Research Scholarship_INSECTSAFE – BI_2

Organisation/Company

Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Porto

Research Field

Technology » Biotechnology
Biological sciences » Other

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Positions

Bachelor Positions

Application Deadline

9 Feb 2026 - 17:00 (Europe/Lisbon)

Country

Portugal

Type of Contract

Other

Type of Contract Extra Information

NA

Job Status

Full-time

Offer Starting Date

26 Jan 2026

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

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

No

CALL FOR APPLICATION FOR A RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP

Refª INSECTSAFE – BI_2

Portuguese version

A call for tenders is now open for the attribution of one Research Scholarship within the scope of the Project “INSECTSAFE - Protein for tomorrow: Exploring the safety of edible insects for global food demands” (2023.12117.PEX), financed by the national funds through FCT, I.P., under the following conditions, set out below.

Scientific area: Biotechnology 

Admission requirements: 

General requirements:

Specific requirements:

Candidates must also have knowledge/research experience in the following areas:

- Training and/or laboratory experience in microbiology;

- Basic knowledge of safety and good laboratory practices;

- Ability to work independently and as part of a team;

- Good organizational skills, ability to record and analyze experimental results.

Preferred Factors:

Will be considered preferred factors:

- Experience in microbial challenge testing or microbiological food safety studies;

- Experience in studies related to the gut microbiome (including data analysis);

- Good proficiency in English 

Candidates for the Research scholarship must also be enrolled or commit to enrolling in a course that does not lead to an academic degree that promotes the consolidation of their scientific training[1] .

Work Plan:

- Microbial challenge testing during different production stages of edible insects

- Impact of tested products on the human gut microbiome

Applicable legislation and regulations: 

• Statute of the Scientific Research Fellow: https://dre.pt/web/guest/legislacao-consolidada/-/lc/58216179/view?w=2019-08-28 ;
• Regulation of Research Scholarships of the Science and Technology Foundation, I.P: https://dre.pt/application/conteudo/127238533 ;
• Regulation of Research Scholarships of the Portuguese Catholic University: http://www.porto.ucp.pt//sites/default/files/files/DRH/RegBolsasInvestigacao_Cientifica_UCP2020.pdf  

Workplace: 

The work will be developed at the CBQF- Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina. of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Portugal, in Porto, under the scientific supervision of Joana Inês Bastos Barbosa.

Duration of the scholarship:

The research grant will have a duration of 5 months, on an exclusive basis, with an expected start date of March 15, 2026. In any case, the grant's validity is limited to the end date of the project 'INSECTSAFE - Protein for tomorrow: Exploring the safety of edible insects for global food demands', currently scheduled for August 14, 2026; therefore, the grant contract will automatically terminate on the effective conclusion date of the project, should it occur before the aforementioned grant duration period has expired.

Monthly maintenance allowance amount:

The amount of the scholarship corresponds to 1040,98€. according to the research scholarship values awarded directly by FCT, I.P. in the Country (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Tabela_valores_SMM_2025.pdf ) and will be paid by bank transfer.

Selection methods: 

The selection methods to be used will be the following: i) curriculum (40%); ii) previous experience (60%). If necessary, the 3 best positioned candidates may be interviewed, and in this situation, the weighting will be curricular evaluation (35%); ii) previous experience (50%) and selection interview (15%).

Only candidates with a final classification equal to or greater than 80, on a scale of 0 to 100, will be selected for this position.

Applications that do not meet the admission requirements, delivered on time and incomplete applications will be considered ineligible.

Composition of the Selection Jury: President of the Jury: Dr Manuela Pintado, Effective Members: Dr Joana Inês Bastos Barbosa and Dr Paula Teixeira. Substitute Jury: Dr Mariana Bexiga.

Form of advertising/notification of results:

The jury deliberates in accordance with the selection criteria adopted and disclosed. The jury meetings minutes will contain a summary of the meeting content. After completing the application of the selection criteria, the jury proceeds with the elaboration of the ordered list, with the ranking of the approved candidates. The ranking list of eligible candidates will be published on the premises of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, in Porto, located at Rua de Diogo Botelho, 1327, 4169-005 Porto - Portugal, with each candidate being notified of his/her position on the list ranking of candidates via email. Ineligible applicants will be notified by email, with details of the missing eligibility elements.

Complaint and appeal procedures:

Candidates have a period of ten working days, after the disclosure referred to in the previous number, to give their opinion at a prior hearing.

Deadline for acceptance of the scholarship:

Within ten working days following notification of the grant award, the selected candidate must confirm in writing his/her availability to start the scholarship on the proposed date. Failing to do so or not having availability, the candidate placed in the next position will be called.

Application deadline and form of submission:

Candidates submit their application from January 26, 2026 until February 9, 2026 (until 5 pm, Lisbon time).

