FCT PhD Studentships

FCT's PhD Studentships programme finances research activities leading to the award of the PhD degree, across all scientific fields. The programme runs an annual call, typically opening in early March, and offers two parallel tracks: a Regular Line of Application for research carried out in scientific and academic institutions (higher education, R&D units, Associate Laboratories, State Laboratories, non-profit R&D institutions), and a Specific Line of Application in a Non-Academic Environment for work plans partially carried out in business companies, hospitals, museums, public administration, collaborative labs and other non-academic hosts. Applicants must be enrolled in or eligible to enrol in a PhD programme and must not hold a doctoral degree, nor have benefited from any prior FCT PhD studentship. Funding covers a monthly allowance for the candidate (per the Studentship Value Table updated yearly), tuition fees, additional training support, conference travel, personal accident insurance and, where applicable, relocation costs. Studentships are financed jointly by the Portuguese State Budget and the European Social Fund under Programa PESSOAS 2030. The Specific Line additionally feeds into FCT-Tenure Non-Academic Chairs. In 2022, FCT funded 8,598 studentships totalling EUR 142 million (23% of total FCT investment); the 2026 edition received more than 4,400 applications and the 2025 edition awarded 1,553 studentships.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.