The FCT call to award scholarships to those wishing to obtain a doctorate in all scientific fields is open in the general line and in a Non-Academic Environment. In this edition there is an increased budget for work plans with non-academic organisations, with 450 scholarships expected to be awarded in this line and 1500 scholarships in the general line.

Submission of applications: 18 March to 18 April 2024

PhD scholarships are intended for candidates enrolled, or who fulfil the necessary conditions to enroll, in a doctoral programme leading to the award of a doctoral degree and who wish to carry out research activities leading to the award of that degree. The duration of the scholarships is annual, renewable up to the maximum number of months requested in the application, and may not be awarded for a period of less than 3 consecutive months or more than 48 months.

General application line

The research activities submitted under this line of application are mainly carried out in an academic environment. The work plan may include a stay of up to 6 months in non-academic institutions. 

Non-academic environment line

The research activities submitted in this line of application are mainly carried out in a non-academic environment. Non-academic organisations will have to host the grant holders for a considerable part of their work leading to the award of the doctorate degree.

Applicants in this specific line may consult the hosting opportunities for their research plans in non-academic organisations (NAO) in the list of institutions that have expressed interest (which is being constantly updated) and interact directly with the contact point of the NAO. Applications may also submit proposals with other eligible organisations that are not in this list. 

Studentships Abroad

Applies exclusively to the general application line. In this case, the work plan must be carried out at a foreign institution up to 24 months. In these applications, the assessment will consider whether the necessary expertise of the broad institution does not exist in Portugal, so this aspect should be clearly justified in the proposal.

Submission and support material

Submission will be via the myFCT platform and, if you are thinking of applying, you should carefully read the notice of the call which contains all the eligibility conditions as well as the other supporting documents provided by the FCT associated with applications in the general line or in a non-academic environment.