Research Grant (BI)

Reference Number: 11405/CML/2025

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: No

Offer Description

Summary

A call for applications is open for the award of one (1) Research Grant (BI), reference BRAVE/018/BI/2026, under the Brave Elephant Program project (RAAML Process Reference No. 11405/CML/2025), funded by the Lisbon City Council (CML) under the Lisbon Municipality Funding Regulation (RAAML). The research grant will be hosted by the William James Center for Research at ISPA – Instituto Universitário.

1. Scientific Area

Psychology

2. Funding

Lisbon City Council (CML), under the Lisbon Municipality Funding Regulation (RAAML).

3. Candidate Profile

Mandatory requirements:

• Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree in Psychology or Psychological Sciences;
• Applicants must be enrolled, or eligible to enrol, in a Master's programme or a non-degree course by the time the Research Grant Agreement is signed, as defined in this Call for Applications;
• Proficiency in spoken and written Portuguese.

Preferred qualifications:

• Previous experience in communicating and collaborating with preschool education institutions and in recruiting preschool education professionals, parents, and preschool children;
• Previous experience in collecting data using qualitative and quantitative research methods involving preschool education professionals, parents, and preschool children;
• Previous experience in database development, statistical data processing, and statistical data analysis.

4. Mandatory Requirements for Admission to the Selection Procedure

For the purposes of admission to this selection procedure, applicants must submit the following documents, under penalty of exclusion:

• a) A copy of the Bachelor's degree certificate/diploma in Psychology or Psychological Sciences, indicating the final grade obtained;
• b) Proof of enrolment in a Master's programme or, alternatively, a declaration of honour stating that the applicant fulfils the conditions for enrolment and undertakes to submit the corresponding proof by the time the Research Grant Agreement is signed;
• c) A detailed Curriculum Vitae;
• d) A motivation letter.

Only applicants who can demonstrate that they hold a Bachelor's degree by the application deadline will be admitted. Where the academic degree was awarded by a foreign higher education institution, applicants must submit proof that the degree has been officially recognised by a Portuguese higher education institution, together with proof that the final classification has been converted to the Portuguese grading scale, in accordance with the applicable legislation. Where recognition has already been requested but has not yet been granted, applicants may instead submit a declaration of honour stating that the recognition procedure has been initiated and undertaking to submit the relevant proof before the Research Grant Agreement is signed, without prejudice to any other applicable legal requirements.

Applicants who are not yet enrolled, or who do not have formal proof of enrolment in a Master's programme or non-degree course at the time of application, may submit a declaration of honour stating that they are enrolled, or fulfil the conditions for enrolment, and undertake to provide the relevant proof by the time the Research Grant Agreement is signed, without prejudice to the provisions of this Call for Applications and the applicable regulations.

Failure to submit the documents required under this Call for Applications, or the submission of incomplete, incorrect, or illegible documents, shall result in the exclusion of the application.

The submission of false declarations constitutes grounds for exclusion from the selection procedure, without prejudice to the application of any other sanctions provided for by law.

5. Requirements for Signing the Research Grant Agreement

At the time of signing the Research Grant Agreement, the selected candidate must provide proof of holding a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and of enrolment in a Master's programme or a non-degree course, as well as fulfilment of all other requirements applicable to this type of research grant. The requirement for enrolment in a Master's programme or a non-degree course arises from the regulatory framework governing Research Grants awarded to Bachelor's degree holders under this scheme.

Where degrees have been awarded by foreign higher education institutions, and the applicant has submitted a declaration of honour regarding the recognition of the academic qualification, proof of official recognition in Portugal and, where applicable, proof of conversion of the final classification to the Portuguese grading scale must be submitted by the date on which the Research Grant Agreement is signed.

For the Research Grant Agreement to be concluded, the selected candidate must also submit a personal data form, a Ciência ID, a copy of an identification document, and a declaration of honour confirming compliance with the legal framework governing research grants.

The submission of false declarations constitutes grounds for cancellation of either the application or the research grant, without prejudice to the application of any other sanctions provided for by law.

6. Work Plan

The Brave Elephant Program aims to assess the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a new universal intervention, including specific components targeting preschool children with a shy-anxious profile, implemented by preschool education professionals in kindergarten classroom settings.

Under supervision, the Research Grant Holder will collaborate in the development and implementation of the project's research activities, including:

• Conducting literature searches and literature reviews;
• Communicating and collaborating with preschool education institutions and recruiting preschool education professionals, parents, and preschool children;
• Collecting data using qualitative and quantitative research methods involving preschool education professionals, parents, and preschool children;
• Assisting in the review of psychoeducational materials for preschool education professionals, parents, and children;
• Developing databases and performing statistical data processing and analysis;
• Assisting in the systematisation of research findings and in the preparation of scientific dissemination materials and knowledge transfer activities for the wider community.

