Research Assistant

of Department of Biology of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto. Research Field: Biological sciences » Biology Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions: Master Positions Application Deadline: 9 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon) Country: Portugal Type of Contract: Temporary Job Status: Full-time Hours Per Week: 35 Offer Starting Date: 1 Dec 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number: 2024.16665.PEX Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No Posted: 2026-10-26 Offer Description NOTICE OF THE OPENNING OF AN INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR RECRUITMENT OF ONE RESEARCH ASSISTANT Ana Cristina Moreira Freire, Full Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, hereby advertises the opening for 10 working days of an international call for recruitment on one Research Assistant, with Master degree, resolutive term uncertain, within the Project 2024.16665.PEX, epiAGRO_2.0 - Transgenerational and epigenetic responses of crops growing under pesticide-contaminated soils: the missing link in agro-ecotoxicology, financed by Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). 1. Main research field and justification Biology. The epiAGRO_2.0 project (2024.16665.PEX) focuses on the physiological, biochemical, transcriptomic and epigenetic responses of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) exposed to glyphosate residues in the soil. It also studies how these responses are passed on to subsequent generations (stress memory). The Research Assistant will conduct plant growth trials, assess photosynthetic performance, redox status and antioxidant metabolism, and carry out gene expression analyses. These activities fall within the field of Biology, in particular Plant Biology, and require solid training in plant physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology. 1.1. Sub research field and justification Plant Stress Physiology. The work plan focuses on the transgenerational effects of glyphosate on the growth, physiology and biochemistry of the F2 generation of tomato plants. The aim is to understand how parental exposure to a soil contaminant modulates the offspring’s ability to tolerate stress. To this end, photosynthetic parameters, oxidative stress markers and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defences will be assessed, together with their relationship to changes in gene expression. These topics fall within the scientific sub-field of Plant Stress Physiology. 2. General Admission Requirements Application can be submitted by any nationals, foreigners and stateless people who meet the following conditions cumulatively: hold a MSc degree in the above-mentioned scientific area. 3. Hiring requirements If the candidate holds a MSc awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must comply with the provisions established in the Decree-Law no. 66/2018 on July 16. All the formalities established in the Decree-Law must be met until the hiring. Failure to comply with these requirements results in the preliminary rejection of the application. 4. Special Admission Requirements a) Experience in conducting plant growth trials under controlled conditions and in assessing physiological and biochemical parameters associated with plant responses to abiotic stress (e.g., photosynthetic performance, oxidative stress markers and antioxidant metabolism); b) Experience in molecular biology laboratory techniques, namely the extraction and quantification of nucleic acids (DNA and/or RNA) from plant tissues; c) Proven experience in implementing experimental trials with tomato plants. 5. Functions to be performed and scientific guidance As a Research Assistant, you will be responsible for participating in, developing, and carrying out research and development projects under the supervision of Doctor Cristiano Fortuna Soares and will contribute to the objectives set forth in the program contract for the project by performing the duties described below. 5.1. a) Participate in the development and execution of the research project by carrying out the scientific and technical activities inherent to it in the following WPs/Ts: Task 3 – Transgenerational effects of glyphosate: assessment of growth and physiology – conducting growth trials with F2-generation tomato plants in glyphosate-contaminated (2.5 mg kg⁻¹) and non-contaminated substrate; in vivo assessment of photosynthetic performance (chlorophyll fluorescence and gas exchange); determination of biometric parameters (biomass and organ elongation), photosynthetic pigments, soluble proteins and sugars, oxidative stress markers (lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion), non-enzymatic antioxidants (ascorbate, glutathione and proline) and the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, APX and GPX); data processing and statistical analysis; Task 4 – Collection and processing of leaf samples at the onset of flowering; DNA and RNA extraction and purification, and optimisation of the respective protocols; preparation of samples for sequencing (WGBS and RNA-seq); collaboration in the analysis and integration of methylome and transcriptome data with the physiological and biochemical responses, in coordination with the project’s international partners; preparation of technical reports, scientific manuscripts and conference presentations. 