CEEC Institutional: FCT approves 400 researcher contracts

(available only in Portuguese)

FCT released today the results of the 1st Call to support the development of scientific employment plans and the development of scientific careers by academic and scientific institutions with public co-funding through the FCT. 

A total of 58 scientific employment plans were approved, including a total of 400 contracts for doctoral researchers and career enhancers at universities, polytechnics and other institutions, to be implemented in the coming months directly through the institutions. According to the jury's decision, the number of positions awarded to each institution took into account the final ranking of the proposal submitted and the relative size of the institutions.

The approved plans include 221 contracts within the scope of Research careers, financed by FCT up to 100%, and Academic careers, co-financed by FCT up to 50%, and employment contracts for researchers in various categories, fully financed by FCT, resulting in the following distribution of new contracts:

• Junior researchers: 16%
• Auxiliary researchers: 20%
• Principal investigators: 8%
• Coordinating researchers: 1%
• Career researchers: 13%
• Career teachers: 42% 

The evaluation of the applications was based on an international panel coordinated by two former rectors and presidents of CRUP, António Rendas and António Cunha, and also included Professors Melita Kovacevic, from the University of Zagreb, Pilar Aranda, from the University of Granada, Ruaidhri Neavyn, from the Higher Education Authority of Ireland, William Wakeham, from Imperial College, London, Yvon Englert, from the Free University of Brussels.

The tender procedure took place within the scope of the Stimulus Program for Scientific Employment. On the basis of the respective terms of reference, the institutional practices for promoting scientific employment and their future strategies, namely those of the institutions or networks between institutions, were valued.