Mariana Santa-Marta is the Head of the Pre-Award efforts at CERENA and CEGIST Research Units at Instituto Superior Técnico.

Mariana Santa-Marta studied Biology at Universidade de Lisboa (1996-2001) and Microbiology for her PhD studies at Universidade de Lisboa (2002-2006). After, she moved to California to pursue postdoctoral training and started to be interested in alternative careers in science. Back to Portugal she got a Ciência Position to be a Staff Scientist at the Faculty of Pharmacy (FFUL), where she started to be involved in grant writing, project management and training of researchers. During this time and to get familiar with the field of Research management, Mariana performed voluntary work at the Pre-Award office in the Institute Gulbenkian Ciência, and started a post-graduaction course in Project Management at The School of Economics and Management (ISEG,UL). Since then, she got trained in research management through several short stays in different Lisbon Institutes (ITQB, UNOVA- project management; ISAMB, UL – Pre-Award) until she got a position as Pre-Award Grant officer in the Chemistry Department of FCT NOVA Lisbon University where she started the Pre-Award Office. In 2016 she moved to Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon where she supported the preparation, submission and negotiation of a large portfolio of successful projects coordinated by Champalimaud Foundation Lisboa, including EU's Horizon 2020. Since November 2021 she is the Head of the Pre-Award efforts at CERENA and CEGIST Research Units at Instituto Superior Técnico. Her passion lies in the personalized support of researchers in obtaining funding to support excellence in research and as a tool for researchers' career development.