Obtaining a PhD in Portugal. Determinants of Success and Subsequent Career Paths.

Background: Over the past three decades, Portugal has invested significantly in doctoral training. However, there is a lack of up-to-date information on the success of scholarship holders in obtaining the degree or on their subsequent career paths.

Methods: This study analysed four cohorts of scholarship holders funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology between 1995 and 2012. The professional situation at different points in time after the Ph.D. (5, 10, 15 and 20 years) was studied.

Results: The success rate for obtaining the degree was 88%, which is comparable to other European countries for doctorates completed with funding over a period of 3-4 years. The average time to obtain the degree was 5.06 years. The time to degree was influenced by the scientific field, the nationality of the scholarship holder, and the location of the institution awarding the degree (in Portugal or abroad). The gender or age range of the scholarship recipients did not influence the time required for graduation.The analysis of the career and sector of activity of these graduates at different points in time after obtaining the Ph.D. revealed that approximately 60% percent of the graduates were engaged in R&D activities at some point in their career paths, but this percentage diminished from the oldest to the most recent cohorts. In 2020, 63% of the graduates were engaged in R&D activities, and almost half were employed in higher education as teachers, researchers, or scholarship holders.

Conclusions: This study showed that there are still challenges to address concerning the integration of doctoral graduates into non-academic research positions. On the other hand, it has demonstrated an efficient use of public funds, with high success rates and a time to degree that is within the average of other European countries.