Final results of the RESTART Programme
FCT announces the final results of the first edition of the RESTART program, which ran from February 15 to March 30, 2023. In this first edition of Call , 143 applications were evaluated and 31 projects were approved for funding, one more than in the preliminary results, which corresponds to a success rate of 22%. The program will have overall funding of €1,511,708.00 for R&D projects in all scientific fields.
The Terms of Acceptance (TA) will be signed shortly and the funded projects should begin within the next 60 days. Once the TA has been signed, an advance corresponding to 80% of the approved funding will follow, according to a simplified cost model. FCT intends to progressively apply this model to other funding instruments.
With the creation of RESTART Programme, 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 and equal opportunities in scientific research activities. It will thus contribute to enabling the competitive return of female researchers who have recently taken parental leave to their research activities under new circumstances.
This funding instrument is aligned with concerns and recommendations of the Council of the European Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which aim to promote a better conciliation between professional and family life for those engaged in R&D activities.
The President of the FCT, Madalena Alves, said that ” RESTART Programme aims to help female researchers who have recently taken parental leave to face the additional challenges that come with parenthood and which often influence their career management and research planning. We hope to contribute to the promotion of gender equality and opportunities by awarding competitive funding to excellent, original and innovative research ideas.”
FCT news