Research Assistant

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

NOTICE OF OPENING OF AN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVE SELECTION PROCEDURE FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF ONE RESEARCH ASSISTANT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT HEALTH-UNORTE II (REF. NORTE2030-FEDER-01786400), UNDER A FIXED-TERM EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT UNDER PRIVATE LAW, BEING CARRIED OUT AT THE FACULTY OF MEDICINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTO (FMUP) – INVTERM-FMUP-26-20

By order of the Deputy Director of FMUP, Professor Filipa Abreu Gomes de Carvalho, dated 9 October 2026, issued in the exercise of the powers delegated under sub-paragraph (iii) of point 1.1 of Order no. 9857/2026, published in the Official Gazette (Diário da República), 2nd Series, no. 150, of 5 August 2026, public notice is hereby given that this international competitive selection procedure is open for a period of 10 (ten) working days, counting from the working day following the publication of this notice in the Official Gazette (Diário da República), pursuant to the Regulation on Research, Science and Technology Staff of the University of Porto under Private Law, Regulation no. 849/2026, published in the Official Gazette (Diário da República), 2nd Series, no. 129, of 7 July 2026 (hereinafter the "Regulation"), with a view to the recruitment of one Research Assistant under an individual fixed-term employment contract, for a maximum period of two years, non-renewable, to carry out research activities in the scientific area of Biomedical Sciences and related areas, within the scope of the project HEALTH-UNORTE II – Promoção da Saúde_Unorte: integrated approaches to prevent, monitor and treat cardiovascular, neurological and infectious diseases and cancer (Ref. NORTE2030-FEDER-01786400), co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the North Regional Programme 2021-2027 (NORTE 2030), under Portugal 2030, being carried out at FMUP.

1. Scientific Area: Biomedical Sciences and related areas.

2. Applicable legislation:

The competition and the resulting recruitment are governed by the provisions of the following main legislation:

• Regulation on Research, Science and Technology Staff of the University of Porto under Private Law, Regulation no. 849/2026, published in the Official Gazette (Diário da República), 2nd Series, no. 129, of 7 July 2026, as currently in force, hereinafter the Regulation;
• Decree-Law no. 63/2019, of 16 May, approving the Legal Framework for Institutions Engaged in Scientific Research and Development, published in the Official Gazette (Diário da República), 1st Series, no. 94, of 16 May 2019;
• Disciplinary and scientific areas of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, republished by Order no. 7793/2022, of 1 June, published in the Official Gazette (Diário da República), 2nd Series, no. 121, of 24 June 2022, as rectified by Rectification Statement no. 450/2023, published in the Official Gazette (Diário da República), 2nd Series, no. 117, of 19 June 2023;
• Law no. 73-A/2025, of 30 December, approving the State Budget for 2026;

and by the following subsidiary legislation:

• Labour Code, approved by Law no. 7/2009, of 12 February, as amended, hereinafter the CT;
• Code of Administrative Procedure, approved by Decree-Law no. 4/2015, of 7 January, as amended, hereinafter the CPA;
• Law no. 26/2019, of 28 March, establishing the regime of balanced representation between men and women in senior management staff and in the bodies of the Public Administration;
• Order defining the regime of balanced representation in the appointment of the non-elected collegial bodies of FMUP, of 2 August 2023.

3. Admission requirements:

3.1. General admission requirements:

The competition is open to national, foreign and stateless candidates holding a Master's degree in the scientific areas of Health Sciences, Biological Sciences, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Biomedicine or their related areas, who demonstrate a profile suited to the activities to be carried out, pursuant to Article 17(3) of the Regulation and in accordance with point 8 of this Notice.

3.2. Specific admission requirements:

For the purpose of determining the profile suited to the activity to be carried out, the following are specific requirements:

1. Proven practical laboratory experience in the processing and fractionation of human biological samples (blood, plasma, serum and tissues) in a Biobank or biomedical research laboratory setting;
2. Experience in the technical execution of high-throughput protocols, namely in sample preparation for sequencing (RNA/DNA), proteomics or metabolomics;
3. Knowledge of IT tools for the entry, organisation and quality control of clinical and molecular metadata.

3.3. Failure to provide proof of the requirements set out in points 3.1 and 3.2 shall result in the exclusion of the application.

4. Preferred selection criteria:

1. Experience in the technical operation of automated pipetting systems, laboratory robotics or cryopreservation;
2. Experience in applying Biobank Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and in handling laboratory information management systems (LIMS);
3. Experience in basic and intermediate molecular biology techniques (nucleic acid extraction, qPCR, Western Blot) and tissue histology;
4. Knowledge of or initial experience in the use of programming languages (R or Python) for the handling and cleaning of biomedical data matrices;
5. Previous participation in research teams integrated in funded projects (national or European) in the cardiovascular or cerebrovascular areas.

5. Remuneration:

5.1. The gross monthly base salary corresponds to the 2nd remuneration position, level 2, of Annex I to the Regulation, in the amount of €2,245.48 (two thousand, two hundred and forty-five euros and forty-eight cents), pursuant to Annex II to the Regulation, plus the meal allowance.

