Summary table of the types of acquisitions and respective procedures and supporting documents. 

Mission Report. 

Information and Publicity Rules for Beneficiaries of FCT Projects (Financed totally or partially by national FCT funds) 

PowerPoint template for conference presentations (with mention of funding support). 

CEI-Iscte visual identity 

Iscte logos and Brand Guide 

Support document for researchers submitting applications in SIGEST 

FAQs 

POST-AWARD 

3.1 PROJECTS/FUNDS MANAGED BY ISCTE – UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF LISBON 

3.1.1 When can I request reimbursement of an expense? 

A) Before incurring the expense, you must request authorization from the CEI-Iscte Board, justifying the reimbursement request, by emailing: direcao.cei@iscte-iul.pt 

B) Types of reimbursements possible: 

    B.1) Voluntary Social Security -> you must email the following documents to compras.cei@iscte-iul.pt: 

  1. Social Security payment document 
  1. Proof of payment issued by Social Security 
  1. Proof of bank payment. 

B.2) Conference Registration, Public Transportation, and Taxi (if eligible) -> you will need to send: 

  1. Copy of the email with the prior request and authorization from the CEI Board for the Reimbursement Request 
  1. Invoice stating Iscte’s name and taxpayer number (501 510 184) 
  1. Proof of payment 
  1. Request for Travel on Official Business / travel on official duty / missions (see information in point 3.1.2 A) 
  1. Request reimbursement by filling out the Purchase Request form 
  1. Send all documentation to the email: compras.cei@iscte-iul.pt. The original invoices must be delivered to the CEI or sent by post to: 
  • Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa; Centro de Estudos Internacionais | Edifício 4, Sala 131 
  • Avenida das Forças Armadas nº 40, 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal 

3.1.2 I want to attend a conference/scientific meeting. What do I need to do? 

If you are a CEI researcher, you must: 

A) Fill out and digitally sign the Business Travel Request Form. Requests must be sent to compras.cei@iscte-iul.pt for validation at least 10 working days prior to the date of travel, regardless of whether or not there are financial costs to Iscte. The Travel Request will then be forwarded by the purchasing department to the CEI Board for signature. 

B) If you require assistance with the registration fee: 

You can register and pay for the conference yourself and then request reimbursement of the expenses (prior authorization from the CEI Board is required – question 3.1.1 A) and B.2)); or 

Enter the request in the Purchase Request form as far in advance as possible, at least 30 days in advance to ensure timely purchase. If international travel is required, this period should be increased to 45 days in order to request travel/transport reservations and accommodation – maximum 3 stars (in the US designated as “Comfort”). 

3.1.3 I attended a scientific conference/meeting. What supporting documents should I bring and how can I receive allowances? 

A) Upon returning from a conference, you must submit: 

  1. Boarding passes/transport tickets 
  1. Certificate of participation. If the trip is for meetings, on-site research, etc., where it is not possible to obtain a certificate/statement of participation, a mission report must be submitted. 
  1. The PDF of the presentation (if applicable), which must include the funding reference (see example in question 3.2.3.3) 

B) To request the allowance corresponding to participation in the conference/mission, provided that there are funds available in the project and the mission is eligible under the project, you must: 

  1. Submit the request using the Purchase Request form 
  1. Submit the Business Travel Request (see information in point 3.1.2.A)) 
  1. Submit proof of travel (boarding passes, bus tickets, etc.) and the certificate of participation in the conference/mission report, via email (compras.cei@iscte-iul.pt) or at the CEI if they are original paper documents. 
  1. Sign the itinerary form in person. 
  1. After completing and submitting the documentation to the CEI-Iscte, the necessary steps will be taken. 
  1. If you have an employment relationship with Iscte, the payment of allowances is made with your salary. 

