Research Fellowship (BI) for MSc Student

Offer Description

1 (one) Research Fellowship (BI) for MSc Student

Ref.: 1406.5 – 1 BI EM MicroGenAI_LASIGE-SP-2025.08

1 Research Fellowship(s) (BI) is(are) open at the FCiências.ID – Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências, for the project/R&D institution “LASIGE”, “UID/408/2025”, funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P./MECI through national funds under the Strategic Funding 2025-29, under the following conditions:

1. Scientific Area: Computer Science and Engineering.
2. Admission requirements: Bachelor's degree in Biology with minor in Informatics.
3. Additional optional skills and qualifications: Previous experience in natural language processing, machine learning, text mining, and knowledge of biological domains such as plant-microbe interactions. Programming skills in Python, R, SQL or similar. Familiarity with large language models and ontologies.
4. Contracting requirements: Presentation of the academic qualifications and/or diplomas, if applicable. Enrolment in a Master's degree in Data Science.
5. Work plan: The primary objective is to develop and evaluate a prompt-engineered LLM pipeline for automated extraction of plant-microbe interactions related to drought stress tolerance in grapevine from scientific literature, integrated with biological ontologies. Secondary objectives include curating a domain-specific annotated corpus and identifying novel or under-explored microbial interactions as candidates for future validation.
6. Legislation framework: Research Fellowship Holder Statute, in accordance with Law 40/2004, of 18 August, in its current version and the FCT Regulation for Research Studentships and Fellowships, in its current version (Reg. 950/2019 published in DR on 16th December: https://dre.pt/application/file/a/127230968, or at the FCT website: https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/regulamento.phtml.pt), and FCiências.ID Fellowship Regulation, as approved on 12th May 2020 (available at Regulamento de Bolsas de Investigação Científica da FCiências.ID).
7. Place of work: The work will be developed at the LASIGE Computer Science and Engineering Research Centre, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, under the scientific supervision of Professor Francisco Couto (supervisor) and Professor Ana Margarida Fortes (co-supervisor).
8. Fellowship duration: This position is initially opened for 3 months due to start in December 2025. The fellowship contract may be potentially renewed for 3 months.
9. Monthly allowance: The fellowship amounts to € 1040,98, according to table values of the fellowships awarded directly by the FCT, IP. The fellowship holder will have a personal accident insurance and can ensure the right to social security through adherence to the voluntary social insurance scheme, if not covered by any other social protection scheme, pursuant to Código dos Regimes Contributivos do Sistema Previdencial de Segurança Social. The fellowship will be paid monthly by bank transfer.
10. Evaluation and selection process: Candidates will be assessed by CV (100%). Applicants whose application is scored with a final classification of less than 70 points are not eligible for granting a fellowship.
11. Selection Committee:
    • President – Ana Paula Afonso;
    • 1st Effective member – Vinícius Cogo;
    • 2nd Effective member – Diogo Soares;
    • 1st Alternate member – Márcia Barros;
    • 2nd Alternate member – Nuno Garcia.
12. Publication/notification of results: All the candidates will be notified by e-mail, sent by the call holder, with the selection meeting minutes enclosed.
13. Deadlines: This call for applications is open from 14/10/2025 to 27/10/2025.
14. Application: Applications should be sent via e-mail to lasige-candidaturas@listas.di.ciencias.ulisboa.pt, indicating - otherwise they will not be considered eligible - in the "Subject": Ref.: 1406.5 – 1 BI EM MicroGenAI_LASIGE-SP-2025.08, by attaching the following documents:
    a) Curriculum vitae;
    b) Certificate of completion of previous degree Note 1, 2;
    c) Other documents considered relevant.
15. Processing of personal data: FCiências.ID – Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências, as the controller under the General Data Protection Regulation, collects and processes the personal data requested in the context indicated in paragraph 14., under the legitimate interests in ensuring the award of the research fellowship to candidates with the indicated profile. The personal data will be kept for the period necessary for the execution of the purposes for which they are intended, being ensured the processing and protection in an appropriate and diligent way, the confidentiality and integrity of these data, through appropriate technical and organizational measures. Personal data may be transmitted to third parties, namely the entity funding the research project, solely for the purposes specifically established. In this sense, whenever the transfer of personal data to countries outside the European Union and/or international organizations is necessary, compliance with the applicable legal provisions is ensured. You have the right to request access, rectification, elimination, limitation of processing, the right to object and also data portability (if technically feasible), through the e-mail address: dpo@fciencias-id.pt. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the National Data Protection Commission. For more information, we recommend consulting the Internal Rules of Data Protection of FCiências.ID - Association for Research and Development of Sciences at https://fciencias-id.pt/.
16. Time limits for the appeal procedure: In case of negative decision, the candidates have 10 business days, after the date of announcement of the results of the candidates’ evaluation, to pronounce their disagreement in accordance with the Código do Procedimento Administrativo. Appeals against the final decision may be submitted to the Administration Board of FCiências.ID (fciencias.id@fciencias-id.pt) within 15 business days after the notification date.

Note 1: The documents that prove the entitlement of the academic qualifications and diplomas can be dismissed during the application period and replaced by a declaration on their honour from the applicant (Minuta PT, Minute EN). Their delivery is mandatory for the fellowship contractualization.

Note 2: Please note that - higher education degrees and diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions need to be recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution, pursuant to the Decree-Law nr. 66/2018 (August 16) and the Ministerial Order nr. 33/2019 (January 25). The presentation of the recognition certificate is mandatory for contract signature. More information can be obtained at: https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/pagina/degree-and-diploma-recognition.

Where to apply

E-mail: lasige-candidaturas@listas.di.ciencias.ulisboa.pt

Requirements

Research Field: Biological sciences » Other

Education Level: Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Additional Information

Website for additional job details:
https://ciencias.ulisboa.pt/servicosCake/servicoLogos/Concursos/verAnexo/13492
https://ciencias.ulisboa.pt/servicosCake/servicoLogos/Concursos/verAnexo/13493

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available: 1

Company/Institute: LASIGE Computer Science and Engineering Research Centre

Country: Portugal

State/Province: Lisboa

City: Lisboa

Postal Code: 1749-016

Street: Campus da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa

Contact

State/Province: Lisboa

City: Lisboa

Website: https://www.fciencias-id.pt

Street: Campus da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício C1, Piso 3

Postal Code: 1749-016

E-Mail: bolsas@fciencias-id.pt