Job Information
- Organisation/Company: ISPA, CRL
- Department: William James Center for Research
- Research Field: Psychological sciences » Psychology
- Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2)
- Positions: Master Positions
- Application Deadline: 29 Sep 2026 - 23:00 (Europe/Lisbon)
- Country: Portugal
- Type of Contract: Not Applicable
- Job Status: Not Applicable
- Offer Starting Date: 16 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 Award of 1 Research Fellowship (BI) for Students
Summary of the Call
A call for applications is open (reference CARES2care/021/BI/2026) for the award of 1 (one) Research Fellowship (BI) (as set out in Section 5 of the call) within the scope of the project “CARES2care – A Feasibility RCT to Reduce Parental Distress and Improve Children’s Glycemic Control in Type 1 Diabetes” (Project Reference: HC26-00026), through the William James Center for Research, funded by Fundação La Caixa.
1. Scientific Area
Psychology
2. Funding
Fundação La Caixa (Project Reference: HC26-00026).
3. Candidate Profile
Mandatory Requirements
a) Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Psychology (preferably in Clinical Psychology or Health Psychology), or an Integrated Master’s degree in Psychology, with a final grade of 15/20 or higher;
b) Candidates must be enrolled, or meet the requirements to enrol, in a PhD programme, or be enrolled in a programme that does not confer an academic degree;
c) Proficiency in written and spoken Portuguese and English.
Preferred Qualifications
- Good scientific writing skills;
- Experience in research projects related to the thematic area of the project/work plan (e.g., parenting, paediatric chronic illness, type 1 diabetes, psychological interventions in healthcare settings);
- Experience and knowledge in quantitative data analysis (SPSS and/or R) and in experimental/intervention research design;
- Experience or knowledge in qualitative data analysis (e.g., MAXQDA) and conducting interviews;
- Scientific publications in the scientific area of the project/work plan (Health Psychology, parenting, chronic illness);
- Interest in pursuing an academic career in the scientific area of the project (PhD in Health Psychology).
4. Mandatory Requirements for Admission to the Call
Eligible candidates must cumulatively meet the following requirements:
- Have completed their Master’s degree by the application submission deadline.
b) Submit the following documents as part of the application:
- Master’s degree certificate with final grade;
- If the candidate holds an Integrated Master’s degree awarded by institutions that do not issue certificates/diplomas specifying the final grades for the 1st cycle (Bachelor’s degree) and 2nd cycle (Master’s degree), they must also submit a certificate detailing the grades for each curricular unit (and corresponding ECTS credits) of the Integrated Master’s degree (as stated in Note 5 of Section 12 of this call).
- Detailed curriculum vitae (CV);
- Motivation Letter, in which the candidate is expected to explain the reasons for applying, as well as their future career plans (maximum 2 pages).
Only candidates who provide evidence that they have completed the study cycle leading to a Master’s degree by the end of the application deadline will be admitted.
If candidates do not yet have a certificate of completion, a declaration of honour stating that they have completed the qualifications required for the application and that the Master’s degree diploma/certificate will be dated within the admission period will be accepted.
The award of the fellowship is always conditional upon the submission of the mandatory proof of academic qualifications.
If the academic degree was awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must be recognised by a Portuguese higher education institution, and the final grade must be converted to the Portuguese grading scale, in accordance with Decree-Law No. 66/2018 of 16 August, which establishes the legal framework for the recognition of academic degrees and higher education diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions, and Article 4(2)(e) of Decree-Law No. 60/2018 of 3 August.
If the candidate has already applied for recognition but is awaiting the issuance of recognition of an academic degree awarded by a foreign higher education institution, they may submit a declaration of honour stating that recognition has been requested and that it will be dated within the application period.
Recognition of foreign academic degrees and diplomas, as well as conversion of the final grade to the Portuguese grading scale, may be requested from any Portuguese public higher education institution or from the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES) (only for automatic recognition).
For further information, please consult the DGES website: www.dges.gov.pt.
5. Requirements for the Execution of the Research Fellowship Agreement
The selected candidate must, at the date of execution of the research fellowship agreement, be enrolled in a PhD/Master’s programme or in a non-degree programme integrated into the educational programme of a higher education institution, developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units.
In the case of diplomas issued by foreign higher education institutions, and if the candidate submits a declaration of honour stating that they will obtain recognition of their academic degrees by the end of the application deadline, the candidate must, by the date of execution of the fellowship agreement, submit proof of recognition of their degree in Portugal, dated prior to the end of the application period, as indicated in Section 4 of this Call.