3.1.4 How can I purchase equipment or acquire a service? 

  1. If you have your own funds or financing for which the expense is eligible, you should submit your request to CEI-Iscte by filling out the Purchase Request form, specifying in the request the source of financing that will cover the expense and detailing the characteristics of the equipment or service you wish to purchase, as well as the price and supplier details (whose quote should be sent to compras.cei@iscte-iul.pt). 
  1. Requests should be submitted as far in advance as possible, at least 30 days, to ensure timely acquisition, since CEI depends on Iscte’s central services and the response of various suppliers to be able to follow up and complete the acquisition process. 
  1. In the case of foreign suppliers, it will be necessary to fill out the RFI form and submit a certificate of address (of residence/or company headquarters) in order to avoid double taxation. If the supplier does not fill out the RFI form, Iscte is obliged to withhold 25% tax. 

3.2 PROJECTS/FUNDS MANAGED BY THE ISCTE – KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION ASSOCIATION* 

*Note: you must be registered in the SIGEST system (to access this platform, you must be at Iscte or connected to the VPN). 

You must enter the request in the SIGEST system according to the instructions in document support. 

3.2.1 When and how can I request reimbursement of an expense 

A) Prior to incurring the expense, it is necessary to request authorization from the CEI Board, with justification for the reimbursement request, to: direcao.cei@iscte-iul.pt. 

B) Types of reimbursements possible:Conference registrations and public transportation. You must submit: 

  1. Email with authorization from the CEI Board for the reimbursement request 
  1. Invoice showing the name and taxpayer number of the Iscte – Knowledge and Innovation Association (516 155 636) 
  1. Proof of payment 
  1. Request reimbursement by filling out the Purchase Request form 
  1. Send all documentation to the email: compras.cei@iscte-iul.pt. The original invoices must be delivered to the CEI or sent via CTT: 

Iscte – Knowledge and Innovation 

Center for International Studies | Building 4, Room 131 

Avenida das Forças Armadas nº 40, 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal 

3.2.2 I want to attend a scientific conference/meeting. What do I need to do?  

If you are a CEI researcher and: 

A1) You do not have a research project underway at the Iscte – Knowledge and Innovation Association: 

  • Submit your request using the Purchase Request form as far in advance as possible, at least 30 days in advance in the case of travel/stays, to ensure timely purchase. 
  • In the case of international travel, this period should be increased to 45 days (travel and/or accommodation in a maximum of 3-star hotels, in the USA designated as “Comfort”). 

A2) I have a research project underway at the Iscte Association – Knowledge and Innovation: 

If you would like support with the registration fee: 

  1. You can register and pay for the conference yourself and then request reimbursement of the expenses (prior authorization from the CEI Board is required, as per questions 3.1.1 A) and B.2)); or 
  1. Enter the request in the SIGEST system according to the instructions in the supporting document, as far in advance as possible, at least 30 days in advance in the case of travel/stays, to ensure timely purchase. 
  1. In the case of international travel, this period should be increased to 45 days (travel and/or accommodation in a maximum of 3-star hotels, in the USA designated as “Comfort”). 
  1. If you wish to request allowances (see information in point 3.2.3 B)), you must mention this when you make the purchase request in SIGEST. 

3.2.3 I attended a scientific conference/meeting. What supporting documents should I bring and how can I receive allowances? 

A) When you return from a conference, you must submit: 

  1. Your boarding passes/travel tickets 
  1. Your certificate of participation. If the trip was for meetings, on-site research, etc., where it is not possible to obtain a certificate/statement of participation, you must submit a mission report. 
  1. The PDF of the presentation (if applicable), which must include a reference to the funding support -> for example, the FCT Strategic Project, which, in addition to the FCT logo, must be included in the presentation:  

This work was supported by national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology under the framework of UID/03122/2025 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UID/03122/2025). 

  1. We provide a presentation template that already contains a slide with the necessary references and logos: https://cei.iscte-iul.pt/documentos-de-apoio/ 

B) To request the allowance corresponding to participation in the conference/mission, provided that funds are available in the project and the mission is eligible under the project, you must: 

  1. Submit the request using the Purchase Request form before attending the conference 
  1. Follow the instructions in the SIGEST request support document. 

