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Fondecyt Program

The National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development, FONDECYT, aims to encourage and promote the development of basic scientific and technological research. It is the main public fund of this kind in the country. It was established in 1981, and it has financed over 16,000 research projects, whose impact has benefited the scientific community and society as a whole.

Director: Luis Gutiérrez Lazo

Budget 2016: CL $124.006.720 (en miles de pesos)

Line of Action: Financial support for individual research in all knowledge areas and at different stages of a researcher’s career.

Funding Instruments

  • Regular Projects: Geared towards experienced researchers. The head researcher may participate with a small group of undergraduate and graduate co–researchers and their sponsoring institutions. The project includes funding for the project’s staff (researchers, technical personnel, and thesis students); researchers’ trips; resources for bringing foreign colleagues from abroad for a short–stay; operation costs; infrastructure equipment and support; and management expenditures for sponsoring institutions. Projects may go on for two to four years, and may be related to any knowledge area. Research is conducted in Chile.
  • Projects for Initiation in Research: Geared towards young researchers who have obtained their PhD in the previous five years. The head researcher, along with the sponsoring institution, obtains funding for technical personnel and thesis students. The same items may be funded as in the regular projects. Projects may go on for two to three years, and may be related to any knowledge area. Research is conducted in Chile.
  • Post–Doctoral Projects: Geared towards young researchers who have obtained their PhD in the previous three years. The head researcher must have a sponsoring researcher and a sponsoring institution. The post–doctoral beneficiary will receive a fee, research support, health coverage, and moving expenses, if needed. Projects may go on for two to three years, and may be related to any knowledge area. The researcher will be able to benefit from this project only once. Research is conducted in Chile.

”Main

  • Discussion of FONDECYT’s work through the 2016 “CONICYT International Panels of Experts”.
  • During 2011, the FONDECYT Program worked on the implementation of ISO 9001:2008 in its processes, and obtained certification in July 2012.
  • Increase of approved projects in all competitive calls: 4.3% of Regular Projects (from 605 to 631); 58.7% of Post–Doctoral Projects (from 150 to 238); and 11.8% of projects for initiation in Research (from 262 to 293).
  • A 91.1% increase in the number of applications for the Post–Doctoral Project, compared to the previous year.
  • Of a total of 631 projects approved during the 2013 Regular Projects competitive call, 104 belong to projects that were finished under the Initiation in Research category (16.5%).
  • During the 2013 competitive call for Post–Doctoral Projects, each iniciative included one–time health coverage for those who requested it, as well as moving expenses reimbursement for those who live abroad and must come to Chile to implement the project.
  • For the 2013 Regular Projects competitive call, a 3% allowance was added to the project’s cost –without counting researcher’s fees–, as support for research infrastructure.

”Higher

President

  • Dora Altbir Drullinsky

Advisors

  • Carlos Chávez Rebolledo
  • José Miguel Perasso Cembrano
  • Martín Montecino Leonard
  • César Oyarzún Robles
  • Arturo Squella Serrano

”Higher

President

Advisors

  • Carmen Gallo Stegmaier
  • Vladimir Marianov Kluge
  • María Elena Santolaya de Pablo