Opening of Call 'Stimulating Individual Scientific Employment 2017'

FCT announces the opening of Call 'Stimulus for Individual Scientific Employment 2017', which aims to fund 500 individual contracts for doctoral researchers in all scientific areas. Applications run until February 16, 2018.

All PhD holders of any nationality or stateless persons, with a background in any scientific area, who intend to carry out their scientific research or technological development activities in Portugal, integrated in R&D units funded by FCT, are eligible to apply.

The following reference categories are considered:

a) Junior Researcher: PhD with reduced post-doctoral research experience or without a scientific curriculum after the doctorate in the scientific area to which he/she is applying.

b) Auxiliary researcher: PhD for more than 5 years, with a relevant curriculum in the scientific area to which he/she is applying, with no requirement to demonstrate scientific independence.

c) Principal Investigator: a doctoral degree for more than 5 years, with a relevant curriculum in the scientific area to which he/she is applying, demonstrating scientific independence in the last 3 years.

d) Coordinating researcher: a doctoral degree for more than 5 years, holder of a habilitated or aggregate title, with a curriculum of high merit in the scientific area to which he/she is applying, demonstrating scientific independence and with evidence of leadership in the scientific area to which he/she is applying.

In their application, to be submitted electronically in English, applicants must indicate the host institutions where they will conduct their research. In turn, the host institutions must be associated with their respective applications.

The evaluation, to be carried out by an international panel of recognized merit, will focus on the candidate's background and on the proposed research plan, which must be framed within the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The selected researchers are directly hired by the identified host institution, through FCT funding.

The Call 'Stimulus for Individual Scientific Employment 2017' is one of the new funding mechanisms provided for in the Scientific Employment Regulations, launched by FCT this year, which aim to systematically strengthen scientific employment in SCTN, increasing the avenues and employment opportunities for doctors and effective scientific employment after doctoral studies. Through a diversified framework of support for scientific employment, the reduction of precarious jobs in scientific research, institutional rejuvenation and the attractiveness of the national territory for science and technology are guaranteed.

In 2018 and 2019 new 'Individual Scientific Employment Stimulus' Calls will open.