Job Information
- Organisation/Company: Universidade Nova de Lisboa
- Department: NOVA Institute for Medical Systems Biology (NIMSB)
- Research Field: Biological sciences » Biological engineering
- Researcher Profile: Established Researcher (R3)
- Positions: Research Support Positions
- Application Deadline: 21 Sep 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon)
- Country: Portugal
- Type of Contract: Permanent
- Job Status: Full-time
- Offer Starting Date: 1 Sep 2026
- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme
Offer Description
Call for applications for the international selection procedure for the recruitment of an Assistant Researcher (NIMSB Chair) for the scientific research career, under private law, in the disciplinar area of Proteomics
By order of Rector Paulo de Carvalho Pereira of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, dated 26 August 2026, it is hereby made public that, for a period of 15 (fifteen) working days from the first working day following the publication of this Call in the Diário da República, an international documentary selection procedure is open, with internal reference NIMSB-Chair_Proteomics, for the recruitment of an Assistant Researcher in the scientific area of Medical Biotechnology, with an emphasis on technologies involving the manipulation of cells, tissues, organs, or whole organisms. The position is offered under an open-ended employment contract governed by private law, pursuant to the Labour Code (Law No. 7/2009, of 12 February, as amended) and the Regulation on the Careers, Recruitment, and Employment Contracts of Researchers under employment contract at Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, hereinafter referred to as RCI-UNL (Regulation No. 393/2018, of 12 June, amended by Order No. 6510/2019, of 14 June, and by Order No. 10293/2021, of 11 October).
This call is launched within the FCT TENURE programme – 1st edition, and aims to fill a position allocated to Universidade NOVA de Lisboa / NOVA Institute for Medical Systems Biology (NIMSB). The selected candidate will become an integrated member of the Research Unit iNOVA4Health – Programme in Translational Medicine, and will be appointed as NIMSB Chair in Proteomics.
This recruitment is co-financed by Universidade NOVA de Lisboa / NIMSB and the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, I.P.), and is subject to the signing of the FCT-Tenure Programme contract – 1st edition. It is also eligible for co-financing through the additional funding programme “Aliança,” aimed at supporting the recruitment of PhD holders by the Portuguese Government (State Budget for 2024) to encourage the hiring of researchers.
This competition is exclusively intended for filling the vacancies resulting from the outcomes of the competition for positions at the i4H - NIMSB Research Unit, following the application submitted by Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. The competition may be terminated before the ratification of the final ranking list of candidates and will expire once the respective positions are filled. In the event that no candidate is found to meet the required profile for the functions outlined in this notice, the Jury reserves the right not to award the position.
In compliance with point (h) of Article 9 of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, as the employer, actively promotes an equal opportunities policy between men and women in access to employment and career progression, taking scrupulous measures to prevent any and all forms of discrimination. In this context, terms such as ‘candidate,’ ‘professor,’ ‘researcher,’ and similar are not used in this Call for Applications to refer to a person’s gender.
Likewise, no candidate may be given preferential treatment, advantaged, disadvantaged, or deprived of any right, nor exempted from any duty, on the basis, in particular, of ancestry, age, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, origin or social status, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs, or trade union affiliation.
I – Workplace
The workplace will be at the NIMSB facilities at the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon, and subsequently at the Life Sciences Campus in Oeiras.
The employee will carry out all travel, within Portugal or abroad, inherent to their duties or necessary for the performance of their activities.
II – Main Duties and Activities
The selected candidate will perform the duties of Assistant Researcher at NIMSB – NOVA Institute for Medical Systems Biology and will carry out research and development activities as well as all other scientific and technical tasks within the i4H Research Unit and the missions of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa in the field of Proteomics, and:
- Innovative Research: Conduct innovative and high-impact research in the field of proteomics, with an emphasis on identifying protein biomarkers relevant for diagnosis, disease progression, and monitoring of treatment response, essential for optimizing therapeutic strategies;
- Advanced Methods: Develop sensitive protein isolation techniques and specific quantitative tests to measure changes in small tissue samples during treatment, providing real-time information on therapeutic efficacy and disease status;
- Proteomics Services: Provide support in experimental design for proteomics-based mass spectrometry experiments;
- Education and Training Programs: Develop education and training programs in proteomics to prepare the next generation of researchers and healthcare professionals in systems biology concepts applied to medicine;
- Collaborative Research: Collaborate with internal teams and external partners, including interdisciplinary groups, to advance research projects. Participate in joint initiatives that bridge basic science and translational medicine;
- Data Analysis and Communication: Analyze experimental data using statistical methods. Prepare and present research results at internal meetings and scientific conferences. Contribute to the drafting of scientific articles for publication in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals;
- Mentorship and Supervision: Mentor and supervise junior researchers and students, providing support in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific writing;
- Funding: Contribute to the preparation of research proposals and funding applications.
