Research Initiation Fellowship

Organisation/Company Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto (i3S) Research Field Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Bachelor Positions Country Portugal Application Deadline 2 Dec 2025 - 00:00 (Europe/Lisbon) Type of Contract Other Type of Contract Extra Information Research fellowship Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 18 Nov 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number Fellow_BII/FCT_Proj2023/i3S/18110212/2025 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

i3s – Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (hereinafter i3) is opening a call to award a Research Initiation Fellowship to carry out initial R&D activities, under the project "Exploring the role of KLF15 in the establishment of functionally diverse thymic epithelial cell microenvironments and its impact on T
- mediated immunity" – refª - 2023. 13623. PEX, funded by national funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, I. P.

Scientific Area: Immunology.

Project Title:

"Exploring the role of KLF15 in the establishment of functionally diverse thymic epithelial cell microenvironments and its impact on T
- mediated immunity".

Workplan:

T cells develop in the thymus and are a chief cellular arm of adaptive immune responses against pathogens and tumour cells. Within the thymic niche, hematopoietic progenitors are guided to differentiate into immunologically competent T cells expressing T cell receptors (TCR) that are reactive to foreign threats while tolerant to the body’s own tissues. Importantly, deficits in thymic function arise with aging, infection or chemotherapy. These alterations are particularly relevant in the elderly or immunosuppressed patients, contributing to poor T cell responses to pathogens and vaccines or the development of autoimmunity. Consequently, the design of new immunotherapies for haematological diseases associated with dysfunctional T cell responses also relies on our understanding of the fundaments that control T cell development in the thymus.

The generation of a functionally diverse and
- tolerant pool of T cells is not a
- autonomous process and depends on inductive signals provided by resident thymic stromal cells. Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) constitute the main functional stromal component of the vertebrate thymus with a
- redundant role in T cell development and selection, being mainly divided into cortical (c
TECs) and medullary (m
TECs)
- lineages. While c
TECs mediate the commitment of hematopoietic progenitors to the T cell lineage and positive selection, m
TECs regulate the deletion of autoreactive thymocytes and the differentiation of regulatory T cells. Hence, mutations that affect TEC cause diverse pathologies from immunodeficiency to autoimmunity, which makes the study of these cells essential to understand the rules balancing the establishment of T cell immunity and tolerance induction. Over the last years, considerable attention has been directed towards understanding of how c
TECs and m
TECs differentiate from common bipotent TEC progenitors (TEPs). Yet, our understanding of the identity of molecular elements that control the specification of TEPs and their functional diversification in c
TEC/m
TEC subsets remains elusive.

The transcription factor (TF) Foxn1 is essential for TEC differentiation during the early stages of embryonic thymus development, but its expression is also required throughout the postnatal period. Although only a few Foxn1 targets have been implicated in TEC function, Foxn1 unlocks a broad genetic program that presumably maintains TEC identity, while enabling their functional diversification. Yet, the downstream molecular nodes that control Foxn1-dependent specific modules of TEC differentiation are unclear. Guided by
- silico analysis of
- wide transcriptomic data of TEC subsets and supported by strong preliminary analysis, we propose to investigate the unreported role of Krüppel-like factor 15 (Klf15) in TEC biology, and its impact in thymopoiesis and peripheral T cell homeostasis. The Klf15 protein is part of a large family of
- finger TF implicated in numerous biological processes, ranging from pluripotency and metabolism to carcinogenesis. Yet, its precise contribution to the immune system remains unexplored.

Using an integrative approach that combines the analysis of novel TEC-specific KLF15 conditional knockout (c
KO) mice with the study of fundamental cellular and molecular processes, our interrelated OBJECTIVES are:

I. Elucidate the role of KLF15 in TEC differentiation and uncover the molecular network under its control in TECs.

II. Define the TEC-intrinsic function of KLF15 in thymopoiesis, peripheral T cell homeostasis, and immune tolerance.

Admission Requirements

Mandatory:

• To be a student enrolled in a professional higher technical course, a graduation degree, an integrated master’s degree or a master’s degree, in Biochemistry, Metabolism, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or related fields, Or:
• In case that the candidate has an academic degree (Bachelor´s) with an average mark of 14 or higher in the area of Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or related fields has to be enrolled in a non‑degree course integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution developed in association or cooperation with one or several R&D units, until the contract start date.