6. Applicable Legislation Regulation No. 849/2026 of the Research, Science and Technology Staff of the University of Porto, published in the 2nd series of Diário da República on July 7, 2026 Labour Code, approved by Law no. 7/2009, of 12 February, in its current wording Law No. 73-A/2025, of December 30, approving the State Budget for 2026 Code of Administrative Procedure (CPA) – approved by Decree-Law No. 4/2015 7. Workplace The functions will be developed in the GreenUPorto of Department of Biology of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto. 8. Employment Terms This employment contract is scheduled to start on December 2026 and will be maintained only for the period due to accomplish the tasks of the job description under a full-time regime, the foreseeable duration of which is 6 months, never exceeding the maximum limit of two years. The contract in question must remain consistent with institutional needs and is subject to the availability of budgetary appropriations and the maximum duration of the program contract; or for the period necessary to carry out the activities identified in section 5 of this notice, within the scope of the program contract, subject to compliance with the legal and regulatory limits established regarding the maximum duration, which may never exceed a maximum of 2 (two) years. 9. Remuneration The gross monthly salary will be €1.974,41 corresponding to Level 1, 1st position of the Single Pay Scale approved by Regulation No. 849/2026 in Annexes I and II (Regulation Governing Research, Science, and Technology Staff at the University of Porto, under private law), as currently in force, to which shall be added holiday and Christmas allowances, as well as a meal allowance in the amount and under the conditions applicable to employees with a public sector employment contract. 10. Methods of selection In line with the provisions of Article 29 of Regulation 849/2026, the following selection methods will be applied: Evaluation of the scientific and academic background of admitted candidates (APCC) (70%); This is the mandatory selection method [Regulation No. 849/2026, Article 29(1)]. Interview (E), to be conducted with the candidates ranked highest in the APCC who meet the special admission requirements, limited to a maximum of 3 candidates (30%). This is an optional selection method, lasting no more than one hour, intended exclusively to clarify aspects related to the research conducted. Interviews may be conducted via videoconference, at the initiative of the Chair of the selection committee, or upon a reasoned request by the candidate. [Regulation No. 849/2026, Article 29(4)(b)(ii) and Article 33(1) and (2)]. 11. The Evaluation of the Scientific and Curricular Track (APCC) of candidates —scored on a scale of 0–100 points, rounded to the nearest hundredth—will be conducted by taking into account the profile appropriate for the activity to be carried out, with a focus on the relevance, quality, and timeliness of the following criteria, which must be considered and weighted [Regulation 849/2026, Article 31(1)]: A. The candidate’s academic and professional background, specifically professional research experience in the scientific field or fields covered by the competition; [minimum weighting of 1%, maximum of 9% for research staff on fixed-term contracts] B. Scientific, technological, cultural, or artistic output considered by the applicant to be of the highest quality and most relevant to the scientific field, and applied or practice-based research activities considered by the applicant to have the greatest impact in that field; [minimum weighting of 90% for fixed-term research staff]; C. Outreach and knowledge dissemination activities—particularly in the context of promoting scientific culture and practices—considered most relevant by the candidate, and activities related to the management of science, technology, and innovation programs, or experience in observing and monitoring the scientific and technological system, [maximum weighting of 9%; minimum of 1% in the case of research staff on fixed-term contracts]. ∑ (A, B, C) = 100% Using the criteria defined above and the principles described, the quantitative evaluation of candidates will be conducted based on the following parameters, which embody those criteria, with their respective weightings: A. Scientific and professional background, specifically regarding professional research experience in plant stress physiology, namely in conducting tomato growth trials under controlled conditions and in assessing physiological, biochemical and/or molecular responses to abiotic stress factors, including soil contaminants (e.g., pesticides). International experience and participation in research projects in the field of this call, particularly in stress physiology and plant biotechnology, will also be valued. – 5% A1 – Academic background, including relevance to the work plan and final grade: 30 points