FCT execution reaches 569 million euros in 2021

The financial execution of the FCT in 2021, 25 years after its creation, shows a new annual high of around €569 million, growing around 7% compared to 2020 and 50% since 2016 , when it was €378 million, as illustrated in figure 1. The financial execution of the FCT includes an investment in R&D of €556 million and an internal operating expense of around €13 million .

The continued growth of FCT implementation has been based on a clear S&T policy based on the qualification and employment of qualified human resources and the valorization and diversification of scientific institutions, thus resulting in an effective process of European convergence and attraction of centrally managed community funds (table 1).

Growth in recent years is associated with the following main programs (figure 2):

1. Advanced training , with the Studentships PhD programs directly supported by the FCT totaling 2,330 new PhD Studentships awarded in 2021 , which represents a growth of 160% compared to the 895 new Studentships supported in 2015 . However, the review of the regulation Studentships research came to update the value of Studentships due to the evolution of the national minimum wage, which led to an increase in the value of Studentships research in 2021. Studentships directly funded by FCT represent an annual investment of around €108 million and 19% of FCT's total investment ;
2. Scientific employment , through the financing of contracts for PhD researchers, which has allowed the gradual replacement of Studentships post-doctorate and strengthen the valorization and internationalization of scientific employment. Scientific employment resulted in a profound change in the structure of FCT's execution, representing in 2021 an investment of around €122 million, tripling compared to 2015, and corresponding to 21% of the total investment . This investment strengthened our institutional capacity and presence in European and international networks;
3. Institutions , including multi-annual support to R&D Units, Associate Laboratories , Collaborative Laboratories and S&T Infrastructure and Equipment, which represent an investment of approximately R$ 111 million and 20% of the total ;
4. R&D projects , including support for R&D activities within the scope of projects supported by the FCT in all scientific areas, as well as the implementation of thematic R&D programs such as the prevention and combat of forest fires, R&D Program for the Côa Valley, R&D Program for Montesinho, the training of public administration with Artificial Intelligence, projects within the scope of the pandemic and Covid-19, among others. In 2021, investment in R&D projects was R$129 million, representing 23% of the total ;
5. International cooperation , with an investment of €54 million and 9% of the total , including participation in S&T organisations (eg, CERN, ESA, ESO, EMBL, INL, AIR centre, among others) and international partnerships, as well as the reinforcement of the GoPORTUGAL programme – Global Science and Technology Partnerships Portugal (includes the MIT Portugal, Carnegie Mellon Portugal, UT Austin Portugal and Fraunhofer Portugal programmes) and co-financing of the European programmes Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe;
6. Advanced computing, scientific culture and community support, including access to publications and communications , with an investment of €31 million and 5% of the total , including activities of the Ciência Viva Agency, access to the B-On Library and the Science, Technology and Society Network (RCTS), the implementation of the INCoDe.2030 program, the Advanced Computing Strategy, ACT2030, and the installation of the “Minho Advanced Computing Centre, MAAC”, as well as the financing of the FCT's information and communication systems.

FCT's operating expenses are less than 3% of total investment, representing high efficiency of public expenditure when compared with other agencies that finance and evaluate science and technology activities. In 2021, operating expenses were R$13 million, corresponding to 2.3% of total execution .

The FCT was created in 1997 with a budget of around €100 million, having grown until 2001, when it executed around €220 million, and then between 2005 and 2010, when it reached around €480 million. Subsequently, the total amount executed decreased to around €380 million in 2015 and 2016, but then began to grow again and reached a maximum of €569 million in 2021.

Figure 1. Comparative evolution of FCT's financial execution between 2015 and 2021 (Source: FCT)

Figure 2. Evolution of financial execution by areas in 2015 and 2021 (Source: FCT)

Table 1. Evolution of FCT's financial execution (Operation and investment), 2015 – 2021 (Source: FCT)