Job Opportunities

The University of Coimbra opens a call for the assignment of a research grant, with one position(s), under the project RESET_Bone_Ageing_2.
The call is governed by this Notice of Opening, the University of Coimbra Research Grant Regulations (RBIUC), subsidiarily by the Research Grant Regulations of the Foundation for Science and Technology (RBIFCT), by the Research Fellow Statute (EBI), by the Norms for Grant Assignment and Management within R&D Projects, by the Code of Administrative Procedure (CPA), all in their current wording, and by other applicable national and community legislation.

Procedure Reference: IT137 -25-105

I - Legal admission requirements

I.I - Grant Recipients:
Master’s degree holders, in the scientific area of cellular and molecular biology, biomedical research, biotechnology, pharmacy, biochemistry, and similar areas, enrolled in a non-degree-granting course.

I.II - The non-degree-granting course must be related to the type of activity covered by the grant.
Non-degree-granting courses are defined as those referred to in subparagraph e) of paragraph 3 of Article 4 of Decree-Law No. 74/2006, in its current wording, provided that, under subparagraph e) of Article 3 of RBI-FCT, they are developed in association or cooperation between the higher education institution and one or more R&D units.

I.III - Ineligible candidates:
Candidates enrolled in non-degree-granting courses who have already benefited from a grant contract and who, with this grant assignment, including possible renewals, exceed a total accumulated period of two consecutive or non-consecutive years in this type of grant.

I.IV - Eligible for grant assignment if meeting the requirements:
a) Portuguese nationals or nationals of other EU Member States
b) Nationals of third countries
c) Stateless persons
d) Beneficiaries of political refugee status
II - Grant location: UC-Biotech, Cantanhede

III- Scientific supervision/coordination of the grant: Lino da Silva Ferreira

IV - Work Plan / Goals to be achieved: The RESET_BONE_AGEING_2 project aims to develop a customized implant with a bone-integrating biological coating, produced in accordance with GMP specifications, for bone application. This project will be carried out by the consortium: CERAMED, a company specialized in the research, development and production of coatings for medical devices; by the Therapies group at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra (FMUC), a group that has been studying EVs as a therapeutic platform; and by the Animal Bioscience group at the University of Évora, with very relevant experience in a large model for evaluating orthopedic implants.
The candidate will contribute to (1) the bioreactor production of extracellular vesicles, (2) the isolation and characterization of extracellular vesicles, (3) the characterization of extracellular vesicles in cellular assays and (4) the preparation of project progress reports and in writing an article related to the work.

V - Initial grant duration: 6 months
V.I - Renewal Possibility: Possibily renewable
VI - Funding and financial conditions of the grant
VI.I - Monthly grant amount (paid by bank transfer at the end of each month): 1 309,64€

VI.II - In addition to the above amounts, voluntary social security (SSV) is included when the grant has a duration of six months or more, corresponding to the first level, if the candidate opts for it, as well as mandatory personal accident insurance.

VI.III - Funding: The grant(s) assigned under this call will be funded by Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) through the Innovation and Digital Transition Program (COMPETE 2030) of Portugal 2030| reference of operation no. 17282, operation code COMPETE2030-FEDER01175000 on Balcão dos Fundos

VI.IV - Information and publicity about the funding: All R&D activities directly or indirectly financed by the grant, namely all communications, publications and scientific creations, as well as theses, carried out with the support provided by the grant, must mention the financial support of the Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER), through the Innovation and Digital Transition Program (COMPETE 2030) of Portugal 2030.

VII - Selection Methods: Evaluation of the academic record (AR) and Interview (I)

VII.I - AR - In the evaluation of the academic record, the candidates' academic performance will be assessed according to the following weights and criteria:

Criterion 1 - Specific knowledge related to the work plan;

Criterion 2 – Academic background.

VII.II - – In the evaluation of the interview, candidates' performance will be assessed according to the following weights and criteria:
- Criterion 1 - Ability to express oneself and verbal fluency
- Criterion 2 – Motivation and interest

VII.III- The evaluation of the criteria and the final classification will be based on a scale from 0 to 100, with scores rounded to the nearest hundredth, applying the following formulas:
- AR: criterion 1 * (70%) + criterion 2 * (30%) = 100%
- I: criterion 1 * (30%) + criterion 2 * (70%) = 100%
- Final Classification (FC): AR * (40%) + I * (60%) = 100%

VII.IV - All candidates who meet the admission requirements are subject to the academic record
evaluation, carried out according to the criteria and weights defined in VII.I.

VII.V - Candidates who score below 50 in any selection method will be excluded, and subsequent methods, if any, will not apply to them. Candidates who are duly notified but fail to attend the interview (if applicable) or withdraw at any stage will also be excluded.

VII.VI - All candidates who score above 50 in the AR will proceed to the next method, i.e., the interview

VII.VII- Tie-breaking criteria: In the event of a tie in the rankings, candidates will be ordered in
descending order as follows:
a) Based on the score obtained in the first method applied;
b) Based on the score of their academic qualifications.

VII.VIII - All provisional and final jury decisions must be justified, recorded in minutes, and published on https://apply.uc.pt/.
VII.IX- Jury Composition:
President: Lino da Silva Ferreira
Effective Members: Arnab Banerjee and Luís Miguel Beicinha Branco Estronca
Alternate Members: Susana Simões Bernardes Teixeira Bento and Susana Carvalho Rosa
VII.X - Selection reserve list: N/A
VIII- Application Submission
Candidates must access and register on the electronic platform https://apply.uc.pt/IT137-25-105 to submit their application, selecting the procedure to which they wish to apply. 
Documents uploaded for the application must be in portable document format (PDF).
Applications are submitted by completing the sections available in the electronic platform "Apply UC" under "My Application."