7. Applicable Legislation and Regulations

This call is governed by Law No. 40/2004 of 18 August, as amended by Decree-Law No. 123/2019 of 28 August (Research Fellowship Holder Statute – EBI); Regulation No. 950/2019 of 29 November, published in the Portuguese Official Gazette (Diário da República), Series II, No. 241, of 16 December (FCT Regulation for Research Studentships and Fellowships – RBI); Decree-Law No. 66/2018 of 16 August (Legal Framework for the Recognition of Academic Degrees and Higher Education Diplomas Awarded by Foreign Higher Education Institutions); the ISPA – Instituto Universitário Scientific Research Grant Regulations; and all other applicable legislation.

8. Workplace and Scientific Supervision

The Research Grant Agreement will be concluded with ISPA, CRL (contracting entity). The work will be carried out at the William James Center for Research (host institution), ISPA – Instituto Universitário, and, where necessary, at other locations required for the implementation of the work plan.

Scientific supervision will be provided by the Principal Investigator of the project, Professor Maryse Guedes, PhD.

9. Duration of the Research Grant

The research grant will have an expected duration of six (6) months, with the possibility of renewal for successive periods of equal duration, subject to the project's budget and up to the maximum duration permitted for this type of grant under Article 6(4) and (5) of the FCT Regulation for Research Studentships and Fellowships.

The expected starting date of the research grant is 1 September 2026.

10. Research Grant Amount and Other Benefits

The research grant amount, for activities carried out on an exclusive dedication basis, is €1,090.98, in accordance with the table of grant amounts directly awarded by FCT, I.P. (Foundation for Science and Technology) in force in Portugal, and is subject to any updates that may become applicable. The grant will be paid monthly by bank transfer to the Research Grant Holder.

The Research Grant Holder will be covered by personal accident insurance and, if not already covered by any other social protection scheme, may exercise the right to social security by voluntarily enrolling in the Voluntary Social Insurance Scheme, in accordance with Decree-Law No. 40/89 of 1 February and Article 10 of the Research Fellowship Holder Statute (EBI).

11. Submission of Applications

The call for applications is open from 6th August 2026 to 19th August 2026, until 11:00 p.m. (Lisbon time). Only applications submitted and received within the established deadline will be considered.

Applications must be submitted by email to candidaturas.investigadores@ispa.pt, with a copy to wjrc@ispa.pt, indicating the reference BRAVE/018/BI/2026 in the subject line.

Applications must be accompanied by the following documents (as specified in Section 4):

• a) A copy of the Bachelor's degree certificate/diploma in Psychology or Psychological Sciences, indicating the final grade obtained;
• b) Proof of enrolment in a Master's programme or a non-degree course or, alternatively, a declaration of honour stating that the candidate fulfils the conditions for enrolment and undertakes to submit the corresponding proof by the time the Research Grant Agreement is signed;
• c) A detailed Curriculum Vitae;
• d) A motivation letter.

All documents must be submitted in PDF format.

Candidates may be excluded from the selection procedure if they fail to submit their application correctly or do not provide evidence that they meet the eligibility requirements set out in this Call for Applications.

12. Evaluation and Selection Criteria

The evaluation and selection process will be based on the assessment of the candidate's merit, according to the following criteria and weightings:

A) Academic and Curricular Background (30%), taking into consideration:

• Final grade obtained in the Bachelor's degree in Psychology or Psychological Sciences;
• Relevance of the candidate's academic background to the scientific area of the project.

B) Relevant Research Experience (40%), taking into consideration:

• Experience in communicating and collaborating with preschool education institutions and in recruiting preschool education professionals, parents, and preschool children;
• Previous experience in collecting data using qualitative and quantitative research methods involving preschool education professionals, parents, and preschool children;
• Previous experience in database development, data processing, and data analysis.

C) Motivation Letter (30%), taking into consideration:

• Relevance of the candidate's academic background to the objectives of the project;
• Demonstrated interest in and motivation for the tasks described in the work plan;
• Potential for integration into the research team.

Applications will be evaluated and scored on a scale from 0.00 to 20.00 points for each criterion. The final classification will be calculated using the following formula:

Final Classification = (A × 30%) + (B × 40%) + (C × 30%)

In the event of a tie, candidates shall be ranked according to the scores obtained in the evaluation criteria, in the following order of precedence: Criterion B, Criterion A, and Criterion C.

