The Association of Scientific Research Fellows (ABIC) demanded, this Thursday, “the replacement of the cut amount” to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and “stable financing” through an increase in transfers from the Budget of the State (OE).
In a statement, ABIC states that the cut of 68 million euros in FCT allocations for 2025 “represents a new step in disinvestment in science in Portugal and reflects a political vision that distances the State from responsibility for scientific progress and the technological development of the country.”
The association demands from the Government “the replacement of the cut amount of the FCT and an increase in transfers from the State Budget, in order to guarantee stable financing and less dependence on external funds.”
According to the OE2025 proposal, the FCT, the main entity dependent on the Government that finances scientific research in Portugal, has an initial endowment of 607 million euros, 68 million euros less compared to 2024. Since 2018, the budget planned for the FCT has not It was so low.
OE2025: Foundation for Science and Technology with 68 million euros less than in 2024
On Tuesday in Parliament, in the debate on the OE2025 in the specialty, the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, justified the cut in the FCT’s allocations with the change in the application of European funds, choosing to highlight the investment via tax revenues, which total 486 million euros (26 million more than in 2024).
According to the explanatory note of the OE2025 proposal for the higher education, science and innovation sector, the reduction in the total budget planned for the FCT in 2025 is partly justified by the decrease in the proportion of European funds (which amounts to 114 million euros, less 29 million compared to 2024).
On the other hand, the FCT accounts for next year do not include extra-budgetary operations, which in the initial allocations for 2024 amounted to 65 million euros.
“Until 2024, the FCT received funds from the European Regional Development Fund and transferred them to public administration entities, classifying these funds as extrabudgetary operations. In 2025, with the transition from PT2020 to PT2030 [fundos europeus]It is not planned that FCT will be the paying entity, this responsibility being the responsibility of the Development and Cohesion Agency,” highlights the explanatory note.
In the statement, ABIC criticizes “an increase in opacity” in the “disclosure of planned investments and expenses in science” for next year, particularly in relation to other public administration entities and with funds destined for institutions and projects. scientists, as well as employment contracts and research grants.
The explanatory note of the OE2025 proposal for the higher education, science and innovation sector indicates, without implementing the measures, that the increase in tax revenue transfers to the FCT will allow “the reinforcement of new scientific policies, with the financing of new projects , agreements, research collaborations.”
According to the document, more than half of the planned budget for the FCT (381 million euros) is mainly allocated to finance research projects, international partnerships, fixed-term and permanent employment contracts (the latter within the framework of the recent FCT program -Tenure).
Around a third of the initial allocations (158 million euros) are mainly intended to pay for doctoral scholarships, the explanatory note describes, highlighting that in 2024 there were 7,306 scholarship holders.
Relative to 2024, the FCT’s planned budget for 2025 includes an additional €20 million for doctoral scholarships.
According to official statistics, the FCT’s estimated budget in 2025 is the worst since 2018, the year in which the initial allocations amounted to 566.15 million euros.
After 2022, the year in which the FCT’s initial budget decreased by 32 million euros compared to 2021, totaling 636 million euros, 2025 is the year with the largest drop in the planned allocations, in the order of 68 million euros.
The Government’s proposal for OE2025 was approved by Parliament at large on 31 October. The final global vote is scheduled for November 29, after discussion in the specialty and the presentation of amendment proposals by the parties.
Source: Observadora
