Record number of applicants admitted to support for doctoral studies from Vice-Presidency of the Government - Communication

Vice-Presidência do Governo Regional

The Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government, through the Regional Directorate for Science, Innovation and Development (DRCID), has closed the call for support for the payment of doctoral tuition fees for 2024-2025, with a record of 25 applicants admitted. This represents a combined support of €179,315.00 to be paid over the next four years.

The competition falls within the PRO-SCIENTIA Incentive System. It supports the payment of tuition fees to citizens living in the Azores who are integrated into the labour market and enrolled in a national higher education institution to obtain a doctoral degree.

For the government official, Artur Lima, this initiative "is a specific step towards increasing the ratio of doctoral graduates in the Autonomous Region of the Azores," in addition to other initiatives such as the award of Doctoral Fellowships from the Regional Fund for Science and Technology. This "proves the strategic and coordinated approach in which research and innovation policies are being implemented in the Azores, leveraging funding mechanisms and complementary initiatives, which converge to achieve the major public policy goals set out by the XIV Government."

This new competition follows from the 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions, which saw 15 students receiving support for their doctoral studies, totalling more than €95,000.00. The support granted under these editions was exclusively for those enrolled in doctoral programmes at the University of the Azores.

The call that has just ended introduced a new aspect: the possibility of supporting residents of the Azores enrolled at any Portuguese university, ensuring a wider range of applications and scientific areas covered.

This support for doctoral qualifications is an important incentive for the production of significant knowledge, with notable impacts on local research and science activities and the increase in highly qualified human resources in the regional labour market.