Foundation for Science and Technology

Funds long-term initiatives in science, education, and social impact through public mission-focused grantmaking.

Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) is Portugal's national funding agency for science, technology, and innovation. It operates as FCT, I.P. under the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, and it channels support from the State Budget, PESSOAS 2030, and the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Its remit covers advanced training, researchers, institutions, and infrastructure across all scientific fields.

The main routes include PhD studentships, postdoctoral and career researcher positions, research projects across all scientific fields, the CMU Portugal partnership, the FCT Mobility Programme, and FCT-Tenure. The 2022 studentship programme covered 8,598 awards and EUR 142 million, about 23% of total FCT investment that year. Research project support reaches EUR 1.07 million, the CMU Portugal partnership reaches EUR 3.21 million, and the mobility programme is capped at EUR 27,027.

FCT is strongest where training and research continuity matter together. It funds across the full academic spectrum rather than only applied sectors, and it coordinates Portugal's role in Horizon Europe Pillar I and the Widening pillar while hosting the national contact points for ERC, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Research Infrastructures, and Widening actions. That makes it both a domestic funder and a gateway into European research systems.