FCT assigns 1450 new Studentships Doctoral Research

FCT released today the provisional results of the Call for the assignment of Studentships of Doctoral Research 2021. The Call will assign 1450 Studentships , having received 3381 applications. The approval rate was 49% of the total number of applications eligible for funding (with a score equal to or greater than 3,000 points). The total investment of this Call amounts to 109 million euros.

The process of evaluating applications in the Call This year involved the participation of 403 evaluators, distributed across 36 evaluation panels, who analyzed and classified the applications and ranked them on the panel.

The number of Studentships to be assigned in each panel was set by deliberation of the FCT Board of Directors based on the methodology followed in the last three Calls annually, considering the demand registered for each area as well as the scientific policy guidelines for Portugal in the European context contained in the Report Higher Education, Research and Innovation in Portugal – Perspectives for 2030 .

Analysis of the provisional results of the Call 2021 shows that women represented 56.9% of candidates who achieved funding priority and men 43.1%.

To the Studentships to be carried out entirely in Portugal correspond to 80.7% of the total, 16.8% of Studentships will be mixed (part in Portugal and part abroad) and 2.5% will be carried out entirely abroad. Of the selected candidates, 78.5% have Portuguese nationality. In total, candidates from 43 countries are proposed for funding, with Brazilian nationals standing out among foreign candidates (143 Studentships ), Italian (37 Studentships ), Iranian (24 Studentships ), Spanish (15 Studentships ) and Indian (9 Studentships ).

To the Studentships FCT Doctoral Research Program are Studentships of merit awarded in all scientific areas and are intended for the development of research work plans to obtain the academic degree of doctor, through doctoral programs at Portuguese or foreign universities. The selection of candidates takes into account the merit of the candidate, the merit of the work plan and the merit of the host institution and supervisors.

The provisional results of this Call were communicated to all candidates, who now have access to the comments that justify the classification given to their application by the evaluation panel. In case of disagreement with the proposed decision, candidates may present arguments in a prior hearing of interested parties that will be analyzed by the evaluation panel.

The final results of the Call will be published by the FCT during the month of October 2021, ensuring publication within a shorter period than legally required. The process of contracting Studentships will start from the date of communication of the final results.

To the Studentships approved will begin on the first day of the month to be indicated by the candidate in agreement, between September 1, 2021 and August 1, 2022. When applicable, there will be retroactive payment of the Studentships .

This evaluation process lasted 4 months (83 working days) between the end of registrations and the communication of provisional results. These 1450 new Studentships of doctorate are added to the 6788 Studentships which are currently being implemented and financed by the FCT.

THE Call of Studentships research for doctorates is carried out annually and is part of a group of large Calls FCT structuring, whose programming is established until 2022 and published on the website.