A2 – Experience in plant trials under controlled conditions, especially with tomato, and in abiotic stress responses: 20 points A3 – Experience in plant biochemistry and molecular biology techniques: 30 points A4 – International experience (short- or long-term stays and scientific missions): 20 points B. Scientific, technological, cultural, or artistic output – The number and quality of bibliometric indicators in the fields of plant physiology, plant stress physiology and plant biotechnology will be considered, namely the publication of scientific articles in indexed international journals, as well as participation in and presentation of scientific work at national and international conferences in these fields; – 90% B1 – Quality of publications in international scientific journals, with a focus on the field of this call: 50 points B2 – Participation in scientific conferences and congresses in the field of this call: 30 points B3 – Participation in R&D projects, research fellowships or scientific internships: 20 points C. Outreach and knowledge dissemination activities, management of science, technology, and innovation programs, or experience in observing and monitoring the scientific and technological system – Science dissemination activities aimed at the general public, students and industry will be considered, as well as participation in knowledge transfer and stakeholder engagement initiatives. – 5% C1 – Participation in science dissemination initiatives: 50 points C2 – Complementary training: 30 points C3 – Organisation of events and community outreach activities: 20 points Note: These criteria will be assessed on the basis of the information provided in the detailed Curriculum vitae and the other documents submitted with the application. The Curriculum vitae should be structured following the order of the criteria listed above. The final score will be expressed on a scale of 0–100 points, based on the criteria mentioned above and their respective weightings, using the following equation: APCC = A*5% + B*90% + C*5% If an interview is conducted, the formula for calculating the Final Score (CF) is: CF = APCC* 70% + E* 30% 12. Evaluation Methodology 12.1. After the admission of the applicants, and before starting the voting for their final ranking in the evaluation of their scientific and curricular background, each member of the Board presents a written document, to be attached to the meeting minutes, with the list of the applicants in descending order of merit, duly substantiated, considering the criteria and parameters of this tender notice. 12.2. The seriation methodology is: [Article 32(1) of Regulation No. 849/2026]. a) The candidate who obtains an absolute majority in each round of voting is placed in the corresponding position; b) Voting is conducted according to the successive voting method; c) In accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Jury shall first vote for the 1st position, then for the 2nd position, and so on, until the final ranking of all candidates admitted to the competition; d) If a candidate obtains an absolute majority of the votes, they are ranked in the position being voted on and removed from consideration, and the procedure to select the candidate who will occupy the next position begins, and so on; e) If an absolute majority of votes is not achieved in the vote for any of the positions, the Selection Committee shall repeat the vote for the position in question, but in each subsequent vote—up to a maximum of three—shall exclude the candidate with the fewest votes, in order to identify a candidate who achieves an absolute majority of votes; f) In the event of a tie in determining the candidate with the fewest votes, pursuant to the preceding subparagraph, the Jury shall repeat the vote up to a maximum of three times, only among the tied candidates, excluding the candidate with the fewest votes in each round of voting. 12.3. If an absolute majority of votes is not reached after the voting explained in the previous number, or in case of a tie, the Chair’s vote will be used for the final ranking. 12.4. Each member of the Board must respect, in the various voting rounds, the order he or she presented in the document referred to in paragraph 12.1. 12.5. Decisions are made by a roll-call vote with stated reasons, by an absolute majority; abstentions are not permitted (Article 27(3) of Regulation No. 849/2026). 12.6. Minutes are drawn up for the Jury’s meetings, containing a summary of what took place, an indication of how each member voted, and the respective justifications, which may be contained in separate documents attached to the minutes. The minutes are signed by all members present when the meeting is held entirely in person; if the meeting is hybrid or held entirely online, they are signed by the Secretary and the Chair (Article 27, paragraphs 4 and 5, of Regulation No. 849/2026). 12.7. The final ranking of the successful candidates, along with the remaining decisions of the Selection Committee, is submitted to the Rector for approval, who is responsible for approving the final decision. The decision regarding hiring and the setting of the deadline for signing the contract rests with the Director of FCUP, subject to the availability of budgetary funds [Articles 36(2) and 37(1) and (3) of Regulation No. 849/2026]. 