For the execution of the research fellowship agreement, it may also be necessary to submit a personal data form, Ciência ID, a copy of an identification document, and a declaration of exclusive dedication regarding the exercise of professional activities on a full-time/exclusive basis.
The submission of false declarations constitutes grounds for cancellation of the application, without prejudice to the adoption of other measures of a sanctioning nature.
6. Work Plan
The CARES2care project aims to assess the feasibility of a group-based psychological intervention for parents of children with type 1 diabetes using a mixed-methods methodology.
The fellowship holder will be involved in research activities related to the recruitment of participants for the group-based psychological intervention and the assessment of its feasibility.
Specifically, the fellowship holder may participate in:
- In-person recruitment of participants, in coordination with the paediatric/paediatric endocrinology teams of the partner hospitals (e.g., Hospital de Santa Maria and Hospital Dona Estefânia);
- Creation, structuring, and management of research databases;
- Conducting semi-structured interviews with participants, as part of the assessment of the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention;
- Quantitative (SPSS/R) and qualitative (MAXQDA) data analysis, including support in defining the analysis procedures;
- Organisation and participation in team meetings and scientific seminars within the scope of the project;
- Preparation of scientific articles and other dissemination outputs of the results.
7. Applicable Legislation and Regulations
Law No. 40/2004, of 18 August, as amended by Decree-Law No. 123/2019, of 28 August (Statute of the Scientific Research Fellow – EBI); Regulation No. 950/2019, of 29 November, published in the Diário da República No. 241, 2nd Series, of 16 December (Research Fellowship Regulations of the Foundation for Science and Technology currently in force – RBI); Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of 16 August (Legal Framework for the Recognition of Academic Degrees and Higher Education Diplomas Awarded by Foreign Higher Education Institutions); Regulations for Scientific Research Fellowships of ISPA – University Institute; and other applicable regulations.
8. Place of Work and Scientific Supervision
The fellowship agreement will be entered into with ISPA, CRL (contracting entity). The work will be carried out at the William James Center for Research (host institution), at ISPA – University Institute, and at other locations necessary for the implementation of the work plan (e.g., partner hospitals), under the scientific supervision of Prof. Tânia Brandão, PhD.
9. Duration of the Fellowship
The fellowship will have an expected duration of 6 months, potentially renewable for periods up to the maximum duration of the project, subject to the project budget and limited by the maximum period established for this type of fellowship under Article 6, paragraphs 4 and 5, of the Research Fellowship Regulations of the Foundation for Science and Technology.
The fellowship is expected to commence in October/November 2026.
10. Fellowship Amount and Other Benefits
The fellowship amount, for duties performed on an exclusive dedication basis, is €1,359.64, in accordance with the table of fellowship amounts awarded directly by FCT, I.P. in Portugal (FCT 2026 Fellowship Amounts Table), subject to any applicable updates. The amount will be paid monthly by bank transfer to the fellowship holder.
The fellowship holder will be covered by personal accident insurance and, if not covered by any social protection scheme, may exercise their right to social security by joining the voluntary social insurance scheme (Decree-Law No. 40/89, of 1 February; Article 10 of the EBI).
11. Submission of Applications
The call for applications will be open from 16th to 29th September 2026, until 11:00 p.m. (Lisbon time). Only applications submitted and received within the established deadline will be accepted.
Applications must be submitted by email to candidaturas.investigadores@ispa.pt, with a cc to tbrandao@ispa.pt, indicating the call reference CARES2care/021/BI/2026 in the “Subject” field.
Applications must be accompanied by the following documents (as indicated in Section 4):
a) Copy of the Master’s degree certificates/diplomas, including the final grade.
If the candidate holds an Integrated Master’s degree awarded by institutions that do not issue certificates/diplomas specifying the final grades for the 1st cycle (Bachelor’s degree) and 2nd cycle (Master’s degree), they must also submit a certificate detailing the grades obtained in each curricular unit (and the corresponding ECTS credits) of the Integrated Master’s degree (as stated in Note 5 of Section 12 of this call).
Where applicable, and in accordance with Section 4 of this call, recognition of the Bachelor’s degree is required if it was awarded by a foreign higher education institution, together with the corresponding conversion of the final grade to the Portuguese grading scale. Alternatively, a declaration of honour may be submitted stating that recognition has been requested, provided that the request is dated within the application period.
b) Detailed curriculum vitae.
c) Motivation letter explaining the reasons for applying, as well as future career plans (maximum 2 pages).
All documents must be submitted in PDF format.
