in services, of innovation results or enterpreneurs initiatives, of already established firms or of academical organizations.

• To provide advanced training to allow the qualified participation in processes of formulation, implementation, execution, follow-up and assessment of Science & Technology policies and strategies at the level of "Technology Assessment" and innovation.

The PhD Programme provides emphasis for a development of an original research work, which must lead to the generation of new knowledge, and the capacity of handling the correspondent methodologies of scientific research. The PhD Programme (PDAT) aims also to give to the candidates an important group of addicional competences and skill that are essencials requisites for the new challenges in a PhD diploma holder career.

According to recommendations of European University Association, this studies cycle covers a wide group of competences designated as “soft skills” / ”transferable skills” and includes communication and technical writing competences, leadership and time and resources management, promotion of partnerships and team working, scientific ethics and intellectual propriety rights, organization of technical events, entrepreneurship and research results transfer to the socio-economical fabric, and so forth.

Scientific understanding and high level handling of research methods will contribute to develop the critical capability, the synthesis ability, complexity and large dynamics context, preparing the candidates for an autonomous acting and performance.