III – Salary level and Exclusivity
1. The monthly remuneration corresponds to that of the Assistant Researcher category, under full-time/exclusive dedication, pay position 1 and pay level 54-A, in accordance with Annexes I and II of the RCI-UNL, with public administration salary updates applied.
2. The Assistant Researcher will be recruited under full-time dedication, which entails the renunciation of any other paid function or activity, public or private, including the practice of a liberal profession, in accordance with the rules established in the Statute of the Scientific Research Career, approved by Law No. 55/2025 of 28 April (ECIC).
IV – Type of employment
The recruitment of the Assistant Researcher, under an open-ended individual employment contract, will take place in accordance with the RCI-UNL, namely regarding the three-year probationary period. All matters not covered in this Call for Applications will be governed by the RCI-UNL.
V – Submission of Applications
1. Applications, duly completed with all the documents referred to in this Call for Applications, must be submitted within 15 working days from the first working day following the publication of this Notice in the Diário da República, sent by email in PDF format (a single file), indicating the reference NIMSB-Chair_Proteomics in the subject line.
2. The application must be accompanied by documentation in English, except for the certificate confirming the doctoral degree (point a) below), which may also be submitted in Portuguese.
3. Candidates must submit their application documents in PDF format to the following email address: nimsb.applications@unl.pt, indicating the reference of the Call for Applications in the subject line. The application must be accompanied, mandatorily, by the following documentation:
a) Certificate confirming the doctoral degree in Biophysics or a related field, with recognition in Portugal if the degree was awarded by a foreign institution;
b) Curriculum vitae of the candidate, which must include:
i) A text demonstrating compliance with the requirements set out in the Call for Applications;
ii) Identification codes “ORCID” and “Scopus Author ID” and, optionally, “Google Scholar ID” and “Researcher ID”;
iii) Description of research and development activities and all other activities considered relevant for this competition, in accordance with the terms of this Call;
iv) Scientific and technological development project to be carried out by the candidate over the next three years, in the disciplinary area of Medical and Health Sciences, within the scientific area of Medical Biotechnology, and the subarea of technologies involving the manipulation of cells, tissues, organs, or whole organisms, aligned with the mission of NIMSB and, in particular, the objectives and research areas of the INOVA4Health Research Unit [maximum 5 A4 pages];
c) Published works mentioned in the curriculum vitae, including the five most representative, regarding their contribution to the development and advancement of the disciplinary area covered by this competition;
d) Declaration, under oath, stating that if the Jury requests any additional scientific documentation listed in the candidate’s curriculum vitae, it will be submitted within 10 working days;
e) Other documents that the candidate considers relevant for the evaluation of their application.
4. The deadline for submission of applications is 23:59 (Lisbon time, Portugal) on the last day of the application period.
5. Failure to meet the application deadline or incorrect formalization of the application will result in exclusion from the competition. The decision of exclusion will be communicated to the candidates by email, for the purposes of the prior hearing of the interested parties.
6. False statements made by candidates will be punished in accordance with the law.
VI – Admission Requirements
1. In accordance with the Statute of the Scientific Research Career, approved by Law No. 55/2025 of 28 (ECIC), as currently in force, the general requirement is possession of a doctoral degree and a relevant scientific curriculum in the corresponding area.
2. If the doctoral degree was awarded by a foreign higher education institution, recognition in Portugal is mandatory, under the applicable legislation. This recognition must be completed by the deadline for submitting the application to the competition.
3. Candidates must have language proficiency at level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in both Portuguese and English.
