Another 1,450 new FCT Studentships for Doctorates on the way

Today, FCT announced the provisional results of Call the Award of Studentships for Doctorates in all Scientific Fields 2023. After receiving and analyzing 3,525 applications, 1,450 Studentships are now proposed for funding, corresponding to an overall approval rate of 41%. This represents an estimated investment of around €115 million, supported by national and EU funds.

The selection of candidates took into account the merit of the candidate, the merit of the work plan, and the merit of the hosting conditions. The evaluation process for this edition of Call the participation of 482 evaluators, distributed across 39 evaluation panels, who analyzed, classified, and ranked the applications in each panel.

In addition to the 36 panels corresponding to the various scientific areas and sub-areas covered by Call general application line, intended for applications involving research activities carried out in an academic environment, this edition also featured three panels dedicated to evaluating applications involving activities proposed in a non-academic environment, whose composition took into account the scientific areas selected by the candidates. These three panels assessed the applications submitted under the specific application line in a non-academic environment, for Studentships with work plans to be carried out in close collaboration with non-academic entities, namely companies, collaborative laboratories, technology and innovation centers, interface centers, public administration entities, state laboratories, hospitals, museums, libraries, or other third sector entities.

The distribution of the number of Studentships panel was determined by the FCT Governing Board, taking into account, in general terms, a ratio proportional to the number of applications submitted. With regard to the specific application line in a non-academic environment, 300 Studentships were considered for funding Studentships the evaluation exercise, as they were the highest ranked on the classification and ranking list of the three evaluation panels, all of which were evaluated with a final grade equal to or higher than three (3.000).

Analysis of the provisional results of Call shows that women accounted for 56% of applicants who achieved funding priority and men for 44%.

Studentships research will be carried out entirely in Portuguese institutions account for 80% of the total, 18% of Studentships mixed (part in Portuguese institutions and part in foreign institutions) and 2% will be carried out entirely in foreign institutions. Of the selected candidates, 76% are Portuguese nationals. In total, candidates from 54 countries are proposed for funding, with Brazilian, Iranian, Italian, and Spanish nationals standing out among foreign candidates.

The provisional results of this Call communicated to all applicants, who now have access to the comments justifying the rating assigned to their application. If they disagree with the proposed decision, they may submit a statement at a preliminary hearing of interested parties, until August 14, 2023, which will be analyzed by the respective evaluation panel. The final results of Call announced by the FCT by the end of October 2023.

The Studentships contracting process Studentships on the date the final results are announced. Studentships will begin on the first day of the month indicated by the candidate in the contract, between September 1, 2023, and August 1, 2024. Whenever the contract is signed after the start of the research work funded by Studentship, there will be retroactive payment of Studentships.

This evaluation process has so far taken 82 working days between the end of the application period and the communication of the provisional results.

The Call PhD Studentships is held annually and is part of the FCT's major Calls . For information on other funding opportunities for doctoral Studentships , within the scope of FCT collaboration protocols and partnerships with R&D units and other entities, we suggest regularly consulting the FCT website and the Euraxess portal.