5.2. The Research Assistant works on a full-time basis, corresponding to 35 (thirty-five) working hours per week, pursuant to Article 43(7) of and Annex I to the Regulation.

6. Place of work:

The place of work is located on the premises of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto or at other locations as may be necessary for the performance of duties, with the Research Assistant being assigned to the Research and Development Unit RISE-Health, based at FMUP.

7. Contractual regime:

The Research Assistant will be recruited under a fixed-term employment contract under private law, pursuant to the Labour Code, as amended, for a maximum period of two years, non-renewable, on the grounds of the performance of a specific, precisely defined and non-permanent task, under the supervision of a PhD holder researcher, pursuant to Article 17(2) and (5) of the Regulation. The contract shall remain in force only for the period necessary to carry out the tasks defined in point 8 and may not exceed the duration and budgetary availability limits of the project identified above, which frames the recruitment.

8. Activities to be carried out:

8.1. Pursuant to Article 17(2) of the Regulation, the Research Assistant shall participate in, develop and carry out research and development projects, under the supervision of a PhD holder researcher.

8.2. In particular, within the scope of this project, the Research Assistant shall carry out research and technical support activities, namely:

1. Receiving, processing, aliquoting and securely storing tissue and fluid biological samples in the Biobank, in strict compliance with quality control and safety protocols;
2. Preparing and submitting sample batches for high-throughput omics analyses (sequencing, mass spectrometry and metabolomics), ensuring the traceability and integrity of the biological material;
3. Ensuring the recording, updating and organisation of the Biobank's digital metadata database, linking the clinical and molecular data of the cohorts in pseudonymised form;
4. Supporting the logistical and analytical component of projects integrated in Axis 4, including the circuit of samples associated with clinical trials and longitudinal studies;
5. Collaborating in the preparation of technical reports on laboratory activity and assisting the team in compiling data for scientific publications.

9. Composition of the Selection Panel:

In accordance with Article 22(1)(g) and Article 25(4) and (5) of the Regulation, the Selection Panel is composed as follows:

Chair of the Selection Panel:

Professor Fernando Carlos de Landér Schmitt, Full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, in his capacity as Principal Investigator of the project that frames and funds the contract, by delegation of the Director of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, pursuant to Article 25(5) of the Regulation, conferred by Order no. 12602/2026, published in the Official Gazette (Diário da República), 2nd Series, no. 200, of 15 October.

Members of the Selection Panel:

1st full member: Dr. António de Sousa Barros, Assistant Researcher at FMUP

2nd full member: Professor Inês Maria Falcão Sousa Pires Marques, Full Professor at FMUP

1st substitute member: Dr. Rita Henriques Pinto de Barros, Assistant Researcher at FMUP

2nd substitute member: Dr. Fábio Jorge Sousa Trindade, Assistant Researcher, FMUP

10. Selection method:

Pursuant to Article 29(1) of the Regulation, the sole selection method is the Assessment of the Scientific and Curricular Path of the candidates (APCC) – 100%.

11. Assessment of the Scientific and Curricular Path (APCC):

11.1. The assessment of the scientific and curricular path takes into account the profile suited to the activity to be carried out and focuses on the relevance, quality and timeliness of the following criteria, which must be considered and weighted separately, pursuant to Article 31(1) of the Regulation:

1. The scientific and professional path, namely professional research experience in the scientific area or areas of the competition;
2. Scientific and technological output in the area(s) for which the competition is opened, and applied or practice-based research activities;
3. Knowledge extension and dissemination activities, management of science, technology and innovation programmes, or experience in the observation and monitoring of the scientific and technological system.

11.2. In accordance with Article 31(2)(b) of the Regulation, the assessment of these criteria does not adopt purely quantitative procedures based on indicators, on the counting of publications or on their impact factors.

11.3. The components, parameters and weightings of the Assessment of the Scientific and Curricular Path (APCC) are detailed below:

A. Criterion for the assessment of the Scientific and Professional Path (PCP) (7%):

A1. Professional path and practical laboratory and technical experience in the area of the competition, namely in the operation of high-throughput platforms and in the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) (7%).

B. Criteria for the assessment of the Scientific and Technological Output (PCT) (90%):

B1. Quality and relevance of the scientific and technological output, namely the Master's dissertation, academic work and publications (15%);

B2. Development or optimisation of protocols in specific laboratory techniques relevant to the duties to be performed in the project (35%);

B3. Participation in research projects in the area of the competition, with additional value given to multi-institutional and/or international projects (40%).

C. Criterion for the assessment of Knowledge Extension and Dissemination Activities (AEDC) (3%):

C1. Participation in scientific and technological dissemination events in the scientific area of the competition (3%).

11.4. The final APCC score is obtained using the following formula: APCC = (A1 × 0.07) + (B1 × 0.15) + (B2 × 0.35) + (B3 × 0.4) + (C1 × 0.03).

12. Final score:

The final score (CF) of the candidates is expressed on a scale of 0 to 100 points and is determined by the following formula: CF = APCC.

