Between 322 research laboratories for 71 that will not have … – The Associated Press

             

class=”module
                     
                 

class=”module
                     

             

 
                     

The first phase of evaluation of research laboratories ended on Friday. For now, 71 of 322 Portuguese laboratories that have applied to evaluation of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) will run out of funding in the next five years. This assessment helps determine the annual money that each laboratory will receive between 2015 and 2020. Results are provisional, because as of Monday begins the period prior hearing. But the FTC says it will not close the door to those who fell below the waterline.

                 

                      “We are opening a door for dialogue. The FCT is interested in all units, “said Miguel Seabra yesterday, president of the FCT, the Pavilion of Knowledge in Lisbon, where the results were presented. “Let’s structuring mechanisms for constructive dialogue in order to help those who want to be helped.”

The vast majority of laboratories had a positive assessment will now enter the second phase of evaluation, the results finals will be announced in January 2015, then starting the next five years. The latest assessment of the FCT to “research units” called Portuguese was taken in 2007

2008. At that time applied for the evaluation of these units, which can be from universities or research centers laboratories. Associated laboratories today a network of 26 laboratories from North to South, had a separate review

Now the situation has changed:. Were no units that merged or restructured, others were born. Also associated laboratories have applied as the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Institute Dom Luiz, both of Lisbon. In all, 322 units have evaluated 15,444 postdoctoral researchers.

FCT divided into two parts recalibration. The first was based on information sent by the plant, as its history, publications and what they hope to do in the future. A laboratory that has now received the assessment of “good”, “fair” and “poor” does not pass to the second stage. Of these, only laboratories with “good” – 83 units (26% of total) 3283 PhD researchers (22% of total researchers) – will have an annual funding base. Laboratories with “reasonable” and “inadequate” – the 71 mentioned, which is almost a quarter (22%), with 1904 PhD researchers (12%) – get nothing

The other laboratories that have passed. for the second phase are thus 168 (52%), where 10,257 postdoctoral researchers (66%) work. In this second phase, the evaluators of the seven panels of various scientific fields come in the coming months to Portugal to visit these 168 units. In this review the rating of “outstanding” will be assigned, “excellent” and “very good”, which, besides funding base will have a strategic funding whose main criterion is “the merits of the program,” says the FTC.

Therefore, 251 laboratories have funding base, ranked from “good” to “outstanding”.

According to Miguel Seabra, will be available to 50 million euros annually for research units, of which about half to the funding base. According to the tables defined by FCT, a unit may receive between 5000w and 400,000 euros per year depending on their size, the cost of the type of research you do and the result of the reassessment. Thus, a laboratory that is “exceptional” have the highest funding base, and still receive a strategic funding set.

This first part of the assessment was made by 83 international experts, the seven panels, and also several external evaluators, all chosen by the European Science Foundation. “There are units here that are world leaders” stressed the PUBLIC William Cushley, coordinator of the Life Sciences and Health panel, which was on Friday at the Pavilion of Knowledge to lecture on the evaluation of research units Portuguese ( see interview).

Universities of Coimbra, Lisbon, New Lisbon, Minho and Porto had a pass rate of teachers, researchers in laboratories that are assessed for the second phase of 70% or more. The Lusiada University in Lisbon, was the one with the lowest rate, with 21%.