Post Doctoral Research Positions for the National Scientific and Technological System

The government’s platform and its Commitment to Science stress rapid scientific and technological development as a national priority for Portugal and establish goals and indicators for tracking this development.

A number of measures are being implemented in order to achieve this objective. Among these are program contracts with public and private scientific institutions to fund individual employment contracts for post doctoral positions.

Program Contracts that have already been signed and those already in the works provide for the hiring of at least 1000 post doctoral researchers by the year 2009 and will be oriented towards increasing critical mass or to support emerging groups. Once National Scientific and Technological System institutions have launched a call for applications, applicants for individual employment contracts will be selected through a process of open competition and evaluation by international review panels.

Chapter I
General provisions

Article 1
Objectives

The funding provided for in these regulations aims to encourage employment in science and technology by the entering into Program Contracts with public and private institutions that carry out relevant scientific activity for integrating doctoral degree holders in the areas of science and technology into the institutional fabric.

Article 2
Recipient, Proponent and Participating Institutions

1. Under these regulations, the following institutions may enter into program contracts:
   1. Institutions of higher learning in partnership with FCT-accredited R&D institutions;
   2. Associated Laboratories;
   3. State Laboratories;
   4. Companies recognized for their R&D activities;
   5. Other public or private institutions engaged in R&D activities recognized by FCT.
2. The Proponent Institution (IP), which will be the signatory of the program contract, must possess independent legal status.
3. Participating institutions include, in addition to PIs, any other institutions that are part of the partnership that submits the proposal.
4. Researchers who do not find a program framework suitable for their activities in the scientific institutions that present proposals for contracts may submit an individual application to the FCT.

Chapter II
General terms under which funding is granted

Article 3
Launch of a call for applications to post doctoral positions

1. Proponent institutions are responsible for launching calls for applications to select post doctoral candidates for contracts.
2. The periods during which the calls for applications are open will be those set forth in official notices published by the FCT.
3. All calls for applications must be announced in the Researcher’s Mobility Portal - Portugal, www.eracareers.pt, without prejudice to their being disseminated through all other media deemed appropriate.

Article 4
Applicant profiles

The primary targets of this measure are Portuguese and foreign researchers who have held a doctoral degree for at least three years. However, this requirement should not discourage other candidates with relevant post doctoral activity to apply; the review panels will determine whether these applicants, by virtue of the quality of their curricula, constitute exceptional cases that warrant submitting a well-founded recommendation of approval to FCT.

Article 5
Composition of the review panel

1. The review panel for each call for applications shall be made up of specialists of indisputable excellence and at least 50% of the specialists shall be from other Portuguese or foreign institutions.
2. The composition of the review panels and curricula of their members shall be published on the portal mentioned in Article 3, no. 3, of these regulations.

Article 6
Admissibility of announcements of calls for applications

FCT may check, at any time, to ensure that the formal requirements for admissibility of announcements of calls for applications have been met according to these regulations and the official announcement of the call.

Artigo 7º
Submitting results of the evaluation to FCT

Proponent institutions shall submit the results of the evaluation to the FCT, on the appropriate form, within 15 days after the review panels have issued their decision. The results shall include a rank ordered list of the names of candidates who submitted applications accompanied by the minutes of the review panel sessions and the curricula of the chosen candidates.

Article 8
Appeal and follow-up

FCT shall be the venue for appeals to the proposed decision of the hiring institutions and the FCT shall be responsible for drawing up an evaluation report regarding the proceedings and results of the entire process.

Article 9
Type of employment contract

1. Post doctoral researchers may be hired through this program under exclusive dedication, full-time or part-time contracts.
2. Employment contracts between proponent institutions and post graduate researchers are subject to the provisions set forth in the Labor Code approved in Law 99/2003 of August 27, and in Decree-Law 124/99 of April 20.

Chapter III
Signing of the Program Contract

Article 10
Program Contract

1. For Scientific Institutions that have already signed program contracts with the FCT as part of this program, addenda will be added to the original contract as soon as the selection process has been completed and the rank-ordered list of names of candidates to be hired has been sent to FCT along with the candidates´ CVs and work plans.
2. National Scientific and Technological System institutions, including companies engaged in research, that do not fulfill the conditions set forth in no. 1 should submit proposals for entering into program contracts with the FCT according to the indications given in Art. 11 and within the deadlines stated in the official announcement.
3. 1.Program contracts shall have a maximum duration of 5 years.

