Pay cut cannot be applied to scholarship holders

On May 26, the FCT obtained an opinion from the Directorate-General for Administration and Public Employment (DGAEP) that the remuneration reduction provided for in the 2014 State Budget Law (Article 33) does not apply to Studentship contracts. This opinion, registered by the Secretary of State for Public Administration, is based on the fact that in Studentship contracts there is no financial component intended to remunerate the provision of work or the exercise of functions in any other capacity, and therefore the article of the LOE2014 in question does not apply to them.

Following this decision, the Board of Directors communicated the FCT's understanding to the research institutions, thus reinforcing the FCT's legal opinion and the position adopted since the matter arose. In fact, the FCT has not taken any position that would legitimize the application of remuneration reductions to research fellows. The clarifications that the FCT has issued on this matter are aimed at employment contracts or other contracts for the provision of services, and cannot be extrapolated to any other relationships, particularly Studentship contracts.