FCT extends for one more month all the contracts of Studentship that it directly finances

The FCT Board of Directors has decided to renew the automatic extension, for one more month, of the Studentships that it directly funds and that were in execution on March 13. This resolution is based on the Government's recent decision to maintain the closure of Higher Education institutions and non-essential economic activities.

Last March 13, following the first exceptional measures of confinement determined by the Government, FCT had deliberated the automatic extension of all Studentships directly funded by the institution for a period of one month (see news), committing to evaluate the situation again after April 9. The decision was to revalidate this measure for another month, as a response to the constraints that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused in the regular work of the scientific community, as in all sectors of society.

This measure represents a total additional investment of 12 million euros, for the two months extended so far, and covers about 5 thousand Studentships. They are part of a set of initiatives that FCT has taken to support the scientific community in this exceptional phase (see website). In addition to seeking to address the current constraints caused by Covid-19, the FCT also opened new lines of funding that aim to stimulate and enhance the development of R&D projects and initiatives that not only respond to the immediate needs of response to this current pandemic, but that can also help prevent and prepare responses to pandemics that may arise in the future.