FCT reaches €510 million in financial execution in 2019

The financial execution of the FCT in 2019 reached €510 million, according to provisional data from the monthly report of January 8, 2020, in which €496 million represents investment and €13.8 million represents operating expenses. This represents a 33% increase over the last five years (Figure 1).

  Figure 1 – Evolution of FCT financial execution (Operating and Investment) between 2015 and 2019 in € million

FCT investment in 2019 focuses mainly on support for advanced training (20% of the total), the employment of PhD researchers (21%), and the enhancement of scientific institutions (25%), as shown in Figure 2.

 Figure 2 - Evolution of investment by area of activity between 2015 and 2019 as a total percentage

Investment in recent years has been associated with the following programs (Figure 3):

1. Advanced Training – Studentships directly by FCT, with the total number of new Studentships supported annually increasing from 971 in 2015 to around 1,700 in 2019 (a 75% increase), and expected to reach 1,750 new Studentships 2020 and 1,950 new Studentships 2023;

2. Scientific Employment – hiring PhD researchers in all areas of knowledge through a set of diversified support lines, in order to strengthen scientific capacity and presence in European and international networks;

3. Institutions – support for R&D Units, Collaborative Laboratories, Infrastructure, and Science and Technology Equipment;

4. R&D projects – supported by FCT and the Portugal 2020 program, in all scientific areas and strategic thematic areas;

5. International Cooperation – participation in S&T organizations and international partnerships;

6. Advanced computing, access to publications and communications, and other support – Scientific Community Support Fund (FACC), access to the B-On Library, the Science, Technology, and Society Network (RCTS), investment in strengthening the FCT's information and communication systems, and others.

 Figure 3 – Investment trends by area of activity between 2015 and 2019 in € million