VIII.I- Mandatory documents to attach when applying:
 Curriculum Vitae, duly updated, dated, and signed;
 Copy of academic degree certificates.
a) If the possession of a degree is a requirement for the grant, candidates holding a degree obtained abroad must, by the end of the application period, provide proof of recognition or evidence that it has been requested, as per Decree-Law No. 66/2018 of August 16. Failure to present degree recognition at the time of contract signing, as per the RBI-UC, will result in exclusion.
b) If duly justified, documents proving the possession of academic degrees and diplomas, or their recognition, may be waived at the application stage and replaced by a candidate's sworn statement. However, until the grant agreement stage, the respective proofs must be submitted under penalty of exclusion.
c) Proof of enrollment in a degree or non-degree course may be waived at the application stage and
replaced by a sworn statement from the candidate. However, the required proof must be submitted by the grant agreement stage under penalty of exclusion.
 Whenever possible, documentation proving prior grant benefits should also be attached to the application.

VIII.II- Other documents to attach when applying:
 Any other elements the candidate considers relevant.
 Motivation Letter
 References

VIII.III - All application documents must be submitted in Portuguese and/or English. When the originals are in another language, a translation into one of these languages must be provided.

VIII.IV - Applications that are not properly completed or do not meet the admission criteria defined in the applicable legislation and this notice will not be accepted.

VIII.V - No documents required for the application may be submitted after the application deadline.

VIII.VI - Without prejudice to the penal provisions of the law, false statements made by candidates or
grant holders regarding relevant matters for the grant award or renewal, or for the evaluation of its
progress, will result in its cancellation.

IX – Application deadline: 19/03/2025 to 08/04/2025

X - Activity Regime: The grant does not create or constitute a legal-labor relationship. It is carried out under an exclusive dedication regime, and the grantee is awarded the Research Grantee Status, as stipulated in the EBI and the RBI-UC.

XI - Notification of Candidates: All notifications will be made through the electronic platform Apply UC,
under the terms of subparagraph c) of paragraph 1 and subparagraph b) of paragraph 2 of Article 112 of the CPA and Article 22 of the RBI-UC. The notifications will take effect after being made, as provided in Article 113 of the CPA.

XII - Under Articles 121 and 122 of the CPA and Article 22 of the RBI-UC, candidates may, if they wish, submit comments regarding the jury's decisions within 10 business days, through the "Audiência dos Interessados" option in the platform's procedure section.

XIII - Candidates may also submit a complaint within 15 business days or an appeal to the UC's highestranking official within 30 business days, both following the respective notification, under Articles 191 and 192 of the CPA.

XIV - Selected candidates must declare in writing, within five business days of notification, their acceptance of the grant and confirm that they meet the requirements to accept the proposed start date of the grant contract. Unless a justifiable reason is provided, failure to provide this declaration within the stipulated time will be considered a renunciation of the grant. In case of renunciation or withdrawal by the selected candidate, the next candidate on the final classification list will be notified.

XV - The full competition process can be consulted by candidates, subject to prior scheduling, by sending an email to the Human Resources Management Service at: sgrh@uc.pt.

XVI - In compliance with subparagraph h) of Article 9 of the Constitution, the University of Coimbra, as
an employer, actively promotes a policy of equal opportunities between men and women in terms of
employment access and career progression, ensuring that any form of discrimination is strictly avoided. It encourages underrepresented minorities in each area to apply.
Accordingly, no one may be privileged, benefited, disadvantaged, or deprived of any right or exempted from any duty on the grounds of ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, family status, economic situation, education, social origin or condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, place of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs, or trade union membership.

The University of Coimbra also promotes measures to facilitate the balance between professional, family, and personal life, recognizing the efforts of its employees and fostering motivation.

XVII- The grantee must submit annual activity reports for each renewal and at the end of the grant contract, as stipulated in Article 7 of the RBI-UC, subject to an opinion issued by the respective supervisor(s). The report models, performance evaluation criteria, and the grant contract model are those approved under the University of Coimbra's Research Grant Regulations.

The Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, opens a call for 1 (one)  research fellowships, "ARDAT - Improving AAV gene therapy vetor efficiency" "with" (Grant agreement ID: 945473), financed by the European Comission (EC), under the Horizon 2020 program H2020-EU.3.1.7. - Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 (IMI2).

The call for proposals is governed by this Call for Proposals, the Research Grants Regulations (RBI) of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), the Research Grantee Statute (EBI), the Rules for Awarding and Managing Grants within the scope of R&D Projects, all in their current wording, the Code of Administrative Procedure (CPA) and other applicable national and Community legislation.

Job Fellowship Reference: CNC – BI ARDAT 03/2024

1.   Scientific area: Biological Sciences

Scientific subfield: Neurosciences, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Gene Therapy

2. Legal Admission requirements:

2.1. Candidates must be enrolled in an integrated master's or master's degree or in a doctoral degree course in the field of Biotechnology, Cellular and Molecular Biology, or related, or be graduates or masters enrolled in Courses not conferring an academic degree integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units.

Preferred criterion: advanced knowledge in molecular cloning (“TOPO”, “Gateway” and “Golden gate cloning” systems), handling of cell cultures, cell transfection, qPCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence; as well as recognized prior experience in the development of gene regulation and modulation systems involving CRIPR activation technology.

2.2. Candidates must hold a Master's degree.

2.3. Courses not conferring an academic degree must be related to the research fellowship’s activity type.

The academic degree/s and higher education diploma/s awarded by foreign higher education institutions, must be recognized under the terms of Decree Law no. 66/2018, and of no. 2 of article 10 of the FCT RBI, in its current wording.

2.4. The courses not conferring an academic degree must be related to the type of activity of the scholarship. Courses not conferring an academic degree are the courses referred to in paragraph e) of number 3 of article 4 of Decree-Law no. 74/2006, of 24 March, in the current wording, provided that they are developed in association or cooperation between the higher education institution and one or more R&D units, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph e) of article 3 of the Regulation for Research Fellowships of the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P

2.5.  Candidates in the following situations will not be admitted to the call:

-      Candidates enrolled in non-awarding degree study cycles who have already benefited from scholarship contract/s, including possible renewals, for an accumulated period of two consecutive or interpolated years, in this typology.

