Católica Porto Business School will launch, from 19 to 23 January 2026, the Creative and Advanced Research Design and Strategies (CARDS) programme, a short-term doctoral course designed to equip PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career academics with advanced skills in creative research design and critical thinking.

CARDS aims to encourage interdisciplinary approaches and the innovative use of data to address complex research questions, while fostering a mindset of critical analysis and creativity throughout all stages of the research process.

The programme will take place on the Porto campus of Universidade Católica Portuguesa and follows the launch of the new PhD in Management, which begins in the next academic year, reinforcing the School’s commitment to doctoral education and scientific excellence.

Each day of the course is structured around morning and afternoon sessions, allowing participants to explore topics in depth and to dedicate time to practical application. The CARDS framework has been carefully designed to balance lectures, interactive activities, and independent study, ensuring that participants not only acquire advanced knowledge but also immediately apply it to their own research.

Key themes covered in the programme include Foundations of Critical Thinking, Experimental and Quasi-Natural Methods, Creative Approaches to Data Utilisation, Creative Research Design and Methodology, and Ethics, AMA, and Research Redesign Assessment.

The CARDS teaching team brings together researchers with international experience and recognised academic contributions, including Jon Gruda, a specialist in leadership and behavioural economics; Andrea Thorpe, a researcher in sustainability and critical research methodologies, and Ricardo Gonçalves, a behavioural economist with publications in leading scientific journals.

“CARDS represents an important step in promoting a research culture among doctoral students, where creativity is recognised as an essential part of scientific rigour,” says Associate Dean for Research, Innovation and Sustainability at Católica Porto Business School, Conceição Andrade e Silva.

Applications for the programme are open until 29 December 2025. Further information is available here.