FFUP | 1 (ONE) RESEARCH GRANT | I4HB LA/P/0140/2020 | (Ref. 2025/8, n.º87)

5 Mar 2025
Job Information

Organisation/Company

University of Porto

Department

Human Resources Department

Research Field

Pharmacological sciences

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Positions

Master Positions

Country

Portugal

Application Deadline

19 Mar 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

35

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

 

Notice FOR applications for 1 (ONE) RESEARCH STUDENTSHIP (BI), UNDER THE COMPLEMENTARY FUNDING PROGRAM CONTRACT 2021-2025 OF THE ASSOCIATED LABORATORY INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH AND BIOECONOMY - I4HB (REFERENCE LA/P/0140/2020), ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, I.P. (FCT), AND THE APPLIED BIOMOLECULAR SCIENCES UNIT/FACULTY OF PHARMACY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTO (UCIBIO/FFUP)

 

This call is open for the award of 1 (one) Research Grant (BI), for a master enrolled in a non-degree course, to carry out R&D activities within the scope of the complementary financing program contract 2021-2025 of the Associated Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy - i4HB, reference LA/P/0140/2020, established between FCT and the UCIBIO-FFUP, financed by national funds through the budget of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), ongoing at the Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmaceutical Technology Laboratory of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto, under the following conditions:

 

1.Research area/s: Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Nanotechnology.

 

2. Admission requirements:

To apply for the research studentship, applicants must comply with the following requirements, for which documentary evidence must be provided:

Master’s degree in the area of Pharmaceutical Sciences[1] ;

To be a student enrolled in a non-degree course as part of the educational project of a higher education institution, developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units - a requirement to be duly proven at the time of hiring2.

 

3. Preferred requirements:

a) Experience in the areas of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology;

b) Experience in the synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles and in the preparation of lipid nanoparticles and other types of nanosystems intended for the treatment of glioblastoma;

c) Experience in nanoparticles functionalization techniques and other active drug targeting techniques;

d) Experience in specific techniques for characterizing nanoparticles and other modified drug delivery systems (e.g. high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), particle size assessment (laser diffractometry (LD) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS)), release assays, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheology, texture, cytotoxicity and cell viability assays.

 

4. Work Plan: 

4.1. The purpose of this contract is to perform the following tasks:

a) Preparation and functionalization of nanoparticles capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier;

b) Characterization and optimization of functionalized nanoparticles;

c) Encapsulation of a compound with anti-glioblastoma activity in functionalized nanoparticles and their respective characterization;

d) Development of an in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier and evaluation of nanoparticles permeability.

4.2. When the academic degree or diploma is awarded during the term of the studentship contracts, the studentship may continue as long as the activities provided for in the work plan have not been completed and under the terms specifically provided for in the call for applications and in the contract, in accordance with Article 10(6) of the University of Porto's Research Studentship Regulation.

 

5. Applicable Legislation and Regulations: 

The call for applications and the respective award of the studentship are governed by the provisions of the University of Porto's Research Studentship  Regulation - approved by Regulation no. 184/2021, published in Diário da República, 2.ª Série, n. 43, 03rd March, hereinafter referred to as the Regulations no. 43, of 03rd March; the legal framework for the recognition of academic degrees and higher education diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions; the Code of  Administrative Procedure (CPA), approved by Decree-Law no. 4/2015, of 7th January; the Research Fellow Statute (EBI), approved by Law no. 40/2004, of 18th August, in the current wording published by Decree-Law no. 123/2019, of 28th August and Research Studentship Regulation n.º 

950/2019, de 16-12-2019, of Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), I.P., and other applicable rules.

 

6. Workplace: 

The work plan will be carried out at the UCIBIO-PORTO Research Unit, Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmaceutical Technology Laboratory of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto and/or other locations necessary for implementation, under the scientific supervision of Professors Paulo Jorge Cardoso da Costa and Maria Helena dos Anjos Rodrigues Amaral of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto and Professor Pedro Ricardo Fonte of the iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences.

