FCUP|Call for recruitment for one Research Assistant, within the Project 2512 HALO-FORCE

Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto; Portugal; Vor Ort; EUR 20.000 - 24.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

The Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto is advertising an international call for a Research Assistant with a Master’s in plant biology to work on the HALO-FORCE project. The role focuses on plant biology, seed viability, microscopy, and data analysis, with responsibilities across WP4, WP6 and WP7.

You will contribute to research on reproductive biology, seed germination, and seed morphology while collaborating with an interdisciplinary team and supervising undergraduate students.

Qualifikationen

• Master’s degree in the above-mentioned scientific area.
• Solid background in plant biology and sexual plant reproduction.
• Proven experience with microscopy techniques in plants (light and SEM).
• Experience in germination assays and seed viability assessment.
• Experience in data collection, organization and analysis of experiments.
• Experience supervising undergraduate students; good English written/spoken skills.
• International experience and multidisciplinary collaboration are assets.

Aufgaben

• Participate in development and execution of the research project within WP4/WP6/WP7.
• Carry out germination assays and assess seed viability.
• Characterise seed structure using light microscopy and SEM.
• Assist in scientific reporting, presentations, and dissemination.
• Support supervision of undergraduate students and collaboration with team members.

Kenntnisse

Plant biology

Microscopy

Germination assays

Seed viability

English proficiency

Data analysis

Supervision of students

Ausbildung

Master's degree in plant biology

Tools

Light microscopy

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

Jobbeschreibung

Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto

Organisation/Company Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto Department Department of Biology of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto. Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Master Positions Application Deadline 9 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon) Country Portugal Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 30 Nov 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Reference Number 2512 HALO-FORCE Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

NOTICE OF THE OPENNING OF AN INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR RECRUITMENT OF ONE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Ana Cristina Moreira Freire, Full Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, hereby advertises the opening for 10 working days of an international call for recruitment on one Research Assistant, with Master’s degree, resolutive term uncertain, within the Project 2512 HALO-FORCE - Halophyte-Driven Innovation for Sustainable Farming in Mediterranean Wetlands, financed by Fundação PRIMA - European Commission.

1.Main research field and justification Plant Biology. This scientific area encompasses the research activities planned within the project, which focus on the study, characterisation and assessment of biological processes in plants.

1.1.Sub research field and justification Plant Sexual Reproduction - a subarea directly related to the activities planned within the project. These include assessing reproductive performance and studying seeds, which are structures produced through sexual reproduction. Seed viability and germination will be assessed, together with morphological and structural characteristics.

2.General Admission Requirements

Application can be submitted by any nationals, foreigners and stateless people who meet the following conditions cumulatively: hold a MSc´s degree in the above-mentioned scientific area.

3.Hiring requirements

If the candidate holds a MSc awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must comply with the provisions established in the Decree-Law no. 66/2018 on July 16. All the formalities established in the Decree-Law must be met until the hiring. Failure to comply with these requirements results in the preliminary rejection of the application.

4.Special Admission Requirements

4.1. A solid background in plant biology and sexual plant reproduction;
4.2. Proven experience in microscopy techniques applied to plant biology, particularly light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM);
4.3. Proven experience in conducting and analysing germination assays and assessing seed viability;
4.4. Experience in the acquisition, organisation and analysis of experimental data;
4.5. Experience in supervising undergraduate students;
4.6. Proficiency in spoken and written English;
4.7. Demonstrated scientific writing and communication skills, including the preparation of manuscripts, reports, presentations or other means of disseminating scientific results;
4.8. Candidates with documented international experience, participation in collaborative projects and the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams will be considered an asset.

5.Functions to be performed and scientific guidance

As a Research Assistant, you will be responsible for participating in, developing, and carrying out research and development projects under the supervision of Dr. Ana Marta Brandão de Almeida Cardoso Pereira and will contribute to the objectives set forth in the program contract for the project by performing the duties described below.

