Research Fellowship (BI)

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

Offer Description

A Research Fellowship (BI) (Reference REQUIMTE 2026-54) on the project “Upcycling shrimp waste into food-grade astaxanthin: a zero-waste approach towards a circular economy” (2024.17544.PEX), supported by national funds by FCT / MCTES, is available at REQUIMTE.

Main research field: Exact and Engineering Sciences and Natural and Environmental Sciences.

Admission requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Food Engineering, Biochemistry, Biotechnology or related fields, and enrolment in/attendance of a study cycle leading to a Master’s degree, or in a non-degree course provided by a higher education institution in conjunction with an R&D unit, in an area relevant to the work plan.

Where the Bachelor’s degree has been awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must comply with the provisions of Decree-Law No. 66/2018 of 16 August, and all formalities established therein must be completed by the date on which the fellowship contract is signed.

Working plan: The work to be carried out will be mainly integrated into WP2, WP3, WP4 and WP5 of the project. In particular, the activities to be developed within these WPs include: 1) development and optimisation of biorefinery processes for the valorisation of food industry waste and/or by-products; 2) characterisation and assessment of the quality and safety of compounds and extracts obtained through biorefinery processes; 3) development of microencapsulation and controlled-release systems; and 4) data processing and analysis, and preparation of scientific articles, reports and other technical and scientific documents. The fellowship holder may also participate in communication, dissemination and science outreach activities related to the project.

Applicable Legislation:

Law nº.40/2004, 18th August (Research Fellow Statute) amended and republished by Decreto-Lei n.º 123/2019, 28th August; FCT Regulation for Research Studentships and Fellowships (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/RBi_Republicado_2025.pdf).

Work Place: The work will be conducted at REQUIMTE/LAQV – CISA, ESS|P.PORTO, under the supervision of Professor Edgar Augusto da Costa Pinto.

Duration: The fellowship will have an initial duration of 3 months and may be renewed for further periods of equal duration, up to a maximum total duration of 9 months, starting on October 2026.

Monthly stipend:

Monthly stipend is €1.040,98 according to the stipends established by FCT, I.P. in Portugal (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tabela-de-Valores-SMM-2026.pdf). Payment will be made by bank transfer on a monthly basis. The successful candidate will also be entitled to the reimbursement of Social Security payments (Seguro Social Voluntário) and work insurance.

Selection criteria:

The following selection methods will be used:

A) Assessment of the curriculum vitae and suitability of the candidate’s profile for the work plan (80%)

1. Academic qualifications:
   1. Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Food Engineering, Biochemistry, Biotechnology or other related fields:
      1. Final degree classification ≥ 16/20 – 6 points
      2. Final degree classification ≥ 14/20 and < 16/20 – 5 points
      3. Final degree classification ≥ 12/20 and < 14/20 – 4 points
      4. Final degree classification < 12/20 – 3 points
2. Experience acquired in academic, professional or research settings in the following areas:
   1. Biorefinery, biomass valorisation and/or by-product valorisation – maximum of 3 points
      1. Relevant and documented practical experience acquired within a research project, internship, final degree project or professional activity – 3 points
      2. Limited practical experience in the area, namely through laboratory activities or participation in projects/assignments – 2 points
      3. Knowledge of or exposure to the area acquired exclusively through curricular units or training courses – 1 point
      4. No relevant experience or training in the area – 0 points
   2. Techniques for the extraction, separation and purification of bioactive compounds – maximum of 3 points
      1. Relevant and documented practical experience in the application of techniques for the extraction, separation and/or purification of bioactive compounds – 3 points
      2. Limited practical experience in the application of these techniques – 2 points
      3. Knowledge of or exposure to these techniques acquired exclusively through curricular units or training courses – 1 point
      4. No relevant experience or training in the area – 0 points
   3. Instrumental analytical methods, namely HPLC, GC, ICP-MS and/or LC-MS – maximum of 3 points
      1. Relevant and documented practical experience in the use of one or more of the instrumental analytical methods listed above, or other instrumental analytical methods relevant to the work plan – 3 points
      2. Limited practical experience in the use of one or more instrumental analytical methods – 2 points
      3. Knowledge of or exposure to instrumental analytical methods acquired exclusively through curricular units or training courses – 1 point
      4. No relevant experience or training in the area – 0 points
   4. Food quality and safety – maximum of 3 points
      1. Relevant and documented practical experience in food quality and/or food safety activities – 3 points
      2. Limited practical experience in activities related to food quality and/or food safety – 2 points
      3. Knowledge of or exposure to the area acquired exclusively through curricular units or training courses – 1 point
      4. No relevant experience or training in the area – 0 points
   5. Microencapsulation and/or other techniques for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds – maximum of 2 points
      1. Relevant and documented practical experience in microencapsulation and/or other techniques for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds – 2 points
      2. Knowledge, training or limited practical experience in microencapsulation and/or other encapsulation techniques – 1 point
      3. No relevant experience or training in the area – 0 point

