Research Grant (BI)

Infrastructure?: No

Offer Description

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR 1 (ONE) RESEARCH GRANT (BI), AS PART OF THE “PREMIUMALGAE – PREMIUM MICROALGAE INGREDIENTS FOR COSMETICS, NUTRACEUTICALS, AND AQUACULTURE” PROJECT (OPERATION No. 21056, OPERATION CODE AT THE COMPETE2030-FEDER-02185500 FUND DESK), CO-FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND (ERDF) THROUGH THE INNOVATION AND DIGITAL TRANSITION PROGRAM (COMPETE 2030) OF PORTUGAL 2030 - BOLS-FFUP-26-15

This call for applications is now open for the award of 1 (one) Research Fellowship (BI) for a student enrolled in a doctoral program or a master’s student enrolled in a non-degree program, to conduct R&D activities within the scope of the “Premiumalgae – Premium Microalgae Ingredients for Cosmetics, Nutraceuticals, and Aquaculture” Project (Operation No. 21056, Operation Code at the Funds Desk COMPETE2030-FEDER-02185500), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Innovation and Digital Transition Program (COMPETE 2030) of Portugal 2030, currently underway at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmaceutical Technology Laboratory) of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Porto, under the following conditions:

1. Scientific Field(s): Pharmaceutical Technology, Cosmetology.

2. Admission Requirements:

All individuals of legal age who meet the following requirements, as verified by supporting documentation, are eligible to apply for this scholarship:

• a) Master’s degree or Integrated Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences or related fields;
• b) Be a student enrolled in a doctoral program in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences or a master’s student enrolled in a non-degree program that is part of a higher education institution’s educational program, developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units—a requirement to be duly verified at the time of hiring²;

1 If the academic degree was awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must be recognised by a Portuguese higher education institution, in accordance with Article 25 of Decree-Law No. 66/2018 of 16 August, which establishes the legal framework for the recognition of academic degrees and higher education diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions, and Article 4(2)(e) of Decree-Law No. 60/2018 of 3 August. Any formalities established therein must be completed by the date of the employment contract.

2 Proof of enrolment must be submitted by the date of the employment contract. For the purposes of the application, candidates may attach a declaration, made under oath, stating that they meet the requirements for enrolment.

3. Preferred qualifications:

1. Knowledge of pharmaceutical dosage forms and cosmetic products;
2. Knowledge/experience in techniques for characterizing rheological and textural properties;
3. A grade of 15 or higher in the final cycle of the degree program attended.
4. Availability to begin the research project in February 2027, as stated in the cover letter

4. Work Plan:

4.1. The main tasks to be performed as part of the fellowship will be:

• a) Evaluation of the pharmacotechnical characteristics of microalgae extracts for nutraceutical applications;
• b) Evaluation of the pharmacotechnical characteristics of microalgae extracts for cosmetic applications;

4.2. When an academic degree or diploma is awarded during the term of the fellowship agreements, the fellowship may continue provided that the activities set forth in the work plan have not been completed and in accordance with the specific terms set forth in the call for applications and in the agreement, pursuant to Article 10(6) of the Regulation.

5. Applicable legislation and regulations:

The selection process and the awarding of the scholarship are governed by the provisions set forth in the University of Porto’s Research Scholarship Regulations—approved by Regulation No. 582/2026, published in the Diário da República, Series II, No. 96, of May 19; Legal Framework for the Recognition of Academic Degrees and Higher Education Diplomas Awarded by Foreign Higher Education Institutions; the Code of Administrative Procedure (CPA), approved by Decree-Law No. 4/2015, dated January 7; and Statute of the Research Fellow (EBI), approved by Law No. 40/2004, of August 18, as currently amended by Decree-Law No. 123/2019, of August 28; Regulation on Research Fellowships No. 950/2019, dated December 16, 2019, of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), I.P., in its current version, and other applicable regulations.

6. Work Location:

The research project will be conducted at the Pharmaceutical Technology Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and at other locations as necessary for its execution, under the scientific supervision of Professor Isabel Martins de Almeida, Ph.D., and Professor Paulo Costa, Ph.D., both from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Porto and researchers at UCIBIO.