-      Candidates enrolled in a Master's degree programme who have already benefited from a scholarship contract/s, including possible renewals, for an accumulated period of two consecutive or interpolated years, in this typology.

-      Candidates enrolled in a PhD programme who have already benefited from a grant contract/s, including possible renewals, for an accumulated period of four consecutive or interpolated years, in this typology.

3. Location: Center of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CNC, University of Coimbra.

3.1.  Grant Coordination: Luís Pereira de Almeida, Associate Professor at the University of Coimbra and Rui Nobre PhD Researcher at the University of Coimbra

4. Duration: 6 months

5. Scientific orientation: Rui Nobre PhD Researcher at the University of Coimbra

5.1. Work plan/ Objectives:

The work to be developed will focus on:

- Development of gene regulation and modulation systems involving “CRIPR activation” technology, involving adeno-associated vectors (AAVs)

- Provide technical assistance in molecular biology, molecular cloning, production of viral vectors, and cell culture tests, within the scope of the project.

6. Financial conditions:  The amount of the fellowship is 1 259,64€ corresponding to the monthly compensation stipulated in the FCT table (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tabela-de-Valores-SMM_atualizacao-2024.pdf) corresponding to the monthly compensation stipulated in the FCT table plus social security (Seguro Social Voluntário, first-level contributions) and personal accident insurance. The payment will be made by bank transfer.

7. Selection Method(s):

Curricular Path Evaluation (CE) – 60% and Interview (I) – 40%

7.1. Curricular Path Evaluation | 60%

7.1.1. The classification of the Curricular Path Evaluation will obey to the following evaluation criteria, in a 0-100 scale:

-      Criteria 1 - Merit of the curriculum vitae (CV): 40%

-      Criteria 2 - Suitability of the candidate's profile to the tasks to be develop: 60%

7.1.2. In the Curricular Path Evaluation criterion 1, the following parameters and weightings will be considered:

A.   Master's grade (80%)

1.   Under 18: 50

2.   Over or equal to 18: 100

B. Communications in scientific meetings (both as first author or co-authorship (10%)

1.   0 communications: 0

2.   Between 1 and 3 communications (oral or poster): 75

3.   Over 4 communications (oral or poster): 100

C. Scientific publications in journals or book chapters (both as first author or co-authorship (10%)

1.   0 papers: 0

2.   Between 1 and 3 papers: 75

3.   Over 4 papers: 100

7.1.3. In the Curricular Path Evaluation criterion 2, the following parameters and weightings will be considered:

E.  Expertise in molecular cloning techniques, including “TOPO cloning”, “Gateway Cloning” and “Golden Gate Cloning” (40%)

F.  Expertise in CRISPR-based gene activation (30%)

G. Cell culture, including transfection techniques (20%)

H. Expertise in protein and RNA/DNA analysis techniques (eg: immunofluorescence, western blot, qPCR) (10%)

with each of D, E, F and G parameters valued as:

1.   No experience: 0

2.   Reasonable experience: 50

3.   Adequate experience: 70

4.   Proficient experience: 100

7.2.  Interview evaluation | 40%

7.2.1. In the interview, the performance of the candidates will be evaluated according to the following criteria and weighting:

-      Criteria 1: Capacity to demonstrate the acquired knowledge in the requested areas: 50%

-      Criteria 2:  Clarity of speech: 50%

7.3. The formula to evaluate the Curricular Path Evaluation (CPE) and the Interview evaluation (IE), on a 0-100 scale, will be:

CPE = (criteria 1 x 40%) + (criteria 2 x 60%)

In which:

CPE criteria 1 = (80% x A) + (10% x B) + (10% x C)

CPE criteria 2 = (40% x D) + (30% x E) + (20% x F) + (10% x G)

IE = (criteria 1 x 50%) + (criteria 2 x 50%)

7.4. Final Classification Formula | FCF:

FCF: = (CPE x 60%) + (IE x 40%)

7.5. All candidates who fulfil the eligibility criteria will be subject to an assessment of their curriculum vitae in accordance with the criteria and weightings set out in 7.1.

7.6. Only the first 2 (two) candidates ranked highest in the order resulting from the evaluation of the curriculum vitae will be admitted to the interview.

7.7. Candidates who have obtained a mark of less than 50 in the CVE will be excluded from the competition, and the next method, i.e. the interview, will not be applied to them, if there is one, as will candidates who do not attend the interview or who have withdrawn from it.

7.8. Tie-breaking criteria:

In case of equal valuation between candidates/as, the following criteria will be adopted, in descending order:

a) valuation obtained in the Curricular path Evaluation

b) valuation of the basic academic qualification.

7.9. All the jury's provisional and final decisions must be reasoned and recorded in minutes.

8. Jury composition:

Effective members:

President of the Jury: Rui Nobre, PhD Researcher of the University of Coimbra.

Jury members: Laetitia Gaspar, PhD Researcher of the University of Coimbra, and Magda Santana, PhD Researcher of the University of Coimbra.

Substitute members: Sara Lopes, PhD Researcher of the University of Coimbra, and Luís Pereira de Almeida, Associate Professor of the University of Coimbra

9. Formalization of application:

9.1. Application form

Applications must be submitted online in digital format via the platform https://cnc.uc.pt/en/job-opportunities, by selecting the relevant announcement and uploading in the appropriate fields all the necessary documents in pdf (portable document format).

9.2. Mandatory documents, to be attached at the time of application:

-      Detailed CV with academic profile (including list of publications);

-      Copy of qualification certificates.

-      Proof of enrolment in a PhD course or non-degree training course relevant to the realization of the planned R&D activities (mandatory only at the contractualization stage);

-      Other documents that the applicant considers relevant to the application;

-      Declaration, on honour, of a document proving the benefit of a previous scholarship of the same type (BI) and its duration(s).

