FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

The Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Foundation for Science and Technology), is the Portugal’s main funding agency for research and it is responsible for following and implementing the bilateral and multilateral International S&T cooperation agreements in science and technology. FCT is a public autonomous institute under the aegis of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, which covers all the fields of science, aiming at capacity enhancement and research excellence. FCT´s mission consists in continuously promoting the advancement of scientific and technological knowledge in Portugal, exploring opportunities that became available in any scientific or technological domain to attain the highest international standards in the creation of knowledge, and to stimulate their diffusion and contribution to the productive sector and society.

FCT pursues its mission by awarding fellowships and grants to researchers in research peer reviews, funding research and development projects, supporting competitive research centers and cutting-edge research infrastructures. FCT ensures Portugal’s participation in international scientific organisations, promotes the participation of the national scientific community in international projects and encourages the transfer of knowledge between research centers and industry. In close collaboration with international organisations, FCT coordinates public policies for the Information and Knowledge Society in Portugal.

FCT also ensures the development of national scientific computing resources, promoting the installation and use of advanced means and services and their networking. Since 2007, FCT is participating on the EU‐Africa 8th Partnership Science, Information Society and Space and on INCO‐NET CAAST‐NET and CAAST-NET Plus where FCT was WP leader and EuroAfrica ICT ‐ P8 on Information Society, as well as since 2014 on the UE-Africa High Level Policy Dialogue on STI and its Bureau.

Since FP6, FCT has been participating in more than 90 ERA‐Nets and in particular with an international dimension on Agriculture and Bioeconomy, playing a very active role as WP leader in ARIMNET, ARIMNET2 and LEAP-Agri and ERAfrica and ERANETMED and also on CSAs policy dialogue driven, such as RINEA and CSA4PRIMA, involving African countries. FCT also is active member of the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA), Article 185º.

Activities

FCT will be mainly involved in WP1, contributing to Task 1.1 “ Governance Support and Secretariat” and to Task 1.4 “Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Assessment”.

People

  • Ms Maria Maia (f) is Senior Scientific Officer at the FCT since 2009, been responsible person for INCO‐NET CAAST‐NET Plus participating in WP Food and nutrition Security, previously in the INCO‐NET CAAST‐NET where she lead the work package on Supporting and strengthening African participation in FP7 – Improving information and advisory services. Her background includes participation on ERA‐NET ERAfrica and since 2009 on ERA‐NET in Mediterranean Agriculture – ARIMNET and ARIMNET2. She´s following the Partnership 8, the EU‐Africa High‐ Level Policy Dialogue and the Bureau. She also has experience on several other ERA‐NETS promoting the International on bioeconomy. As from 1993 up to 2009 Agro-ecologist researcher in several research centres in networks with Africa and Latin America.