FRCT

Fundo Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia

FRCT
Fundo Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia

Who are we?

The Regional Science and Technology Fund is an organism with administrative and financial autonomy of the Regional Government of the Azores, under the supervision of the Vice-Presidency of the Government.

The establishment of the FRCT as a coordination and management body for scientific research and technological development funding, by the Regional Legislative Decree no. 5/2001/A on March 21, granted the FRCT legal personality and administrative and financial independence.

Over the past twenty years, the European and international science and technology funding landscape has undergone significant changes. Similarly, the FRCT has evolved its approach to attracting European Research & Innovation (R&I) funding to the region.

In response to these changes, the Regional Government of the Azores has provided the FRCT with a new legal framework, as set out in Regional Legislative Decree no. 6-2020-A and Regional Regulatory Decree No. 2021-08-16, which strengthen the FRCT’s organic structure and operations.

The FRCT’s high involvement in European programmes aimed at funding various areas of science and technology has consolidated its role as a fundamental entity in the process of internationalizing the Azores’ R&I ecosystem, thus strengthening the position of the Azores in the European Research, Development and Innovation Area.

The new organizational framework of FRCT, adopted in the first semester of 2022, under the Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government of the Azores, has strengthened its cooperation and transversal attributions with the other government departments, as well as its collaboration with homologous national and international entities.

Mission

Our mission is to promote, develop, and internationalize the Azores’ Research and Innovation (R&I) Ecosystem, in alignment with the strategic guidelines, priorities, and objectives of the Regional Government’s policies.

Vision

We vision to be a key reference point in the internationalization of the regional R&I ecosystem by attracting external funding in R&I, contributing to the sustainable economic development of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

To achieve this mission, the FRCT has two main pillars:

PILLAR I
Financing and supporting Advanced Training.

O FRCT, no âmbito do Sistema de Incentivos PRO-SCIENTIA, criado pelo Decreto Legislativo Regional n.º 10/2012/A, de 26 de março, e regulamentado pelo Decreto Regulamentar Regional n.º 17/2012/A, de 4 de julho, é a entidade regional com competências no contexto da atribuição de apoios à formação avançada. Para o efeito, possui um regulamento próprio, Despacho Normativo n.º 24/2020 de 13 de julho de 2020 que aprova o Regulamento Geral de Bolsas de Investigação Científica do Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia.

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PILLAR II
Promoting and attracting external financing to Autonomous Region of the Azores

The access to funding in European programmes represents one of the main resources for the promotion, development and internalization of science and technology in the Azores.

Under the scope of the competences provided by Regional Legislative Decree no. 10/2012/A, FRCT presents a cross-sectional action to all Government’s departments concerning the participation of the Azores in programmes, projects and initiatives involving external funding.

The FRCT’s main roles in these projects include coordination, management, communication, stakeholder involvement, development of tools, platforms, and materials for knowledge transfer and support of decision-making, among others. The FRCT’s participation in European projects also focuses on involving and engaging various actors of the SCTA, as well as other government departments and all actors contributing to the regional research and innovation ecosystem.