Objectivos:
<p>This is an exploratory work carried out by a small interdisciplinary team which aims to put into perspective the recent transformations in the science field in Portugal.<br />Our aim is to complement existing quantitative information on the growth of the Portuguese scientific system with an analysis of the qualitative changes that occurred in scientific institutions and activity.<br />Based on case-studies (pertaining a selection of a sample of research units of different types and from different scientific disciplines) we intend to examine the transformation processes, the choices that were made, the economical, social and political constraints (either structural or contingent), the changes in scientific careers, the new roles that researchers have been playing in Portuguese society, the old and new institutional formats, that have shaped the growth of science in Portugal in the past few decades.</p>