Candidates may be excluded from admission to the call if their application is incorrectly submitted or if they fail to provide evidence of the requirements established in this call.
False statements made by candidates shall be punishable by law.
12. Evaluation Criteria and Selection Methodology
The selection process will be conducted according to the following selection criteria.
Applications will be evaluated and candidates selected based on an assessment of their curriculum vitae and an interview.
12.1. Curricular Evaluation
The evaluation process consists of two successive phases:
Phase 1 – Assessment of the candidate’s merit based on the documents submitted; and Phase 2 – Interview.
Phase 1 will assess the candidate’s merit according to the following criteria, each with the weighting indicated:
Criterion A: Academic qualifications, based on the final grade indicated on the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree certificate/diploma, or Integrated Master’s degree (20%);
Criterion B: Previous experience in intervention/research activities in the scientific area of the project/work plan (65%);
Criterion C: Motivation and interest in the field, based on the candidate’s motivation letter (15%).
Applications (and the corresponding evaluation criteria) will be assessed, and candidates will be graded and ranked on a scale of 0.00 to 20.00 points.
The final Phase 1 score will be calculated according to the following formula:
Phase 1 = (Criterion A × 20%) + (Criterion B × 65%) + (Criterion C × 15%)
Phase 2
The three candidates with the highest scores in Phase 1, ranked in descending order of their scores, will be admitted to Phase 2 – Interview.
The interview aims to further assess the following: the candidate’s motivation; the candidate’s knowledge of the information provided in the motivation letter and CV, particularly their theoretical and methodological knowledge of the thematic area of the project/work plan; project management skills; communication skills, including proficiency in English; and other dimensions, such as professional attitude and prosocial behaviour.
Each criterion will be assessed by the members of the Evaluation Committee on a scale of 0.00 to 20.00 points.
The final score of candidates admitted to Phase 2 will be calculated according to the following formula:
Final Score = (Phase 1 × 50%) + (Phase 2 × 50%)
In the event of a tie, candidates will be ranked based on the scores obtained for each evaluation criterion, according to the following order of precedence: Phase 2 – Interview; Phase 1 – B) previous experience demonstrated in the candidate’s CV; A) Academic qualifications; and C) Motivation letter.
If none of the candidates demonstrates the appropriate and/or necessary skills and competencies for the position and the corresponding work plan, even if they meet the admission requirements, the Evaluation Committee reserves the right not to award the fellowship agreement.
Note regarding the assessment of Criterion A in Phase 1
1 – The final Bachelor’s + Master’s average grade in a pre- or post-Bologna study programme is calculated as the simple arithmetic mean of the final grade obtained in the 1st cycle (Bachelor’s degree) and the final grade obtained in the 2nd cycle (Master’s degree).
2 – In the case of Integrated Master’s degrees awarded by institutions that do not issue certificates specifying the final grades for the 1st and 2nd cycles, the final grade indicated on the degree certificate upon completion of the study programme shall be considered.
3 – If an Integrated Master’s certificate and a pre-Bologna Master’s degree or 2nd-cycle Master’s degree are submitted, the final grade of the Integrated Master’s degree shall be considered.
4 – If more than one equivalent Master’s or Integrated Master’s degree certificate is submitted (with an equivalent number of ECTS credits), the Evaluation Committee shall decide which academic degree(s) are most appropriate to the work plan to be carried out and should therefore be considered for the purposes of Criterion A. Other degrees may be taken into account for the assessment of Criterion B.
5 – The Evaluation Committee shall consider that the candidate has the minimum grade (10 points out of a maximum of 20), required for the award of an academic degree in Portugal, when supporting documents for a degree issued by national higher education institutions do not indicate the final grade.
6 – The Evaluation Committee shall consider the minimum grade (10 points out of a maximum of 20), required for the award of an academic degree in Portugal, where a declaration of honour is submitted confirming the completion and award of the Master’s degree by the end of the application period (as indicated in Section 4 of this call).
7 – For evaluation purposes, the Evaluation Committee shall consider that the candidate has the minimum grade (10 points out of a maximum of 20) required for the award of an academic degree in Portugal when the degree documents issued by foreign higher education institutions submitted by the candidate have not been recognised in Portugal and/or their final grade has not been converted to the Portuguese grading scale (as indicated in Section 4 of this call).
If none of the candidates demonstrates the appropriate and/or necessary skills and competencies for the position and the corresponding work plan, despite meeting all admission requirements, the Evaluation Committee reserves the right not to award the fellowship agreement.
