Research at ESSa is carried out in association with UICISA:E – Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing, an R&D unit assessed and funded by the FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology), based at the Nursing School of Coimbra (Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra). ESSa is part of the unit through its research hub, established in 2018 and coordinated by Adília Maria Pires da Silva Fernandes.