Job Information
- Organisation/Company: Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto
- Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Research Field: Chemistry » Other
- Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
- Positions: Master Positions
- Application Deadline: 28 Aug 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon)
- Country: Portugal
- Type of Contract: Not Applicable
- Job Status: Not Applicable
- Offer Starting Date: 15 Oct 2026
- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme
Offer Description
Call open for applications for one research grant Master’s Degree holder, enrolled in PhD or courses that do not confer academic degree, within the framework of project iChem4M (B9), with the reference NORTE2030-FEDER-02706400, financed by Northern Regional Programme 2021-2027 (Norte2030), under the following conditions:
Scientific Area: Science Education and Communication (Chemistry).
Admission requirements
- To have a Master’s degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry Teaching, Science Education, Science Communication, or other related fields within the Exact and Natural Sciences;
- To be enrolled in PhD Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Science Education, Science Communication, or other related fields within the Exact and Natural Sciences or in teaching and communication, or courses that do not confer academic degree.
Although the recipients must be enrolled in a cycle of studies leading to the attribution of an academic degree or in a course not conferring an academic degree, at the time of application it is not necessary for the candidate to have made such an enrollment, and proof of enrollment must be presented until thefellowship is contractualized. Candidates are only required to meet the requirements to enroll in the training offer. If there are candidates already enrolled (including attending a course), they compete on an equal footing with those who are not enrolled.
Note: In the case of masters who are enrolled in courses that do not confer academic degree, the research grant can only be awarded to those who do not exceed, with the signing of the research grant contract in question, including possible renewals, an accumulated period of two years in this type of grant, consecutive or interpolated.
Preferences Requirements: Preference will also be given to candidates with:
- An interest in or experience of topics related to critical raw materials, rare earths, environmental sustainability, the energy transition and the responsible use of resources;
- An interest in the education and communication of chemistry or other exact and natural sciences;
- An interest in topics related to materials, the environment, sustainability and the energy transition;
- An academic background with relevant training in Chemistry or other Exact and Natural Sciences;
- Published work(s) in a journal or the proceedings of a national or international conference in which qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis techniques have been used;
- Proven experience in using qualitative and quantitative data analysis software, such as NVivo and SPSS, amongst other data analysis programmes;
- Interest in developing citizen science projects, educational projects or science communication initiatives;
- Experience working with pupils at different educational levels, and experience interacting with teachers or educators and the general public;
- Experience and skills in the digital field, particularly in web content management and the development of data visualisation tools;
- Good spoken and written English.
Hiring Requirements: If the qualification has been granted by a foreign higher education institution, it will have to be recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution, pursuant to article 25 of Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of 16 August, which approves the regime legal recognition of academic degrees and diplomas in Higher Education, arising from foreign higher education institutions, and paragraph e) of paragraph 2 of article 4 of Decree-Law No. 60/2018, of August 3, all of which the formalities must be fulfilled there until the contracting act.
Activity Outline: As a Research Fellow, you will join the team working on the iChem4M project – Innovation in Chemistry for Critical Raw Materials, a multidisciplinary project led by CIQUP which aims to develop innovative and sustainable solutions for the utilisation of critical raw materials, in particular rare-earth elements. The project brings together research in chemistry, environmental sustainability and the energy transition, whilst promoting links between science, education and society. In this context, the successful grant holder will be part of Activity 5 – Education, Outreach and Social Engagement, helping to bring research findings closer to society through the development of educational resources, citizen science initiatives, digital tools and science communication activities aimed at schools, teachers and the general public. This activity aims to foster a critical understanding of the role of critical raw materials in the energy transition, bringing chemistry closer to society through innovative approaches to education, outreach and public engagement. The grant holder will therefore contribute to the execution of the tasks described below, which fall within the objectives set out in the project’s programme contract:
- A#5.1. Project website – Overseeing the development, updating and management of the project website, including the organisation of content, document repositories and the integration of the Citizen Science platform.
- A#5.2. Social representations and utopian visions of critical raw materials – Support in the design and implementation of a study into social representations and alternative futures relating to critical raw materials, using participatory methodologies, and collaboration in the preparation of reports and recommendations.
- A#5.3. Development of data visualisation tools – Support for the development of data visualisation tools, including infographics, maps, timelines and interactive graphics, aimed at different audiences.