7. Duration of the fellowship:

The BI fellowship will last for 6 months, on a full-time basis, and is non-renewable.

8. Amount of the Monthly Living Allowance:

1. The amount of the monthly living allowance under the scholarship is €1,359.64, as set forth in Annex I of the Regulations.
2. Payment will be made by the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto via bank transfer. In addition to this stipend, the scholarship recipient will be covered by personal accident insurance.
3. The scholarship recipient may enroll in Voluntary Social Security (valid for scholarship contracts of six months or longer); this is optional (not mandatory), and the reimbursement corresponds to the first bracket of the contribution base.

9. Métodos de seleção:

9.1. The selection methods are as follows: curriculum evaluation (AC), weighted at 50%, and, optionally, supplemented by an interview (ENT), weighted at 50%, which will only take place when the Selection Committee determines that the AC does not sufficiently clarify, as intended, the candidates’ actual competencies or distinguish which candidate is best suited for the position and the duties to be performed. If conducted, the interview will be held with the 3 (three) candidates with the highest scores in the CV evaluation.

9.2. Each member of the Selection Committee evaluates the candidates according to the selection criteria on a scale of 0 to 20 points.

Final grade

Scores	Integrated Master	Master
Under 13	3.0 points	1.0 points
14	4.0 points	2.0 points
15	5.0 points	3.0 points
16	6.0 points	4.0 points
17	7.0 points	5.0 points
18 or superior	8.0 points	6.0 points

9.3. The criteria and weighting factors for the CV evaluation (AC) are as follows:

If an applicant submits a foreign diploma that has not been recognized, or that has been recognized but whose final grade has not been converted to the Portuguese grading scale by the application deadline, the applicant will be assigned a score of 1.0 points.

Criteria	Subcriteria/item	Score
A. Experience in Scientific Research	a) Participation as a research fellow in research projects	3.0 points
	b) Experience in laboratory or technical research activities relevant to the project, lasting more than 1 month	3.0 points
B. Scientific Output	a) Presentation in the form of an oral presentation and/or poster	1–5 papers: 2 points. >5 papers: 3 points
	f) Scientific papers: >1 paper	3 points

9.5. The following are the criteria and weighting factors for the interview (ENT), should one be conducted:

• a) Motivation and Interest in the Project: clarity of personal and professional goals and how the application fits into the applicant’s academic and scientific background (0 to 5 points);
• b) Specific Scientific Knowledge: mastery of concepts relevant to the project’s field and the ability to integrate theoretical knowledge with practice (0 to 6 points);
• c) Technical and Methodological Skills: relevant laboratory or methodological experience, problem-solving ability, and critical thinking (0 to 5 points);
• d) Transversal Skills: oral communication and clarity in presenting ideas, ability to work in a team, time management, and adaptability to new contexts and challenges (0 to 4 points).

9.6. Candidates may request authorization from the chair of the Selection Committee to have their interview conducted via videoconference, providing justification for doing so.

9.7. Failure to attend the interview phase of the selection process is considered a withdrawal from the competition, and candidates will be excluded from the competition.

9.8. The Final Score (FS) will be calculated using the following formula: FS = (0.50 AC) + (0.50 ENT).

9.10. This competition is intended exclusively to fill the specified vacancy; in the event that no candidate demonstrates the profile required to carry out the work plan described above within the scope of this project, the Selection Committee reserves the right not to fill the position.

10. Composition of the Selection Committee:

• Chair: Dr. Isabel Filipa Martins de Almeida, Assistant Professor with Aggregation at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto;
• 1st Regular Member: Dr. Paulo Jorge Cardoso Costa, Associate Professor with Aggregation at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto;
• 2nd Regular Member: Dr. José Paulo Sousa e Silva, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto;
• Alternate Member: Dr. Paulo Alexandre Lourenço Lobão, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto;
• Alternate Member: Dr. Maria Clara Ferreira Quintas, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto;

11. Submission Format and Deadline:

11.1. Applications must be submitted by September 18, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (local time – Lisbon).