-      Applicants who hold a PHD obtained abroad must, by the application deadline, provide proof of the respective recognition, or provide proof that they have requested it, under the terms of Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of 16 August. Failure to present the recognition of the degree at the time of hiring, under the terms of the FCT RBI, is a reason for exclusion.

-      For duly substantiated reasons, documents proving the holding of academic degrees and diplomas, or their respective recognition, enrolment in a degree or in non-degree academic courses may be waived at the application stage, being replaced by a declaration of honour by the candidate. Without prejudice, until the stage of contractualization of the scholarship, their presentation is mandatory.

9.3. Candidates who incorrectly formalize their application or who do not prove to possess the requirements of this fellowship are excluded from admission. In case of doubt, the jury has the power to require any candidate to present additional documentation to attest their statements.

9.4. False statements made by candidates will be punished under the law.

9.5. The list of admitted and excluded candidates as well as the final ranking list are advertised at the respective Institute, and the candidates will be notified by email with receipt of delivery of the notification.

10. Period for submission of applications: 10 working days, counting from the first day after the publication date of this call.

11. Activity Regime:

The award of the scholarship does not generate or entitle a legal-labour relationship, moreover, it is exercised on an exclusive dedication basis, and the Scholarship Holder is attributed the CNC Scholarship Holder Status, in accordance with the provisions of the EBI and the RBI of the FCT.

12. Prior Hearing and Final Decision Deadline

12.1. The evaluation results will be announced within 90 working days after the end of the applications submission deadline, by notifying the applicants via email.

12.2. In accordance with the provisions of articles 121 and 122 of the CPA and article 12 of the FCT's RBI, candidates may, if they wish, within 10 working days, submit allegations on the decisions of the jury, which should be sent to the following email address.

12.3. Within the following 5 working days, counted from the end of the deadline for submitting complaints, the final decisions of the jury will be issued and published on the CNC website.

12.4. A complaint may also be lodged against the final decision within 15 working days, as well as an appeal to the CNC's highest executive body within 30 working days, both after the respective notification, under the terms of articles 191 and 192 of the CPA.

12.5. Selected candidates must declare their acceptance in writing. Unless justifiable, if the declaration is not submitted within the aforementioned period, the candidate will be deemed to have renounced the scholarship. In case of resignation or withdrawal of the selected candidate, the next candidate with the highest evaluation score will be notified immediately.

12.6. This competition is intended exclusively to fill the vacancy indicated, and may be terminated until the final ranking list of candidates has been approved and expired with the respective occupation of the job on offer.

13. Non-discrimination and equal access policy: CNC actively promotes a non-discrimination and equal access policy, whereby no candidate may be privileged, benefited, harmed or deprived of any right or immune from any duty on account of, in particular, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, origin or social condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, illness chronicle, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions and union membership.

14.  At the end of the contractualisation in question, a Final Report must be prepared by the grantee and his/her supervisor(s), with the respective evaluation criteria that are established, under the terms of article 24 of the FCT RBI.

14. Additional information

Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data (RGPD) and Law no. 58/2019 of 8 August, the person responsible for processing the personal data of the candidates collected, within the scope of this tender procedure, is the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC). The CNC guarantees that personal data collected in physical or digital support, whatever their nature, are treated responsibly, only for the purpose of recruitment, through appropriate policies and measures in order to prevent access and misuse or possible intrusions, minimizing risks and contributing to their safety. CNC does not provide or allow access to personal data by third parties, except for the purpose of complying with duly justified legal obligations. The personal data collected will be kept for a maximum of 6 months, counting from the end of the legal period of conservation foreseen for the procedure. At any time, the interested party can contact the CNC through the email dpo_cnc@cnc.uc.pt to request information on the processing of personal data or to exercise the legally established rights.

Coimbra, December 26th, 2024

The Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, opens a call for 1 (one) research fellowships, "ARDAT - Improving AAV gene therapy vetor efficiency" "with" (Grant agreement ID: 945473), financed by the European Comission (EC), under the Horizon 2020 program H2020-EU.3.1.7. - Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 (IMI2).

The call for proposals is governed by this Call for Proposals, the Research Grants Regulations (RBI) of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), the Research Grantee Statute (EBI), the Rules for Awarding and Managing Grants within the scope of R&D Projects, all in their current wording, the Code of Administrative Procedure (CPA) and other applicable national and Community legislation.

Job Fellowship Reference: CNC – BI 04/2024

1.   Scientific area: Biological Sciences

Scientific subfield: Neurosciences, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Gene Therapy

2. Legal Admission requirements:

2.1. Candidates must be enrolled in an integrated master's or master's degree or in a doctoral degree course in the field of Biotechnology, Cellular and Molecular Biology, or related, or be graduates or masters enrolled in Courses not conferring an academic degree integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units.

Preferred criterion: previous experience in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCS) culture and neuronal differentiation, viral vector manipulation, basic laboratory techniques to analyse proteins/nucleic acids, immunofluorescence and imaging analysis.

2.2. Candidates must hold a Master's degree.

2.3. Courses not conferring an academic degree must be related to the research fellowship’s activity type.

The academic degree/s and higher education diploma/s awarded by foreign higher education institutions, must be recognized under the terms of Decree Law no. 66/2018, and of no. 2 of article 10 of the FCT RBI, in its current wording.

2.4. The courses not conferring an academic degree must be related to the type of activity of the scholarship. Courses not conferring an academic degree are the courses referred to in paragraph e) of number 3 of article 4 of Decree-Law no. 74/2006, of 24 March, in the current wording, provided that they are developed in association or cooperation between the higher education institution and one or more R&D units, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph e) of article 3 of the Regulation for Research Fellowships of the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P

2.5.  Candidates in the following situations will not be admitted to the call:

-      Candidates enrolled in non-awarding degree study cycles who have already benefited from scholarship contract/s, including possible renewals, for an accumulated period of two consecutive or interpolated years, in this typology.

