Prospective PhD students

Starting a PhD at Instituto Superior Técnico, more specifically at the Institute for Systems and Robotics, can be a time-consuming endeavour. However, do not despair: many students, both foreign and Portuguese, have successfully gone through the paperwork process before. In this page we will summarize the steps that are necessary to become a PhD student at ISR, including obtaining a scholarship.

Getting an individual doctoral grant from FCT

In Técnico, PhD students do not receive a salary from the university itself (as is often the case in other European countries), however external financial support is available from the state Foundation for Science and Technology (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, FCT). The two things are decoupled, therefore you will have to interact with both FCT (for the doctoral grant) and with IST (for study-related aspects, e.g., to declare what doctoral courses you want to attend) separately.

This is the FCT website that publishes instructions for grant applications: https://concursos.fct.mctes.pt/bolsas/. As of 2009, the grant is € 980 per month, tax free. Even though the PhD programme at Técnico officially lasts 3 years, this grant can be extended to have a duration of up to 4 years.

When to apply

There are two FCT calls per year to obtain individual doctoral grants (Bolsas de Doutoramento Individuais). Deadlines are usually on 1 June and 1 September. Note that you can only apply for one call per year, meaning that, in the event of you losing the June call, you would have to wait another 12 months to apply again.

Think carefully whether you should apply in June or in September. In June there are probably fewer people applying, because many students will still be struggling with their final Master's exams and thesis, so it is a good idea to apply at this time. On the other hand, if you are not very confident about the quality of your application and work plan, then it could be worth taking some extra time to improve your writing together with your supervisor. Remember: you can only apply once per year.

How to apply

For official instructions always refer to the FCT website. In short, you need:

• a supervisor
• a work plan proposal, divided into several sections

After winning the grant

FCT will email you to communicate whether you have won the grant 2-3 months after the call was closed. Winning the doctoral grant is the hardest step in the whole process; the remaining stuff that you have to submit to IST and FCT is relatively easy, but do not underestimate it. It is not a coincidence that they give you a long time —6 months from the day you receive the acceptance email— to prepare all the paperwork that is left to write: start thinking about it right after you win your scholarship (alright, maybe after one night or two of celebration).

Enrolling onto the PhD programme at IST

Go to the Postgraduate Office (Núcleo de Pós-Graduação e Formação Contínua, NPFC): main IST building, first floor. They will give you a sheet called PhD Application Form (Candidatura a Programa de Doutoramento) that you should fill. Additionally, you have to provide:

1. a copy of your national identity card or passport
2. a copy of your fiscal identification card (cartão de contribuinte aka Número de Identificação Fiscal). It is not strictly necessary to have the actual plastic card: a sheet with your fiscal number provided by the office that originally gave you the número de contribuinte will suffice (this office is normally Finanças or Loja de Cidadão).
3. curriculum vitae
4. evidence of previous qualifications (certificado de habilitações)
5. motivation letter
6. reference letters
7. PhD supervisor's acceptance letter, if applicable
8. research plan signed by supervisor, if applicable; go to [1] for a list of courses aimed at PhD students
9. € 100. You can either pay this as a bank check to Instituto Superior Técnico, or directly at the NPFC with cash or ATM/multibanco