 

7. Duration: 

The studentship will have a duration of 6 (six) months, on an exclusive dedication basis. The studentship contract may eventually be renewable, for the same or different periods, according to institutional needs and financial availability being the expected end date of the project 31/12/2025.

 

8. Monthly maintenance allowance amount: 

8.1. The monthly maintenance allowance for the studentship is 1.309,64 €, in accordance with Annex I of the University of Porto's Research Studentship Regulation.

8.2. Payment will be made by FFUP by bank transfer. In addition to this allowance, the studentship holder will be covered by personal accident insurance.

 

8.3. The studentship holder can join the Voluntary Social Insurance Scheme (valid for a studentship contract of six months or more), which is optional (not compulsory) and the reimbursement corresponds to the 1st step of the contribution base.

 

9. Evaluation methods: 

9.1. The selection methods are as follows: curricular assessment (AC – abbreviation in Portuguese) with a weighting of 50% and, optionally, complemented by an interview (ENT – abbreviation in Portuguese) with a weighting of 50%, which will only take place when the Jury considers that the AC does not allow it to clarify, in the intended manner, the real competences of the candidates or to distinguish which candidate is best suited to the position and functions to be performed. If this is the case, the interview will be carried out with the 3 (three) candidates best classified in the AC.

9.2. Each member of the Jury will assess the selection methods on a scale of 0 to 20 points.

 

9.3. The criteria and weighting factors for the curricular assessment (AC) are:

a) Scientific Publications in the areas of the notice, with special emphasis on the encapsulation of anti-glioblastoma compounds (from 0 to 10 points);

b) Oral communications in the areas of the notice (from 0 to 5 points);

c) Poster communications in the areas of the notice (from 0 to 2 points);

d) Participation in the organization of seminars and congresses (from 0 to 3 points).

9.4. The following are the criteria and weighting factors for the interview (ENT), if it is carried out:

a) Technical and scientific knowledge in the areas of the notice (0 to 10 points);

b) Analytical and problem-solving skills (from 0 to 5 points);

c) Autonomy and motivation (0 to 3 points);

d) Oral and written communication skills (from 0 to 2 points).

 

9.5 Applicants may ask the Chair of the Jury for permission for their interview to be conducted by a video conference, stating the reasons for this.

9.6. Failure to attend the interview stage of the selection process is equivalent to withdrawing from the application, and candidates will be excluded from the application.

9.7. The Final Classification (CF - abbreviation in Portuguese) will be obtained by applying the following formula: CF = (0,5*AC) + (0,5*ENT).

9.8. This application is intended exclusively to fill the vacancy indicated. In the event that no candidate demonstrates that they have the profile required to fulfil the work plan described above within the scope of this project, the Jury reserves the right not to award the position.

 

10. Selection panel: 

Chair – Dr. Maria Helena dos Anjos Rodrigues Amaral, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto:

1st effective member – Dr. Paulo Jorge Cardoso da Costa, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto;

 

2nd effective member – Dr. Paulo Alexandre Lourenço Lobão, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto;

Substitute member – Dr. José Paulo Cabral Sousa e Silva, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto;

Substitute member – Dr. Carla Martins Lopes, Researcher at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto.

 

11. Submission of applications: 

11.1. The candidates must be submitted by 19th of March, 2025 (local time - Lisbon).

11.2. The candidates must be formalized using the online application submission system available on the FFUP website: https://sigarra.up.pt/ffup/pt/CNT_CAND_GERAL.CONCURSOS_LIST   (Ref. 2025/8, n.º 87).

11.3. The application must be accompanied by documents proving the conditions set out in this Notice, namely: 

Curriculum vitae, with full name, address and e-mail address;

Copy of the certificate(s) of the required qualifications and recognition of the degree if it was obtained at a foreign higher education institution (this recognition can be delivered up to the time of hiring);

Proof of enrolment in a cycle of studies or course not leading to an academic degree or a sworn statement attesting that you meet the conditions for enrolment and that you will submit proof of enrolment before the date of recruitment;

Motivation letter, indicating willingness to start the work plan;

Proof of preference conditions (if applicable).