5.1.
Participation in the development and execution of the research project by carrying out the scientific and technical activities inherent to it in the following WPs/Ts:
•WP4: Reproductive Fitness and Farmer-Coordinated Nursery Trials – The researcher will contribute to activities assessing the viability, germination and morphological characteristics of seeds from selected halophyte ecotypes. This will include conducting germination assays under controlled conditions; recording and analysing parameters such as germination percentage; and characterising seed structure using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
•WP6: Dissemination, Exploitation and Policy Uptake – The researcher will contribute to the project’s scientific dissemination and communication activities, including the preparation of reports, presentations, posters, conference contributions, scientific manuscripts and other outreach materials.
•WP7: Project Management and Coordination – The researcher will contribute to the scientific monitoring and management of the project, including participation in project meetings, organisation and documentation of activities, and preparation of scientific and technical information for project reports.
•The researcher will support the supervision of undergraduate students in a research setting.
•Collaborate with other team members and project partners, contributing to the coordination of the scientific and technical activities carried out within the project.

6.Applicable Legislation

•Regulation No. 849/2026 of the Research, Science and Technology Staff of the University of Porto, published in the 2nd series of Diário da República on July 7, 2026
•Labour Code, approved by Law no. 7/2009, of 12 February, in its current wording
•Law No. 73-A/2025, of December 30, approving the State Budget for 2026
•Code of Administrative Procedure (CPA) – approved by Decree-Law No. 4/2015

7.Workplace

The functions will be developed in the Department of Biology of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto.

8.Employment Terms

This employment contract is scheduled to start on November 2026 and will be maintained only for the period due to accomplish the tasks of the job description under a full-time regime, the foreseeable duration of which is 12 months, never exceeding the maximum limit of two years.

The contract in question must remain consistent with institutional needs and is subject to the availability of budgetary appropriations and the maximum duration of the program contract; or for the period necessary to carry out the activities identified in section 5 of this notice, within the scope of the program contract, subject to compliance with the legal and regulatory limits established regarding the maximum duration, which may never exceed a maximum of 2 (two) years.

9.Remuneration

The gross monthly salary will be €1.974,41 corresponding to Level 1, 1st position of the Single Pay Scale approved by Regulation No. 849/2026 in Annexes I and II (Regulation Governing Research, Science, and Technology Staff at the University of Porto, under private law), as currently in force, to which shall be added holiday and Christmas allowances, as well as a meal allowance in the amount and under the conditions applicable to employees with a public sector employment contract.

10.Methods of selection

In line with the provisions of Article 29 of Regulation 849/2026, the following selection methods will be applied:
1. Evaluation of the scientific and academic background of admitted candidates (APCC) (90%);
This is the mandatory selection method [Regulation No. 849/2026, Article 29(1)].
2. Interview (E), to be conducted with the candidates ranked highest in the APCC who meet the special admission requirements, limited to a maximum of 2 candidates (10%).
This is an optional selection method, lasting no more than one hour, intended exclusively to clarify aspects related to the research conducted. Interviews may be conducted via videoconference, at the initiative of the Chair of the selection committee, or upon a reasoned request by the candidate.
[Regulation No. 849/2026, Article 29(4)(b)(ii) and Article 33(1) and (2)].

11. The Evaluation of the Scientific and Curricular Track (APCC) of candidates—scored on a scale of 0–100 points, rounded to the nearest hundredth—will be conducted by taking into account the profile appropriate for the activity to be carried out, with a focus on the relevance, quality, and timeliness of the following criteria, which must be considered and weighted [Regulation 849/2026, Article 31(1)]:
A. The candidate’s academic and professional background, specifically professional research experience in the scientific field or fields covered by the competition; [minimum weighting of 1%, maximum of 9% for research staff on fixed-term contracts]
B. Scientific, technological, cultural, or artistic output considered by the applicant to be of the highest quality and most relevant to the scientific field, and applied or practice-based research activities considered by the applicant to have the greatest impact in that field; [minimum weighting of 90% for fixed-term research staff];
C. Outreach and knowledge dissemination activities – particularly in the context of promoting scientific culture and practices – considered most relevant by the candidate, and activities related to the management of science, technology, and innovation programs, or experience in observing and monitoring the scientific and technological system, [maximum weighting of 9%; minimum of 1% in the case of research staff on fixed-term contracts].

