Research Grant for a PhD student

1. Scientific Area: Public Law

2. Admission Requirements:

• Proof of enrolment on a PhD programme for the 2026–2027 academic year;
• Fluency in English;
• Have previous research experience, preferably demonstrated through participation in research projects, research centres, academic publications, or the development of a doctoral thesis.

3. Other Requirements: (requirements that can be valued)

• Comparative or interdisciplinary research experience.
• Previous research experience in friendship law, family law, or related areas will be considered an asset.

4. Work Plan:

The selected research assistant will contribute to the first phase of the Seed Project “Friendship & The Law”, which aims to develop the conceptual, empirical and organisational foundations for a future European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant application.

During the three-month research period, under the scientific supervision of the Principal Investigator, the research assistant will:

• Conduct and systematise a focused literature review on friendship, non-conjugal relationships and caregiving structures across legal and interdisciplinary scholarship;
• Gather and systematise relevant legal and academic sources;
• Contribute to the refinement of key concepts and research questions concerning the legal recognition of friendship;
• Compile a preliminary mapping of jurisdictions and legal mechanisms relevant to friendship-based relationships and solidarity;
• Identify and systematise relevant scholarship and legal developments concerning friendship-based caregiving and parenthood;
• Contribute to the collection and organisation of internal application documents, research materials and other data supporting the development of the future ERC proposal.

5. Applicable Legislation and Regulations: Pursuant to the NOVA University Lisbon Research Grant Regulations, approved by Order no. 9484/2023 of 14 September 2023, as well as the Research Grant Holder Statute, approved by Law no. 40/2004, of 18 August, as amended and republished by Decree-Law no. 202/2012, of 27 August and by Law no. 12/2013, of 29 January, Decree-Law no. 89/2013, of 9 July and by Decree-Law no. 233/2012, of 29 October (available at https://dre.pt/dre/legislacao-consolidada/lei/2004-58216179)

6. Place of Work: The work will be carried out at the Nova School of Law, under the scientific supervision of Professor Nausica Palazzo.

7. Duration: The scholarship will last for 3 months, due to start on 2 November 2026, without possibility of renewal.

8. Amount of the monthly maintenance allowance: The amount of the scholarship corresponds to €1.359,64€, according to the table of values defined in Annex I of the NOVA University Lisbon Research Scholarship Regulations, approved by Order no. 9484/2023 of 14 September 2023, and payment is made monthly by bank transfer.

9. Selection Methods: (define % of parameters to be assessed)

The selection methods to be used will be as follows:

1. Education and Professional profile (50%)

• relevance of the degree/PhD field (30%);
• academic specialisation and additional qualifications (20%);

1. Previous experience in research projects and management skills (30%)

• previous research/project experience and methodological skills (20%);
• project coordination, organisation and teamwork (10%);

1. Motivation letter (20%)

10. Composition of the Selection Panel:

President of the Jury:

Nausica Palazzo

Effective members:

Arnau Nonell i Rodríguez

Teresa Violante

Alternates:

Veronica Corcodel

11. How the results Are publicised/notified:

The final results of the assessment proposed by the jury will be notified to the candidates by email, no later than 90 working days after the deadline for submitting applications, and they will be able to access the minutes and the shortlist, and comment within 10 working days on the draft decision in the context of a prior hearing of interested parties, under the terms of the Code of Administrative Procedure. At the end of the period set for the hearing of interested parties and in the absence of any response, the shortlist will become final. Candidates may lodge a complaint against the final decision within 15 working days (to the email address used for notification), or appeal to the highest executive body of the funding organisation within 30 working days of notification of the final decision, addressed to (the Directorate or CEDIS) via the email address cedis@novalaw.unl.pt.

12. Application deadline and form of submission: The call for applications will be open between 18 September and 2 October.

13. Applications must be formalised by sending an email to concurso.bolsas@novalaw.unl.pt, mentioning the grant reference “Research grant no. 5/2026” in the subject line of the email.

14. The application must consist of a single PDF file, including:

1. Motivation letter (up to one page);
2. 2-page CV (including email address and telephone number);
3. Documents proving the academic degrees obtained and grades in all subjects taken;

(For academic degrees awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it is compulsory to present the registration of the recognition of the academic degree and the conversion of the final classification to the Portuguese scale (process regulated by Decree-Law no. 341/2007, of 12th October), or alternatively, to obtain equivalence/recognition of the academic degrees (process regulated by Decree-Law no. 283/83, of 21st June).

1. Proof of enrolment for the current academic year as set out in point 2 of the Notice.

DISCLAIMER: This document is an unofficial translation of the Portuguese official announcement, provided for reference only. Although we have done our best to provide an accurate translation, should any discrepancies arise, the official version shall prevail.

Lisbon, 16 September, 2026

Margarida Lima Rego, Dean