SPA, in accordance with the praise it has sent to the authors of scientific works whom it wishes that become associated with the cooperative, has decided to create an annual prize to be awarded to the Portuguese author of the best book of scientific divulgation published the previous year.
The award will be named José Mariano Gago, an internationally renowned scientist and also Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, who died on April 17, 2015.
He has been a minister for 12 years. Today, the importance and scope of his work is consensual, which has greatly contributed to the valorization of Portuguese researchers, underlining the scientific relevance of their work, and which has created the conditions for it to be adequately supported and promoted.
The prize will have the monetary value of 2,500 euros, includes a trophy and will be attributed on May 22, Portuguese Author’s Day, during the celebration that will take place at the Carlos Paredes Gallery, building 2 of the cooperative. At the moment, SPA is constituting the jury that will take the timely decision to choose the work to be awarded.
The creation of this annual award follows the award of the Life and Work Award to the scientist António Damásio, physician, neuroscientist, world-renowned researcher and State Councilor, distinguished, in the presence of the Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, at the gala held at the CCB on the 20th March.
SPA will give international publicity to this new prize that is unprecedented in collective management societies.
SPA considers the presence of scientists in the community of Portuguese authors to be fundamental because it has the conditions to defend their rights and contribute to the deserved diffusion of their works.
Lisbon, March 27, 2018