B) Motivation letter (20%)

The motivation letter will be assessed on a scale of 0 to 20 points, taking into account the candidate’s motivation to undertake the proposed work plan, their knowledge of and interest in the scientific areas covered by the project, the relevance of their skills and experience to the planned activities, and the clarity and overall quality of the written presentation.

For the purposes of assessing the experience referred to under section 2 of criterion A), candidates must provide a sufficiently detailed description, in their curriculum vitae and/or motivation letter, of the activities undertaken that demonstrate their experience in the areas identified above. Where applicable, supporting documents may be submitted, including training certificates, statements, letters of recommendation or other relevant documentation. Experience acquired through final degree projects, curricular project units, curricular or extracurricular internships, activities carried out in companies or research and development (R&D) units, as well as participation in research projects, may be taken into consideration.

The score obtained in the first stage of the assessment will be calculated according to the following formula:

First-stage score = 0.80 × A + 0.20 × B

Where there are candidates whose first-stage score differs by no more than 10% from the score obtained by the highest-ranked candidate, the selection panel will interview the highest-ranked candidate and all other candidates falling within this range.

In such cases, the interview will be assessed on a scale of 0 to 20 points and will account for 25% of the final score, which will be calculated according to the following formula:

Final score = 0.75 × First-stage score + 0.25 × Interview score

The selection panel reserves the right not to award the fellowship if none of the candidates achieves a final score of at least 10 points on a scale of 0 to 20.

Jury composition:

Edgar Augusto da Costa Pinto, Adjunct Professor, ESS|P.PORTO (President),

Olga Maria da Silva Viegas, Auxiliar Professor, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences - University of Porto (vowel),

Maria Manuela Ramos Vieira, Coordinator Professor, ESS|P.PORTO (vowel),

Andreia Carina Martins Rebelo Gonçalves, Adjunct Professor, ESS|P.PORTO (substitute vowel)

Publicity and communication of results: The ranking of applications will be published at a visible and public area of REQUIMTE facilities, and all candidates will be informed by email about the result of their application.

Application:

The call for applications is open between 15/09/2026 and 28/09/2026.

The applications are formalized at the electronic address bolsas@iceta.up.pt, containing in the subject the reference to which the candidate is applying (Reference REQUIMTE 2026-54) with following documents in a digital form, in PDF format and will include Curriculum vitae, Motivation letter, Qualifications Certificate, and other documents deemed relevant.

Where to apply

E-mail: bolsas@iceta.up.pt

Requirements

• Research Field: Environmental science » Other
• Education Level: Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Additional Information

Work Location(s)

• Number of offers available: 1
• Company/Institute: REQUIMTE
• Country: Portugal
• Geofield

Contact

• City: Porto
• Website: https://www.requimte.pt/
• Street: Praça Coronel Pacheco, nº 15 6º andar
• Postal Code: 4050-453