Impact of FCT funding on research careers in Portugal
The FCT analyzed the career paths of 5,800 former doctoral fellows, whose Studentships started between 1995 and 2012, at various points after obtaining their degree. This analysis gave rise to the study “Impact of FCT funding on research careers in Portugal – career paths of former FCT doctoral fellows”, which aims to contribute to a broad perspective of the situation of FCT-funded doctoral graduates.
The success rate is one of the most noteworthy conclusions: the percentage of scholarship holders who obtain a degree is over 88%, a high figure and comparable with other European Union countries. The percentage of grantees who obtain a degree is slightly higher among women, as well as among younger grantees at the time of starting Studentship.
The study also concludes that, overall, 60% of former doctoral fellows were involved in R&D in the National Science and Technology System (SNCT). Five years after obtaining their degree, 65% were teachers/researchers and 29% were grant holders, but their professional situation varies markedly depending on the date they started Studentship and the time that has passed since they obtained their degree. The majority of doctoral graduates who received Studentship from the FCT in the 1990s are currently teachers (75%). The data also shows that, among SNCT doctoral graduates, the now-defunctStudentships postdoctoral fellowships and the current Scientific Employment Stimulus Program (both promoted by the FCT) play a key 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.
In Portugal, the most recent figures from the DGEEC’s Careers of Doctorate Holders (CDH) survey (for 2020) show that the unemployment rate for doctorate holders is very low (2%). More than 80% of the total number of doctorate holders resident in our country carried out R&D activities: 68% of whom had a permanent contract and 32% of whom had a fixed-term contract.
The awarding of Studentships through periodic Calls is one of the FCT’s core activities, particularly Studentships , and is essential for the expansion of the SNCT. Since its creation in 1997, the FCT has awarded more than 30,000 Studentships, an investment made through the State Budget and European Structural Funds that exceeds 2.3 billion euros and corresponds to around 30% of the FCT’s total investment. This investment in advanced training has resulted in a very significant increase in the number of doctorates awarded in Portugal, with a cumulative number of over 35,000 in 2021, plus doctorates awarded abroad and recognized in the country.
The results of the study “Impact of FCT funding on research careers in Portugal – professional trajectories of former FCT doctoral fellows” are available in two documents, the final report and a summary of the main results.
FCT President Madalena Alves said:
“This work has helped to fill the information gap on the impact of FCT funding on doctoral training, since there was no analysis of the success of FCT-funded scholarship holders in obtaining a doctoral degree, nor of their subsequent career paths. The growing maturity and attractiveness of the SNCT is evident, illustrated by the existence of fewer Studentships exclusively abroad, greater international and national cooperation, and more foreign students. The results show an efficient use of public funds, including European structural funds, with high degree success rates comparable to those of other EU countries.”
FCT News