The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) is the national public agency to support science, technology and innovation research in all areas of knowledge. Taught by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, FCT began activities in August 1997 succeeding to the National Board of Scientific and Technological Research (JNICT). Since March 1, 2012, FCT has succeeded to the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), in charge of coordinating public policies for the Information Society in Portugal. On October 1, 2013, FCT assumed the attributions and competencies of the Foundation for National Scientific Computation (FCCN).
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The vision of FCT is:
Mission
FCT's mission is to continuously promote the advancement of scientific and technological knowledge in Portugal, to achieve the highest international standards of quality and competitiveness in all scientific and technological domains, and to stimulate their diffusion and contribution to society and the fabric of production.
FCT pursues its mission by awarding bursaries and contracts to researchers, funding research and development projects, supporting competitive research centers and cutting-edge research infrastructures in competitions with peer review. FCT ensures Portugal's participation in international scientific organizations, 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 organizations, FCT coordinates public policies for the Information and Knowledge Society in Portugal. FCT also ensures the development of national scientific computing resources,
The results of the FCT activity are ultimately the added contributions of the individuals, research groups and institutions it finances.
