The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) addressed concerns regarding funding cuts in a statement responding to an open letter sent by a group of researchers to Minister Fernando Alexandre. The letter highlighted potential layoffs and increased job insecurity due to “funding cuts” at research centers rated as “Very Good.”
The letter warned of the impending future of the “117 Research and Development Units (R&D Units) rated as Very Good, housing 6,434 researchers,” which constitute 30.5% of the positively assessed national scientific community.
According to calculations presented in the letter, these research centers now face a 69% cut from their base funding received between 2020 and 2024, meaning researchers who previously received approximately 3,750 euros per year now receive just 1,156.58 euros annually.
The government explained that the funding model for the 2025-2029 Multi-Annual Funding Program, determined by criteria set by the previous administration, did not define quotas for the highest classification (Excellent). The government’s statement detailed the fund allocation process.
The government also recalled that among the 313 research units that received funding in the evaluations published in April, 40% were rated Excellent and 35% were rated Very Good. Furthermore, the statement highlighted an 8 percentage point increase in units achieving the two highest classifications compared to the previous evaluation cycle.
The statement emphasized that there are more R&D Units rated as Excellent (135) than those rated Very Good (117), marking an addition of 25 top-rated units compared to the prior cycle. Overall, these 135 centers accommodate 56% of the 21,832 researchers linked to funded units.
MECI clarified that, given the funding availability for 2025-2029 is identical to the previous cycle, the current government “reprogrammed the Recovery and Resilience Plan,” allocating an additional 110 million euros to equip R&D Units.
“Thus, total funding, combining Base, Programmatic, and PRR funds, increased from 525 million euros (2020-2024) to 635 million euros (2025-2029), an increase of 22%,” the statement announced.
Based on rules defined by the previous administration, specifically the decision not to set quotas for Excellent ratings, the government chose to reward merit and research excellence by allocating more funds to the highest-rated research units.
The specific baseline funding for each eligible classification level was outlined as follows: Excellent (4x the Very Good classification value) – 23,131.67 euros; Very Good (2x the Good classification value) – 5,782.92 euros; Good – 2,891.46 euros.
Each Higher Education institution, within its autonomy, is tasked with defining its scientific research strategies. This involves investment plans for R&D Units striving for excellence, considering available resources. The statement also noted that these institutions could apply for competitive and other forms of funding.
Earlier today, the Ministry announced that R&D Units receiving multi-annual funding for 2025-2029 will have increased flexibility in allocating these funds to meet specific institutional needs and enhance resource management.
