Support

FCT, according to its broad mandate to support the Portuguese research and technology community, offers support in a multitude of formats targeted at individual researchers, in the different phases of their careers, or groups of researchers or institutions. If you are certain about the type of support you are interested in, pick one in the menu to the right. Otherwise, or if you want to have a global perspective of the support opportunities, grouped by the status of the persons or groups to which they are provided, read on.

To give a fuller account of the available possibilities this page mentions programs over which FCT has no responsibility, namely Ciência Viva and Marie Curie Actions. Note that all references to European below should be interpreted as referring to a European Member or Associate state.

For a more detailed description of European support opportunities please see FCT’s web page on the Marie Curie Actions. It includes Call announcements and pre-announcements, links to search forms, etc. For some Marie Curie Actions, as a stimulus for increaded participation, FCT offers complementary support.

Luísa Ferreira / MCTES

Students

Pre university students

In the life of a young student probably the earliest form of support for introductory research activities that is available from the Portuguese Ministry of Science will be channeled through the Ciência Viva program. This is a separate agency from FCT. Particularly noteworthy are the Ciência nas Férias activities.

Undergraduate university students

There are two types of grants specifically targeted to undergraduate university students: Integration into research grants (BII) and Scientific initiation grants (BIC). They are awarded indirectly by FCT through Research Units in the case of BII and through funded Research Projects and Units in the case of BIC and are contingent on good scholastic performance.

Students who have completed the first cycle of university studies

University students who have completed the first cycle of university studies or equivalent are eligible for Research Grants (BI) and Scientific initiation grants (BIC). The latter are dependent on good academic performance.

Master students

In recent years there has been considerable decline in the number of grants awarded specifically to Master students, a trend which will probably continue due to the Bologna reform in Portuguese universities. The Individual Call for Grants 2007 no longer included this type of grant.

Doctoral students

Grants for Doctoral level programs are the most commonly supported by FCT. The majority is awarded as Doctoral Grants (BD) through the annual Call for Individual Grants. Other types include Bolsas de Doutoramento em Empresas (BDE), Doctoral grants awarded in the context of international partnerships with universities as MIT, CMU and UTAustin, and Research Grants (BI) awarded indirectly through R&D Projects and R&D Units.

Grants include support for participation in scientific meetings. Others may be able to request it through the FACC.

Luísa Ferreira / MCTES

Trainees

Training in international scientific organizations

With the support of FCT, a Agência de Inovação holds a permanent call for Training Grants in International Scientific and Technological Organizations (BEST) for the training of engineers at CERN, ESA or ESO.

Researchers

Young Post-docs

Post doctoral research activities often start with Post-doctoral grants (BPD) awarded through annual call for individual grants or awarded indirectly through R&D Projects or R&D Units.

Grants include support for participation in scientific meetings. Others may be able to request it through the FACC.

Support granted at the European level includes the Marie Curie Reintegration Grants (European or International in accordance to the candidate having received prior Marie Curie support or not).

The Welcome II Programme, cofunded under Marie Curie Action Cofund, targets the integration of European researchers after work in Third Countries.

Post-doctoral Jobs

FCT promotes the integration of post-doctoral researchers, ideally with a minimum of 3 years experience, in junior research positions through the Ciência 2007 initiative. Calls for individual positions are usually open by pre selected institutions under FCT supervision. Announcements are available from the ERACareers portal.

Senior Researchers

The Invited Chairs programme was launched in 2008 to attract leading international researchers to Portugal.

BSAB support is available to those researchers envisioning research in a foreign institution during sabbatical leave.

European researchers holding a doctoral degree wishing to improve their qualification and skills in a third country, and then return to an european institution, may apply, together with the latter institution, to an International Outgoing Fellowship of the Marie Curie Actions. On the other hand, for similar purposes but for work in european countries, consider Intra European Fellowships.

Research Groups

Luísa Ferreira / MCTES

Projects

Regularly FCT gives researchers the opportunity to apply fot the funding of research projects. That happens either through calls for applications in any scientific area or calls targeted at specific themes or domains. The latest call for applications in all scientific areas occurred in 2006.

Units

Research institutions, which have not achieved Associated Laboratory status and are funded by FCT’s pluriannual funding scheme, are commonly denoted as Research Units.

Associate Laboratories

Research institutions which demonstrate, through the results of evaluations, capacity to cooperate, in a stable, competent, and effective manner, in the achievement of specific Government scientific and technology policy aims may reach Associate Laboratory status. In March 2009 there are 25 Associate Laboratories.