Research Fellowship (BI) (Reference REQUIMTE 2026-63)

Unist; Porto; Hybrid; EUR 10,000 - 15,000; Full time

Job summary

REQUIMTE/LAQV – CISA, ESS|P.PORTO, Porto, is offering a Research Fellowship (BI) on the project Upcycling shrimp waste into food-grade astaxanthin. The role focuses on quality assessment, encapsulation development, data analysis, and dissemination of results.

Bachelor-level entry with Master’s enrollment is required; work is conducted under Professor Edgar Augusto da Costa Pinto. The fellowship lasts five months, based at REQUIMTE/LAQV – CISA, Porto, and includes opportunities to contribute to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Food Engineering, Biochemistry, Biotechnology or related fields and enrolment in Master’s studies or equivalent.
• Relevant experience with instrumental analytical methods (HPLC, GC, ICP-MS or LC-MS) is desirable.
• Knowledge of food quality and safety assessment and encapsulation of bioactive compounds is advantageous.
• Experience in processing experimental data and preparing scientific documents is valued.

Responsibilities

• Integrate into WP3, WP4 and WP5 of the project; assess quality and safety of compounds and extracts.
• Develop and characterize microencapsulation systems or encapsulation strategies; process and interpret data.
• Prepare scientific articles, reports and other technical documents; participate in outreach activities.

Skills

Instrumental analysis

HPLC

GC

ICP-MS

LC-MS

Microencapsulation

Data processing

Food quality & safety

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences or related field

Job description

Organisation/Company REQUIMTE - Rede de Quimica e Tecnologia Research Field Environmental science » Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Bachelor Positions Application Deadline 27 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon) Country Portugal Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time 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

A Research Fellowship (BI) (Reference REQUIMTE 2026-63 on the project “ Upcycling shrimp waste into food-grade astaxanthin: a zero-waste approach towards a circular economy” (2024.17544.PEX) , supported by national funds by FCT / MCTES, is available at REQUIMTE.

Main research field: Exact and Engineering Sciences and Natural and Environmental Sciences.

Admission requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Food Engineering, Biochemistry, Biotechnology or related fields, and enrolment in/attendance of a study cycle leading to a Master’s degree, or in a non‑degree course provided by a higher education institution in conjunction with an R&D unit, in an area relevant to the work plan.

Where the Bachelor’s degree has been awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must comply with the provisions of Decree‑Law No. 66/2018 of 16 August, and all formalities established therein must be completed by the date on which the fellowship contract is signed.

Working plan: The work will be mainly integrated into WP3, WP4 and WP5 of the project and will include: 1) assessment of the quality and safety of the compounds and extracts obtained; 2) development and characterisation of microencapsulation systems and/or other astaxanthin encapsulation strategies; and 3) processing, analysis and interpretation of experimental data, as well as the preparation of scientific articles, reports and other technical and scientific documents. The fellowship holder may also participate in communication, dissemination and science outreach activities related to the project.

Work Place: The work will be conducted at REQUIMTE/LAQV – CISA, ESS|P.PORTO , under the supervision of Professor Edgar Augusto da Costa Pinto.

Duration: The fellowship will have a duration of 5 months.

The following selection methods will be used :

A) Assessment of the curriculum vitae and suitability of the candidate’s profile for the work plan (80%)

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Food Engineering, Biochemistry, Biotechnology or other related fields:
  • Final degree classification ≥ 16/20 – 6 points
  • Final degree classification ≥ 14/20 and < 16/20 – 5 points
  • Final degree classification ≥ 12/20 and < 14/20 – 4 points
  • Final degree classification < 12/20 – 3 points
• Experience acquired in academic, professional or research settings in the following areas:
  • Instrumental analytical methods, in particular HPLC, GC, ICP-MS and/or LC-MS and/or other instrumental techniques relevant to the work plan – maximum of 4 points
  • Relevant and documented practical experience in the use of one or more instrumental analytical methods relevant to the work plan – 4 points
  • Limited practical experience in the use of one or more instrumental analytical methods – 2.5 points
  • Knowledge of or exposure to instrumental analytical methods acquired exclusively through curricular units or training courses – 1 point
  • No relevant experience or training in the area – 0 points
• Food quality and safety – maximum of 4 points:
  • Relevant and documented practical experience in food quality and/or food safety activities, or in the chemical, physicochemical and/or microbiological characterisation of matrices relevant to the work plan – 4 points
  • Limited practical experience in these activities – 2.5 points
  • Knowledge of or exposure to the area acquired exclusively through curricular units or training courses – 1 point
  • No relevant experience or training in the area – 0 points
• Microencapsulation and/or other techniques for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds – maximum of 2 points:
  • Relevant and documented practical experience in microencapsulation and/or other techniques for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds, including the preparation and/or characterisation of the systems obtained – 3 points
  • Limited practical experience in the application of these techniques – 2 points
  • Knowledge of or training in the area, without relevant practical experience – 1 point
  • No relevant experience or training in the area – 0 points
• Processing and analysis of experimental data and preparation of technical and scientific documentation – maximum of 3 points:
  • Relevant and documented experience in the processing and analysis of experimental data and in the preparation of scientific articles, reports or other technical and scientific documents – 3 points
  • Limited practical experience in these activities – 2 points
  • Knowledge of or exposure to these activities acquired predominantly through curricular units or training courses – 1 point
  • No relevant experience in the area – 0 points

The motivation letter will be assessed on a scale from 0 to 20 points, taking into account the candidate’s motivation to undertake the proposed work plan, their knowledge of and interest in the scientific areas covered by the activities to be developed, the suitability of their skills and experience for the analytical characterisation, quality and safety assessment, encapsulation, and data processing and interpretation activities foreseen in the project, as well as the clarity and overall quality of the written presentation.

For the purposes of assessing the experience referred to under section 2 of criterion A), candidates must provide a sufficiently detailed description, in their curriculum vitae and/or motivation letter, of the activities undertaken that demonstrate their experience in the areas identified above. Where applicable, supporting documents may be submitted, including training certificates, statements, letters of recommendation or other relevant documentation. Experience acquired through final degree projects, curricular project units, curricular or extracurricular internships, activities carried out in companies or research and development (R&D) units, as well as participation in research projects, may be taken into consideration.

The score obtained in the first stage of the assessment will be calculated according to the following formula:

Where there are candidates whose first-stage score differs by no more than 10% from the score obtained by the highest-ranked candidate, the selection panel will interview the highest-ranked candidate and all other candidates falling within this range.

In such cases, the interview will be assessed on a scale of 0 to 20 points and will account for 25% of the final score, which will be calculated according to the following formula:

The selection panel reserves the right not to award the fellowship if none of the candidates achieves a final score of at least 10 points on a scale of 0 to 20.

Jury composition:

Olga Maria da Silva Viegas, Auxiliar Professor, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences - University of Porto (vowel),

Publicity and communication of results: The ranking of applications will be published at a visible and public area of REQUIMTE facilities, and all candidates will be informed by email about the result of their application.