FCT announces provisional results of the 2023/2024 R&D Unit evaluation process

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

The assessment 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 evaluated periodically and assigned a rating that determines funding for the following multi-year period. In the current evaluation process, of the 336 R&D Units that applied, one withdrew and 22 did not obtain approved funding. Of the R&D Units evaluated, 79 rose in classification, 46 fell in classification, 167 maintained their classification, and 43 are new.

The evaluation panels awarded a rating of Excellent or Very Good to 75% of the Units that applied, which account for 85.4% of the total number of members involved in the applications, out of a total of 21,832. Compared to the previous evaluation exercise, the number of PhD researchers involved in the applications increased by 12%. For the purposes of allocating base funding, the overall size of the funded units increased by 24% compared to the Call , from 16,067.4 to 20,009.9 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 managing entity, 203 have a University as their main managing entity, and the remaining 77 are managed by other types of institutions, such as foundations, associations, or other private non-profit institutions.

Of the 98 main UID management institutions approved for funding, 13 are polytechnic institutes or units associated with them, 46 are universities or units associated with them, and the remaining 39 are private non-profit institutions.

More than 315 international evaluators participated in this evaluation exercise, distributed across 29 disciplinary evaluation panels, selected from among highly competent international experts with scientific experience from scientific and academic institutions in 35 countries.

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

The evaluation process, which was complex and logistically demanding, was coordinated entirely by the FCT's Institutional Support Department team and involved more than 1,300 remote interviews and 29 weeks of in-person visits to all units under evaluation. Priority was given to contact time between all panel members and the researchers from the UIDs under evaluation, with a view to strengthening collegial decisions.

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

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

This was the first assessment carried out under the provisions of Regulation No. 1251-A/2023, of November 21, which introduced amendments to Regulation No. 404/2022, of April 27.

For more information, please refer to the Call page.