-      Candidates enrolled in a Master's degree programme who have already benefited from a scholarship contract/s, including possible renewals, for an accumulated period of two consecutive or interpolated years, in this typology.

-      Candidates enrolled in a PhD programme who have already benefited from a grant contract/s, including possible renewals, for an accumulated period of four consecutive or interpolated years, in this typology.

3. Location: Center of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, CNC-UC

3.1.  Grant Coordination: Luís Pereira de Almeida, Associate Professor at the University of Coimbra and Magda Santana PhD Researcher at the University of Coimbra

4. Duration: 6 months

5. Scientific orientation: Magda Santana PhD Researcher at the University of Coimbra

5.1. Work plan/ Objectives:

The work to be developed will focus on:

- To investigate the impact of immunity on efficacy and safety of advanced medicinal therapies (e.g. adeno-associated viruses).

- To provide technical assistance in molecular biology, production of viral vectors, cell culture and animal experimentation, under the scope of the project.

6. Financial conditions:  The amount of the fellowship is 1 259,64€ corresponding to the monthly compensation stipulated in the FCT table (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tabela-de-Valores-SMM_atualizacao-2024.pdf) corresponding to the monthly compensation stipulated in the FCT table plus social security (Seguro Social Voluntário, first-level contributions) and personal accident insurance. The payment will be made by bank transfer.

7. Selection Method(s):

Curricular Path Evaluation (CE) – 60% and Interview (I) – 40%

7.1. Curricular Path Evaluation | 60%

7.1.1. The classification of the Curricular Path Evaluation will obey to the following evaluation criteria, in a 0-100 scale:

-      Criteria 1 - Merit of the curriculum vitae (CV): 50%

-      Criteria 2 - Suitability of the candidate's profile to the tasks to be develop: 50%

7.1.2. In the Curricular Path Evaluation criterion 1, the following parameters and weightings will be considered:

A.   Bachelor's grade (40%)

1.   Under 16: 50

2.   Over or equal to 16: 100

B.   Master's grade (40%)

1.   Under 18: 50

2.   Over or equal to 18: 100

C. Communications in scientific meetings (both as first author or co-authorship (10%)

1.   0 communications: 0

2.   Between 1 and 3 communications (oral or poster): 50

3.   Over 4 communications (oral or poster): 100

D. Scientific publications in journals or book chapters (both as first author or co-authorship (10%)

1.   0 papers: 0

2.   Between 1 and 3 papers: 50

3.   Over 4 papers: 100

7.1.3. In the Curricular Path Evaluation criterion 2, the following parameters and weightings will be considered:

E.  Expertise in iPSCs culture maintenance and neuronal differentiation (40%)

F.  Expertise in manipulation of viral vectors (20%)

G. Expertise in imaging analysis and software (20%)

H. Expertise in protein and RNA analysis techniques (eg: immunofluorescence, nucleic acids extraction, PCR, Flow cytometry) (20%)

with each of E, F, G and H parameters valued as:

1.   No experience: 0

2.   Reasonable experience: 50

3.   Adequate experience: 70

4.   Proficient experience: 100

7.2.  Interview evaluation | 40%

7.2.1. In the interview, the performance of the candidates will be evaluated according to the following criteria and weighting:

-      Criteria 1: Capacity to demonstrate the acquired knowledge in the requested areas: 50%

-      Criteria 2:  Clarity of speech: 50%

7.3. The formula to evaluate the Curricular Path Evaluation (CPE) and the Interview evaluation (IE), on a 0-100 scale, will be:

CPE = (criteria 1 x 50%) + (criteria 2 x 50%)

In which:

CPE criteria 1 = (40% x A) + (20% x B) + (20% x C) + (20% x D)

CPE criteria 2 = (40% x E) + (30% x F) + (20% x G) + (10% x H)

IE = (criteria 1 x 50%) + (criteria 2 x 50%)

7.4. Final Classification Formula | FCF:

FCF: = (CPE x 60%) + (IE x 40%)

7.5. All candidates who fulfil the eligibility criteria will be subject to an assessment of their curriculum vitae in accordance with the criteria and weightings set out in 7.1.

7.6. Only the first 6 (six) candidates ranked highest in the order resulting from the evaluation of the curriculum vitae will be admitted to the interview.

7.7. Candidates who have obtained a mark of less than 50 in the CVE will be excluded from the competition, and the next method, i.e. the interview, will not be applied to them, if there is one, as will candidates who do not attend the interview or who have withdrawn from it.

7.8. Tie-breaking criteria:

In case of equal valuation between candidates/as, the following criteria will be adopted, in descending order:

a) valuation obtained in the Curricular path Evaluation

b) valuation of the basic academic qualification.

7.9. All the jury's provisional and final decisions must be reasoned and recorded in minutes.

8. Jury composition:

Effective members:

President of the Jury: Luís Pereira de Almeida, Associate Professor of the University of Coimbra

Jury members: Rui Nobre, PhD Researcher of the University of Coimbra, and Magda Santana, PhD Researcher of the University of Coimbra.

Substitute members: Laetitia Gaspar, PhD Researcher of the University of Coimbra, and Ana Santos Carvalho, PhD Researcher of the University of Coimbra.

9. Formalization of application:

9.1. Application form

Applications must be submitted online in digital format via the platform https://cnc.uc.pt/en/job-opportunities, by selecting the relevant announcement and uploading in the appropriate fields all the necessary documents in pdf (portable document format).

9.2. Mandatory documents, to be attached at the time of application:

-      Detailed CV with academic profile (including list of publications);

-      Copy of qualification certificates.

-      Proof of enrolment in a PhD course or non-degree training course relevant to the realization of the planned R&D activities (mandatory only at the contractualization stage);

-      Other documents that the applicant considers relevant to the application;

-      Declaration, on honour, of a document proving the benefit of a previous scholarship of the same type (BI) and its duration(s).