Applications are formalized by completing the Application Form, available in  https://hr-ucpporto.inqueritos.porto.ucp.pt/439392?lang=en

It will be necessary to submit the following documents:

Only applications received during the opening period of the above-mentioned call shall be considered.

Candidates who incorrectly formalize their application or who do not prove the requirements of this call are excluded. False statements made by applicants will be punished under the law.

Mandatory documentation:

The following documents must be sent, at the time of the eventual granting of the scholarship, for the purposes of its contractualization:

Contract

The contract model to be used will be in follow the FCT scholarship holder contract draft available at the following link:

https://ucppt-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/ccabral_ucp_pt/EZcpJcEQtqpCqvGaCIVKTS0BBcsZvXYjf2YroODpHafSow?e=f58mmk

Reports to be presented by the fellow and supervisor:

The final report model to be prepared by the fellow is available at the following link:

https://ucppt-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/ccabral_ucp_pt/ESnbf2LTfxFGj8NsKVEAe3IBi00sddFg238l4P7ziYmXTw?e=olqq3I

The report model to be carried out by the supervisor and the respective evaluation criteria are available at the following link:

https://ucppt-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/ccabral_ucp_pt/ERYDFMVUybtPiCvIzJ8VHGoBs1g7VaULFkW_H9Aq2tSDSw?e=XK5JiK

Privacy Policy: 

Universidade Católica Portuguesa is the controller responsible for the processing of Personal Data in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – General Regulation on Data Protection.

The personal data processed in the scope of this tender procedure is processed within the framework of said tender procedure only and will be processed by Universidade Católica Portuguesa with the purpose of verifying the fulfilment, by the candidates, of the assumptions established in the applicable legislation for their contracting.  Opposition to the processing of data by the candidates will make it impossible to accept the application and, therefore, to analyse and evaluate it. 

The personal data of the Data Subject, if it be indispensable for the fulfilment of the obligations of Universidade Católica Portuguesa, may be conveyed to third parties, namely to the Financing Entities identified in this announcement.

The data retention period shall correspond to the legally defined period of five years.

The Data Subject is entitled to oppose to the collection and processing of data, has the right to verification, the right to rectification, the right to deletion, and the right to restriction of processing of the data collected. However, the exercise of such rights may be excluded when the personal data is used to protect public interest, namely in the detection and prevention of crimes or when subject to professional rules of confidentiality.

The Data Subject has the right of access and portability of the data.

Rights of Personal Data Subjects: https://www.ucp.pt/rights-data-subjects .

For purposes of exercising the respective rights, contact the University through the e-mail address compliance.rgpd@ucp.pt or by using the address found at the end of this announcement, through the means set out in "Contacts for clarification". 

The Data Subject is always entitled to contact and file a complaint with the Comissão Nacional de Proteção de Dados (Portuguese Supervisory Authority for Personal Data).

Non-discrimination and equal access policy:

Universidade Católica Portuguesa actively promotes a non-discrimination and equal access policy, wherefore no candidate can be privileged, benefited, impaired or deprived of any rights whatsoever, or be exempt of any duties based on their ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, family and economic conditions, instruction, social origin or condition, genetic heritage, reduced working capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions, and union membership.

If you have any questions about this position, please contact:

Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Centro Regional do Porto 

Rua de Diogo Botelho, 1327

4169-005 Porto, Portugal

Direção de Recursos Humanos

drh.recrutamento.porto@ucp.pt

[1]  Candidates are given the possibility, at the application stage, to submit only a declaration of commitment to enroll in a course that does not confer an academic degree under the terms mentioned above. If the candidate is selected, the delivery failure of the effective enrollment document for the course, within ten working days, following the date of communication of the selection, will be considered as withdrawal of the candidate for the scholarship investigation for which you were selected

[2] If the required academic degree has been conferred by a foreign higher education institution, it must comply with the Portuguese legislation on the recognition of foreign degrees, regulated by DL no. 66/2018 of 16 August. 

Applicants are advised to consult the website of the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES) for additional information on this matter: https://www.dges.gov.pt/pt/pagina/reconhecimento .

[3]  The availability of these documents can be replaced, at the option of the candidate, by the presentation in person at the financing entity, which will keep the elements contained therein that are relevant for the validity and execution of the contract, including the civil, fiscal and security identification numbers. social security, as well as the validity of the respective documents.

Website

https://hr-ucpporto.inqueritos.porto.ucp.pt/439392?lang=en

Research Field

Technology » Biotechnology

Education Level

Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Research Field

Biological sciences » Other

Education Level

Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Centro Regional do Porto

Country

Portugal

Geofield

City

Porto

Website

http://www.porto.ucp.pt/

Street

Rua Diogo Botelho, 1327

Postal Code

4169-005

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