FCT PhD Studentships — Regular Line of
Supports Portugal researchers with structured pathways in PhD-level research continuity across Portuguese institutions, from planning to deployment.
⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.
The 2026 Regular Line of Application financed PhD research activities across all scientific areas at Portuguese academic and scientific institutions. Applications opened 2 March 2026 (12h00 Lisbon) and closed 31 March 2026 (17h00 Lisbon). Provisional results are expected in the first week of August 2026 (up to 90 working days after the submission deadline); final results are expected at the beginning of November 2026. The 2026 cohort received over 4,400 applications across both lines. Studentships are financed by the Portuguese State Budget and, where eligible, by the European Social Fund under Programa PESSOAS 2030.
Applicants must be enrolled in or eligible to enrol in a PhD programme, must not hold a doctoral degree, and must not have previously held any FCT PhD or PhD-in-Industry studentship of any duration. PhD work plans carried out partly or fully abroad require the applicant to have permanent residence in Portugal. The contracting institution chosen by each applicant has 10 working days after the deadline to validate the application — non-validated applications are excluded.
All scientific fields. Research carried out in scientific and academic institutions: higher-education institutions, R&D units, Associate Laboratories, State Laboratories, and private non-profit institutions whose main purpose is R&D.
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