Results of the PT2030 Call Projects in all scientific fields

The Call for Scientific Research and Technological Development (IC&DT) Projects in All Scientific Fields 2023 will fund 768 projects, with a total of 176.6 million euros. The Portugal2030 (PT2030) Managing Authorities were responsible for communicating the provisional results, which were completed on May 16.

The Call, launched and managed by the PT2030 structures, received 2,551 applications through the Funds Counter. The overall investment is co-financed by European funds, namely COMPETE2030 and the Northern, Lisbon and Algarve Regional Programs, and by funds from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), through the State Budget.

This Call will support at least 768 research projects over 36 months, with maximum funding of 250,000 euros per project. Considering the total number of applications submitted, the provisional approval rate is 30.2%, higher than the 20% rate initially forecast.

The increase in the success rate was made possible by the financial reinforcement of 56.6 million euros from PT2030, through COMPETE2030 and LISBOA2030. The total financial envelope allocated was 176.6 million euros, of which 55 million euros came from the State Budget allocated by the FCT and 121.6 million euros from ERDF/PT2030 funds.

Among the principal investigators of the funded projects, the majority are women, representing 58.1% of the total. In addition, 6.2% of the researchers are of foreign nationality, from 20 countries, and lead 48 of the selected projects, all of which are developed in research centers based in Portugal.

As well as being the funding body, FCT played the role of intermediary body, with delegated powers to analyze the applications. The scientific evaluation was carried out by international panels.

The decision regarding the eligibility and financing of projects with ERDF support is the responsibility of the competent Managing Authorities, within the scope of their autonomy and the regulations applicable to the management of European structural and investment funds and PT2030, as described in the Notice of the Call.

In turn, the funding component allocated by the FCT is based entirely on scientific merit, regardless of the nature of the projects (basic or applied research), the regional location of the proposing institutions or specific eligibility for ERDF funding. The allocation to each evaluation panel was proportional to the overall amount of funding requested by the applications assigned to that panel.

These choices, combined with the various sources of funding, allowed FCT to support more projects - particularly those with a strong fundamental research component - than would have been possible under a Call supported exclusively by the State Budget allocated to FCT.

Under the terms of Notice of the Call, and taking into account the respective results, each project may benefit from one of the following types of funding: i) 100% funding, exclusively through State Budget/FCT funds; ii) 100% funding, through a combination of ERDF funds (85% COMPETE2030 or 40% NORTE2030, LISBOA2030 or ALGARVE2030) and State Budget funds (15% or 60%); iii) 85% funding, exclusively through ERDF funds (COMPETE 2030).

The list of applications selected for FCT and FCT + PT2030 funding can be consulted here. The list of applications selected for funding exclusively from PT2030 funds is available here. For more information, see the Call page.

In the second half of 2025, the FCT will launch a new Call for R&D Projects in All Scientific Domains, and it is planned that it will fully assume its coordination and funding, including the management of submission platforms, scientific evaluation and dissemination of results, and the respective monitoring.