4. Candidates for this recruitment procedure must have a scientific and professional curriculum demonstrating a profile suitable for the work to be performed, including:
a) Doctorate in Biophysics or a related field within the scientific area of the competition;
b) Preferably, a minimum of 10 years of postdoctoral experience in proteomics;
c) Proven experience in advanced proteomics techniques and methodologies, particularly in experimental protocols;
d) Demonstrated experience in analyzing clinical samples and collaborating with clinical researchers;
e) A publication record in the field of proteomics, especially in translational clinical research;
f) Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills;
g) Ability to work independently and as part of a team;
h) Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
5. Candidates must submit the documents described in this Call for Applications. Failure to provide any of the required documents, within the specified deadline and under the terms of this Call, will result in the application not being admitted, prior to the evaluation of absolute merit.
VII – Requirements for Approval in Absolute Merit
1. After the admission of applications, the Selection Committee shall deliberate on the candidates’ admissibility in absolute merit, expressed as either “Rejected” or “Approved”.
2. Candidates shall be approved in Absolute Merit if they possess an overall curriculum deemed suitable for the position to be filled, namely the merit of their scientific and technical work, as well as their professional experience and training, compatible with the category and the scientific area(s) and sub-area(s) for which the call is open, taking into account the following reference criteria:
a) Evidence of scientific quality demonstrated through indexed publications, with preference given to candidates who have at least 5 (five) articles indexed in the SCOPUS database or in the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database in the scientific area of the call or related fields, within the last 10 (ten) years;
b) Experience in supervising or co-supervising undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral students, or postdoctoral fellows, or fellowship holders holding a master’s degree;
c) Leadership of, or participation in, the design, development, and execution of research projects and/or research lines in R&D units of the national scientific system or others, including the FCT Individual Scientific Employment Stimulus (CEEC) calls or the FCT Researcher Programme.
3. Deliberations shall be made by reasoned nominal vote, with abstentions not permitted.
4. A candidate shall be considered approved in absolute merit if they obtain a favourable vote from more than half of the members of the Selection Committee.
VIII – Selection and Evaluation Method
1. The Selection Committee decided to adopt the curricular assessment method.
2. The curricular assessment of the various candidates in each of the parameters described below is based on the scientific area for which the call is open.
3. In evaluating the parameters below, purely quantitative procedures must not be adopted, such as the use of indicators, the counting of publications, or the calculation of cumulative impact factors. It must be assumed that the content of the scientific output is more relevant than publication metrics or the prestige of the publishing entity.
4. The parameters to be considered in the curricular assessment of the candidates, in each of the sections, are as follows:
a) Quality of Scientific and Technical Work;
b) Professional Experience and Training;
c) Contributions to Teaching and Scientific Supervision Activities;
d) Participation in Management Bodies;
e) Service to the Community;
f) Scientific and Technological Development Plan.
IX – Ranking and Voting Methodology
1. Once the candidates approved in absolute merit have been identified, the Selection Committee will proceed with their ranking in relative merit.
2. Each member of the Selection Committee shall carry out the curricular assessment of the candidates by submitting a written report, to be included in the minutes, in which they propose the ranking of the candidates based on the parameters indicated in the present notice, assigning each candidate a score for each parameter on a numerical scale from 0 to 100.
3. The parameters indicated shall be weighted as follows:
1. Quality of Scientific and Technical Work: 30%
The relevance of the research results obtained by the candidate shall be assessed, with particular emphasis on the works identified by the candidate as their most significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the area for which the call is open, in terms of their quality and quantity, and valued by their impact and recognition within the scientific community and open science practices. The scientific merit of candidates whose scientific output demonstrates autonomy and scientific leadership shall be particularly valued.
2. Professional Experience and Training: 20%
3. Contributions to Teaching and Scientific Supervision Activities: 20%
4. Participation in Management Bodies: 5%
5. Service to the Community: 5%
6. Scientific and Technological Development Plan: 20%
Participation in scientific projects relevant to the thematic area of the call. Proven experience in the design and execution of research projects will be considered an advantage. The candidate’s prior experience and their potential to actively coordinate and integrate national and international scientific projects and networks funded in the relevant area shall also be considered. Outreach and knowledge dissemination activities - such as the organisation of courses, seminars, and conferences - as well as participation in master’s and doctoral juries and the evaluation of scientific projects or programmes shall be taken into account.
Experience in advanced training, namely in the supervision of postgraduate students (master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral), in the scientific area of the call.
Participation in management bodies and in tasks assigned by the management bodies of the institutions to which the candidates were affiliated.
