FCT opens its 2023 call for the award of 1450 PhD Studentships

The application period for the FCT's (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) Call for the Award of Studentships for PhD dregree in all Scientific Domains 2023 starts today, March 1, and will run until 5pm on March 31. It is expected that 1450 doctoral Studentships will be awarded, of which 400 will be allocated to a specific application line for work plans developed in non-academic entities.

The Studentships for doctoral studies are aimed at candidates enrolled, or who meet the necessary conditions for enrollment, in a study cycle leading to the degree of doctor and who intend to develop research activities leading to the degree.

In addition to the general application line, in all scientific areas, for research to be developed in scientific and academic institutions, the Call has a specific application line open for Studentships research whose work plans partially take place in one or more non-academic entities.

Pursuing a public policy of advanced training based on research with social relevance, FCT thus reinforces, in 2023, institutional cooperation and the connection between work plans developed in academic and non-academic environments, the latter understood in a broad sense, including companies, collaborative laboratories, technology and innovation centers and other interface centers, public administration entities or third sector entities.

Non-academic organizations, by hosting doctoral fellows, can benefit from a public policy of promoting science funding, strengthening synergies with the scientific and academic environment and enhancing innovation and competitiveness. In this sense, FCT has opened to non-academic entities an expression of interest to host doctoral students, which already has more than 200 entities that have responded, in a list published and constantly updated.

FCT aims to qualify doctoral students through training that has an impact on the value of the organizations involved, involved in the areas of science, innovation, health, education, culture or social welfare, among others. Advanced Training constitutes an essential vector of the National System of Science and Technology, contributing to the renewal of critical mass, excellence, innovation and connection to society. Currently, the FCT has more than 7200 Studentships doctoral grants in progress. In 2022, FCT support in the area of advanced training corresponded to an investment of 135 M€.

More information:

Pages of the 2023 Call for Doctoral Studentships:

-General Application Line

-Specific Application Linein a Non-Academic Environment

Call for Expressions of Interest for non-academic institutions

Studentships for PhD in non-academic environment - Questions and Answers