Research Fellowship (CIPSI-ID-PEX-17129-02)

Centro de Investigação em Psicologia (CIPsi); Portugal; On-site; EUR 20,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Reimbursement of Voluntary Social InS

Personal Accident Insurance

Job summary

Centro de Investigação em Psicologia (CIPsi) in Braga, Portugal, invites applications for a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (BIPD) as part of the ROOTing project. The role targets doctors in psychology, neuroscience, biomedical/bioengineering with strong data analysis and neuroimaging skills.

Eligibility includes a doctoral degree, research experience, and proficiency in Portuguese and English. The fellowship lasts up to 8 months with possible renewal, starting December 2026, and provides

Qualifications

• A doctoral degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering or related fields.
• Knowledge of research methodology and statistical analysis.
• Proficiency in Portuguese and English suitable for interacting with participants, consulting the literature and scientific writing.

Responsibilities

• Review the relevant literature and collaborate in the preparation, adaptation and implementation of experimental protocols and tasks.
• Collaborate in the recruitment, screening and assessment of participants, in accordance with the project protocol.
• Collaborate in conducting pilot and task familiarization sessions, preparing the corresponding reports, and refining and standardizing experimental procedures and participant preparation procedures.
• Participate in the collection of behavioral, psychophysiological and magnetic resonance imaging data, under scientific supervision and in coordination with the project team.
• Organize, pseudonymize and document the data and maintain records tracking participants, sessions and the progress of data collection, ensuring compliance with data protection requirements.
• Perform quality control of the collected data, including the identification of motion artifacts, assessment of psychophysiological signal integrity and recording of relevant events during the sessions.
• Process and statistically analyze behavioral, psychophysiological and neuroimaging data, including the documentation of scripts and reproducible analysis procedures.
• Integrate and interpret the results from the different assessment modalities in relation to the project’s scientific objectives.
• Collaborate in the preparation of scientific reports, presentations and manuscripts, and in other activities to disseminate the results.

Skills

Research methodology

Statistical analysis

Portuguese language

English language

Education

Doctoral degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering or related fields

Tools

PsychoPy

Python

R

MATLAB

FSL

Job description

Organisation/Company Centro de Investigação em Psicologia (CIPsi) Research Field Psychological sciences » Psychology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 21 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon) Country Portugal Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number CIPSI-ID-PEX-17129-02 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE AWARD OF A POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

Title: Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (BIPD); 1 vacancy

Reference: CIPSI-ID-PEX-17129-02

A call for applications is now open for the attribution of 1 (one) Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (BIPD) within the scope of the R&D project “Exploring the roots of alcohol addiction: from unconscious to conscious cognitive mechanisms - a multilevel analysis using psychophysiological and fMRI measures” (ROOTing), reference 2024.17129.PEX, PI Sónia Silva Sousa, with funding approved by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, I.P.) and ratified by the supervising authority on November 24, 2025, and within the scope of the activities of the Psychology Research Center (UI1662), under the following conditions:

Scientific Area: Psychology

Recipient category: The BIPD are intended for doctorates in the areas of Psychology, Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering or related fields.

Admission Requirements:

• Hold a doctoral degree obtained within three years before the date of submission of the fellowship application;
• To have carried out the research leading to the award of the doctoral degree in an organization other than the one hosting the fellowship; *
• The research activities must not require post-doctoral experience;
• Not exceed, with the conclusion of the contract in question, including possible renewals, an accumulated period of three years in this type of fellowship, consecutive or interpolated;

Not to have previously held a post-doctoral fellowship contract with the University of Minho. Once the BIPD contract has ended, no new fellowship contract can be signed between the same host organization and the same fellowship holder.

Candidates who do not cumulatively meet the requirements described will be excluded.

* This includes different I&D Units, even if they are based in the same Organic Unit (UOEI) of UMinho (according to nº 4 and 5 of the Article 7º of the FCT I.P. Research Grants Regulations in force).

Applicants’ eligibility: Candidates who meet the conditions set out in Article 9 of the Research Grant Regulations, No. 950/2019, of 16-12-2019, of FCT I.P. are eligible.

Nationals or citizens of other European Union member states, third-country nationals, stateless persons, and citizens with political refugee status are eligible to apply for this competition.

Candidate eligibility requirements:

Mandatory requirements:

a) A doctoral degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering or related fields, under the conditions set out in the admission requirements;

b) Knowledge of research methodology and statistical analysis of quantitative data;

c) Proficiency in Portuguese and English suitable for interacting with participants, consulting the literature and scientific writing.

Preferential factors:

a) Relevance of the scientific background to cognitive neuroscience;

b) Research experience, including protocol preparation, recruitment, administration of experimental behavioral assessment tasks and data collection;

c) Knowledge of or experience in the acquisition, processing and analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and/or psychophysiological data;

d) Knowledge of or experience in programming experimental tasks and analyzing data, namely using PsychoPy, Python, R, MATLAB and/or FSL;

e) Experience in writing scientific manuscripts and disseminating research results, namely through publications, scientific presentations and other activities relevant to the work plan.

