The Principal Contractor of RURAL MATTERS is the University of Aveiro (UA), through its Research Center on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies (GOVCOPP). The Participating Institutions are the School of Agronomy, Technical University of Lisbon (ISA-UTL); the Center for Research and Studies in Sociology, University Institute of Lisbon (CIES- ISCTE, IUL); the University of Coimbra (UC) through the Center of Studies in Geography and Territorial Planning (CEGOT) and the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), through the Center of Transdisciplinary Studies for Development (CETRAD).