11.4. The candidates may also attach any other documents they feel are relevant to assessing their merit.

11.5. The failure to comply with the application submission deadline, failure to submit or late submission of the documents referred to in points a) to c) of paragraph 11.3. will result in the application being excluded. 

11.6. The documents can be attached to folders in a compressed format (zip, rar, 7z), but it should be taken into account the system's limit for uploading, which is set at a maximum of 720MB per compressed file or folder. Each application may submit several compressed files or folders, each with a limit of 720 MB, and the total number of compressed files/folders submitted is not limited. 

11.7. For the purposes of assessing the applications, documents that can be accessed via links will not be considered and must be submitted on the competition platform (Sigarra), except publications with DOI. 

11.8. The documents mentioned in point 11.3. must be submitted, preferably, in a non-editable format.

11.9. The Jury may, whenever it deems necessary, request candidates to submit additional documents relating to the facts referred to in the CV presented, setting a deadline for this purpose, as follows: 

a) the documentation referred to is not intended to present elements not referenced in the curriculum vitae, nor to join missing documents required in this Notice;

b) all candidates are informed that additional documentation has been requested.

 

12. False declarations:

False statements made by candidates will be penalized in accordance with the law.

 

13. Notification of results:

13.1. Applicants will be notified of the minutes relating to the application assessment phase(s) sent to them by email, to the address they provide for this purpose, with a receipt of delivery.

13.2. Notifications are made by email, under the terms of articles 112(1)(c) and 113(5) of the CPA.

13.3. Under the terms of article 121 et seq. of the CPA, once notified, candidates have 10 working days to comment in writing.

 

14. Booking list:

A booking list will be drawn up on the basis of the final ranking list, which may be used in the event of the first-placed candidate withdrawing. The Faculty's highest authority reserves the right to call 

the next candidate, and so on, until the vacancy is filled. This reserve list may be used for a maximum period of 12 (twelve) months from the date of publication of this Notice.

 

15. Policy of non-discrimination and equal access:

The University of Porto actively promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, so that no applicant may be privileged, benefited, disadvantaged or deprived of any right or exempted from any duty on the grounds of 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, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions and trade union membership.

 

€ I haven't signed any research studentship/s contract/s to date under the EBI;

 

€ To date, I have signed the following research studentship/s contract/s under the EBI:

 

Type of studentship

Start Date

End Date

Contracting Authority

I also declare that I meet the eligibility conditions for this studentship, as required under the terms of the aforementioned regulation.

 

I hereby declare and sign this statement.

 

 

Date ____/_____/_____ 

 

 

 

 

Signature __________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 If the academic degree was awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must be recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution, under the terms of article 25 of Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of August 16, 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 August 3, and any formalities set out therein must be fulfilled by the date of the act of hiring. 

2 Proof of registration must be submitted by the date of recruitment and applicants may attach a declaration on their honor that they meet the registration conditions for the purposes of their application.

 

Where to apply

Website

https://sigarra.up.pt/ffup/pt/cnt_cand_geral.concursos_list

Requirements

Research Field

Pharmacological sciences

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Internal Application form(s) needed
Notice.pdf
English
(197.32 KB - PDF)
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Additional Information

Website for additional job details

https://sigarra.up.pt/spup/pt/noticias_geral.ver_noticia?p_nr=82369

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto

Country

Portugal

State/Province

Porto

City

Porto

Postal Code

4050-313

Street

Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira nº. 228

Geofield

Contact

State/Province

Porto

City

Porto

Website

https://sigarra.up.pt/spup/pt/noticias_geral.ver_noticia?p_nr=82369

Street

Praça Gomes Teixeira

Postal Code

4099-002

E-Mail

recrutamentorh@sp.up.pt

STATUS: EXPIRED

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