11.2. Applications must be submitted through the online application system available on the APPLY website: https://apply.up.pt Ref. BOLS-FFUP-26-15.

11.3. The application must be accompanied by documents proving compliance with the conditions set forth in this Notice, namely:

1. Curriculum vitae;
2. Letter of motivation, indicating availability to begin the work plan;
3. Copy of the certificate(s) for the required qualifications and recognition of the degree if it was obtained from a foreign institution of higher education (this recognition may be submitted by the time of hiring);
4. Proof of enrolment on a doctoral programme in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences or a course not leading to an academic degree;
5. Declaration of eligibility (attached).
6. Documents substantiating the preferential conditions referred to in point 3 and items of the curricular evaluation referred in point 9.3. (Examples: thesis, monograph, report, paper, presentation, letter of recommendation).

11.4. Applicants may also submit any other documents they deem relevant to the evaluation of their qualifications.

11.5. Failure to meet the deadline for submitting the application, or failure to submit—or late submission of—the documents referred to in subparagraphs (a) through (e) of paragraph 11.3, will result in the exclusion of the application.

11.6. For the purposes of evaluating applications, no documents accessible via links will be considered, with the exception of those that refer to publications with a DOI.

11.7. The documents mentioned in section 11.3 should preferably be submitted in a non-editable format.

11.8. The Selection Committee may, whenever it deems necessary, request that applicants submit supplementary documentation regarding the information provided in their résumés, setting a deadline for such submission, under the following terms:

1. the requested documentation is not intended for the submission of information not included in the résumé, nor for the submission of missing documents required by this Notice;
2. all applicants are notified that supplementary documentation has been requested.

12. False statements:

False statements made by applicants will be punished in accordance with the law.

13. Method of Publication/Notification of Results:

13.1. Notifications are made by publication on the Apply UP electronic platform, pursuant to Article 112(1)(c) of the CPA, and take effect in accordance with Article 113 of the CPA.

13.2. Pursuant to Article 121 et seq. of the CPA, after being notified, applicants have 10 business days to submit their comments in writing.

14. Reserve List:

A reserve list will be drawn up based on the final ranking list, which may be used in the event that the candidate ranked first withdraws. The highest authority of the School reserves the right to call upon the next candidate on the list, and so on, until the vacancy is filled. This reserve list may be used for a maximum period of 12 (twelve) months from the date of approval of the final ranking list.

15. Policy on Non-Discrimination and Equal Access:

The University of Porto actively promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access; therefore, no applicant may be given preferential treatment, favored, disadvantaged, or deprived of any right, nor exempted from any duty on the basis of, in particular, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic status, education, social origin or status, genetic makeup, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs, and union membership.

STATEMENT THE ELIGIBILITY

For the purposes of complying with the provisions of Article 11 of the University of Porto Research Studentship Regulation, I hereby declare that:

• I haven't signed any research studentship/s contract/s to date under the EBI;
• To date, I have signed the following research studentship/s contract/s under the EBI:

Type of studentship
Start Date
End Date
Contracting Authority

I also declare that I meet the eligibility conditions for this studentship, as required under the terms of the aforementioned regulation.

I hereby declare and sign this statement.

Date ___/___/___
Signature ______________

Where to apply

Website: https://www.apply.up.pt/

Requirements

Research Field: Pharmacological sciences » Cosmetology
Education Level: Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Internal Application form(s) needed

versão final ING.pdf (English, 259.93 KB - PDF)

Additional Information

Website for additional job details: https://sigarra.up.pt/spup/pt/noticias_geral.ver_noticia?p_nr=92471

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto
Country: Portugal
State/Province: Portugal
City: Porto
Postal Code: 4050-313
Street: R. de Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto

Contact

State/Province: Porto
City: Porto
Website: https://sigarra.up.pt/spup/pt/uni_geral.unidade_view?pv_unidade=345
Street: Praça Gomes Teixeira
Postal Code: 4099-002
E-Mail: recrutamentorh@sp.up.pt