FCT Tenure - 1st Edition

Non-corporate entities in the research and development (R&D) system, namely Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), their institutes and R&D units; Associate Laboratories (LA); State or international laboratories based in Portugal; private non-profit institutions whose main purpose is R&D activities; collaborative laboratories (CoLAB); technological interface centers; science and technology infrastructures can apply for FCT-Tenure support, provided they have legal personality. Subsequently, the program will fund hires resulting from Calls international institutions chosen for funding, whether for teaching (University and Polytechnic) or research careers. The FCT will sign program contracts with the institutions that hire the candidates, guaranteeing the funding of expenses that are considered eligible incurred with the hiring of the doctorate up to a maximum of 3 years for indefinite contracts for university and polytechnic teaching careers under the ECDU and ECPDESP, and 6 years for research careers for indefinite contracts under the ECIC and for open-ended contracts equivalent to the Statute of the Scientific Research Career (ECIC).

The FCT will co-finance 67% (~2/3) of the salary costs of each open position for the careers covered by the eligible entities that is actually occupied by a researcher/teacher who is, or has been in the past, in a fixed-term contractual situation (employment contract or Studentship research, while holding a doctorate in both cases). In the case of research careers, the second three-year period will be co-financed by the FCT at 33% (~1/3). It is considered that the co-funding model, involving a mutual commitment and the sharing of financial responsibilities between the institutions of the National Scientific and Technological System (SCTN) and the FCT, is the one that most favorably balances the greater scope of the Program (both in terms of researchers and institutions) and its greater levels of execution and impact.

The FCT views all researchers as such, regardless of the career in which they are hired, with the aim of supporting the development of R&D activities by enshrining and encouraging the hiring of doctoral graduates by these scientific institutions. For this reason, the FCT-Tenure program provides for both integration into research careers and teaching careers, opting, however, to limit, in the case of integration into teaching careers, and for as long as FCT support is in force, the time spent on teaching to a maximum of 4 hours per week (average value per three-year period). This limit is equivalent to that imposed by the Statute of the Scientific Research Career (ECIC) for positions in the scientific research career. Thus, as long as the support granted under this program is in force, there will be no distinction between an FCT-Tenure position opened under the ECDU and ECPDESP and a scientific research career position (ECIC or equivalent). In this way, the careers covered by scientific research activities are seen for what they have in common, ensuring that the proponent institutions funded have an important level of autonomy in the management of their career positions after the end of FCT support, providing researchers with conditions of stability and continuity, whether in teaching or research careers.

Yes. The FCT-Tenure program will co-finance the amount corresponding to the salary costs of the category in which the researcher is hired through an international Call , allowing each researcher to be hired in the category (and career) that best suits their profile, background and respective institution.

No. Given the programme's aim of helping to stabilize the contractual ties of researchers with fixed-term contracts or Studentships as doctoral graduates, doctoral graduates who currently hold indefinite legal employment relationships in scientific research or higher education teaching careers, or other open-ended contracts in national institutions not covered by the Career Statutes, will not be eligible for this support. In addition, only researchers who are currently on, or have been on, a fixed-term contract or a Studentship as a doctoral student at an SNCT institution will be eligible for this support. In this way, the program contributes to offering the desired career horizon to researchers in Portugal.

Yes, as long as the researcher has been awarded a Studentship research contract or a fixed-term contract as a doctoral student at an SNCT institution.

Yes. FCT will now allow R&D Units and Associate Laboratories under public law to allocate funds from basic, programmatic and LA funding to co-finance FCT-Tenure positions, regardless of whether the careers are research, equivalent to research or teaching. Thus, in the case of UI/LA Chairs, the FCT's direct and indirect funding in this Program can reach 100% of the salary (and additional costs for the institution) for each doctoral student hired under FCT-Tenure. In order to verify the eligibility of expenditure, it will be necessary to submit an agreement signed by the two parties (UI/LA and HEI) indicating the number of teaching hours agreed for this integrated researcher, the amount to be paid, and the duration of this partnership. In addition, proof(s) of reimbursement of the salary(s) of the integrated researcher concerned, issued by the HEI, will be required.

No. However, this is allowed, namely through funds allocated by the FCT as part of basic, programmatic or LA funding.

The organization of the UI and the human resources strategy for the next 5 years will be one of the criteria considered, among others, in the UI evaluation process. The stabilization of careers should be part of this strategy, with particular relevance to larger IUs and/or those with a greater number of researchers on fixed-term contracts, in coherence with the trajectory of the R&D unit. It is up to each institution to decide on the most appropriate strategy for the proposed scientific plan, and may include in their activity plans the integration of researchers through the support and/or co-financing of career positions (teaching or research) with indefinite contracts under the FCT-Tenure program.

In the total of 1000 positions to be supported under the FCT-Tenure program, it is estimated that a minimum of 230 researchers/teachers will be hired through PRR funds (modality B, see section 4), up to the maximum amount to be financed by the PRR of €21,218,576.40, and the date of 31.03.2026. The remaining researchers (modality A, see section 4) will be supported exclusively through Tax Revenue.

For contracts signed under Mode A, in the first three-year period, the contracts will be financed through tax revenue from the FCT budget, which will co-finance 67% (~2/3) of the salary costs of each open position actually occupied for the careers covered. In the case of research careers, the second three-year period will be co-funded at 33% (~1/3).

For contracts signed under modality B, in the first two years, the contracts will be financed by the PRR, in an amount equivalent to 67% (~2/3) of 2 years of salary costs for each open and effectively occupied position for the careers covered (maximum amount to be financed by the PRR will be 21,218,576.40 €). In the third year of support, 67% (~2/3) of the salary costs of the contracts will be financed by tax revenue from the FCT budget. In the case of research careers, the second three-year period will be co-funded by 33% (~1/3) through tax revenue from the FCT budget.
Regardless of the modality, these co-financing percentages will apply to the salary costs of any category in which the researcher is hired, making it possible to hire each researcher in the category that best suits their profile and career path (researcher/assistant or assistant professor, to researcher/coordinating professor).

Support will not be eligible for the hiring of doctoral graduates who hold legal employment relationships of indefinite duration in the careers of Scientific Research, University Lecturer and Lecturer in Polytechnic Higher Education, and without a fixed term in national institutions not covered by the Career Statutes. In addition, only doctoral graduates who have held a fixed-term contract or Studentship, as a doctoral student, at an institution in the National Science and Technology System, will be eligible for this support.