These requirements must be fulfilled at the time the grant is contracted. At the time of application, proof of enrollment may be replaced by a declaration of honor that the candidate is able to enroll at the date of contracting the scholarship.

• Certification in laboratory animals training according to FELASA recommendations (Functions A + D + Module 20);
• DGAV accreditation for performing procedures on animals;
• Motivation letter, written in English, expressing the candidate’s interest, motivation, availability, and suitability for the position and project area;
• Presentation of diplomas (BSc and certificate in laboratory animal training) is mandatory during the application for certification of the provided information.

Preferential

• 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.

The recipient of this type of grant may not exceed, upon conclusion of the grant contract, an accumulated period of one year in this type of BII research initiation grant, whether consecutive or interpolated, all the host entities with which he/she has been associated being taken into consideration for the calculation.

The grant cannot be awarded to anyone who has already benefited from research grants directly or indirectly funded by FCT, regardless of their type, awarded under the terms of the Research Grant Holder Statute.

Applicable legislation and regulations

Statute of the Scientific Research Grant Holder, approved by Law no. 40/2004, of 18 August and republished by Decree‑Law no. 123/2019, of 28 August; Research Grant Regulations of the Foundation for Science and Technology, I. P. , as amended.

Place

The research activities will be hosted at i3S, under the scientific coordination of Doctor Pedro Mendes Rodrigues.

Length time

The fellowship will have a duration of 6 months, eventually renewable starting on January 1st, 2026, upon availability of the financed funds.

The selection process will be carried out through a curriculum assessment (90%), taking into consideration the previous experience outlined in the Admission Requirements, and a motivational letter (10%). An evaluation will be conducted on a scale from 1 to 100, followed by ranking the candidates based on the scores obtained in the defined criteria above. In case there is the need for further clarification and additional information about the presented curriculum elements, candidates with classification above or equal 80% might be invited for an interview. In this case, for candidates advancing to the interview phase, the first assessment component will carry a weight of 80% (detailed CV 75% and Motivational Letter 5%), and the interview will have a weight of 20%.

Evaluation Panel

President – Doctor Pedro Mendes Rodrigues; Other members: Doctor Nuno Alves and Doctor Laura Sousa.

Information and Publicity of Funding Granted

The results of the evaluation will be notified by email to all candidates. After notification, candidates have 10 working days to comment and, within that period, a complaint may be submitted by email to rh. i3S@i3s. up. pt.

Application deadline and form of presentation of applications

The call will be open between November 18th 2025 to December 2nd 2025.

Applications must be submitted electronically at:

accompanied by: Certificate of Qualifications, Curriculum Vitae, motivation letter in English, proof of enrollment in a study cycle or proof of enrollment in a course that does not confer an academic degree integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution (can be replaced by a declaration of honor that you are able to enroll in said study cycle or course at the time of signing the grant contract) and other documents that the candidate considers relevant, taking into account what is described in the admission requirements and in the preferential criteria.

Documentation to be provided at the time of contracting

besides the documents referred to in the previous item, it is necessary to present proof of enrolment in the required study cycle or in a
- degree course integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution.

Mandatory:

• To be a student enrolled in a professional higher technical course, a graduation degree, an integrated master’s degree or a master’s degree, in Biochemistry, Metabolism, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or related fields, Or:
• In case that the candidate has an academic degree (Bachelor´s) with an average mark of 14 or higher in the area of Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or related fields has to be enrolled in a non‑degree course integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution developed in association or cooperation with one or several R&D units, until the contract start date.

These requirements must be fulfilled at the time the grant is contracted. At the time of application, proof of enrollment may be replaced by a declaration of honor that the candidate is able to enroll at the date of contracting the scholarship.

• Certification in laboratory animals training according to FELASA recommendations (Functions A + D + Module 20);
• DGAV accreditation for performing procedures on animals;
• Motivation letter, written in English, expressing the candidate’s interest, motivation, availability, and suitability for the position and project area;
• Presentation of diplomas (BSc and certificate in laboratory animal training) is mandatory during the application for certification of the provided information.