-      Applicants who hold a PHD obtained abroad must, by the application deadline, provide proof of the respective recognition, or provide proof that they have requested it, under the terms of Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of 16 August. Failure to present the recognition of the degree at the time of hiring, under the terms of the FCT RBI, is a reason for exclusion.

-      For duly substantiated reasons, documents proving the holding of academic degrees and diplomas, or their respective recognition, enrolment in a degree or in non-degree academic courses may be waived at the application stage, being replaced by a declaration of honour by the candidate. Without prejudice, until the stage of contractualization of the scholarship, their presentation is mandatory.

9.3. Candidates who incorrectly formalize their application or who do not prove to possess the requirements of this fellowship are excluded from admission. In case of doubt, the jury has the power to require any candidate to present additional documentation to attest their statements.

9.4. False statements made by candidates will be punished under the law.

9.5. The list of admitted and excluded candidates as well as the final ranking list are advertised at the respective Institute, and the candidates will be notified by email with receipt of delivery of the notification.

10. Period for submission of applications: 10 working days, counting from the first day after the publication date of this call.

11. Activity Regime:

The award of the scholarship does not generate or entitle a legal-labour relationship, moreover, it is exercised on an exclusive dedication basis, and the Scholarship Holder is attributed the CNC Scholarship Holder Status, in accordance with the provisions of the EBI and the RBI of the FCT.

12. Prior Hearing and Final Decision Deadline

12.1. The evaluation results will be announced within 90 working days after the end of the applications submission deadline, by notifying the applicants via email.

12.2. In accordance with the provisions of articles 121 and 122 of the CPA and article 12 of the FCT's RBI, candidates may, if they wish, within 10 working days, submit allegations on the decisions of the jury, which should be sent to the following email address.

12.3. Within the following 5 working days, counted from the end of the deadline for submitting complaints, the final decisions of the jury will be issued and published on the CNC website.

12.4. A complaint may also be lodged against the final decision within 15 working days, as well as an appeal to the CNC's highest executive body within 30 working days, both after the respective notification, under the terms of articles 191 and 192 of the CPA.

12.5. Selected candidates must declare their acceptance in writing. Unless justifiable, if the declaration is not submitted within the aforementioned period, the candidate will be deemed to have renounced the scholarship. In case of resignation or withdrawal of the selected candidate, the next candidate with the highest evaluation score will be notified immediately.

12.6. This competition is intended exclusively to fill the vacancy indicated, and may be terminated until the final ranking list of candidates has been approved and expired with the respective occupation of the job on offer.

13. Non-discrimination and equal access policy: CNC actively promotes a non-discrimination and equal access policy, whereby no candidate may be privileged, benefited, harmed or deprived of any right or immune from any duty on account of, in particular, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, origin or social condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, illness chronicle, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions and union membership.

14.  At the end of the contractualisation in question, a Final Report must be prepared by the grantee and his/her supervisor(s), with the respective evaluation criteria that are established, under the terms of article 24 of the FCT RBI.

14. Additional information

Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data (RGPD) and Law no. 58/2019 of 8 August, the person responsible for processing the personal data of the candidates collected, within the scope of this tender procedure, is the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC). The CNC guarantees that personal data collected in physical or digital support, whatever their nature, are treated responsibly, only for the purpose of recruitment, through appropriate policies and measures in order to prevent access and misuse or possible intrusions, minimizing risks and contributing to their safety. CNC does not provide or allow access to personal data by third parties, except for the purpose of complying with duly justified legal obligations. The personal data collected will be kept for a maximum of 6 months, counting from the end of the legal period of conservation foreseen for the procedure. At any time, the interested party can contact the CNC through the email dpo_cnc@cnc.uc.pt to request information on the processing of personal data or to exercise the legally established rights.

Coimbra, December 26th, 2024

By dispatch of the President of the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), it is publicly made known that an international tender is open for 20 working days, to fill one PhD-holding position vacancy for a Computational/ Theoretical Neuroscientist at postdoctoral level, under an uncertain term employment contract pursuant to the Portuguese Labour Code, approved Law nr. 7/2009, of February 12, in its current version, and additional applicable legislation. The position is open in the scientific area(s) of Health and Medical Sciences – major in Systems, Behavioural and Computational Neuroscience, to carry out research activities in the context of Project “DYNAMIC BRAIN FUNCTION: Towards the Understanding and Treatment of Brain Disorders” (Grant Agreement Nr. 952422; https://dynabrain.cnc.uc.pt/).

Project supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme, under its ERA Chairs call H2020-WIDESPREAD-2018-2020-6.

I — Reference, Place of Work and Monthly Wage:

I.1 — Public tender reference: CNC-PD DB 2024.05

I.2 — Place of work: Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), UC-Biotech, Biocant Park - Parque Tecnológico de Cantanhede, Núcleo 04, Lote 8, Cantanhede, Portugal.

I.3 — Job description: The Postdoctoral fellow is expected to conduct research activities in modelling and simulation of reward-modulated prosocial behavior and decision-making. The project aims to uncover the computational and/or mechanistic bases of prosociality at the behavioral and circuit levels.

Tasks / Activities

Based on empirical observations and working at the interface between experiment and theory, the fellow will investigate prosocial decision-making employing models at different levels of granularity: from very abstract reinforcement learning models to detailed biophysical models.

Concrete tasks will involve:

• Develop, test and deploy Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) models based on TD-Learning and/or Q-Learning, as well as corresponding environments and tasks.

• Explore MARL models and environments at different degrees of complexity (from discrete time and space to continuous control systems) to model animal behavior in dryadic social interaction settings

• Develop neural population models that incorporate reward-modulation and capture the dynamics of multiple interacting sub-cortical nuclei, engaged in a social decision-making task.

