Research Grant (BI), for the conduct of R&D activities by a graduate with a Bachelor degree enrolled in a Master degree or a course non-leading to an academic degree - Ref.ª SF/2025/19

12 Nov 2025
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Faculdade de Ciências Médicas|NOVA Medical School da Universidade NOVA de Lisboa.

Research Field

Chemistry » Biochemistry

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Positions

Bachelor Positions

Country

Portugal

Application Deadline

26 Nov 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon)

Type of Contract

Not Applicable

Job Status

Not Applicable

Offer Starting Date

15 Jan 2025

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Other EU programme

Reference Number

SF/2025/19

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

There is an open call for applications for a Research Grant (BI), for the conduct of R&D activities by a graduate with a Bachelor (“Licenciatura”) degree enrolled in a Master degree or a course non-leading to an academic degree, under reference SF/2025/18 in the scope of the Pep-SICO project, at the institution Faculdade de Ciências Médicas|NOVA Medical School (FCM|NMS) from Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), supported by income from the above mentioned project, financed by La Caixa Foundation, under the following conditions:

 

Field of study

Biochemistry

 

Admission requirements(eligibility criteria)       

1. Bachelor (”Licenciatura”) degree in Biochemistry completed by the application submission date, with a final grade of 16 or higher (on a 0–20 scale);

1.1. For applicants holding diplomas with grading systems different from the 0–20 scale, a conversion formula will be applied, available at: https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/node/119 .

2. Enrollment in a Master's Degree or in a course not leading to an academic degree, in the area of Biochemistry or related fields.

 

Work plan

Enhancing the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases with PEP-SICO peptide-based sensing tools for detecting physiological tau aggregates. The selected candidate will develop Work Package 4 (WP4) of a La Caixa-funded research project, focusing on the development and validation of novel peptide-based sensing tools (PEP-SICO) for detecting physiological tau aggregates. The candidate will be mentored for a future career in research, such as enrolling in a PhD program. Tau aggregation is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. This project aims to establish biologically relevant models of tau aggregation.   

The successful candidate will primarily utilize in vitro neuronal cell models, specifically mouse primary cortical neurons or Neuro2a cells, engineered to express various human tau variants and disease-associated mutant forms of tau. The project aims to stimulate the secretion of tau aggregates from these neuronal cells in response to neuronal activity. The efficacy of PEP-SICO in detecting and quantifying these secreted and intracellular tau species will be assessed and compared against established biochemical methods such as ELISA, Western Blot, and Immunofluorescence.

This project offers an excellent opportunity to gain expertise in cell biology, neuroscience, protein biochemistry, and the application of novel biosensing technologies within neurodegenerative disease research. The selected fellow will join the project as a researcher under the scientific guidance and supervision of the project’s Principal Investigator.

 

Place of work

The work will be carried out at the facilities of the Faculdade de Ciências Médicas | NOVA Medical School (FCM|NMS), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), in the research group "Neuronal Trafficking in Aging" under the scientific supervision of Investigator Doctor Cláudia Guimas Almeida, as well as other locations necessary for the preparation and implementation of the project activities.

 

Duration and start date

The fellowship will have an initial duration of 6 months, with an estimated start date of January 15, 2025. The fellowship contract may be renewed for an equal or different period until the project ends, provided the eligibility requirements for its granting are met at the time of renewal.

 

Monthly maintenance allowance

The fellowship stipend is 1.040,98€ (one thousand forty euros and ninety-eight cents) per month, in accordance with the fellowship values listed in Annex I of the Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Research Fellowship Regulation. This amount includes personal accident insurance and, if applicable, voluntary social security corresponding to the first contribution tier, provided the fellowship duration is longer than 6 months. Payment will be made via bank transfer.

 

Legislation and applicable regulations:

The fellowship is legally governed by the Research Fellow Statute (Law no. 40/2004, of August 18), available at https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/lei/2004-58216179 , and the Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Research Fellowship Regulation (Dispatch no. 9484/2023, of August 14), available at https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/despacho/9484-2023-221611620 .

 

Selection Methods

1.    The selection methods include the evaluation of the "scientific and curricular background," weighted at 60%, and the "professional selection interview," weighted at 40%.

2.    The application of the selection methods will be phased, as described below.

3.    The evaluation of the "scientific and curricular background" will focus on the relevance, quality, timeliness, specific knowledge, and proven prior experience, based on the application documents and in accordance with the following criteria:

a) Academic background in neurodegenerative diseases, especially in their cellular and molecular mechanisms  – 30%;

b) Research experience, namely in the culture of neuronal cells, immunofluorescence, and quantitative bioimaging, but also scientific communication (posters, oral presentations) – 50%

c) Motivation letter, justifying the interest in the area and how the previous experience can contribute to the work plan– 20%.

4.    The evaluation of the "scientific and curricular background" will be expressed on a numerical scale from 0 to 20.

5.    The evaluation process includes a "professional selection interview", in which all information submitted in the application will be reviewed, aiming to obtain any necessary clarifications and explanations. This phase is part of the final evaluation.

6.    In the «professional selection interview», which lasts up to 20 minutes, the following parameters and evaluation criteria will be applied:

a) Communication and verbal expression– 30%;

b) Fluency in English – 15%;

c) Analysis and critical thinking – 15%;

d) Motivation and interest in developing research in the specific area the candidate is applying to – 40%.

7.    The evaluation of the «professional selection interview» is expressed on a numerical scale from 0 to 20 points.

8.    The evaluation method involving the "professional selection interview" may be waived by the unanimous and duly justified decision of the Jury, in which case the evaluation of the "scientific and curricular background" will account for 100%.

