Current research interests

Governance, partnerships and the third sector

Social Enterprises and Social Innovation

Complex Systems Theories

Relationships between the state and the third sector

Innovation and Social and Solidarity Entrepreneurship

Social Policies and the Welfare State

Research Projects

2025-02-01 - 2028-01-31 - "EMCCINNO - EMpowering CCIs to boost systemic INNOvation for sustainable climate transition", coordinated by Francesca Petrella, sponsored by European Commission.

2024-12-01 - 2027-11-30 - "ISII - Incubadora Social de Investigação e Inovação", coordinated by Cláudia Pato de Carvalho, sponsored by Portugal Inovação Social 2030.

2023-10-30 - 2025-01-31 - "Training and Awareness-raising Activities in Socially Responsible Public Procurement", coordinated by DIESIS, sponsored by European Commission.

2022-07-01 - 2026-06-30 - "IN SITU Place-based innovation of cultural and creative industries in non-urban areas", coordinated by Nancy Duxbury, sponsored by European Commission.

2018-06-01 - 2020-11-30 - "TIMES - Institutional Trajectories and Social Enterprise Models in Portugal", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia/União Europeia.

2018 - 2021 - "EmployALL - A crise do emprego e o Estado Social em Portugal: deter a produção de vulnerabilidades sociais e de desigualdades", coordinated by Renato Miguel do Carmo, sponsored by FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia.

2017-10 - 2021-10 - "EMPOWER-SE - Empowering the next generation of social enterprise scholars ", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by EU - COST Action.

2017-10 - 2019-09 - "Up-date of the mapping of social enterprises and their eco-systems in Europe", coordinated by EURICSE/EMES, sponsored by Comissão Europeia.

2017-05-30 - 2019-11-29 - "Atlantic-Social-Lab - Cooperação Atlântica para a promoção da inovação social", coordinated by Hugo Pinto, sponsored by UE - INTERREG Espaço Atlântico .

2015 - 2016 - "O impacto social e institucional da crise económica e financeira nas Organizações do Terceiro Sector", coordinated by EAPN-Portugal, sponsored by EAPN-Portugal.

2015 - 2016 - "PATHS: Youth for Solidarity Economy and Entrepreneurship in Europe", coordinated by Luis A. Bermejo, sponsored by Erasmus +.
    Project Partnership:
              - Red Internacional B-Live
              - Association des Agences de la Democratie Locale
              - Citizens in Action
              - Youth Discovery Ventures Ltd

2010 - 2011 - "Study on Volunteering", coordinated by Mauro Serapioni, sponsored by Fundação Eugénio de Almeida.

2008 - 2009 - "Microentrepreneurship and associativism in intermediate development countries", coordinated by Luiz Inácio Gaiger, sponsored by CNPq, Brasil.
    Project Partnership:
              - UNISINOS

2005 - 2006 - "Diagnostic and prospective study on the role of NGO in the promotion of equal opportunities between women and man", coordinated by Virginia Ferreira, sponsored by CIDM.

2002 - 2004 - "European Cooperative University - A Space of Cooperation, Research and Training to the Actors of Social and Solidarity Economy", coordinated by College Coopératif Provence-Alpes-Méditerrané, sponsored by Leonardo da Vinci.
    Project Partnership:
              - INSCOOP - Instituto Antonio Sergio do Sector Cooperativo
              - Centro de Estudos Cooperativos, FEUC
              - CECOP - Confédération Européenne des Coopératives de travail associé, des Coopératives sociales et des Entreprises sociales et Participatives
              - CCB - Collège Coopératif en Bretagne
              - ENAIP - ENte ACLI Instruzione Professionale
              - ISSAN - Istituto Studi Sviluppo Aziende Non-profit
              - SAW - Solidarités des Alternatives Wallonnes
              - CNAM - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers

2001 - 2001 - "Reinventing Social Emancipation", coordinated by Boaventura de Sousa Santos, sponsored by MacArthur Foundation and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

1997 - 1999 - "Portuguese society and the challenges of globalization", coordinated by Prof. Doutor Boaventura de Sousa Santos, sponsored by Foundation for Science and Technology (PRAXIS XXI Program).

1996 - 1997 - "The State and civil society: The creation of social actors in a period of state reconstitution", coordinated by Boaventura de Sousa Santos, sponsored by JNICT .

Networks

CIRIEC Portugal

EMES Network

International Society for Third Sector Research