RESTART Programme

Overview and Objectives

The RESTART Programme is a funding instrument, whose first Call opened in 2023, created with the aim of promoting gender equality and opportunities through the competitive funding of individual R&D projects, in all scientific fields, when carried out by researchers who have recently taken parental leave, including adoption. In line with public policies in this area, RESTART also covers, with specific eligibility conditions, cases of shared parental leave, which favors equality in the provision of care and the sharing of family responsibilities and leave durations.

The details of the 2nd edition of this program (launched in March 2024) can be found here.

With the creation of this program, the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), in addition to its commitment to promoting the advancement of scientific and technological knowledge, based on high international standards of quality and competitiveness, aims to promote gender equality in R&D activities and careers, which is inseparable from equal opportunities for the entire national scientific community.

Although Portugal is one of the countries in the world that has made the most progress in terms of gender parity in the field of scientific research, there are still significant inequalities that need to be addressed. Parenthood creates additional challenges in the careers of female researchers, with impacts ranging from scientific production, team and project management, to attracting funding, and can influence career horizons and the planning of research paths.

Helping to enable a competitive return to research activities in new circumstances, RESTART will support researchers in the pursuit and development of an original and innovative research idea, with the possibility of associating other human and/or material resources, according to the funding made available and the expected execution time.

RESTART is also in line with the concerns and recommendations of various international bodies, namely the Council of the European Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which aim to promote a better work-life balance for those involved in R&D activities.

Recipients and Eligibility

National, foreign and stateless researchers who cumulatively meet the following requirements by the deadline for submitting applications may apply, with the commitment of the host institution:

hold a doctorate degree;
be an integrated doctoral member of an R&D unit, or have a contractual relationship with a State Laboratory;
have benefited from parental leave, including adoption leave, of a duration equal to or greater than 120 days (in the case of shared parental leave, including adoption leave, the applicant must demonstrate that they have taken at least 72 days of leave, either exclusively or shared), between the period of February 16, 2023, inclusive, and the opening date of the application submission period for this Call, inclusive. The minimum number of days required for each type of leave (120 or 72 days) must be reached between February 16, 2023 and the opening date of the submission period for this Call, inclusive, regardless of whether it begins or ends.

In the case of researchers holding a Studentship contract, they may submit as proof of parental leave the declaration of suspension of research activities funded by the respective Studentship produced by the contracting institution, for a period equivalent to that referred to in iii). For Studentships whose contracting institution is, or has been, the FCT, and in order to simplify the application submission process, the presentation of this declaration may be replaced by simply indicating the reference of the respective Studentship.

To ensure that no potential applicant is excluded from the eligibility conditions of the RESTART Programme with regard to the number of days, please send any remaining questions to restart@fct.pt. If you wish, you can also request a telephone/videoconference call with a member of the FCT team.

Application Period

2nd edition: Between April 9 and May 14, 2024.

1st edition: Between February 15 and March 30, 2023.

How to apply

Proposals must be submitted by filling in a specific form in English, which can be accessed electronically on a platform to be made available by the FCT.

For more details, see the 2024 Call page (2nd edition). Details of the previous edition can be found on the 2023 Call page (1st edition).