9.    The Jury will deliberate through a nominal vote based on the evaluation criteria. Abstentions are not permitted.

10.   Each candidate's final score will be the average of the scores assigned by each Jury member.  To be selected, the candidate must achieve a final score of 15 or higher. In case of a tie, the Jury Chair will decide.

11.   The Jury reserves the right not to award the scholarship if it considers that no candidate meets the required profile.

 

Selection Jury

- President of the Jury – Cláudia Almeida, FCM|NMS;

– 1st Effective Jury Member – João Ferreira, FCM|NMS 

– 2nd Effective Jury Member – Rita Teodoro, FCM|NMS;

– 1st Alternate Jury Member – Hugo Vicente Miranda, FCM|NMS;

– 2nd Alternate Jury Member – César Mendes, FCM|NMS.

 

Formalization and submission of applications

Applications, which may be submitted in Portuguese or English, must be sent by email to  recrutamento.investigacao@nms.unl.pt , with the following reference in the subject line SF/2025/19. The following documents must be included in PDF format, under penalty of exclusion:

A motivation letter of up to 500 words;

A detailed and updated Curriculum Vitae that meets the application requirements;

Academic degree certificates;

Proof of enrollment in a Master’s Programme,  or a non-degree course;

Application form, duly completed and signed – https://www.nms.unl.pt/pt-pt/faculdade/junte-se-a-nms/recrutamento?category=4348 ;

Declaration indicating the final grade obtained in the Bachelor's degree;

Other relevant documents for assessing the requested profile.

or, in its absence, the Declaration of Honour, duly completed and signed.

 

Additional provisions on mandatory documentation: 

Completion of the required academic degree – If the candidate has already completed the academic degree required in the Notice of Opening but does not yet have the respective certificates or official proof, they may submit, at the time of application, a declaration of honour stating their commitment to present the completion certificate by the date of the fellowship contract, should they be selected.

Enrollment in an academic program – If the candidate does not yet have proof of enrollment in the academic program defined in point 2 of the “Admission Requirements,” they must submit, at the time of application, a declaration of honour, duly completed and signed. The template is included in the Application Form. The proof of enrollment must be submitted by the date of the fellowship contract.

Recognition of foreign degrees – In the case of academic degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions, the official recognition of the degree in Portugal is mandatory, in accordance with Decree-Law No. 66/2018 of August 16 and Ordinance No. 33/2019 of January 25. If recognition is not available at the time of application, a Declaration of Honor may be submitted, committing to provide it before the grant contract is signed. More information available at: https://www.dges.gov.pt/pt/pagina/reconhecimento?plid=374

Condition for grant contract – The signature of the grant contract is subject to the prior submission of the documents listed in items 1, 2, and 3. Failure to submit any of these documents by the date of grant award may result in non-contracting, pursuant to Article 18(6) of the Research Grant Regulations of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa.

 

Application period

The competition is open from 13/11/2025 to 26/11/2025 and is published at https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/ and https://www.nms.unl.pt/en-us/NMS/Join-NMS/Recruiting (English and Portuguese versions, respectively).

 

Result announcement/notification

Under Article 15 of the Research Scholarship Regulations of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, evaluation results will be communicated by email to all candidates within 60 business days after the application submission deadline.

Candidates whose applications are unsuccessful may respond within 10 business days to the notification of the preliminary hearing, as provided in the Portuguese Administrative Procedure Code. Otherwise, the result will constitute the final decision.

Appeals or complaints regarding the final results may be submitted within 10 business days after their communication and must be addressed to the Dean of FCM|NMS.

Additional information

1.        In the event of withdrawal or resignation by the selected candidate or failure to submit the required recognition of qualifications or proof of enrollment, the next highest-ranked candidate may be contacted to sign the scholarship contract, provided all requirements in this Notice are met.

2.       Scholarships may be renewed for additional periods, up to the following maximum durations:

a)     One year for scholarships awarded to bachelor’s or master’s degree holders enrolled in non-degree programs;

b)    Two years for master’s degree students;

c)     Four years for doctoral students.

3.       If the academic degree or diploma is awarded during the scholarship contract period, the scholarship may continue under the terms specifically defined in the contract.

4.        Research scholarships granted to bachelor’s or master’s degree holders enrolled in non-degree programs may only be awarded to candidates who do not exceed a total accumulated period of two years in this scholarship category, whether consecutive or intermittent.

 

Non-discrimination and equal access policy

The Faculdade de Ciências Médicas|NOVA Medical School, a unit of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, actively promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access. No candidate will be privileged, benefited, disadvantaged, deprived of any rights, or exempted from any duties based on ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic status, education, social origin or condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic or racial origin, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs, or trade union membership.

 

Lisbon, November 11, 2025 - The Director, Professor Doctor Pedro Manuel Sarmento Rodrigues Póvoa

 

Where to apply

E-mail

recrutamento.investigacao@nms.unl.pt

Requirements

Research Field

Chemistry » Biochemistry

Education Level

Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Internal Application form(s) needed
Formulário de candidatura - Bolseiros v4_0.pdf
English
(239.96 KB - PDF)
Download
Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Nova Medical School

Country

Portugal

Geofield

Contact

City

Lisboa

Website

https://www.nms.unl.pt/pt-pt/nms

Street

Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, n.º 130

E-Mail

recrutamento.investigacao@nms.unl.pt

STATUS: EXPIRED

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