∑(A,B,C) = 100%

Using the criteria defined above and the principles described, the quantitative evaluation of candidates will be conducted based on the following parameters, which embody those criteria, with their respective weightings:
A. Scientific and professional background, specifically regarding professional research experience in Plant Biology, and, especially, sexual plant reproduction. This includes research experience; the ability to conduct research independently; national and international collaborations; participation in research projects and research stays; proficiency in English; and experience in supervising students. – [minimum weighting of 1%, maximum of 9% for research staff on fixed-term contracts] – 5 %
B. Scientific, technological, cultural, or artistic output in the scientific area and subarea covered by the call, taking into account the quality, relevance and currency of the scientific output, particularly the demonstrated ability to conceive and conduct research and to prepare and publish scientific articles – [minimum weighting of 90% for research staff on fixed-term contracts]; – 90 %
B.1. Relevant scientific, technological or technical output in the fields of plant biology, plant sexual reproduction, seed biology and plant responses to adverse environmental conditions. The quality, relevance and currency of the output, the candidate’s actual contribution to the work presented, and its suitability for the work to be carried out during the contract will be taken into account — 30 points.
B.2. Research experience and experimental development in plant biology and plant reproduction; the conduct and analysis of seed germination and viability assays; and the use of light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to characterise seed structure — 40 points.
B.3. Participation in projects, scientific collaboration and dissemination of results. Relevant experience includes participation in national or international collaborative projects; working in multidisciplinary teams; preparing reports and scientific communication materials; presenting results in scientific settings; and supporting the supervision of students in a research setting — 30 points.
C. Outreach and knowledge dissemination activities, management of science, technology, and innovation programs, or experience in observing and monitoring the scientific and technological system. This includes conference presentations, workshops, organisation of scientific events, etc. [maximum weighting of 9%; minimum of 1% for research staff on fixed-term contracts] – 5 %
The final score will be expressed on a scale of 0–100 points, based on the criteria mentioned above and their respective weightings, using the following equation:

APCC = A*5% + B*90% + C*5%

If an interview is conducted, the formula for calculating the Final Score (CF) is:

CF = APCC* 90% + E* 10%

12.Evaluation Methodology

12.1.After the admission of the applicants, and before starting the voting for their final ranking in the evaluation of their scientific and curricular background, each member of the Board presents a written document, to be attached to the meeting minutes, with the list of the applicants in descending order of merit, duly substantiated, considering the criteria and parameters of this tender notice.

12.2.The seriation methodology is: [Article 32(1) of Regulation No. 849/2026].
a)The candidate who obtains an absolute majority in each round of voting is placed in the corresponding position;
b)Voting is conducted according to the successive voting method;
c)In accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Jury shall first vote for the 1st position, then for the 2nd position, and so on, until the final ranking of all candidates admitted to the competition;
d)If a candidate obtains an absolute majority of the votes, they are ranked in the position being voted on and removed from consideration, and the procedure to select the candidate who will occupy the next position begins, and so on;
e)If an absolute majority of votes is not achieved in the vote for any of the positions, the Selection Committee shall repeat the vote for the position in question, but in each subsequent vote—up to a maximum of three—shall exclude the candidate with the fewest votes, in order to identify a candidate who achieves an absolute majority of votes;
f)In the event of a tie in determining the candidate with the fewest votes, pursuant to the preceding subparagraph, the Jury shall repeat the vote up to a maximum of three times, only among the tied candidates, excluding the candidate with the fewest votes in each round of voting.

12.3.If an absolute majority of votes is not reached after the voting explained in the previous number, or in case of a tie, the Chair's vote will be used for the final ranking.

12.4.Each member of the Board must respect, in the various voting rounds, the order he or she presented in the document referred to in paragraph 12.1.

