FCT Tenure - 1st Edition

FCT-Tenure aims to support scientific employment plans and the development of sustainable scientific careers in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), state laboratories and other scientific institutions by stimulating the opening of international Calls for entry into teaching and research careers and the increasing stabilization of researchers' contracts.

It is planned to open 1,400 positions by 2025, of which 1,000 will be for the 1st Edition Call , the Notice of which was published on November 2, 2023, and 400 for the Call to be launched in 2025 (2nd Edition).

Yes. The aim is for the programme to be held every two years, becoming a new instrument for promoting the professional stabilization of researchers and their lines of research, as well as creating a more attractive and sustainable career horizon for researchers in the early stages of their careers.

No. The creation of the FCT-Tenure will imply the cessation of the Institutional CEEC as it was conceived, concentrating resources on financing more attractive and sustainable careers and avoiding the multiplication of financing instruments.

Yes. Research or similar careers will be funded for 6 years, while teaching careers will only be funded for 3 years.

This corresponds to the institution or institutions where the researcher hired in a permanent position will carry out their duties. It should be noted that within the scope of the FCT-Tenure Call , changes of host institutions will not be permitted for the duration of the FCT co-funding.

Academic institutions are considered to be all entities that produce, disseminate and transmit knowledge, whether national or international, including public and private higher education institutions, R&D units, Associate Laboratories or international institutions based in Portugal, as well as other private non-profit institutions whose main purpose is R&D activities. Non-academic host institutions are considered to be all entities not included in the academic environment, as characterized above.

Yes.

The evaluation of the program will take into account: i) the number of permanent positions filled; ii) the number of researchers stabilized in the SNCT; iii) the percentage of the implementation rate by the institutions of the volume of funding allocated to the Program.

The Contracting Institution can only submit one application. However, several FCT-Tenure positions may be requested in the application.

Each position requested must be related to at least one Host Institution, which can be the Contracting Institution itself and, additionally, up to three other Institutions.

Although the same Contracting Institution can delegate access to fill in the application to several representatives, the first application submission made in myFCT will prevent the submission of other applications by the same Contracting Institution and its representatives.

All fixed-term contracts, whether definite or uncertain, and post-doctoral Studentship contracts are eligible, as long as they have been signed after obtaining a doctorate and with an institution in the National Science and Technology System.

There is no minimum limit on the duration of a fixed-term contract for it to be eligible for FCT-Tenure co-funding.

No. The FCT-Tenure program treats the integration of doctoral graduates into research or teaching careers in the same way. As long as the FCT support is in force, the program requires the same maximum limit of 4 hours per week of time dedicated to teaching in both careers. In this way, the program encourages applications for both careers for the scientific research activities they have in common, while ensuring an important level of autonomy in the management of career positions within the framework of each institution's strategic planning after the program's financial support ends.

Yes. Synergies between the contracting institutions and the objectives, strategies, activity plans and organization of Research Units and Associate Laboratories will be taken into account in the evaluation. In cases where this is the case, the "UI Chair" modality has the advantage, compared to vacancies not classified as such, of the UI (or LA) itself including a letter of commitment, proving alignment with the strategy of the UI or LA. This letter of commitment must be written in English and submitted for each of the positions, making it available to the members of the evaluation panel. In the case of Research Units, these strategic objectives should correspond to the objectives to be submitted as part of the application for the 2024 R&D Unit Evaluation process. In the case of LAs, it may correspond to the strategy indicated in the last Call for Status and Funding for Associated Laboratories 2020. The UI Chairs also guarantee the commitment and sharing of responsibilities between the contracting institutions and a UI in the design of the Calls (and respective juries) to be launched under the FCT-tenure program. This valorization is independent of the career (teaching or research) chosen by the contracting institution.

Yes. Synergies between the contracting academic institution and non-academic entities will be valued in the evaluation through the "Non-Academic Chair" modality, with the aim of boosting collaborations and research programs developed in collaboration with the business and social fabric, in a broad sense that includes companies, public, social, health and cultural entities. By way of example, companies, hospitals, museums, libraries or third sector entities fall under this heading. In this case, the non-academic institution will co-finance the doctoral researcher's salary with a minimum of 1/3 of the salary for at least 3 years. Non-academic Chairs funded under the FCT-Tenure program will also be supported through a doctoral Studentship in a non-academic environment funded by FCT. This modality is independent of the career (teaching or research) chosen by the contracting institution.

Yes, as long as the researcher has been awarded a research Studentship or a fixed-term contract as a doctoral Studentship at an institution in the National Science and Technology System.