- A#5.4. Citizen Science for public engagement – Planning, implementing and evaluating Citizen Science initiatives aimed at students, teachers and the general public, promoting the active involvement of society in the collection, sharing and analysis of data on critical raw materials. Organisation of educational activities, workshops in schools, museums and science centres, online forums and discussion sessions, as well as the production of outreach content and other co-creation activities, with a view to raising awareness of sustainability and the responsible use of critical raw materials.
- A#5.5. Evaluation and Dissemination – Participation in the evaluation of project activities, through the collection and analysis of information from internal and external participants. Preparation and submission of scientific articles to national and international journals. Presentation of the project’s results at scientific conferences and other forums to different audiences and organisations.
Legislation and regulations: Law no. 40/2004, updated by Decree-Law no. 123/2019, of 28 August (Statute of Scientific Research Grant Holder); Regulation no. 950/2019 of 16 December (Regulation of Research Grants of the Foundation for Science and Technology), in its current wording; Research Studentship Regulation of the University of Porto – approved by Regulation 582/2026, published in Diário da República, 2nd Series, no. 96, of 19 May and Decree-Law no. 66/2018 of 16 August (Legal Regime of Recognition of academic degrees and diplomas of Higher Education awarded by Foreign Higher Education Institutions).
Work place: The work will be developed in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP), under the guidance of Prof. Dra. Carla Susana Lopes Morais
Grant duration: Initial duration of 6 months, with beginning on 15/10/2026, eventually renewable up, but not exceeding the end date of the project (31/3/2028).
Maintenance allowance amount: The grant stipend amounts to 1359,64€ according to the table of values of the grants awarded directly by FCT, I.P. in the Country (https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores). The payment will be made by bank transfer.
Voluntary Social Insurance: As long as the grant lasts 6 months or more, and in compliance with the provisions of the current version of the Grant Holder Statute, the grant holder will be entitled to have FCUP support the costs resulting from the contributions that fall into the first of the tax brackets. The grant holder will be responsible for contributions beyond the first tax bracket, should the grant holder opt for a higher coverage.
Personal Accident Insurance: During the grant period, the grant holder will be covered by a personal accident insurance policy.
Selection procedure: The selection methods to be used are as follows:
-The mandatory selection method is the evaluation of scientific and curricular background.
-Evaluation Criteria (EC):
- A) Academic Qualifications – assessment of the grades obtained in the academic degrees for which candidates can provide proof of holding (25%);
- B) Published work(s) in a journal or the proceedings of a national or international conference (15%);
- C) Proven experience in using qualitative and quantitative data analysis software, such as NVivo and SPSS, amongst other data analysis software (15%);
- D) Proven experience in developing citizen science projects, educational projects or science communication initiatives (15%);
- E) Teaching experience with students at different educational levels and experience in interacting with teachers or educators and with the general public (15%);
- F) Experience and skills in the digital field, particularly in web content management and the development of data visualisation tools (15%).
The final classification (FC) will be obtained using the following formula:
FC=EC=A*25%+B*15%+C*15%+D*15%+E*15% +F*15%
The three highest-ranked candidates will be interviewed, during which their English language skills will be assessed. This will be weighted at 10% and CF will be calculated using the following formula:
FC=EC*90%+I*10%
The candidate who has a foreign academic degree or diploma whose final classification is expressed on a different classification scale from the Portuguese one or does not have a classification, for evaluation purposes, must present a document proving the recognition of the foreign degree or diploma and the conversion of the classification for the Portuguese classification scale until the closing date of applications for the competition.
If the documents attesting the degree submitted by the candidates do not present the final classification of the degree required in this notice with the respective grade converted to the Portuguese classification scale, the jury will consider, for evaluation purposes, that the candidate has the minimum classification (10 points) of a maximum of 20 points) required to obtain a degree in Portugal.
Candidates whose application has been assessed with a final classification less than 14 points are not eligible to sign the contract of the fellowship.
Selection committee:
- President – Doctor Carla Susana Lopes Morais, Assistant Professor with Habilitation, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (FCUP);
- 1.º member – Doctor João Carlos de Matos Paiva, Associate Professor with Habilitation, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (FCUP);
- 2.º member – Doctor Luciano José Santos Reis Moreira, Assistant Researcher, Faculty of Letters, University of Porto (FLUP);
- 1.º alternate member – Docutor Paulo Simeão de Oliveira Ferreira de Carvalho, Associate Professor, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (FCUP);
- 2.º alternate member – Doctor Maria de Fátima de Sousa Basto Vieira, Full Professor, Faculty of Letters, University of Porto (FLUP).