In the event of a tie in the final score, the candidate with the higher score in criterion B of the Assessment of the Scientific and Curricular Path shall prevail; should the tie persist, the Chair of the Selection Panel shall have the casting vote, pursuant to Article 27(7)(b) and Article 32(3) of the Regulation.

13. Scoring of the selection methods:

Pursuant to Article 34 of the Regulation, each member of the Selection Panel assesses the scientific and curricular path on a scale of 0 to 100 points, scored to two decimal places.

14. Assessment methodology and decisions of the Selection Panel:

The methodology for ranking the applications, the voting rules and the drawing up of the respective minutes are governed by Articles 27 (Decisions of the Selection Panel) and 32 (Ranking of candidates – Assessment of the scientific and curricular path) of the Regulation, to which reference is hereby made.

15. Submission of applications:

15.1. Applications must be submitted by 2nd November 2026, until 11:59 p.m. (mainland Portugal local time), within the period of 10 working days, pursuant to Article 24 of the Regulation.

15.2. Applications must be submitted on the U.Porto recruitment platform, APPLY UP: https://app.apply.up.pt – Ref. INVTERM-FMUP-26-20.

15.3. Applications must be accompanied by documents proving the conditions set out in this Notice of Opening, namely:

1. Copy of the certificate or diploma of the Master's degree;
2. Curriculum Vitae, detailed, in Portuguese or English, containing all information relevant to the assessment of the application and to demonstrating compliance with the criteria set out in points 3 and 4 of this Notice, organised according to the APCC criteria set out in point 11;
3. Cover letter, containing:
   1. motivation for the position;
   2. most relevant scientific activities, in accordance with point 11 of this Notice;
   3. availability to take up duties.
4. Supporting documents deemed relevant for verifying the eligibility of the application and documents which the candidate considers relevant for the assessment of their merit, namely proof of scientific skills, scientific and technological output, research activities, participation in projects and publications.

15.4. Failure to submit the documents referred to in points 15.3(a) to (d) shall result in the exclusion of the application.

15.5. Whenever it deems necessary, the Selection Panel may request candidates to submit additional documentation related to the curriculum submitted, pursuant to Article 26(2)(a) of the Regulation.

16. Notifications and prior hearing of interested parties:

16.1. Notifications are made by publication on the APPLY UP electronic platform, pursuant to Article 112(1)(c) of the CPA, taking effect pursuant to Article 113(5) of the CPA, and pursuant to Article 22(1)(i) of the Regulation.

16.2. Candidates have a period of 10 working days to submit, should they so wish, their observations within the prior hearing of interested parties, under Articles 121 et seq. of the CPA and Article 35 of the Regulation, on the APPLY UP electronic platform.

17. Period of validity:

This selection procedure is valid exclusively for filling the position(s) under competition and expires once the position(s) has/have been filled. In the event of refusal, withdrawal or impossibility of recruiting the selected candidate, pursuant to Article 37(4) of Regulation no. 849/2026, the next candidates on the final ranking list may be called for the same position.

18. Other provisions:

FMUP actively promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, pursuant to Article 1(3) of the Regulation and Law no. 26/2019, of 28 March. Accordingly, no application may be privileged, favoured, disadvantaged, deprived of any right or exempted from any duty on the grounds of, namely, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, 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 trade union membership.

19. Approval of the Notice of Opening:

This Call was approved by the Deputy Director of FMUP, Professor Filipa Abreu Gomes de Carvalho, under the powers delegated by sub-paragraph iii) of paragraph 1.1 of Order (Despacho) No. 9857/2026, published in the Official Gazette (Diário da República), 2nd series, No. 150, of 5 August 2026, following a favourable opinion of the FMUP Scientific Council, issued at its meeting of 16 September 2026, pursuant to Article 21(3) of the Regulation. The amendments subsequently introduced were endorsed by the members of the Scientific Council on 7 October 2026.

This notice is a translation of the original Portuguese version. In the event of any discrepancy between the Portuguese and English versions, the Portuguese version shall prevail.

Porto, 19th October 2026

The Deputy Director of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto,

Professor Filipa Abreu Gomes de Carvalho.

Footnote 1: The Portuguese acronyms used for the selection methods, assessment criteria and final score (e.g. APCC, ENT, PCP, PCT, AEDC and CF) have been retained in this English version so that the formulas are identical in both language versions.

Footnote 2: If the degree was awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must be recognised by a Portuguese higher education institution, pursuant to Article 25 of Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of 16 August, which approves 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; any formalities established therein must be completed by the date of the act of recruitment.

Where to apply

Website: https://sigarra.up.pt/fmup/pt/noticias_geral.ver_noticia?p_nr=118943

Requirements

Research Field: Medical sciences » Health sciences

Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available: 1

Company/Institute: Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP)

Country: Portugal

State/Province: Porto

City: Porto

Postal Code: 4200-319

Street: Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro

Contact

City: Porto

Website: https://med.up.pt/

Street: Alameda Professor Hernani Monteiro

Postal Code: 4200 - 319