Landscape of funding for R&D Units gains shape: 257 units secure €77 million euros annually

(English version to be available soon)

Having concluded both phases of the R&D Unit Evaluation and Funding exercise, the funding of R&D Units for the 2015-2020 period provides for 77 million euros of public funds to be made available to 257 Units, with final ratings of Exceptional (11 Units), Excellent (60), Very Good (97) and Good (89).Having evaluated 322 applications, encompassing 15,444 integrated members (doctoral researchers), the results The results show that 80% of the Units and almost 90% of the total number of PhDs (13,805) will be funded over the next six years.

This was the first evaluation in which all research centers were assessed competitively, under the same conditions with equal criteria and funding opportunities, regardless of their size or legal status.

A brief history of the evaluation exercise

This evaluation exercise involved more than 600 international experts and seven evaluation panels, and took place in two phases, as provided for in the Call regulations. At the end of the first phase (based on a documentary assessment of the submitted application), only the units with a rating above Good were admitted to the second phase, and were entitled to strategic funding. The second phase (involving visits to the units) resulted in the award of Exceptional, Excellent, Very Good, Good and Fair ratings, and the respective funding.

In result of the evaluation of the first phase168 units were recommended for the second phase. After the prior hearing periodprovided for in the regulation, 21 units (out of the 131 that submitted prior hearing comments) had their ratings revised; of these, 10 units (8%) obtained a rating to move on to the second phase.

After visits to the units and respective meetings of the evaluation panels, the 178 units evaluated in the second phase were classified as follows11 Exceptional; 52 Excellent; 104 Very Good; 9 Good; 2 Fair. After a new prior hearing period (of an administrative and scientific nature), of the 123 comments received, 15 units (13%) had their funding revised, including 9 units (7%) that not only had their funding changed, but also had their ratings revised. 

Units that do not accept the decision communicated after prior hearings may lodge a complaint with the FCT Board of Directors. The requests for administrative analysis of the second phase have already been analyzed by the FCT; 2 of the 7 units concerned have had their funding changed.

The complaints will be analyzed by a panel specifically set up for this purpose. At the moment, 53 complaints have been considered for analysis (submitted by Units that were not admitted to the second phase of the evaluation).