Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia is the Portuguese public agency that supports science, technology and innovation, in all scientific domains, under responsibility of the Ministry for Science, Technology and Higher Education. FCT was founded in 1997, succeeding the Junta Nacional de Investigação Científica e Tecnológica (JNICT). Since March 2012, FCT has coordinated public policies for the Information and Knowledge Society in Portugal, after the integration of the Knowledge Society Agency-UMIC. In October 2013, FCT took over the attributions and responsibilities of the Fundação para a Computação Científica Nacional (FCCN), [Foundation for National Scientific Computation].
FCT’s vision is:
- To establish Portugal as a global reference in science, technology and innovation;
- To ensure that knowledge generated by scientific research is used fully for economic growth and the well-being of all citizens.
FCT’s mission is to continuously promote the advancement of knowledge in science and technology in Portugal, attain the highest international standards in quality and competitiveness, in all scientific and technological domains, and encourage its dissemination and contribution to society and to economic growth.
FCT pursues its mission through the attribution, in competitive calls with peer review, of fellowships, studentships and research contracts for scientists, research projects, competitive research centres and state-of-the-art infrastructures. FCT ensures Portugal’s participation in international scientific organisations, fosters the participation of the scientific community in international projects and promotes knowledge transfer between R&D centres and industry. Working closely with international organisations, FCT coordinates public policy for the Information and Knowledge Society in Portugal and ensures the development of national scientific computing resources.
The results of FCT accomplishments are, in essence, the outcome of the work carried out by individual scientists, research groups and institutions that are funded by FCT.