1.4 — Gross monthly wage: 2  294.95 €, level 33 of the single remuneration table, approved by Ordinance nr. 1553-C/2008, of December 31st, in its current version. Salary might be adapted depending the previous experience of the selected candidate.

I.5 — Maximum duration: Never going beyond the project’s end date.

II — Admission Requirements:

II.1 — To have at least 18 years of age by the deadline of the present tender.

II.2 — Must hold, by the deadline of the present tender, a Ph.D. degree in the above-mentioned scientific area(s), or in a related one that, in complement with the applicant’s scientific and curricular path, demonstrates capacity to thoroughly develop work in the main field(s) of the present tender. The ideal candidate should hold a PhD degree in Computational / Theoretical Neuroscience, Computer Science or Physics (specializing in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence or Biophysics) or other strongly analytical fields. Documented experience with Reinforcement Learning algorithms and Artificial Neural Networks is desirable and so is extensive programming and scientific software development experience.

III — How to apply:

III.1 — Submission of the application: applications must be submitted online through the project-specific electronic platform DYNABrain - Join us: https://dynabrain.cnc.uc.pt/?page_id=696, by selecting the procedure to which the candidate intends to apply and uploading all the necessary documents merged in a single digital file in portable document format (pdf).

If, as part of the application, a classified document is submitted that reveals commercial or industrial secrets, or secrets relating to literary, artistic or scientific property, the applicant must clearly indicate its confidential/ classified nature in each such document, under risk of the work in question being freely accessed by any of the other applicants during tender record consultation.

III.2 — Documents to be uploaded:

III.2.1 — Detailed Curriculum Vitae, duly dated and signed.

The Curriculum Vitae should contain a list of previous scientific affiliations, indicating institution and role performed, list of publications, participation in projects, a brief synopsis of the main contributions that the applicant consider as relevant for this call (focusing for example in his/her main 3 publications) and a list of all other merits that the applicant considers important to demonstrate his/her background and suitability for the proposed call All published works mentioned in the Curriculum Vitae should also have indication of the respective unique identifier(s) (e.g., DOI) and/or accessible URL.

III.2.2 — Copy of all qualification certificates or diplomas. Applicants holding a doctorate degree awarded by a foreign higher education institution should provide proof of the degree recognition under the terms of Decree-Law nr. 66/2018 of August 16, only in the moment of the signature.

III.2.3 — Motivation Letter, where the applicant should state his/her motivations to join this project and the areas where the applicant see that can contribute to its development.

III.2.4 — Name and contact of 2 professional references, and any other elements that the candidate considers relevant.

III.3 — All application documents indicated in III.2 should be submitted in English.

III.4 — Applications that are not duly formulated or do not fulfil the formal criteria for admission to the present tender, under the terms defined in the legislation in force and in this notice, will not be admitted. The submission of any required documentation beyond the stipulated deadline also dictates the non-admission to the tender.

III.5 — Candidates who are non-native English speakers should attest their competence in English (Independent User). English competence will be confirmed through the applicant’s written documents and the interview.

III.6 — The present tender ceases with the occupation of the position(s) or when the position(s) cannot be occupied due to the inexistence or insufficiency of candidates to proceed with the tender.

IV — Selection methods and criteria:

IV.1 — Selection Methods: Assessment of scientific and curricular path [ASC (80%)] and Interview [I (20%)].

IV.2 — In the assessment of the candidate’s scientific and curricular path, the scientific and technical performance and the dissemination, outreach and management activities will be considered. Narrative articulated in the motivation letter will also be taken into account in this section. Candidates are expected to have relevant experience and skills in the scientific areas of the application and some degree of independence. The evaluation is made in accordance with the criteria and weights described below.

IV.2.1 — Scientific and technical performance of the candidate, which should attest the candidate’s capacity to carry out the activities described in I.3, with a weight of 70 %, based on the relevance, quality, recentness and national and international recognition of the scientific and technological production and training received in the area of the tender. It will particularly focus on: the quality of the scientific contributions to the field, scientific papers in journals; previous experience with Reinforcement Learning algorithms and Artificial Neural Networks, previous professional experience in international laboratories as researcher, although not required, previous experience interfacing deep behavioral phenotyping with neural activity dynamics is a plus;

IV.2.2 —Dissemination, outreach and management activities, with a weight of 5 %, based on the following evaluation parameters:

IV.2.2.1 — Dissemination and outreach: dissemination of knowledge, including mentoring/supervising students, organization and active participation in courses and scientific meetings, as well as science communication outreach activities;

IV.2.2.2 — Management: management activities of science, technology and innovation including coordination and/or active participation in scientific projects and observation and monitoring activities of the scientific and technological system or the higher education system;

IV.2.3 — The motivation letter, with a weight of 5 %, focusing on the interest demonstrated by the candidate to contribute to the project and to its impact and national and international recognition.

IV.3 — The assessment of the candidate’s scientific and curricular path is made according to the criteria and weights defined in IV.2, being duly substantiated and expressed by the selection committee on a scale of 0 to 100 values (up to the centesimal place).

IV.4 — The evaluation of the interview is made according to the criteria and weights defined in IV.2., being duly substantiated and expressed by the selection committee on a scale of 0 to 100 values (up to the centesimal place).

IV.5 — All the candidates complying with the application eligibility requirements will be subjected to assessment of their scientific and curricular path, following the criteria and evaluation parameters defined in IV.2 and IV.3. However, only the top higher-ranking three (3) candidates scoring above threshold (ASC ≥ 60) in result of the assessment of the scientific and curricular path will be called for the interview.

IV.6 — Candidates who score below 47.5 in one of the selection methods (ASC or I) will be excluded from the tender procedure, and the ensuing method, if it exists, will not be applied. Likewise, candidates who fail to appear, who withdraw or who, although approved, were not included in the tiers used, will also be excluded from the tender.

