Postdoctoral Research Assignment_P1125723 Coimbra

Postdoctoral Research Assignment_P1125723
Coimbra
Coimbra, Coimbra District, Portugal

Organisation/Company Universidade de Coimbra Department Divisão de Projetos e Atividades (Bolsas) Research Field Pharmacological sciences » Pharmacy Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Ph
D Positions Country Portugal Application Deadline 6 Oct 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 23 Sep 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Reference Number IT137-25-371 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The University of Coimbra opens a call for the assignment of a postdoctoral research grant, with 1 position(s), under the project“COMPETE2030-FEDER-00672100- ANTICELLURONIC - Development of a novel therapeutic strategy for targeting intracellular antigens in
- negative breast cancer using
- immolative hyaluronic
- antibody conjugates”.

The call is governed by this Notice of Opening, the University of Coimbra Research Grant Regulations (RBI-UC), subsidiarily by the Research Grant Regulations of the Foundation for Science and Technology (RBI-FCT), 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:IT137-2025-371

I. I - Grant Recipients:

Holders of a doctoral degree in the scientific area of
Pharmaceutical Technology, obtained within the three years prior to the start date of the grant, where the research work leading to the degree was carried out at a host institution different from the one where the work of the current grant will be conducted.

I. II – Ineligible candidates:

The following candidates will not be admitted to the call:

• Candidates who, with the award of the current grant, including possible renewals, exceed a cumulative period of three years in this type of grant, whether consecutive or intermittent.
• Candidates who obtained their doctoral degree more than three years before the application submission date.
• Candidates who have conducted the majority of the research work leading to their doctoral degree at the host institution of the current grant.

I. III-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: Department of Drug Development and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra

III- Scientific supervision/coordination of the grant:Ana Rita Ramalho Figueiras
Ivana Jarak

IV - Work Plan / Goals to be achieved:

General Objective
The general objective is to develop a novel therapeutic strategy targeting
- negative breast cancer (TNBC), based on innovative
- immolative hyaluronic
- antibody conjugates (SI HA), capable of delivering drugs or therapeutic agents to intracellular “undruggable” antigens, thus overcoming conventional
- based therapy limitations.

Specific Objectives

• Identify and validate intracellular antigens selectively expressed in TNBC, susceptible to
  - presentation.
• Develop and optimize
  - immolative HA-antibody conjugates for controlled release and targeted delivery.
• Assess cellular internalization and therapeutic efficacy of the conjugates in TNBC cell models.
• Evaluate in vivo efficacy and safety in orthotopic murine TNBC models.
• Explore platform applicability to other cancers with similar intracellular antigens.
• Antigen discovery and validation (Months 1–6): Bioinformatic screening (e. g. , TCGA, CPTAC), RT-q
  PCR, Western blot, immunocytochemistry.
• Conjugate synthesis (Months 4–12): Functionalization of HA, conjugation with m
  Abs, characterization (NMR, FTIR, DLS, HPLC).
• In vitro efficacy (Months 10–18): Confocal microscopy, cytotoxicity assays (MTT, Annexin V/PI), intracellular release.
• Data analysis & dissemination (Months 28–36): Optimization, scientific publications, patent submission, and exploitation strategy.

Expected Outcomes

• Validated SI HA-antibody platform for TNBC.
• In vitro and in vivo proof of concept.
• High-impact publications and patent submission.
• Development path for broader cancer applications.

V. I - Renewal Possibility: Non-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, 801. 00

VI. III - 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. IV - Funding: The grant(s) assigned under this call will be funded by
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), I. P. , through national funds (PIDDAC and by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Thematic Programme Innovation and Digital Transition (COMPETE 2030), Portugal 2030, and the European Union | Operation no. 15640, operation code in the Funds Portal COMPETE2030-ERDF-00672100 [LM3]

VI. V - Information and publicity about the funding:“In all R&D activities directly or indirectly funded by the grant, namely in all communications, publications, and scientific outputs, as well as theses, carried out with the support provided by the grant, acknowledgment of financial support from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Innovation and Digital Transition Programme (COMPETE 2030) of Portugal 2030, must be explicitly stated [LM4]

VII - Selection Methods: Evaluation of the academic record (AR) 60% and Interview (I) – 40%

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 - Absolute merit of CV – 50%

- Criterion 2 - Academic track – 30%

- Criterion 3 - Specific knowledge – 20% (Knowledge with formulation development and characterization, e. g. , solid lipid nanoparticles; Quality by Design approach; analytical methods like HPLC; cell culture; and animal studies).

VII. II- I –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 – 40%

-Criterion 2 - Motivation and interest – 30%

-Criterion 3 - Knowledge and profile appropriate to the functions to be developed – 30%

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 * (50%) + criterion 2 * (30%) + criterion 3* (20%)= 100

- I: criterion 1 * 40(%) + criterion 2 * (30%) + criterion 3* (20%)= 100

- Final Classification (FC): AR * (60%) + I * (40%) = 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: Ana Rita Ramalho Figueiras, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, UC

Effective Members:Ivana Jarak, Invited Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology, UC; Carla Vitorino, Associate Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, UC

Alternate Members:Francisco Veiga, Full Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, UC; João José Sousa, Associate Professor with Habilitation, Faculty of Pharmacy, UC

VII. X - Selection reserve list: the reserve list consists of candidates approved in all selection methods who do not secure one of the available vacancies under this procedure. The reserve list is valid for 12 months [LL5]

VIII- Application Submission

Candidates must access and register on the electronic platform https://apply. uc. pt/ 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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.

X - Activity Regime:The grant does not create or constitute a
- 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
- ranking 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.