Provisional results of Call for PhD Studentships

Yesterday, August 1, the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) announced the provisional results of Call the Award of Studentships for Doctorates 2024. After receiving and analyzing 3,750 applications, 1,500 Studentships are now proposed for funding, corresponding to an overall approval rate of 40%. Of these, 450 Studentships non-academic environments stand out. It was in this area that the greatest increase in applications was recorded—603 received—revealing a growing commitment to conducting research in a context of close interconnection between academia and other sectors of society.

The total investment planned for this Call around €124 million. Studentships funded by the State Budget with EU co-financing PT2030.

The selection of candidates took into account the merit of the candidate, the merit of the work plan, and the merit of the hosting conditions. The evaluation process for this edition of Call the participation of 479 evaluators, distributed across 36 evaluation panels, who analyzed, classified, and ranked the applications in each panel.

Of the total number of panels, 33 corresponded to the various scientific areas and sub-areas covered by Call general Call for Call, aimed at applications involving research activities carried out in an academic environment, and three covered the scientific areas covered by applications in a non-academic environment. In this case, the respective work plans will be carried out in close collaboration with companies, collaborative laboratories, technology and innovation centers, interface centers, public administration entities, state laboratories, hospitals, museums, libraries, or other third sector entities.

The distribution of the number of Studentships panel was determined taking into account the number of applications submitted in each panel, in any of the application lines.

Studentships research carried out entirely in Portuguese institutions account for 82% of the total. 17% of Studentships mixed (partly in Portuguese institutions and partly in foreign institutions) and only 1% will be carried out entirely in foreign institutions. Of the selected candidates, 80% are Portuguese nationals. In total, candidates from 48 countries are proposed for funding, with those of Brazilian, Italian, Iranian, Spanish, and German nationality standing out.

Of the candidates who achieved funding priority, women accounted for 56% and men for 44%, similar to the previous edition of this Call.

In the general application line, 23% of Studentships in the field of Social Sciences, 21% in Engineering and Technology Sciences, and 19% in the Humanities, with the remaining scientific fields represented by percentages below 13%. In the specific application line in a non-academic environment, 45% of Studentships in the areas of Engineering Sciences and Exact Sciences, 36% in Natural Sciences and Life Sciences, and around 18% in Social Sciences and Humanities.

The provisional results of this Call communicated to all applicants, who now have access to the comments justifying the rating assigned to their application. If they disagree with the proposed decision, they may submit a statement at a preliminary hearing of interested parties, until August 16, 2024, which will be analyzed by the respective evaluation panel. The final results of Call announced by the FCT by the beginning of November 2024.

The Studentships contracting process Studentships on the date the final results are announced. Studentships will begin on the first day of the month indicated by the candidate in the contract, between September 1, 2024, and August 1, 2025. Whenever the contract is signed after the start of the research work funded by Studentship, there will be retroactive payment of Studentships.

This evaluation process has so far taken 71 working days between the end of the application period and the communication of the provisional results, which is below the maximum duration of 90 working days set for this phase.

The Call PhD Studentships is held annually and is part of the FCT's major Calls . For more information on other funding opportunities for doctoral Studentships , within the scope of FCT collaboration protocols and partnerships with R&D units and other entities, we suggest regularly consulting the FCT website and the Euraxess portal.