Ghost Dance investigation awarded top marks
CICANT project receives ‘Excellent’ rating in final evaluation report by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
The Ghost Dance, an exploratory research project developed within the scope of CICANT and led by Rui Filipe Antunes, received the final classification of “Excellent”. The FCT Evaluation Committee recognised both the quality of its scientific results and the team’s ability to successfully manage complex challenges throughout its execution.
According to the final report, “despite considerable challenges (...), this project achieved the intended results”. These results included performance-based conferences, peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, a dedicated project website, videos, a software prototype with associated protocols, and significant data outcomes.
The evaluators praised the “high levels of flexibility and adaptability of the team in response to ongoing challenges”, particularly noting that such adaptability was essential in an exploratory project. Notably, the solutions developed to overcome the difficulties “effectively improved the project’s results”. For example, instead of serving as the basis for a single master’s thesis, as initially planned, the research will now contribute to three.
The report also highlights dissemination efforts broader than initially foreseen, including the production of additional videos and outreach work. The consistent concern with accessibility was identified as one of the project’s main strengths. One of the most significant contributions highlighted by the evaluators was that “the dataset produced and the AI model developed from it [...] appear destined to make an important contribution to future research projects in the field”.
Further impact is evidenced by the number of publications in international journals, which “exceeded the initial expectations, a key indicator of scientific excellence”. Plans are currently underway for the publication of a book, which is expected to further expand the project’s reach.
The report concludes that “the project met the proposed objectives, which were carried out in accordance with the highest scientific standards”. This evaluation confirms the exceptional quality and lasting relevance of the work undertaken, positioning the project as a model of resilience, innovation, and academic excellence.
