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Remuneration reduction cannot be applied to scholarship recipients

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

Following this decision, the Directive Council communicated the FCT's understanding to the research institutions, thus reinforcing the FCT's legal opinion and the position adopted since the issue arose. In fact, FCT has not taken any position that would legitimize the application of salary reductions to research fellows. The clarifications that FCT has issued on this matter are aimed at employment contracts or other service contracts or retainer contracts, not being extrapolable to any other bonds, namely to the contracts of Studentship.