Article 11
Proposals for entering into a program contract

1. Proposals must be written in English and submitted using the online form provided for that purpose at concursos.fct.pt/contratacaodoutorados by the institutions mentioned in Art. 10, no. 2, which must fulfill all the requirements stated in the official notice and in the regulations.
2. The institutions mentioned in Art. 9, no. 2, shall be responsible for the available host conditions and co-funding, as well as the contribution that they expect to make towards increasing critical mass with regard to quality and networks of national and international cooperation. If the proponent entity is an institution of higher learning, the proposal must also mention the R&D entity or entities responsible.
3. A Statement of Responsibility, drawn up according to the template provided for that purpose on the FCT website, must be sent to FCT by registered mail with recorded delivery within 10 days after submission of the proposal.
4. The Statement of Responsibility must be signed and initialed by the person or persons legally authorized to bind the participating institutions.

Article 12
Admissibility of proposals

Verification that that the formal requirements for admissibility of proposals have been met shall be carried out by FCT.

Chapter IV
Evaluation process

Article 13
Selection criteria

1. The FCT shall undertake the review and selection of proposals to be granted support with the collaboration of specialists of recognized merit named by the President of the Foundation for Science and Technology. The selection criteria listed in the following number will be applied.
2. In the selection of public or private institutions, including companies with R&D activities, the following criteria shall apply:
   1. Installed scientific capacity and relevant scientific production during the last three years, especially those that have received very positive international evaluations;
   2. Plan of work and scientific employment, as well as any partnerships and supportive networks contemplated;
   3. Host conditions, development and co-funding available, as well as the contribution they expect to make towards increasing critical mass relative to quality and national or international cooperation networks.
3. In the selection of individual applications for post doctoral research positions, the intrinsic merit of the candidate based on his/her curriculum vitæ shall be considered, as well as the plan of work to be carried out.

Article 14
Notification of the decision

The decision shall be approved by the competent supervising authority.

Article 15
Eligible costs

1. Under program contracts entered into with public and private not-for-profit institutions, salary costs effectively born by proponent institutions are eligible up to a maximum of 100%, namely:
   1. Base salary, vacation and Christmas supplements corresponding to salary level 195 of the Scientific Research Career remuneration statute;
   2. Food subsidy in the amount corresponding to the allowance offered to civil service workers;
   3. Required social security contributions paid by the employer;
   4. Costs of unemployment compensation, calculated according to the terms of Art. 388, no. 2, of the Labor Code, to be paid to the post doctoral researcher when the employment contract expires.
2. Under program contracts entered into with companies, the items mentioned in the previous number may be financed by the FCT up to a maximum of 50%, provided that the conditions set forth in European Community regulations and any other applicable legislation are met.
3. Calculation of the annual food subsidy amount is made based on the average number of working days per month and the number of months in which the subsidy is due.
4. The amounts paid by the proponent institution and those paid by the FCT as a result of any sick pay, maternity, paternity and adoption allowances will be settled up at the time the compensation is paid.
5. In the event that no compensation payment is due, the settling of accounts mentioned in the previous number shall occur with the last regular payment.

Article 16
Salaries

The proponent entity establishes the salaries due in the contracts into which it enters; these may not be less than those provided for in the funding granted by the FCT.

Article 17
Conditions of payment

1. Processing of the financial support to be provided begins once the contracts, duly signed by the post doctoral researchers, are received by the FCT.
2. Should the employment contracts mentioned in the previous number be rescinded, the financial support will cease forthwith, and the proponent entity shall return any funds unduly received.

Article 18
Failure to fulfill contractual obligations

Should the post doctoral researcher fail to fulfill his/her contractual obligations, the proponent entity may rescind the contract under the terms of the law. The FCT must be notified immediately if this occurs.

Article 19
Follow-up and monitoring

1. Program contracts may be the object of follow-up and monitoring by the FCT through the use of satisfaction surveys applied to post doctoral researchers contracted and other type of follow-up.
2. Proponent institutions shall submit a Report of Activities for interim evaluation, using the form provided for that purpose, no later than the end of the first semester of the third year of execution of the proposed project.
3. The Report of Activities shall describe in detail how the research is proceeding, as well as how the personnel hired have contributed to the results.
4. Proponent institutions must also submit a Final Report within 60 days after the contract signed with the doctoral researcher expires.

Article 20
Revision

1. These regulations may be subject to revision whenever deemed necessary.
2. TAll revisions shall be approved by the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education.

Article 21
Entry into force

The present Regulations come immediately into force.

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