Performance of tasks related to the economic and social valorisation of knowledge, including the management and provision of services to the community, patent registration and licensing and other forms of intellectual property, promotion of startups and spinoffs, collaboration with external companies, participation in public policy development, science communication or citizen science projects, and involvement in community-based or social impact initiatives.
Career development plan related to the research lines in the area and sub-area of the call to which the candidate intends to dedicate their work, meeting the following requirements:
1. Identification of the objectives of the project to be developed, demonstrating the potential advances that the research may bring relative to the current state of the art in the field;
2. A structured and concise description of the research strategies and methodologies the candidate intends to adopt to achieve the proposed objectives, the main expected results, and the impact these may have on the development of their career and on the broader community.
4. The ranking of the approved candidates is carried out by a vote of the members of the Selection Committee, respecting the ranking proposed in the report referred to in the previous section, according to the following rules:
1. The first vote is intended to determine the candidate to be placed in first position;
2. In the vote referred to in the previous point, if a candidate receives more than half of the votes for first place, that candidate shall be classified in that position;
3. If the situation described in the previous point does not occur, a new vote is held, only among the candidates who received votes for first place, after removing the candidate with the fewest votes for that position in the previous vote;
4. If more than one candidate is to be removed due to an equal number of votes, with a minimum of one vote each, a vote shall be held only among these candidates to determine which candidate is to be removed from the subsequent vote; in this vote, each member shall vote, among the candidates with equal votes, for the candidate to occupy the lowest position in the ranking contained in their report;
5. In the event of a tie, the tie shall be resolved by the casting vote of the Chair of the Selection Committee, pursuant to paragraph 3 of Article 12 of the Statute of the Scientific Research Career (ECIC);
6. Voting is repeated until it is determined, according to the procedure described above, which candidate should be classified in first place. If only two candidates remain and each receives half of the votes, the tie shall be resolved by the casting vote of the Chair of the Selection Committee;
7. Once the candidate for first place is chosen, that candidate is removed from the vote, and the entire process is repeated for the second place, and so on, until a fully ranked list of all candidates is obtained.
5. NIMSB reserves the right not to proceed with the hiring in the absence of candidate(s) with the appropriate profile.
X – Interview
The Selection Committee shall decide, at the first meeting, whether it is necessary to conduct an interview with all or some of the candidates.
The interview, which does not constitute a selection method and is not scored, aims to obtain clarifications regarding elements presented in the candidates’ curricula.
XI – Notifications and Hearing of Interested Parties
1. A prior hearing is conducted, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Code, for candidates who have not been admitted and for those who have been rejected on the basis of absolute merit.
2. The draft final ranking is notified to the candidates so that they may, if they wish, provide comments for the purpose of the prior hearing.
3. All candidates are notified of the ratification of the final decision of the Selection Committee.
4. Notifications are sent by email.
5. The selection process may be consulted by the candidates at the People & Culture Division of NIMSB, under the terms indicated in the relevant notification.
XII – Composition of the Selection Committee
The Selection Committee is composed of:
Chair:
António Alfredo Coelho Jacinto, Scientific Director of NIMSB, under delegated powers
Members:
Maria Cláudia Godinho Ferreira Dias Nunes dos Santos, Vice-Director for Research of the NIMSB
Stefan Kempa, Principal Investigator of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association
Philipp Mertins, Principal Investigator of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association
Pedro Moura Alves, Principal Investigator of the Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto
XIII – Data Protection
In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the data collected will be processed exclusively for the purpose of handling the application.
XIV – Publication of the Notice
The summary notice of this Call for Applications is published in the Diário da República and, on the first working day following its publication in the Diário da República, in a nationwide newspaper, and on the websites of NOVA and the NIMSB – Institute for Medical Systems Biology.
Where to apply
E-mail: nimsb.applications@unl.pt
Requirements
Research Field: Biological sciences » Biology
Education Level: PhD or equivalent
Languages: ENGLISH Level: Excellent
Additional Information
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: NIMSB - NOVA Institute for Medical Systems Biology
Country: Portugal
State/Province: Lisboa
City: Lisboa
Postal Code: 1400-038
Street: Avenida de Brasília 66 Lisboa 1200
Contact
State/Province: Lisboa
City: Lisboa
Website: https://www.unl.pt/
Street: Campus De Campolide 18
Postal Code: 1099-032 Lisboa
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