RESTART Programme opens for applications

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) has already opened applications for the first edition of the RESTART program, a new funding program aimed at researchers who have recently taken parental leave to pursue and develop an original and innovative research idea, with the possibility of associating other human and/or material resources, according to the funding made available and the expected execution time. This program has a budget of 1.25 million euros and applications can be submitted until March 30.

RESTART is a competitive Call for individual R&D projects in all scientific fields, with a maximum amount of 50,000 euros and an implementation duration of 18 months. This funding is aimed at all researchers who have recently taken parental leave, including adoption leave, where the aim is to make up for the period of their absence from research by supporting the restart of their R&D activities. In line with public policies in this area, RESTART also covers, with specific eligibility conditions, cases of shared parental leave, which favors equality in the provision of care and the sharing of family responsibilities and leave durations.

With the creation of this program, the FCT, in addition to its commitment to promoting the advancement of scientific and technological knowledge, based on high international standards of quality and competitiveness, aims to promote gender equality in R&D activities and careers, which is inseparable from equal opportunities for the entire national scientific community.

This new financing instrument is in line with the concerns and recommendations of the Council of the European Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in this area, making Portugal one of the pioneering countries to respond in this area.

New features introduced in this Call

This Call presents some novelties compared to other FCT instruments. Namely,

1. A narrative CV system has been adopted for a comprehensive and effective assessment of the careers of researchers working in Portugal. This system seeks to promote more qualitative, robust and integrated evaluation methodologies.
2. Introduction of a new evaluation criterion that specifically values the impact of future research, the contexts and conditions in which it will take place, on researchers' career development.
3. Simplification of procedures, both in terms of submitting applications and by adopting a simplified management system once funding has been awarded.

The creation of this program was announced by the FCT at the commemorative session for World Science Day and National Day for Scientific Culture, held on November 24, 2022.

More information on the Call page