Bial Foundation marks its 32nd anniversary

The Bial Foundation today celebrates 32 years of its patronage mission to foster the scientific study of the human being in its physical and spiritual dimensions.

Created in 1994 by Bial, together with the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities, the Bial Foundation has been developing its activities along three main lines to stimulate new discoveries and contribute to the improvement of human life: the awarding of scientific Prizes in the area of Health Sciences, the Grants for Scientific Research and the Nuno Grande Doctoral Scholarships, and the “Behind and Beyond the Brain” Symposia.

Luís Portela, Chairman of the Bial Foundation, emphasises that the institution’s focus will continue to be on excellence and rigor in research. “Our greatest wish is to help ensure that, under the rigor of the scientific method, conditions are created for human beings to gain a better understanding of themselves, in physical and spiritual terms, and thus to engage, individually and collectively, in building a more balanced, more harmonious world, a better world”.

In recent years, the Bial Foundation created the Bial Award in Biomedicine, the Maria de Sousa Award, in partnership with the Portuguese Medical Association, and more recently, the Nuno Grande Doctoral Scholarships, together with the family of the distinguished professor and the ICBAS. “We believe that this strengthening of our awards and grants programs will help increase recognition of the most outstanding scientific work and encourage more and better research”, states Luís Portela.