Advertisement of final decision: The final results of the evaluation will be published through a list ordered by final classification, sent to candidates by email. It is further informed that, pursuant to the provisions of articles 121 et seq. of the Code of Administrative Procedure, it has a legal period of 10 working days from the day immediately following the notification, to make a decision, if it so wishes. A complaint may be filed against this decision within 15 working days or, alternatively, an appeal may be filed within 30 working days, addressed to the Director of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, pursuant to article 191 et seq. of the Code of Administrative Procedure. The host entity may use the final ranking list to replace the selected grantee in case he/she gives up the position, up to one year.
Deadline for applications and form of presentation of the applications: The deadline for submitting applications will be 10 days from the date of publication of the Research Grant Announcement. Applications must be formalized, mandatorily, through the web page of Infociências of this opening, accompanied by the following documents:
- a) Motivation letter;
- b) Detailed Curriculum Vitae;
- c) Certificate of academic qualifications;
- d) Declaration of eligibility (attached);
- e) Other relevant documents;
- f) Certificate attesting to the level of English language proficiency;
- g) Up to three letters of recommendation, one is mandatory. The candidate should access to the link: https://info.fc.up.pt/fcup/recursos_humanos/cartas_recomendacao/index.php?f_id=1351, where he/she has to select the recruitment is applying, identify his/her name, email, identification number (citizen card or passport), and subsequently indicate the name(s) of the person(s), email address(es) of the persons that will write the recommendation letter. These persons will be notified by email, where a link will be sent to make the upload of the letter, by the end of the last day of application, 23:59 h - mainland Portugal time. The candidates will be notified when the letter has been submitted. The documents indicated in points a) to e) must be submitted in a single file in zip format on the tender page.
Supporting documents for the contract: At the time of signing the contract, the grant holder must provide the following documents:
- Biographic form;
- Photocopy of Passport and/or residency permit (if applicable);
- Photocopy of Portuguese IBAN/NIB;
- proof of enrolment in PhD in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Science Education, Science Communication, or other related fields within the Exact and Natural Sciences or in teaching and communication;
or
- proof of non-degree course; Proof document or statement duly signed by the institution's highest body that the course is provided for in the respective educational project and that it is developed in association or cooperation with at least one R&D unit (indicate which one(s) specifically); and Statutes of the entities that develop the course together with the higher education institution, in order to verify if they are considered R&D units, for the purposes of the provisions of article 16 of Decree-Law No. 63/2019, of May 16th;
- Foreign academic degree recognition (if applicable);
- Exclusivity declaration;
- Ciência ID and ORCID ID.
Commitment
In compliance with paragraph h) of Article 9 of the Constitution, the University of Porto, as an employer, actively promotes a policy of equal opportunities between men and women in access to employment and professional advancement, scrupulously avoiding any form of discrimination. In this spirit, terms such as “candidate,” “author,” or “teacher,” among others that refer to the people who apply for this recruitment tender are used as gender neutral.
In addition, no candidate may be privileged, benefited, impaired or deprived of any right or exempt from any duty on grounds of ancestry, age, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, origin or social status, 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.
The call is open from 17/08/2026 to 28/08/2026.
Where to apply
Website: https://info.fc.up.pt/fcup/pedidos/users/novo.php?f_id=1291&formulario=802
Requirements
Research Field: Chemistry » Biochemistry
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Research Field: Chemistry » Other
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Additional Information
Website for additional job details: https://sigarra.up.pt/fcup/pt/noticias_geral.ver_noticia?p_nr=141023
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available: 1
- Company/Institute: Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto
- Country: Portugal
- City: Porto
Contact
- City: Porto
- Website: https://sigarra.up.pt/fcup/pt/web_page.inicial
- Street: University of Porto – Pólo do Campo Alegre
This is a Preview Listing…
You must sign in to see the full job description, and to apply.
Manage / Upgrade this job to a Full Job Listing.
Find Your Best Opportunity
Tell them AcademicJobs.com sent you!
