RESEARCH INITIATION FELLOWSHIP (m/f) - Ref. IBMC_BIC_ImmunoHub_3010_2025

Organisation/Company IBMC Research Field Medical sciences » Health sciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Bachelor Positions Country Portugal Application Deadline 9 Dec 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon) Type of Contract To be defined Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number IBMC_BIC_Immuno
Hub_3010_2025 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

RESEARCH INITIATION FELLOWSHIP (m/f)

IBMC – Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, is opening a call to award one Research Initiation Fellowship (BIC) to carry out R&D activities to be conducted by MSC Students, or bachelors enrolled in a non‑academic degree course integrated into the educational project of a higher education institution in association with one or several R&D units, under the project Beyond Immuno
HUB: a complementary and multidisciplinary strategy to scale and sustain the impact of the IBMC‑i3S ERA Chair in Immunology , reference NORTE2030‑FEDER‑01777300 , financed by NORTE2030‑2024‑11 , at the IBMC Institute, under the following conditions:

2. Project Title: Beyond Immuno
HUB: a complementary and multidisciplinary strategy to scale and sustain the impact of the IBMC‑i3S ERA Chair in Immunology.

3. Workplan: Immunomodulatory therapies for non‑infectious diseases. T cells develop in the thymus and play a key role in the responses to cancer and infectious diseases. The production of T cells by the thymus declines with age, infection, or chemotherapy, resulting in poor T cell responses to pathogens and vaccines or autoimmunity. Given the interest in developing new T cell‑based therapies, there is an unmet need to understand how to repair thymus function. Our long‑term vision is to develop a manufacturable autologous T cell‑generating platform that replicates thymus function and translates swiftly for research and therapeutic purposes. The ability to generate autologous T cells with the required TCR repertoires will be a breakthrough in the treatment of immunodeficiencies, cancer, and vaccine response in the elderly. The development of T cells is supported by specialized microenvironments formed by Thymic Epithelial Cells (TEC). Defects in TECs cause immunodeficiency or autoimmunity, making them a target for diseases linked to defective thymic and T cell responses. The project focuses on studying the role of TECs in coordinating T‑cell selection.

4. Mandatory Admission Requirements

• Bachelor´s degree in Biochemistry, Microbiology, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or related areas;
• Grade average of 15 or higher.
• Be enrolled in a Master’s degree, preferably in Biochemistry, Metabolism –Biopathology and Experimental, Biology, Biomedical Sciences or related fields, at a higher education institution in association with one or several R&D units; or an honour statement of capacity to enrol in the aforementioned cycle of studies until the grant is contracted.

or

Be enrolled in a non‑academic degree course integrated into the educational project of a higher education institution, or an honour statement of capacity to enrol in the aforementioned course until the grant is contracted.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team; excellent communication skills (oral and written);
• Fluency in English (spoken and written);
• Certification in laboratory animals training according to FELASA recommendations (Functions A + D + Module 20);
• DGAV accreditation for performing procedures on animals (completed or submitted).

If the degree has been awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must comply with the provisions of the Decree‑Law no. 66/2018, of august 16th, and must be recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution, which approves the regime legal recognition of academic degrees and diplomas in Higher Education, arising from foreign higher education institutions, and paragraph e) of paragraph 2 of article 4 of Decree‑Law No. 60/2018, of August 3, all of which the formalities must be fulfilled there until the time of signing the contract.

The research grant can only be awarded to those who do not exceed, with the signing of the research grant contract in question, including possible renewals, an accumulated period of one year in this type of grant, consecutive or interpolated.

5. Preferential Admission Requirements

• Proven experience and solid knowledge in cell culture, and molecular biology techniques.
• Developing a master degree in the field of Immunology – detail in the motivation letter.

6. Legislation and other applicable regulations Research Grant Fellowship Statute - EBI enacted by Law no. 40/2004 of August 18th, as amended Regulations for Studentships and Fellowships of the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I. P. , approved by way of Regulation nr. 950/2019, published in the II Series of DR of December 16th, 2019; IBMC Research Grants Regulation approved by FCT.

8. Duration of the grant: The fellowship will last for 6 months, eventually renewable. The expected starting date is 1st of January of 2026, subject to budget availability.

9. Monthly maintenance allowance: The monthly maintenance allowance corresponds to 651. 12€, according to the table of values of grants awarded directly by FCT, I. P. in the country (Tabela_valores_SMM_2025. pdf), paid monthly by bank transfer.

Research grants may also include other components, as the voluntary social insurance, in accordance with article 10 of the Research Fellow Statute.

10. Selection method: The Selection will be based on:

• a) Curricular evaluation (80%), which will take into account the applicant's previous experience as described in the Admission Requirements (75%); and the scientific and technological production and impact (5%);
• b) Motivation Letter in English indicating interest and motivation for the area in which the application fits (20%);
• c) The evaluation panel may invite the most highly ranked candidates (up to 3) for an interview. In this case the final classification system for candidates is expressed on a scale from 0 to 100. In this case, the curricular evaluation will weight 80% for all candidates and the interview will weight 20%.

12. Publication/Notification of results: The final results of the evaluation will be publicised through an ordered list by final mark obtained, published on the IBMC website, and notified by e‑mail. After notification, candidates have 10 working days to comment and, within that period, a complaint may be submitted by email to: rh@ibmc. up. pt.

13. Application deadline and form of presentation of applications: The call is open from November 24th to December 9th 2025. Applications must be submitted electronically at: (URL omitted for privacy).

14. Non‑discrimination and equal access policy:

IBMC actively promotes a non‑discrimination and equal access policy, wherefore no candidate can be privileged, benefited, impaired or deprived of any rights whatsoever, or be exempt of any duties based on their ancestry, age, sex, sexual preference, marital status, family and economic conditions, instruction, origin or social conditions, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, origin territory, language, religion, political or ideological convictions and union membership.

Pursuant to Decree‑Law no. 29/2001 of 3 February, disabled candidates shall be preferred in a situation of equal classification, and said preference supersedes any legal preferences. Candidates must declare, on their honour, their respective disability degree, type of disability and communication/expression means to be used during selection period on their application form, under the regulations above.

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Additional Information

The monthly maintenance allowance corresponds to 651. 12€ , according to the table of values of grants awarded directly by FCT, I. P. in the country ( Tabela_valores_SMM_2025. pdf ), paid monthly by bank transfer.

Selection process

The Selection will be based on:

• a) Curricular evaluation (80%), which will take into account the applicant previous experience as described in the Admission Requirements (75%); and the scientific and technological production and impact (5%);
• b) Motivation Letter in English indicating interest and motivation for the area in which the application fits (20%);
• c) The evaluation panel may invite the most highly ranked candidates (up to 3) for an interview. In this case the final classification system for candidates is expressed on a scale from 0 to 100. In this case, the curricular evaluation will weight 80% for all candidates and the interview will weight 20%.

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology Country Portugal State/Province Porto City Porto Postal Code 4200-135 Street Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 Geofield