12.8. Only candidates with a rating of 70 points or higher, by the majority of selection panel members, are eligible for hiring. The jury’s final decision is approved by the head of the institution responsible for initiating the competitive selection process. The final decision regarding hiring rests with the head of the contracting entity. 13. Composition of the Selection Committee: President: Armando Jorge Gomes Teixeira, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto Full Members 1st member: Bruno Filipe Pereira de Sousa, Junior Researcher, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto 2nd member: Maria João de Araújo Martins, Junior Researcher, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto Alternate members 1st alternate member: Ana Marta Brandão de Almeida Cardoso Pereira, Assistant Researcher, LAQV-REQUIMTE 2nd alternate member: Cristiano Fortuna Soares, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto 14. Form and Results notifications: 14.1 The Human Resources Department of the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Porto notifies applicants of the decisions issued as part of the competitive selection process. 14.2. Notifications are sent by email through the Apply UP online platform, including the lists of admitted and excluded applicants as well as the final ranking lists, pursuant to Article 35(1) of Regulation No. 849/2026 and Articles 112(1)(c) and 113(5) of the Code of Administrative Procedure. 15. Submission of applications: Applicants must access and register on the online platform https://www.apply.up.pt/ , selecting the procedure for which they wish to apply (Ref. INVTERM-FCUP-26-12). The application process involves completing the sections available on the APPLY UP platform under “My application”. 15.1. Applications must be submitted exclusively via the online application system available at ( https://www.apply.up.pt/ ), (INVTERM-FCUP-26-12) where the selection methods and criteria to be used can be found. 15.2. Applications will be open for a period of 10 working days, from 27/10/2026 to 09/11/2026 (23:59 local time – Lisbon), and must be accompanied by the following documentation: a) Certificate of master; b) Detailed Curriculum vitae; c) Motivation letter. All candidates who submit their applications in an improper manner or fail to fulfil the requirements established in this call are excluded from admission. In case of doubt, the Selection Committee is entitled to request any candidate to present further documentation to support their statements. False statements provided by candidates are punishable by law. The documents referred to in points (a) to (c) must be submitted. Candidates who incorrectly formalize their candidacy are excluded from admission to the competition. 16. Final Decision Under the terms of article 121 of the Code of Administrative Procedure, after being notified, the candidates have 10 working days to pronounce. Within a maximum period of 90 days from the deadline for the submission of applications, the final decisions of the jury are given. 17. The present insolvency proceeding is exclusively intended to fill the vacancies indicated, and may be terminated until the homologation of the final ordering list of the candidates and expiring with the respective occupation of the jobs on offer. 18. Non-discrimination and equal access policy Joint Order No. 373/2000 of 31 March, issued by the Minister for State Reform and Public Administration and the Minister for Equality, stipulates that the following statement must be included in recruitment and promotion competitions: “In accordance with Article 9(h) of the Constitution, the Public Administration, as an employer, actively promotes a policy of equal opportunities between men and women in access to employment and career progression, taking scrupulous care to avoid any and all forms of discrimination”. Accordingly, the terms “candidate(s)”, “researcher(s)” and similar terms are not used in this Notice to refer to the gender of individuals. Similarly, no candidate may be given preferential treatment, benefited, disadvantaged or deprived of any right, nor exempted from any duty on the grounds of, in particular, their ancestry, age, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, social origin or status, genetic heritage, reduced working capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions, and trade union membership. 19. Personal Data Protection The personal data provided by applicants will be processed by the University of Porto for the sole purpose of managing this competitive selection process, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable legislation. Where to apply Website: https://www.apply.up.pt/ Requirements Research Field: Biological sciences » Biology Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent Work Location(s) Number of offers available: 1 Company/Institute: FCUP Country: Portugal City: Porto Street: University of Porto – Pólo do Campo Alegre Website: https://sigarra.up.pt/fcup/pt/web_page.inicial