3.2.4 How can I purchase equipment or acquire a service? 

  1. If you have ongoing projects for which the expense is eligible, you must enter the request in the SIGEST system according to the instructions in the SIGEST request support document. 
  1. In the case of foreign suppliers, it will be necessary to fill out the RFI form and submit a certificate of address in order to avoid double taxation. If the supplier does not fill out the RFI form, Iscte is required to withhold 25% tax. 
  1. All requests for the purchase of equipment or services worth more than €5,000 (excluding VAT) will take longer, as they must be advertised on public platforms. 

NOTE: Payments to suppliers are made in three stages: 

1 – Validation of the invoice in Sigest by the Project Manager by the 1st day of month N -> Payment by the 22nd day of that same month; 

2 – Validation of the invoice in Sigest by the Project Manager by the 15th day of month N -> Payment by the 5th day of month N + 1; 

3 – Validation of the green receipt in Sigest by the Project Manager by the 5th day of month N -> Payment by the 22nd day of the same month. 

3.3 I would like support for a publication, what should I do? 

If you have your own funds or financing in which the expense is eligible/authorized, you should submit your request to CEI-Iscte by filling out the Purchase Request form. 

In the publication, it is mandatory to mention the support received through the funding in question, including the project reference and the DOI of the funding (when applicable), as in the case of the CEI Multi-Annual Project: 

  • This publication was supported by national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology under the framework of funding UID/03122/2025 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UID/03122/2025). 
  • This publication was supported by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Foundation for Science and Technology) under the framework of UID/03122/2025 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UID/03122/2025). 
  • Insert the logo of the funding entity (if applicable/possible – example: books, reports, e-books). 

3.4 How do I know if I am eligible and what Research Support Funds are awarded by CEI? 

The CEI awards research support funds to each Integrated Doctoral Researcher with a contract with Iscte and to Doctoral Students with Research Grants who are part of the CEI research team. This grant is one of the strategic lines of CEI’s multi-annual funding and has strict rules of use, equivalent to an FCT project. 

3.4.1 The funds are intended for: 

A – Participation in conferences, scientific meetings, or international networks, and fieldwork within the scope of research carried out at CEI 

  1. Amount allocated per person: €700 per year. In 2026, researchers will have €1,400 available (€700.00 relating to the retroactive amount for 2025 + €700.00 relating to 2026). This amount expires on December 31, 2026, and will be renewed annually. 
  1. Types of eligible purchases: travel, accommodation, allowances, conference registration. 
  1. In the case of participation in conferences or project meetings, it is mandatory to submit a Certificate of Participation and a presentation including the funding logo and reference to FCT support: 

This work was supported by national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology under the framework of funding UID/03122/2025 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UID/03122/2025). | This work was supported by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Foundation for Science and Technology) under the framework of UID/03122/2025 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UID/03122/2025). 

  1. Insert the FCT logo 
  1. We provide a presentation template that already contains a slide with the necessary references and logos: https://cei.iscte-iul.pt/documentos-de-apoio/ 

B – Publication support fund: text revision and open access fees for publication in indexed journals or leading academic publishers. 

  1. CEI-Iscte has a total budget of €12,000.00/year to promote publication in indexed international journals or texts in leading academic publishers, in order to support the CEI’s scientific production and publication. 
  1. Access to this fund can be requested by email (cei@iscte-iul.pt), sending the details of the article/publication: Title, abstract, and identification of the journal intended for submission. 
  1. Types of eligible purchases: text revision/proofreading, payment of open access fees (Note: FCT has Open Access publication requirements, so the eligibility of fee payment (gold vs. green route) and compliance with FCT rules will have to be analyzed on a case-by-case basis). 
  1. In these publications, it is mandatory to mention the support received through the funding in question, including the project reference and the DOI of the funding (when applicable): 

This publication was supported by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Foundation for Science and Technology) under the framework of funding UID/03122/2025 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UID/03122/2025). | This publication was supported by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Foundation for Science and Technology) under the framework of UID/03122/2025 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UID/03122/2025). 

  1. Insert the logo of the funding entity (if applicable/possible – example: books, reports, e-books)