CALL FOR APPLICATION FOR A RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP

Offer Description

CALL FOR APPLICATION FOR A RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP

Refª: INSPIRE – BI-1

Portuguese version

A call for tenders is now open for the attribution of one Research Scholarship within the scope of the Project INSPIRE: INnovative Supercritical fluid bioreactor Platform for Insulin-producing β-cells REengineering and Therapy financed by the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, under the following conditions, set out below.

Scientific area: Biomedical Engineering

Admission requirements

General requirements:

Candidates for the Research Grant must, at the time of application, be enrolled or present a formal commitment to enroll in a doctoral program (Ph.D.) in Biotechnology - Biomedical Science and Engineering or a related field

Candidates for the Research grant must hold a Master degree in Biomedical Engineering, or related areas.

Specific requirements:

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

• Biomaterials
• Polymer chemistry
• Cell culture

Preferred Factors:

Will be considered preferred factors:

• Nanoparticle development and characterization
• Metabolic in vitro assays
• scientific communication in English.
• Availability to spend periods abroad

Work Plan

1. Literature review on emerging β-cell therapies
2. Establishment of a human β-cell in vitro model
3. Development of a novel pancreatic ECM-based particulate system
4. Integration of the pancreatic ECM particulate system into a β-cell delivery vehicle
5. In vitro evaluation of selected β-cell vehicles for β-cell delivery survival and function

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 Ana Leite Oliveira and Sara Amorim.

Duration of the scholarship

The scholarship granted on an exclusivity basis shall have an initial duration of 12 months, with an expected start date of December 1, 2026. Any renewals may not exceed the maximum duration limit of 34 months, nor go beyond the project's completion date (scheduled for June 30, 2029). The scholarship will automatically terminate upon the effective closure of the project, should this occur before the maximum duration period has elapsed.

Monthly maintenance allowance amount

The amount of the scholarship corresponds to 1 359,64€. according to the research scholarship values awarded directly by FCT, I.P. in the Country (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tabela-de-Valores-SMM-2026.pdf) and will be paid by bank transfer.

Selection methods

The selection methods to be used will be the following: i) curriculum evaluation (50%); ii) previous experience (50%). If necessary, the 3 best positioned candidates may be interviewed, and in this situation, the weighting will be curricular evaluation (30).; ii) previous experience (20) and selection interview (50).

Only candidates with a final classification equal to or greater than 75 points, 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: Ana Leite Oliveira, Effective Members: Sara Amorim and Viviana Ribeiro. Substitute Jury: Beatriz Bernardes.

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 October 20, 2026 until November 2, 2026. (until 5 pm, Lisbon time).

Applications are formalized by completing the Application Form https://hr-ucpporto.inqueritos.porto.ucp.pt/118662?lang=en

It will be necessary to submit the following documents:

1. Cover letter, identifying the title and reference of the project, describe the motivation and professional objectives of the candidate.
2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae (should contain all the elements to assess the admission requirements, including language knowledge and research experience).
3. Copy of the certificate(s) of qualifications conferring academic degree in the terms requested in the notice, which contain the final classifications.
4. Registration of recognition of the academic degree awarded by a foreign higher education institution, preferably with the registration of the conversion of the respective final classification to the Portuguese classification scale to guarantee eligibility in this call for application.
5. Proof of registration or letter with the commitment to register/enroll in a degree-awarding study cycle under the terms already described in this notice.

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:

1. Copy of the ID/Passport document and Tax identification document(s);
2. Copy of all academic degree certificates;
3. Document of the registration of recognition of foreign academic degrees;
4. Proof of registration in the course conferring the academic degree identified in this Notice.

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.

Where to apply

Website: https://hr-ucpporto.inqueritos.porto.ucp.pt/118662?lang=en

Requirements

• Research Field: Engineering » Biomedical engineering
• Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Additional Information

Work Location(s)

• Number of offers available: 1
• Company/Institute: Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Centro Regional do Porto
• Country: Portugal

Contact

• City: Porto
• Website: http://www.porto.ucp.pt/
• Street: Rua Diogo Botelho, 1327
• Postal Code: 4169-005

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. 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

2. The contracting of the research scholarship requires the candidate to provide enrollment in the degree-awarding course required in this notice. If the document is not presented within a maximum period of 30 days (in a row), counting from the date of communication of the selection to the candidate, the Jury Panel will have the power to disqualify the application due to failure to present the registration within the aforementioned period.

   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.