Call 'Stimulus to Individual Scientific Employment 2017' opens

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

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

The following reference categories are considered:

a) Junior researcher: a doctorate with little post-doctoral research experience or no post-doctoral scientific curriculum in the scientific area to which they are applying.

b) Assistant researcher: a doctorate for more than 5 years, with a relevant curriculum in the scientific area to which they are applying, without the requirement to demonstrate scientific independence.

c) Principal investigator: a doctorate 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: doctorate for more than 5 years, holder of a habilitated or aggregate title, with a curriculum of high merit in the scientific area to which they are applying, demonstrating scientific independence and with evidence of leadership in the scientific area to which they are applying.

In their application, to be submitted electronically in English, candidates must indicate the host institutions where they will carry out their research. In turn, the host institutions must associate themselves with their applications.

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

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

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

New 'Individual Scientific Employment Stimulus' Calls will be opened in 2018 and 2019.