IV.7 — The final score (FS), expressed on a scale of 0 to 100 values (up to the centesimal place), is calculated by the following formula:

FS = (ASC × 80 %) + (I × 20 %)

V — Selection Process:

V.1.1 — The Selection Committee decides, first, on the admission and exclusion of applications. In case of non-fulfilment or partial fulfilment of any of the requirements defined in section III above, the Committee decides whether this insufficiency prevents application acceptance, or if it has no relevant impact on the evaluation process, in which case the application may nevertheless be accepted.

V.1.2 — After admission or exclusion of the candidates, the selection committee starts the procedures for the phased application of the selection methods. All admitted candidates undergo assessment of their scientific and curricular path. Only the merit of the candidates will be evaluated, considering their previous experience in the scientific area(s) for which the tender is open, according to the selection criteria and evaluation parameters above described, and the committee will refrain from assessing or scoring outside the referred area(s). The ranking of the candidates in the ASC method is numerical and based on the scores given to each candidate.

V.1.3 — The Selection Committee notifies by e-mail the candidates admitted to the Interview.

V.1.4 — The Selection Committee interviews the candidates admitted to the Interview phase. The interview of each candidate shall have the maximum duration of half an hour, though it may be extended for another half hour by decision of the Chairman of the committee. The interview will consider the candidates’ merit, scored on the basis of their previous experience in the scientific area(s) for which the tender is open, as well as their motivation and level of proficiency in the language(s) required in III.5. The interview is conducted by the Chairman of the committee, although other committee members may also intervene and interact with the candidate. This interview shall be held in English.

V.1.5 — Candidates who fail to attend the interview at the set time and place shall be excluded from the tender procedure. Similarly, candidates failing to attend a duly scheduled teleconference call shall also be deemed excluded.

V.1.6 — After conducting and scoring the interviews, the committee calculates the final score and ranks the candidates approved in both methods by applying the formula defined above in IV.7.

V.1.7 — The candidates are notified of the proposed final decision following the terms set out in point VI of this notice. The notification includes the list with the proposed ordering of the admitted candidates as well as the list of the excluded candidates.

V.2 — Candidates can, if they so wish, appeal to the decision of the Selection Committee, in due respect for their right to a fair hearing, pursuant to Article 121 of the Código do Procedimento Administrativo [CPA - Code of Administrative Proceedings]. The period to submit an appeal begins on the date the candidates are notified of the Selection Committee’s deliberation, pursuant to paragraph 8 of Article 113 of the CPA.

V.2.1 — Should any candidate exercise their right to be heard, the committee shall hold a new meeting in order to analyse the appeal, and the candidates will be notified of its deliberations, under the terms of section VI herein.

V.2.2 — If the committee finds the candidates’ allegations well-founded, it shall proceed according to its deliberations, thereby notifying the candidates under the terms of point VI.1.

V.2.3 — If the committee finds such allegations unfounded, upon the candidates’ notification under the terms

of point VI.1, the selection process shall then be submitted to CNC’s Board of Directors for homologation.

V.3 — All candidates will be notified of the homologation decision, under the terms set out in point VI of the present notice. The administrative records of the tender may be consulted by the candidates, upon prior scheduling.

VI — Notification of the candidates:

VI.1 — The candidates are notified by e-mail of the following acts: the list of admitted and excluded candidates, as well as the identification of the candidates selected for the interview, and among them, those the Chairman of the Selection Committee has allowed to be interviewed by teleconference; the proposed final decision for the tender; the decisions regarding eventual allegations of the candidates and the homologated final decision.

VI.2 — The entire tender records may be consulted by candidates, upon scheduled appointment requested via e-mail to the Human Resources Management Service e-mail address: rh@cnc.uc.pt.

VII — Selection Committee:

Chairman — Doctor Cristina Márquez Vega, Coordinator Researcher of the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, and ERA Chair holder under project DYNABrain;

Committee members:

Doctor Renato Duarte, Auxiliary Researcher of the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra;

Doctor Flavia Ricciardi, Postdoctoral fellow of the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra;

Alternate committee members:

Doctor Ana Luísa Monteiro de Carvalho, Associate Professor of the Life Sciences Department of the Department, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra;

Doctor Natalia Madeira, Postdoctoral fellow of the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra;

In the event of absence or impediment, the Chairman shall be replaced by the Committee member indicated in the first place, who, in case of similar absence/impediment, will be replaced by the Committee member indicated next and so on.

For the record, the present public Notice has been prepared and will be announced in English in CNC’s electronic platform dedicated to job opportunities and in the international platform EURAXESS, https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/296444

Pursuant to paragraph h) of Article 9 of the Portuguese Constitution, the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, as employer, actively promotes a policy of equal opportunities between men and women in their access to employment and professional development, and acts to prevent all forms of discrimination. Therefore, no one can be privileged, benefited, harmed or deprived of any right or exempted from any duty on account of, in particular, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, family, economic situation, education, origin or social condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic or racial origin, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs and trade union membership.

In accordance with Decree-Law nr. 29/2001, of 3 February, candidates with disabilities take precedence over others when they obtained the same classification, and this prevails over any other eligible preference.

Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data (RGPD) and Portuguese Law no. 58/2019 of 8 August, the entity responsible for processing the personal data of the candidates, collected within the scope of this tender, procedure is the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC). CNC guarantees that personal data collected in physical or digital support, whatever their nature, are treated responsibly, only for the purpose of recruitment, through appropriate policies and measures in order to prevent access and misuse or possible intrusions, minimizing risks and contributing to their safety. CNC does not provide or allow access to personal data by third parties, except for the purpose of complying with duly justified legal obligations. The personal data collected will be kept for a maximum of 6 months, counting from the end of the legal period of preservation foreseen for the procedure. At any time, the interested party can contact CNC through the email dpo_cnc@cnc.uc.pt to request information on the processing of personal data or to exercise the legally established rights.

Coimbra,

03/12/2024