If the tie persists, the Selection Panel may decide by majority vote and, if deemed necessary, conduct an interview for the purpose of breaking the tie.

13. Selection Panel

• Professor Maryse Guedes, PhD (Assistant Professor at ISPA – Instituto Universitário; Integrated Researcher at the William James Center for Research) – Chair;
• Professor Manuela Veríssimo, PhD (Full Professor at ISPA – Instituto Universitário; Integrated Researcher at the William James Center for Research) – Full Member;
• Professor Carla Fernandes, PhD (Assistant Professor at ISPA – Instituto Universitário; Integrated Researcher at the William James Center for Research) – Full Member;
• Professor António J. Santos, PhD (Full Professor at ISPA – Instituto Universitário; Integrated Researcher at the William James Center for Research) – Alternate Member;
• Marília Fernandes (PhD Candidate at ISPA – Instituto Universitário; William James Center for Research) – Alternate Member.

14. Communication of Results

All candidates will be notified of the minutes of the evaluation panel concerning the assessment of applications by email, sent to the email address provided for this purpose, with proof of delivery. Notifications shall be made by email in accordance with Articles 112(1)(c) and 113(5) of the Portuguese Code of Administrative Procedure.

15. Deadlines and Procedures for Prior Hearing, Complaint, and Appeal

Following notification of the provisional list of results, candidates shall have a period of 10 working days to submit comments under the prior hearing procedure, in accordance with Article 121 and the following provisions of the Portuguese Code of Administrative Procedure.

The final decision shall be issued after consideration of the submissions made during the prior hearing procedure. Once the final decision has been communicated, the selected candidate shall have 10 working days to accept the research grant in writing. Failure to do so within the prescribed period, without presenting a duly justified reason, shall be deemed a waiver of, or withdrawal from, the grant.

The final decision may be challenged by means of a formal complaint within 15 working days or by lodging an appeal with the highest executive body of the funding entity within 30 working days, in both cases counted from the date of notification.

Should the selected candidate decline the grant or withdraw from the recruitment process, the Selection Panel may notify and award the grant to the candidate(s) ranked in the subsequent position(s), where applicable, in accordance with the final ranking list.

16. Model Research Grant Agreement and Final Report

The template of the Research Grant Agreement, together with the template for the final report to be prepared by the Research Grant Holder and the Supervisor, as well as the respective evaluation criteria, may be consulted in the ISPA – Instituto Universitário Scientific Research Grant Regulations (Annexes 2, 3, 4 and 5), available at: https://intranet.ispa.pt/sites/default/files/users/531/rg102_bols_invest_cient_v4.0.pdf

17. Publication of the Call for Applications

This Call for Applications is published on the ISPA website, in Portuguese and English, and on ISPA's social media channels.

18. Non-Discrimination and Equal Access Policy

ISPA actively promotes a policy of gender equality, diversity, and inclusion, taking all appropriate measures to prevent any form of discrimination. Accordingly, the terms "candidate", "researcher", "PhD holder", and similar expressions used in this Call for Applications are intended as gender-neutral and do not refer to any specific gender.

Pursuant to Decree-Law No. 29/2001 of 3 February, candidates with disabilities shall be given preference in cases of equal merit, and such preference shall prevail over any other legal preference. Candidates must declare, in the application form and under a declaration of honour, their degree of disability, the type of disability, and the means of communication and/or expression to be used during the selection process, in accordance with the provisions of the aforementioned Decree-Law.

19. Personal Data Protection

By submitting an application, candidates provide the information and consent necessary for the processing of their personal data solely for the purposes of collecting, recording, and managing the recruitment procedure database for the duration of the selection process, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The documents submitted within the scope of this recruitment procedure constitute administrative documents. Accordingly, access to such documents shall be granted in compliance with Law No. 26/2016 of 22 August, as amended.

Where to apply

E-mail: candidaturas.investigadores@ispa.pt

Requirements

Research Field: Psychological sciences » Psychology

Education Level: Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Languages: PORTUGUESE

Level: Excellent

Languages: ENGLISH

Level: Excellent

Additional Information

Benefits

link edital português: Aviso-de-AberturaPT-BI_Licenciado_Brave_PT.pdf

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available: 1

Company/Institute: Ispa

Country: Portugal

State/Province: Lisbon

City: Lisboa

Postal Code: 1149-041

Street: Rua jardim do tabaco nº 34

Contact

State/Province: Lisbon

City: Lisbon

Website: http://www.ispa.pt/

Street: Rua Jardim do Tabaco, nº 34

Postal Code: 1149-041

E-Mail: candidaturas.investigadores@ispa.pt