Research Scholarship (Master’s)

S2AQUAcoLAB; Quelfes; Híbrido; EUR 12 000 - 17 000; Tempo integral

Resumo da oferta

S2AQUAcoLAB invites applications for a Research Fellowship (Master’s) in Marine Biology or related fields at the Olhão facility, part of project SOFTCRAB. The fellow will conduct in vivo experiments, assist data analysis, and help prepare progress reports and outreach materials under the supervision of Renata Gonçalves and Catia Marques.

The fellowship is 12 months full-time, beginning August 1, 2026, with potential renewal.

Qualificações

• Master’s level candidate in Marine Biology or related field
• Experience in aquaculture and care of marine invertebrates, especially crabs
• Experience in collecting biological samples and analyzing biochemical indicators
• Experience in statistical data analysis and preparing outreach materials
• Willingness to work on public holidays and weekends
• Strong English proficiency and ability to work autonomously

Responsabilidades

• Conduct in vivo laboratory experiments on juvenile crabs to study temperature and diet effects
• Run pilot-scale experiments in tidal flat systems for soft-shell crab production feasibility
• Perform biochemical analyses (digestive enzymes, oxidative stress) on marine samples
• Assist with data analysis and preparation of progress reports and outreach materials
• Collaborate with project team and participate in dissemination activities
• Support other related aquaculture tasks as needed

Conhecimentos

Aquaculture experience

Invertebrate handling

Biochemical analysis

Data analysis

Statistical analysis

Autonomy and proactivity

Formação académica

Master's degree (Level 7)

Descrição da oferta de emprego

Research Scholarship (Master’s) S2AQUAcoLAB/Bolsa/Ref_08/2026

S2AQUA - Collaborative Laboratory, Association for Sustainable and Smart Aquaculture (S2AQUAcoLAB), pursuant to Article 7 of the S2AQUAcoLAB Research Grant Regulations, hereby announces that a call for applications has been authorised for a Research Fellowship (Master's) in the field of Marine Biology or similar areas.

The call for applications for a Research Grant is intended to support research activities within the scope of project SOFTCRAB – Innovating in crab production for consumption in Southern Europe (No. 17465), funded by the ERDF under the Algarve 2030 and Portugal 2030 programs and co-financed by the European Union.

1. The Work Plan:

• Conducting in vivo laboratory-scale experiments with juvenile crabs to evaluate the effect of temperature and diet on the molting process.
• Conducting in vivo pilot-scale experiments in semi-extensive tidal flat systems to test the feasibility of soft-shell crab production in an industrial setting;
• Conducting laboratory analyses of physiological indicators, including digestive enzyme activity.
• Assisting with data analysis and the preparation of technical and scientific progress reports.
• Assisting with the preparation of materials for the dissemination of results and participating in project outreach activities.
• Assisting with other tasks related to aquaculture.

2. Desired profile:

• Level 7 of Higher Education (Master's);
• Experience and knowledge in aquaculture;
• Experience in the care and handling of marine invertebrates, particularly crabs;
• Experience in the routine maintenance and cleaning of aquaculture equipment and systems;
• Experience in collecting biological samples from marine organisms, particularly crabs;
• Experience in analyzing biochemical indicators in marine organisms, particularly digestive enzymes and oxidative stress;
• Experience in statistical data analysis and preparation of outreach materials;
• Availability to work on public holidays and weekends.

3. Other requirements:

• Be highly motivated, demonstrate autonomy and the ability to propose new approaches;
• Experience in developing and/or executing national and international research projects;
• Ability to adapt and integrate into a team;
• Advanced level of English;
• Autonomy and proactivity.

5. Admissibility

5.1. Requirements for applicant admissibility

Who can apply for the Research Fellowship:

• Portuguese Citizens or citizens of Member States of the European Union;
• Citizens of third states.

To apply for the Research Fellowship, it is necessary to:

• Reside in Portugal permanently and habitually;
• Not have benefited from a research fellowship in companies directly financed by FCT, regardless of their duration;
• Be enrolled in a doctoral program or in a non-degree program that is part of a higher education institution’s educational program and is carried out in partnership or cooperation with one or more R&D units.

5.2. Application Admissibility Requirements

It is indispensable, under penalty of non-admission of the application:

• Detailed and signed Curriculum Vitae of the candidate;
• A motivation letter (maximum one-page, double space, letter Arial, size 12) where the reason for the application is clearly and briefly stated, as well as the academic and professional background, such as academic training, supplementary training and other information considered relevant for the evaluation of the CV;
• Permanent residence certificate, permanent residence permit, or long-term resident status, if applicable;
• Documents proving the conditions required for the respective type of fellowship, in particular certificates of qualifications indicating the degree and final classification, all recognised by a Portuguese university if diplomas were obtained abroad;
• Copy of evidence related to professional experience and training, including letters of recommendation, proof of courses or traineeships, if applicable;
• Document proving enrollment in a doctoral program or in a non-degree program that is part of an educational project at a higher education institution, carried out in partnership or cooperation with one or more R&D units;
• An up-to-date document attesting to the applicant’s employment status, indicating the nature of the employment relationship and job duties; this may be replaced by a sworn statement (link, item M) if the applicant is not engaged in any professional activity or service provision;
• Reference to the S2AQUAcoLAB/Bolsa/Ref_08/2026 scholarship competition must be included in the subject line of the application email.

Failure to submit the documentation listed in sections J), K), and M) within fifteen days of the date of notification of the results will result in the scholarship not being awarded.

6. Type and duration of the fellowship

One research fellowship will be awarded. The fellowship is scheduled to begin on August 1, 2026, and will last for 12 months, with the possibility of renewal under the terms of Article 15 of the S2AQUAcoLAB Fellowship Regulations, on a full-time basis.

7. Amount of monthly maintenance allowance

The fellow is entitled to the reimbursement of the voluntary social insurance (1st level), if applicable, in accordance with the conditions defined in the Statute of the Research Fellow.

The fellow will receive personal accident insurance during the duration of the fellowship. The payment of the fellowship will be made on a monthly basis by S2AQUAcoLAB, through bank transfer to the account indicated by the fellow.

8. Supervision and place where the activity will be developed

The activities will be carried out at the S2AQUAcoLAB facilities, based at the Olhão Fish Farming Pilot Station, Av. do Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, s/n, 8700-194 Olhão, Portugal, with occasional trips to the Atlantik Fish facilities, Esteiro da Lezíria, 8950-124 Castro Marim, Portugal, under the guidance of Renata Gonçalves, researcher at S2AQUAcoLAB, and Cátia Marques, scientific coordinator at S2AQUAcoLAB.

The scholarship working hours are 40 hours per week.

9. Composition of the jury

The competition jury consists of the following members:

• 2nd Member: Pedro Pousão Ferreira, President of the Board - S2AQUAcoLAB;
• 1st Member Alternate: Ana Catarina Braga, Reseracher – S2AQUAcoLAB;
• 2nd Member Alternate: Michael Viegas, Reseracher – S2AQUAcoLAB

10. Selection methods and criteria

Eligible Applications will be scored from zero (0 minimum rating) to twenty (20 maximum rating).

Admission criteria: all candidates who meet the requirements of this notice.

Evaluation method: applications will be evaluated through a curricular evaluation (CA) (100%) of the applicant. An interview will only be conducted if the jury deems it necessary or in case of a tie (E).

10.1 Curricular evaluation (CA)

The curricular evaluation (CA) will be expressed from 0 to 20 which corresponds to the score obtained with the following formula:

where:

A - Academic merit (0–20 points): Evaluation of the candidate’s academic record, taking into account the final grade on the master’s degree and any additional training relevant to the position;

B – Professional Experience (0–20 points): Evaluation of the candidate’s prior experience based on the following criteria:

• Experience in the care and handling of marine invertebrates, particularly crabs (0–6 points);
• Experience in biological sampling of marine species (0–4 points);
• Experience in analyzing biochemical indicators in marine organisms, specifically digestive enzyme activity and oxidative stress (0–4 points);
• Experience in collecting and analyzing experimental data (0–3 points);
• Experience in the routine maintenance and cleaning of cultivation equipment and systems (0–3 points).

10.2. Interview

Based on the Curriculum Assessment, candidates will be ranked.

Interviews will only be conducted if the jury deems it necessary or in the event of a tie.

The interview will be conducted in person or by videoconference, and candidates will be classified according to the following criteria:

• Being highly motivated, demonstrating autonomy and the ability to propose new approaches;
• Experience in developing and/or executing national and international research projects;
• Participation in research projects with research institutes and partners;
• Ability to adapt and integrate into a team;
• Autonomy and proactivity.

These criteria will be rated from zero to twenty, with the total interview score being the sum of the criteria divided by five (0 to 20 points).

10.3 Final Classification

The candidates´ final classification will be decided by a majority of the jury.

All candidates that applied for the fellowship will be ranked according to the classification awarded by the jury, based on the CA.

If the interview (I) is necessary, the final classification (FC) will be obtained through the weighted sum of the curriculum evaluation (CA) - with a weight of 40% - and the interview (I) - with a weight of 60%.

The jury will hold the necessary meetings to obtain a final decision, documenting the procedures in minutes, as well as all the elements deemed relevant to reach the final decision. If there are no applications of merit, the jury may decide not to award this scholarship.

The Jury reserves the right to decide not to award the fellowship if it considers that none of the candidates has the appropriate profile, experience, and/or skills to carry out the work plan.

11. Reporting the results

The results of the evaluation are published at the location indicated in the opening notice and by email within 90 working days after the application submission deadline.

Candidates have a period of 10 working days after the disclosure of the results to present any objections, in the pre-hearing of interested parties and in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Administrative Procedure.

The final decision shall be taken no later than 60 working days after the conclusion of the prior hearing of interested parties.

The provisions of the preceding paragraphs shall not apply where the draft decision leads to the granting of a fellowship to all applicants, in which case the draft shall be equivalent to the final decision.

12. Approval

After the conclusion of the hearing process of interested parties, the jury´s decision will be taken to the Board of Directors of S2AQUAcoLAB for approval.

13. Other information

After the selection of the candidate, the following documents/information will be requested for the purpose of hiring:

• Copy of the civil, tax, and social security identification number (if applicable);
• Document disclosing the country of residence, residence permit, or other legally equivalent document (if applicable) which should be valid at the starting date of the fellowship;
• Documents proving that the applicant meets the conditions required for the respective type of fellowship, including proof of registration;
• Declaration of commitment acknowledging the exclusivity regime;
• Certificates of qualifications;
• Bank account number - IBAN.

Fellowship contract model:

After the selection of the candidate and reception of all documentation, a fellowship contract will be signed according to the model: Fellowship Contract .

Fellowship report

At the end of each fellowship period (if applicable) the fellow must submit a report following the template available in the: Fellow´s Final Report .

The Board of Directors reserves the right, by change of circumstances at the date of this announcement, to cancel this call without any recruitment.

Applicants with disabilities will have preference in a situation of equal classification, and such preference prevails over any legal preferences. Applicants must declare, under commitment of honour, their disability degree, type of disability and means of communication/expression to be used during the selection period.

The activity developed by the fellow will be evaluated by the supervisors, who will apply the criteria:

S2AQUAcoLAB's non-discrimination and equal opportunities policy

No candidate may be privileged, benefited, impaired or deprived of any right or exempt from any claim as to descent, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, economic situation, origin, social status, genetic inheritance, disability, chronic disease, nationality, ethnicity, territory of origin, language, religion, politics, ideology or trade union affiliation.

14. Applicable legislation and regulations

Research Fellow Statute, approved by Law No. 40/2004, of August 18, as amended by Decree-Law No. 202/2012, of August 27, by Law No. 12/2013, of January 29, by Decree-Law No. 89/2013, of July 9, and by Decree-Law No. 233/2012, of October 29, and by Decree-Law No. 123/2019, of August 28.

Regulation on Research Grants of the FCT, I. P., approved by Regulation No. 950/2019, of November 29, 2019, published in the Official Gazette, Series II, Part C, of December 16, 2019, with the amendments introduced by Regulation No. 643/2021, of June 30, 2021, published in the Official Gazette, Series II, Part C, of July 14, 2021.

Administrative Procedure Code, approved by Decree-Law No. 4/2015, of January 7, in the wording currently in force. Regulation on Research Grants from S2AQUA – Collaborative Laboratory, Association for Sustainable and Smart Aquaculture, approved in official letter FCT/109/06/01/2023/S by the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. S2AQUA - Collaborative Laboratory, Association for Sustainable and Smart Aquaculture’s Regulation of Research Fellowships, approved in the document FCT/109/06/01/2023/S by FCT, I.P.

This notice was approved by the jury members on July 02, 2026.