12.5.Decisions are made by a roll-call vote with stated reasons, by an absolute majority; abstentions are not permitted (Article 27(3) of Regulation No. 849/2026).

12.6.Minutes are drawn up for the Jury’s meetings, containing a summary of what took place, an indication of how each member voted, and the respective justifications, which may be contained in separate documents attached to the minutes. The minutes are signed by all members present when the meeting is held entirely in person; if the meeting is hybrid or held entirely online, they are signed by the Secretary and the Chair (Article 27, paragraphs 4 and 5, of Regulation No. 849/2026).

12.7.The final ranking of the successful candidates, along with the remaining decisions of the Selection Committee, is submitted to the Rector for approval, who is responsible for approving the final decision. The decision regarding hiring and the setting of the deadline for signing the contract rests with the Director of FCUP, subject to the availability of budgetary funds [Articles 36(2) and 37(1) and (3) of Regulation No. 849/2026].

12.8.Only candidates with a rating of 80 points or higher, by the majority of selection panel members, are eligible for hiring.

12.9. The jury’s final decision is approved by the head of the institution responsible for initiating the competitive selection process. The final decision regarding hiring rests with the head of the contracting entity.

14.Form and Results notifications:

14.1 The Human Resources Department of the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Porto notifies applicants of the decisions issued as part of the competitive selection process.

14.2. Notifications are sent by email through the Apply UP online platform, including the lists of admitted and excluded applicants as well as the final ranking lists, pursuant to Article 35(1) of Regulation No. 849/2026 and Articles 112(1)(c) and 113(5) of the Code of Administrative Procedure.

15.Submission of applications:

Applicants must access and register on the online platform https://www.apply.up.pt/ , selecting the procedure for which they wish to apply (INVTERM-FCUP-26-14) The application process involves completing the sections available on the APPLY UP platform under “My application”.

15.1.Applications must be submitted exclusively via the online application system available at ( https://www.apply.up.pt/ ), (INVTERM-FCUP-26-14), where the selection methods and criteria to be used can be found.

15.2.Applications will be open for a period of 10 working days, from 27/10/2026 to 09/11/2026 (23:59 local time – Lisbon), and must be accompanied by the following documentation:
a)Certificate of Master;
b)Detailed Curriculum vitae;
c)Other documents deemed important by the candidate for the evaluation.
All candidates who submit their applications in an improper manner or fail to fulfil the requirements established in this call are excluded from admission. In case of doubt, the Selection Committee is entitled to request any candidate to present further documentation to support their statements. False statements provided by candidates are punishable by law.
The documents referred to in points a) and b) must be submitted.
Candidates who incorrectly formalize their candidacy are excluded from admission to the competition.

16.Final Decision

Under the terms of article 121 of the Code of Administrative Procedure, after being notified, the candidates have 10 working days to pronounce. Within a maximum period of 90 days from the deadline for the submission of applications, the final decisions of the jury are given.

17. The present insolvency proceeding is exclusively intended to fill the vacancies indicated, and may be terminated until the homologation of the final ordering list of the candidates and expiring with the respective occupation of the jobs on offer.

18.Non-discrimination and equal access policy

Joint Order No. 373/2000 of 31 March, issued by the Minister for State Reform and Public Administration and the Minister for Equality, stipulates that the following statement must be included in recruitment and promotion competitions: “In accordance with Article 9(h) of the Constitution, the Public Administration, as an employer, actively promotes a policy of equal opportunities between men and women in access to employment and career progression, taking scrupulous care to avoid any and all forms of discrimination”. Accordingly, the terms “candidate(s)”, “researcher(s)” and similar terms are not used in this Notice to refer to the gender of individuals.

Similarly, no candidate may be given preferential treatment, benefited, disadvantaged or deprived of any right, nor exempted from any duty on the grounds of, in particular, their ancestry, age, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, social origin or status, genetic heritage, reduced working capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions, and trade union membership.

19. Personal Data Protection

The personal data provided by applicants will be processed by the University of Porto for the sole purpose of managing this competitive selection process, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable legislation.