The knowledge and experience listed above may have been acquired during the doctorate; post-doctoral experience is not required.

Workplan and objectives to be achieved:

The BIPD are restricted in time in order to stimulate scientific employment and the use of researcher contracts as a rule for hiring them - according to nº 2, article 7º of the FCT I.P. Research Grants Regulation (2019).

The work plan aims to consolidate and further develop the fellowship holder’s scientific training through participation in the research activities of the ROOTing project, including the preparation and implementation of experimental protocols, the collection and analysis of behavioral, psychophysiological and neuroimaging data, and the writing and dissemination of scientific results.

Work plan

1. Review the relevant literature and collaborate in the preparation, adaptation and implementation of experimental protocols and tasks.

2. Collaborate in the recruitment, screening and assessment of participants, in accordance with the project protocol.

3. Collaborate in conducting pilot and task familiarization sessions, preparing the corresponding reports, and refining and standardizing experimental procedures and participant preparation procedures.

4. Participate in the collection of behavioral, psychophysiological and magnetic resonance imaging data, under scientific supervision and in coordination with the project team.

5. Organize, pseudonymize and document the data and maintain records tracking participants, sessions and the progress of data collection, ensuring compliance with data protection requirements.

6. Perform quality control of the collected data, including the identification of motion artifacts, assessment of psychophysiological signal integrity and recording of relevant events during the sessions.

7. Process and statistically analyze behavioral, psychophysiological and neuroimaging data, including the documentation of scripts and reproducible analysis procedures.

8. Integrate and interpret the results from the different assessment modalities in relation to the project’s scientific objectives.

9. Collaborate in the preparation of scientific reports, presentations and manuscripts, and in other activities to disseminate the results.

Objectives to be achieved

1. Contribute to the implementation and documentation of the experimental procedures planned for the project.

2. Contribute to the collection and organization of the behavioral, psychophysiological and magnetic resonance imaging data planned for the project, including the creation of organized databases that enable information to be accessed efficiently.

3. Further develop skills and implement pipelines for quality control, processing and integrated analysis of behavioral, psychophysiological and neuroimaging data, documenting the procedures used.

4. Contribute to the preparation of scientific reports, manuscripts and presentations, and to the dissemination of the project’s results.

The fellowship holder’s performance will be assessed based on the completion of the activities planned for the contracted period, methodological and ethical rigor, the quality of the data and analyses produced, documentation of procedures, and contributions to the project’s reports and scientific outputs.

Applicable legislation and regulations: Research Fellow Statute (EBI), approved by Law nº. 40/2004 of August 18, in its current wording and FCT Research Fellowship Regulation, approved by Regulation nº 950/2019, published in the Official Gazette, 2nd series, of December 16, 2019, in its current wording, and Scientific Research Fellowship Regulation (RBIC) of the University of Minho, approved by order nº 4998/2025, published in the Official Gazette, 2nd series, nº 81, of April 28, 2025. Amended and republished through amendment statement no. 634/2025/2, published in the Official Gazette, 2nd series, no. 132, of July 11.

Host/Contracting institution and scientific supervision: The workplan will be carried out in the Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology of the University of Minho, located in the Gualtar Campus, Braga, under the scientific supervision of Dr. Sónia da Silva Sousa, PI of the project and Assistant Professor at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, and coordination of Dr. Adriana Conceição Soares Sampaio, Director of CIPsi.

Fellowship duration: The grant will take place for a period of 8 (eight) months, with a provisional starting date in December 2026. The fellowship grant may, eventually, be renewed up to the maximum limit allowed by the project and/or applicable legislation, up to a maximum of three years.

Payment is made by the 23rd of each month, through bank transfer to the Bank Identification Number of the fellow identified in the contractualization process.

Other benefits: Reimbursement of Voluntary Social Insurance, if the candidate chooses to receive it, corresponding to the 1st step of the contribution base (for fellowships of 6 months or more) and Personal Accident Insurance.

Exclusivity regime: The grantee will perform the activities under exclusivity, as foreseen in article 5º of the Research Fellow Statutes and applicable regulations.

President: Sónia da Silva Sousa, Assistant Professor, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro.

Effective member: Manuel Alberto Crego Barreiro, Assistant Researcher, Psychology Research Center, School of Psychology, University of Minho.

Substitute member: Diego Pinal Fernandez, Assistant Researcher, Psychology Research Center, School of Psychology, University of Minho.

The first effective member will substitute the President of the selection panel in case of impediment, being nominated the first substitute member in the place of the first effective member.

All members of the selection panel, including its President, undertake to uphold the responsibilities essential to the assessment process, including impartiality, disclosure of any potential conflicts of interest and confidentiality.

Criteria and procedures for applications assessment and selection: The applications assessment will focus on the candidate’s Merit and the Interview, following evaluation criteria, valued on a scale of 0 to 5 values, where 0 corresponds to nonexistent and 5 to excellent.

• Merit of the Candidate (MC), with a weighting of 80%. The assessment will consider the following parameters, based on the documents submitted with the application:

A1 — Relevance of the doctoral thesis to the scientific area of the call and the activities set out in the work plan (25%).

