FCT Awards 1,609 Ph.D. Studentships s in the 2026 Call for Applications

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) has released the final results of the 2026 Call for Applications for Research Studentships s for Doctoral Studies. The competition received 4,461 applications, of which 4,423 met the requirements for evaluation. Following the evaluation phase, 1,609 new doctoral research Studentships have now been awarded, corresponding to an overall approval rate of 36%.

With the publication of the final results, the process of formalizing contracts for the Studentships is now underway, in accordance with the FCT’s Research Studentships Regulations and the Notice of the Call. As in the previous round, and in line with the practices of comparable European institutions, this process will be handled by the contracting institutions that were associated with the applications. In total, 98.8% of the Studentships grants awarded will be contracted by Portuguese academic institutions.

Of the 1,609 Studentships grants awarded, 1,009 were under the General Application Track, which had an approval rate of 28%, and 600 were under the Specific Application Track for Non-Academic Settings, whose approval rate reached 72%. The Specific Call for Proposals in the Non-Academic Sector continues to grow, both in the number of applications and in the number of Studentships grants awarded. Compared to 2025, an additional 50 Studentships grants were awarded. This trend confirms the growing interest in collaborative research between academia and other sectors of society.

The investment associated with this call for proposals totals approximately 145 million euros, of which 90.6 million euros fund Studentships in the general category and 54.4 million euros Studentships in the non-academic category. Funding is provided by the State Budget and, where eligible, by funds from the European Social Fund through the Demography, Skills, and Inclusion Program (PDQI).

Overall, the Social Sciences accounted for 26% of Studentships, followed by Engineering and Technology, with 20%, and the Humanities, with 18%. The remaining scientific fields each account for 12% or less of the total.

In the non-academic sector, Engineering and Technology lead the way, accounting for 43% of the Studentships awards, followed by Medical and Health Sciences, with 18%; Natural Sciences, with 10%; and Social Sciences, with 9%. The remaining scientific fields are each represented by percentages of less than 8%.

The distribution of the number of Studentships panel was determined on a basis proportional to the number of applications approved for evaluation in each panel, in any of the application categories.

Among the funded candidates, 55% are women and 45% are men. It is also worth noting that 12, Studentships s were awarded to candidates with a disability rating of 60% or higher.

The approved “ Studentships ” include candidates from 63 countries, with Brazilian, Italian, Iranian, Pakistani, Chinese, Spanish, and German nationals being the most represented.

About 83% of the Studentships are intended to be conducted entirely at Portuguese institutions, while 16% involve both Portuguese and foreign institutions. Approximately 1% will be conducted exclusively at foreign institutions.

In the case of “ Studentships ” projects in non-academic settings, about half of the work plans will be carried out in companies. These are followed by public administration entities (12%), technology and innovation centers (9%), state laboratories (9%), interface centers (7%), and collaborative laboratories (5%). The remaining projects will take place at third-sector organizations, associations, healthcare facilities, sports federations, and museums, among others.

The evaluation process involved 573 evaluators, divided into 38 panels, who analyzed, rated, and ranked the applications within each panel.

The final lists of approved applications and the distribution of Studentships by panel are available on the FCT webpages for the General Call for Applications and the Specific Call for Applications in a Non-Academic Environment, in the “Competition Documents” section under the “Results” tab.

The start date for each Studentship is set by the applicant and must fall between September 1, 2026, and August 1, 2027. If the contract is signed after the date set for the actual start of the Studentship, the corresponding retroactive payment is guaranteed.

Applications that were not awarded funding have 15 business days to file a complaint or, alternatively, 30 business days to file an appeal. Both procedures must be submitted by completing the form available in the application section of the myFCT portal.

Key dates:

• Studentship start date – between September 1, 2026, and August 1, 2027
• Deadline for signing the contract for the “ Studentship ” with the contracting institution (FCT or Portuguese academic institution) – by May 5, 2027
• Submission of Complaints – by November 26, 2026 – 11:59 p.m.
• Appeal Submission – by December 21, 2026 – 11:59 p.m.