Impact of FCT funding on research careers
Considering the topicality and centrality of research careers, the FCT developed a study on the professional trajectories of former FCT doctoral fellows.
The career paths of 5,800 former doctoral fellows whose Studentships began between 1995 and 2012 were analyzed. The percentage of scholarship holders who obtained a degree is over 88%, a high figure and comparable with other European Union countries. The percentage of success is slightly higher among women and among scholarship holders who were younger at the start of their Studentship.
Overall, 60% of former PhD studentship holders were located in R&D activities in the National Science and Technology System (SNCT). Five years after obtaining their degree, 65% were teachers/researchers and 29% were fellows, but their professional situation varies markedly depending on the date they started their Studentship and the time elapsed after their degree.
Among doctoral graduates in the SNCT, the now-defunct postdoctoral Studentships and the Scientific Employment Stimulus Program (both promoted by the FCT) have played a fundamental role in the transition of doctoral graduates to teaching or research positions. The majority (90%) of former FCT grantees have R&D activities in the Higher Education sector, which is in line with the SNCT as a whole.
News
- Impact of FCT funding on research careers in Portugal (January 4, 2024)
- 88% of FCT grantees succeed in obtaining a doctoral degree (March 24, 2025)
- International article: "Obtaining a Ph.D. in Portugal. Determinants of Success and Subsequent Career Paths" (2025)