A2 — Research experience relevant to the work plan (50%). The assessment will consider the preparation and implementation of experimental protocols and tasks; recruitment, assessment and data collection; acquisition, processing and analysis of behavioral, psychophysiological and/or neuroimaging data; and programming of experimental tasks and analysis procedures. Scientific publications authored or co-authored by the candidate will also be considered, taking into account their relevance to the work plan and the candidate’s contribution.

A3 — Specific technical training relevant to the project (10%). Training activities, courses and other specialized training in experimental methodologies, neuroimaging, psychophysiology, programming and data analysis will be considered.

A4 — Scientific writing skills in English (10%). These will be assessed through the doctoral thesis, publications or other scientific work submitted with the application.

A5 — Relevance of the motivation letter to the fellowship and the work plan (5%). The assessment will consider the candidate’s interest in the project’s scientific objectives and the connection between their background and the activities to be undertaken.

The MC score will be calculated using the following formula:

The three candidates with the highest MC scores or, in the event of a tie, the four highest-scoring candidates will be admitted to the interview stage, provided they have an MC score of at least 3.5 points.

Interview (ENT), with a weighting of 20%. The interview will last no more than 20 minutes and will serve to explore and clarify the information submitted with the application and assess the following parameters:

B1 — Scientific and methodological knowledge relevant to the work plan and capacity for critical analysis (50%).

B2 — Motivation to carry out the activities planned for the project and to develop a scientific career (40%).

B3 — Oral communication skills in English (10%).

The interview will be conducted in Portuguese and English.

The ENT score will be calculated using the following formula:

Final classification

The final score (CF) for the application will be calculated using the following formula:

The fellowship will be awarded to the highest-ranked candidate, provided that they obtain a final score above 3.75 points. In the event of a tie in the final classification, preference will be given successively to the higher MC score and then to the higher scores for parameters A2 and A1.

All scores will be substantiated and recorded in the minutes, on the basis of the documents submitted and, in the case of the interview, the candidate’s performance.

Form of publication/notification of results:

The results of the evaluation are published in a single list (in alphabetical order or by final score obtained), posted in a visible and public place in the host unit, as well as by email to all candidates, attaching, for this purpose, the minutes of the selection panel’s deliberations, within a maximum period of 90 working days from the deadline for submission of applications.

Candidates are informed, at a prior hearing of interested parties, in accordance with Articles 121 and 122 of the Administrative Procedure Code, of the likely outcome of the final decision, and may comment within 10 working days of this notification.

(The waiver of the hearing for interested parties must be justified in accordance with Article 124 of the CPA)

A complaint may be lodged against the final decision within 15 working days, or an appeal may be lodged with the highest executive body of the funding entity within 30 days, both after the respective notification (Article 12(nº6) of the FCT Research Grant Regulations).

Within 10 working days of notification of the grant award, the applicant must declare their acceptance in writing. In case of non-acceptance, the next highest ranked applicant will be notified immediately.

Fellowship contractualization:

The fellowship is awarded through the signing of a contract between the University of Minho and the fellowship recipient, in accordance with point 2.4 of the Rules for the Award and Management of Fellowships https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Normas_de_Atribuicao_de_Bolsas_2021.pdf and the draft contract in Annex II of the University of Minho's Scientific Research Fellowship Regulations.

The contract can only be signed after receipt of all the documentation required for the type of fellowship, which must occur within a maximum period of 6 months, including proof of academic degrees or diplomas, as well as enrollment in study cycles or non-degree courses, as applicable.

Once all the documentation has been received, the contracting entity has 60 working days to sign the fellowship contract. Once received by the fellowship holder, the contract must be returned, duly signed, within 15 working days.

Term and cancellation of fellowship contracts:

Without prejudice to the other grounds laid down in the FCT I.P. Research Grant Regulations and in the Research Fellow Statute, the fellowship will cease on completion of the contracted work plan, as well as on expiry of the period for which it was granted or renewed.

The final report must be submitted to the scientific advisor, in accordance with the defined objectives and evaluation criteria, no later than 60 working days after the end of the fellowship and must be drawn up in accordance with Annex I of the Regulations (RBIC) of the University of Minho.

Non-discrimination and equal access policy: Universidade do Minho actively promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, so that no candidate may be privileged, benefited, harmed or deprived of any right or exempt from any duty due, namely, to ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, economic situation, education, social origin or condition, 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.

______________________________

Declaration of Honour

I, (full name), bearer of identification document number (XXXX), candidate for a research grant (type of grant), within the scope of the project (name or reference of the project), published on the Euraxess portal, with the reference (ref. call for proposals), declare on my honour that (I have not received any research grants to date / I have received the following research grants) under the Research Grant Holder Statute.

Where to apply

E-mail [e-mail]

Requirements

Research Field Psychological sciences » Psychology Education Level PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Please, see "Offer Description"

Specific Requirements

Please, see "Offer Description"

Additional Information

Please, see "Offer Description"

Eligibility criteria

Please, see "Offer Description"

Selection process

Please, see "Offer Description"

Additional comments

You can find the Portuguese version of the application, templates for the declarations, the contract and the final report at: