RESTART Programme applications open on February 15th

On February 15, 2023, FCT will open the period for submitting applications for the 1st edition of the RESTART Programme. This program aims to promote gender equality and equal opportunities in R&D activities and careers, by funding, in a competitive Call , individual projects for a maximum amount of 50 thousand euros, and with an execution duration of 18 months. The 1st edition of the RESTART Programme has a budget of 1.25 million euros.

The RESTART Programme aims to promote gender equality and opportunities through competitive funding of individual R&D projects in all scientific fields, when carried out by researchers who have recently taken parental leave, including adoption. In line with public policies in this area, RESTART also covers, with specific eligibility conditions, cases of shared parental leave, which favors equality in the provision of care and the sharing of family responsibilities and leave durations.

Helping to enable a competitive return to research activities in new circumstances, RESTART will support researchers in the pursuit and development of an original and innovative research idea, with the possibility of associating other human and/or material resources, in accordance with the funding made available and the planned execution time. This new funding instrument is also in line with the concerns and recommendations of the Council of the European Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in this area, making Portugal one of the pioneering countries to respond in this regard. With the commitment of the host institution, national, foreign and stateless researchers who cumulatively meet the following requirements may apply: (i) hold a doctoral degree; (ii) be an integrated doctoral member of an R&D unit, or have a contractual relationship with a State laboratory; (iii) have benefited, for less than 12 months, from parental leave, including adoption leave, of a duration equal to or greater than 120 days, or have benefited from shared parental leave, including adoption leave, of a duration equal to or greater than 72 days.

The RESTART Programme also covers researchers holding a Studentship contract, and declarations of suspension of research activities funded by the respective Studentship for a period equivalent to that mentioned above may be submitted as proof of parental leave. For Studentships whose contracting institution is, or has been, the FCT, and in order to simplify the application submission process, the presentation of this declaration may be replaced by simply indicating the reference of the respective Studentship. Applications that include beneficiary researchers as IRs or Co-IRs of ongoing projects funded by FCT on September 1, 2023 will not be eligible.

Proposals will be evaluated by independent experts affiliated to foreign institutions and of recognized merit and suitability, to be appointed by the FCT. The evaluation criteria are as follows: (i) scientific quality, innovative nature and feasibility of the proposed research plan; (ii) merit of the candidate and suitability of their profile to the research plan; and (iii) impact of the project's implementation on the researcher's career development. The provisional results of the applications will be announced by June 8, 2023.

The creation of this program was announced by the FCT at the commemorative session for World Science Day and the National Day for Scientific Culture, held on November 24.

The application period for the first edition of the RESTART Programme runs from February 15 to March 30, 2023.