CICS.NOVA conducts research in disciplines of the Social Sciences – mainly Sociology, Geography and Demography –, by joining researchers from several research units (RU). The CICS.NOVA’s team share goals in fundamental and applied interdisciplinary research, centered in problems. This research stresses epistemological, theoretical and methodological concerns, but is also strongly oriented towards adding value to society.

Our vision beholds a wide interdisciplinary strategy, by involving the various Social Sciences and connecting with other scientific fields, bearing in mind the scrutinized problems. That work is an ongoing process, than can be shown already in the research we’ve been carrying out in our research units. Equity and social justice are the civic and political references that guide the creation of this new RU. We work according with the already mentioned principles and we assume the commitment to contribute with our research’s outputs to the improvement of people’s quality of life, by making available to citizens and to political deciders their results and recommendations.

The effort of bringing closer researchers of various backgrounds, that share convergent aims, is part of the current international goal of reinforcing inclusive public policies, by the means of better research practices. With that in mind, three research centres, two from the Universidade Nova (CESNOVA and E-Geo) and one from the University of Minho (CICS), have been merged, welcoming also researchers from other areas of Portugal. The new research centre, CICS.NOVA, is located at FCSH/NOVA and is composed of five Research Groups (RG), each one exploring a decisive scientific field for this centre.

In order to promote a good management of human resources and the many scientific activities carried out in several parts of the country, CICS.NOVA has four branches, located at other higher education institutions. Several researchers of CICS.NOVA are based there, which promotes local and regional synergies.

CICS.NOVA results from a synergetic merging of three research units (RUs) registered at FCT:

• CESNOVA Research Centre for Sociological Studies
• and e-GEO Research Centre for Geography and Regional Planning, both hosted by FCSH/NOVA (Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa)
• CICS Research Centre for Social