FCT and the  Planning, Policy and Prospective Public Administration Competence Center (PlanAPP) will fund projects with a maximum duration of 12 months and a maximum amount per project between €35,000 and €50,000. The competition aims to support the production of scientific knowledge that responds to specific needs identified in various areas of public policy.

Dates: 29 February to 02 April 2024

With a total budget of €1,350,000, this call aims to provide evidence to support decision-making as well as the definition and implementation of policies, involving different areas of government.

Eligibility: Each application can only have one beneficiary and respond to one thematic line. The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a member of a Research Unit or have a contractual relationship with a State Laboratory, Associated Laboratory or other private non-profit institution whose main purpose is R&D activities.

Funding: Only one project per thematic line will be funded, and the maximum amount to be awarded depends on the thematic line (between €35,000 and €50,000). The thematic lines resulted from a consultation with the Planning and Foresight Services Network of the Public Administration, (RePLAN) and respond to current challenges facing Portugal, falling within the framework of the Thematic Agendas of the Portugal 2030 Strategy and in coherence with the strategic and transversal challenges facing Portugal.
Funding will be done through a service contract between the beneficiary and PlanAPP, under the terms of the applicable legislation and upon verification of compliance with the applicable requirements and conditions.

Applications: Applications must include a description of the research team, the scientific state of the art within the national context, the research plan and methods, the timetable, and the budget proposal up to the maximum allocation indicated in the thematic line.

Outputs: By the end of the project, it is necessary a final implementation report, in which the main element is a policy brief (in Portuguese and English). The PIs and Co-PIs of the funded projects must participate in a workshop on how to prepare a policy brief, to be organised by PlanAPP in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Further information, including the call for proposals and the thematic lines and funding for each, can be found here (only available in Portuguese).

Information on the previous edition, including the number of applications per thematic line, can be found here (only available in Portuguese).

If you would like the support from CESAM in the application process, please send an e-mail to cesam-gesciencia@ua.pt.