Post Doctoral Research Positions for the National Scientific and Technological System
2008 Announcement
As part of the government’s Commitment to Science, the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) opened a call for proposals in 2006 for program contracts with institutions in the national science and technology system with the aim of sponsoring the entry of doctoral degree holders into the science and technology system by means of individual employment contracts. In 2007, FCT signed program contracts with the selected universities and scientific institutions what involved awarding a first set of positions for contracting doctoral degree holders for a period of up to five years with public funding (Ciência 2007).
Continuing the pursuit of the program objectives begun in 2007, which provide for the contracting of at least 1000 doctoral level researchers by 2009, FCT hereby invites institutions from the Science and Technology System, namely:
- those which have been classified as good or outstanding in their most recent international evaluation;
- those which signed program contracts with FCT for this purpose in the previous call for proposals (Ciência 2007);
- Associated Laboratories or State Laboratories;
- companies recognized for their R&D activities;
- other R&D institutions.
to submit proposals in the call to be opened between June 15 and August 31 2008 for the selection of doctoral degree holders to be contracted.
Contracts will fall under a program contract already signed or to be signed with FCT.
Once the selection has been completed, the proposing institutions should submit to FCT a ranked list of the individual applicants for this call accompanied by the minutes of the review panel deliberations as well as the CVs and plans of work for the applicants they wish to hire. If the institution submitting the proposal for funding through this program has previously signed program-contracts with the FCT, this second phase of the program will take the form of an Addenda to the contracts already signed and will state the number of positions approved by FCT. Otherwise, the institution must submit both the ranked lists of the abovementioned applicants and its proposal for the program-contract in accordance with the established regulations, which will then be subject to review and a decision on the part of the FCT.
Selection of doctoral degree holders
The calls for selection of doctoral degree holders shall be organized by the hiring institutions in accordance with the following terms:
- The doctoral degree holders to be hired, whether they are Portuguese or foreign, must, as a rule, have three years of experience in relevant post-doctoral scientific production.
- The calls for applications shall be announced internationally by the most appropriate means of publication for the field in question and must remain open until 31 August 2008;
- a.The review panel for each call (the composition of which shall be the responsibility of each scientific institution) shall include specialists of undisputed reputation, at least 50% of whom shall be specialists from other Portuguese and foreign institutions. The notice of the call, the composition of the review panels and the CV of their members shall be published on the www.eracareers.pt portal for a period of at least 2 months beginning on 15 June 2008.
Funding
The funding granted by FCT is defined in a set of specific regulations. The FCT will fund a maximum number of individual employment contract that, as a rule, shall not exceed 10% of the total number of doctoral degree holders of the research institution, without prejudice to the institution’s submission of reserve lists in excess of this number for review by FCT.
Signing of program-contracts
Proposals for program-contracts must be submitted online using the form provided for this purpose, which is available at
http://concursos.fct.pt/contratacaodoutorados/
Information regarding the contents of the form may be requested through the Gabinete de Apoio ao Ciência2008 (Ciência2008 Help Desk) at infociencia2008@fct.pt. For computer-related information and issues contact webmaster@fct.pt.
