Junior Researcher with PhD

Organisation/Company Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto (i3S) Research Field Medical sciences » Health sciences Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Ph
D Positions Country Portugal Application Deadline 5 Dec 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon) Type of Contract To be defined Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 21 Nov 2025 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 OF OPENING OF AN INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR THE SELECTION OF A Ph
D HOLDER RESEARCHERUNDER DECREE-LAW NO. 57/2016

Internal code:Researcher/FCT_SLOW-TB/i3S/2111/2025

A call is opened for the position of a Ph
D holder, for an unfixed term work contract to carry out research duties within the project “SLOW-TB: Rewiring
- pathogen interactions to slow down Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections and accelerate tuberculosis control”, with reference COMPETE2030-FEDER-00672000, funded by national funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I. P.

Scientific Area:Life and Health Sciences

1. Project summary and work plan

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains a major health issue. Curbing TB requires new preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic options, but to develop such tools redefining the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying TB protection is required. For this, TB research must incorporate the complexity and heterogeneity of the disease. Aligned with the End-TB strategy, SLOW-TB is designed to disclose and test novel host and pathogen mechanisms mediating TB protection.

The main objective of this project is to investigate the interactions between clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis and the immune system, in order to find mechanisms associated with the slow progression of TB. These mechanisms will serve as the basis for the development of new immune therapies to be tested in the mouse model. To achieve these aims, the workplan involves performing in vivo (mouse) infections with different clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis, analysing the immune response at different times
- infection and the lung pathology at
- points. For mechanistic studies, in vitro infections and whole transcriptome analyses will also be performed.

Decree No. 57/2016, of August 29 – Legal Framework for Scientific Employment (RJEC) – in its current version.

Portuguese Labor Code, in its current wording.

3. Jury

Chairperson: Margarida Saraiva; Other Members: Tiago Beites and Mariana Resende; Substitute: Joana Tavares.

4. Workplace

5. Professional category and monthly remuneration

Junior Researcher

€ 2. 351, 53, corresponding to index 33 of the Tabela Remuneratória Única, whose application is intended for Ph
D holders with reduced
- doctoral experience or without a
- doctoral scientific curriculum.

6. Requirements for admission to the call

Mandatory:

• cell culture;
• histological analysis of lungs;
• gene expression analysis by
  - time PCR;
• basic microbiology techniques;
• License to work with laboratory animals issued by the DGAV for functions A+D, in accordance with Decree-Law No. 113/2013;
• Authorization to work in biosafety laboratory level 3;
• Experience in flow cytometry.

Preferential:

• Publication of articles in areas relevant to the project;
• Presentations at conferences and awards received.

7. Evaluation of the applications and publication of the results

The evaluation of the scientific and curricular background of the candidates should focus on the activity of the last five years that the candidate considers most relevant. The
- year period may be extended by the jury, at the jury’s request, when justified by suspension of scientific activity for socially protected reasons, namely for reasons of parental leave, prolonged serious illness, and other situations of unavailability for work that are legally protected.

Weight of the different curricular valuation criteria:

• Curricular Evaluation (80%) taking in consideration relevance to the project workplan and requirements established in section 6. ;

Interview – facultative (10%).

If the jury decides to obtain further clarifications and additional information about the curricular elements presented, the 3 best candidates classified on the basis of the curriculum may be called for an interview.

Candidates who submit their application incorrectly or fail to meet the required qualifications for this competition will be excluded from admission.

The jury reserves the right to request any candidate, in case of doubt, to provide supporting documents for their statements.

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

The jury will draw up minutes of its meetings, which can be consulted at the candidate's request within 10 working days after the selection results are released.

The jury deliberates by means of a reasoned vote according to the evaluation criteria, with no abstentions allowed, and draws up a list of excluded and admitted candidates, ordered by respective classification.

All candidates are notified of the selection results by email. After notification, candidates have 10 working days to comment.

In the 90 days following the deadline for submission of applications, the jury's final decision is communicated to the candidates. Subsequently the institute Director, who is also responsible for the final decision of hiring, will ratify the decision of the jury.

This call is intended exclusively to fill the indicated position on offer and may be canceled before the final ranking list of candidates is ratified by the Director. Accordingly, the position will no longer be available.

8. Submission of applications

Applications must include all the documents proving that they fulfill the admission requirements, namely:

• Copy of Ph
  D certificate or diploma;
• Detailed Curriculum Vitae;
• License to work with laboratory animals issued by the DGAV for functions A+D, in accordance with Decree-Law No. 113/2013;
• Other relevant documents for the evaluation of qualification in the scientific area.

The submission of applications is digital, in pdf format, from November-21 to December-05, 2025, in the following link:

The anticipated start date of the contract is 01/01/2026 and is subject to budget availability. The expected duration of the contract will be 12 months, eventually extendable.

10. Non-discrimination and equal access policy

i3S actively promotes a policy of
- discrimination and equal access. No applicant shall be privileged, benefited, prejudiced, or deprived of any right or exempted from any duty on the basis of ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, origin or social condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs, or trade union membership.

Within the framework of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, i3S adopts the Open, Transparent and Merit-based (OTM-R) principles for the recruitment of researchers, with the aim of conducting fair and transparent recruitment processes, bringing equal opportunities to all candidates.

11. Applicants with disabilities

Under the terms of Decree-Law 29/2001, of February 3, the candidate with a disability is given preference in equal ranking, which takes precedence over any other legal preference. Candidates must declare under oath their degree of disability, the type of disability and the means of communication/expression to be used in the selection process, under the terms of the aforementioned decree.