FCT releases provisional results of the 2023/2024 R&D Units evaluation process

The Foundation for Science and Technology has released the provisional results of the evaluation of R&D Units (UID) under the Multiannual Program for Financing R&D Units 2023/2024.

The evaluation focused on the scientific and technological activities carried out by the R&D Units between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2023 and on the objectives, strategy, activity plan and organization for the period 2025 to 2029.

R&D Units are periodically evaluated and given a rating that determines funding for the following multi-annual period. In the current evaluation process, of the 336 R&D Units that applied, one withdrew and 22 did not receive approved funding. Of all the R&D Units evaluated, 79 were upgraded, 46 were downgraded, 167 were maintained and 43 were new.

The evaluation panels awarded a rating of Excellent or Very Good to 75% of the Units that applied, and which are home to 85.4% of the total integrated members involved in the applications, a total of 21,832. Compared to the previous evaluation exercise, the number of integrated doctoral researchers participating in the applications increased by 12%. For the purposes of awarding basic funding, the overall size of the units funded increased by 24% compared to the previous Call , from 16067.4 to 20009.9 integrated members, taking into account the weighting of their dedication to research activities.

Of the 313 Research Units approved for funding, 33 have a Polytechnic Institute as their main management entity, 203 have a University as their main management entity and the remaining 77 are managed by institutions of another nature, such as foundations, associations or other private non-profit institutions.

Of the 98 UID main management institutions approved for funding, 13 are Polytechnic Institutes or organic units associated with them, 46 are Universities or organic units associated with them and the remaining 39 are private non-profit institutions.

More than 315 international evaluators took part in this evaluation exercise, divided into 29 disciplinary evaluation panels, selected from international experts of high competence and scientific experience, from scientific and academic institutions in 35 countries.

Due to their multidisciplinary nature, 69 R&D units requested to be assessed by a member of an additional assessment panel and 51 R&D units requested to be assessed by two members of assessment panels other than their main panel. Five external experts from three countries also collaborated in the process.

The evaluation process, which was complex and involved demanding logistics, was coordinated entirely by the team from FCT's Department for Supporting Institutions and involved more than 1,300 remote interviews and 29 weeks of face-to-face visits to all the units under evaluation. Priority was given to all panel members having contact time with researchers from the IADUs under evaluation, in an effort to strengthen collegial decision-making.

Units with an Excellent or Very Good merit rating have approved funding of 609.8 million euros for the period 2025 to 2029. Of this, 110 million euros is PRR funding, with an implementation deadline of June 30, 2026.

The 313 R&D Units approved for funding by the FCT are spread across all areas of knowledge and throughout Portugal.

This was the first evaluation carried out under the terms of Regulation 1251-A/2023, of November 21, which introduced changes to Regulation 404/2022, of April 27.

For more information, see the Call page.