13. Composition of the Examination Committee
- Chair: Prof. Tânia Brandão, PhD, Assistant Professor at ISPA – University Institute, integrated member of the William James Center for Research;
- Full Member: Prof. Filipa Pimenta, PhD, Assistant Professor at ISPA – University Institute, integrated member of the William James Center for Research;
- Full Member: Prof. Miguel Basto Pereira, PhD, Assistant Professor at ISPA – University Institute, integrated member of the William James Center for Research;
- Alternate Member: Prof. Eva Diniz, PhD, Assistant Professor at ISPA – University Institute, integrated member of the William James Center for Research;
- Alternate Member: Prof. Raquel Lemos, PhD, Assistant Professor at ISPA – University Institute, integrated member of the William James Center for Research.
14. Communication of Results
All candidates will be notified of the minutes concerning the application assessment process by email, sent to the email address provided for this purpose, with confirmation of delivery.
Notifications shall be made by email, in accordance with Article 112(1)(c) and Article 113(5) of the Code of Administrative Procedure (CPA).
15. Deadlines and Procedures for Prior Hearing, Complaints and Appeals
Following notification of the provisional list of results, candidates shall have a period of 10 working days to submit their comments during the prior hearing procedure, pursuant to Articles 121 et seq. of the Administrative Procedure Code.
The final decision shall be issued after consideration of the comments submitted during the prior hearing procedure.
Following notification of this decision, the selected candidate shall have 10 working days to accept, in writing, the awarded fellowship. Failure to do so, unless a valid reason is invoked within the aforementioned period, shall be deemed to constitute a waiver or withdrawal from the fellowship.
The final decision may be challenged by means of a complaint within 15 working days, or by appeal to the highest executive body of the funding entity within 30 working days, both periods being counted from the date of notification of the decision.
Should the selected candidate waive the fellowship or withdraw their intention to accept it, the Selection Panel may notify and award the fellowship to the candidate(s) ranked in the subsequent position(s), where applicable, and in accordance with the final ranking list.
16. Model Research Fellowship Agreement and Final Report to be Prepared by the Fellow and the Supervisor
The model research fellowship agreement, as well as the model final report to be prepared by the research fellow and the supervisor, together with the respective assessment criteria, may be consulted in the Regulations for Scientific Research Fellowships of ISPA – Instituto Universitário.
(Annexes 2, 3, 4 and 5) available at:
ISPA – Regulations for Scientific Research Fellowships
17. Publication of the Call for Applications
This call for applications shall be published:
a) On the EURAXESS platform, in Portuguese and English;
b) On the ISPA website, in Portuguese and English;
c) On ISPA’s social media platforms.
18. Non-Discrimination and Equal Access Policy
ISPA actively promotes a policy of gender equality, diversity and inclusion, taking all necessary measures to prevent any form of discrimination.
Accordingly, terms such as “candidate*”, “researcher*”, “PhD holder*”, and other similar terms used in this document are not intended to indicate the gender of individuals.
Pursuant to Decree-Law No. 29/2001 of 3 February, candidates with disabilities shall be given preference in the event of equal scores, with this preference taking precedence over any other legal preference.
Candidates must declare, in the application form and under a declaration of honour, their degree of disability, type of disability, and the means of communication/expression to be used during the selection process, in accordance with the aforementioned legislation.
19. Personal Data Protection
As part of the application, candidates provide the information and the necessary consent for the processing of their personal data at the time of application, strictly for the purpose of collecting and incorporating such data into the database of the recruitment procedure and for the duration of the procedure, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The documents submitted as part of this recruitment procedure constitute administrative documents. Consequently, access to such documents shall be provided in accordance with Law No. 26/2016 of 22 August, as currently in force.
Where to apply
E-mail: candidaturas.investigadores@ispa.pt
Requirements
- Research Field: Psychological sciences » Psychology
- Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
- Languages: PORTUGUESE — Level: Excellent
- Languages: ENGLISH — Level: Excellent
Additional Information
Benefits
link edital português: Edital__CARES2care_021_BI_2026_FINAL_PT.pdf
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available: 1
- Company/Institute: Ispa
- Country: Portugal
- State/Province: Lisbon
- City: Lisboa
- Postal Code: 1149-041
- Street: Rua jardim do tabaco nº 34
Contact
- State/Province: Lisbon
- City: Lisbon
- Website: http://www.ispa.pt/
- Street: Rua Jardim do Tabaco, nº 34
- Postal Code: 1149-041
- E-Mail: candidaturas.investigadores@ispa.pt
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