Scholarship for a Bachelor’s Degree holder - PhytoMPs

Unist; Alcáçovas; Remote; EUR 6,700 - 10,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Évora invites applications for a Bachelor’s Research Fellowship (BI - Lic) in Chemistry and Biochemistry. The position focuses on the phytoremediation of microplastics in treated urban wastewater, with six months duration, based in Évora, Portugal.

The candidate will work within a multidisciplinary team and gain experience in sample collection, analysis, and reporting. The scholarship supports training in microplastic identification, water analysis, and spectroscopy, with emphasis

Qualifications

• Candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Environment, Biochemistry or Environmental Chemistry.
• Experience in microplastics identification and characterization is expected.
• English language skills are desirable (reading, writing, speaking).

Responsibilities

• Collect and physicochemically characterize wastewater samples before and after phytoremediation.
• Filter wastewater to retain microplastics prior to analysis.
• Digest organic matter to detect microplastics after treatment.
• Characterize microplastics by binocular magnifier for abundance, shape and color.
• Identify MPs by SEM and FTIR/micro-FTIR for chemical composition.

Skills

microplastics knowledge

optical microscopy

infrared microspectroscopy

teamwork

English language

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemistry/Environment/Biochemistry

Tools

FTIR spectroscopy

Infrared microspectroscopy

SEM

Optical microscope

Job description

Organisation/Company UNIVERSIDADE DE ÉVORA Department Departamento de Química e Bioquímica Research Field Chemistry » Biochemistry Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Bachelor Positions Application Deadline 12 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon) Country Portugal Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week NA 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

Dep. Of Chemistry and Biochemistry of the University of Évora

Bachelor's Research Fellowship (BI - Lic) - 1 VACANCIES

27 of October of 2026

A call for tenders is open forBachelor's ResearchScholarship (BI) within the scope of the projectPhytoMPs Phytoremediation of microplastics present in treated urban wastewater: dynamic removal and fate, with reference 15133_PhytoMPs,financed by national funds throughCOMPETE2030-FEDER-00879500.

Scientific area: Chemistry and Biochemistry

Admission requirements:

• Candidates must have a Bachelor'sdegree in the fields of Chemistry, Environment, Biochemistry, Environmental Chemistry.
• Knowledge and experience in separation, identification and characterization of microplastics, namely in morphological characterization by optical microscopy and molecular characterization by infrared microspectroscopy.
• The attendance of a master's degree and, in particular, the completion of a dissertation within the scope of the work to be developed will be valued.
• Curricular and extracurricular training in the fields of microplastic identification, water analysis, liquid phase adsorption, experience in research, publications, participation in congresses and others will also be considered.
• Training in the use of some specific techniques for identifying microplastics will be valued.
• Motivation to work on the preparation and characterization of effluent samples from a WWTP will be valued.
• The ability to work in a team will be valued.
• Good knowledge of the English language in the oral, reading and writing aspects will be valued.

As set forth FCT Research Scholarship Regulation No. 950/2019 of December 16, 2019, article 3 and 6, candidates for “BI” (Bachelor's ResearchScholarship) must comply as a rule condition for the award of the scholarship, the effective inclusion in study cycles leading to the attribution of academic degrees or in courses not leading to an academic degree. Courses that do not confer an academic degree correspond to the courses provided for in subparagraph e) of paragraph 3 of article 4 of Decree-Law No. 74/2006 of 24 March and must be developed in a higher education institution in association with at least one R&D unit, including a course plan in one or several research areas of the unit.

Work plan:

• Collection, physicochemical characterization of wastewater samples before and after their treatment by phytoremediation.
• Filtration of wastewater samples, before and after phytoremediation treatment, to retain the microplastics present.
• Digestion of the organic matter present in the filters, before and after phytoremediation treatment, to detect microplastics present.
• Characterization of the microplastics present, through a binocular magnifying glass, in order to determine the abundance, shape and color.
• Textural identification of MPs using SEM.
• Identification of MPs by FTIR and micro-FTIR for the determination of chemical composition.

Applicable legislation and regulations: The granting of the Research Scholarship will be carried out upon the signing of a contract between the University of Évora and the scholarship holder, according to the version in Annex I, pursuant to the Research Scholarship Statute (Law no. 40/2004 of August 18, as amended) and considering the provisions of other applicable legislation and regulations, namely, the Research Grant Regulations of the University of Évora (published by Order no. 8131/2024, of July 22, 2024), and the Research Grant Regulations of the Science and Technology Foundation, I.P. (Regulation no. 950/2019, of July 22, 2024). º 8131/2024, of July 22, 2024), https://files.diariodarepublica.pt/2s/2024/07/140000000/0035300366.pdf and in the Research Grants Regulations of the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. (Regulation no. 950/2019, of December 16, as amended).

Place of work: The work will be developed at laboratories of theDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Landscape, Environment and Planning and Herculesof the University of Évora, under the general coordination of the Rector of the University of Évora and the scientific guidance of the ProfessorDr. Isabel Pestana da Paixão Cansado, Sofia Capelo e Catarina Miguel, who must draw up an opinion on the final activity report of the scholarship (Annex II), according to the draft in Annex III.

Duration of the scholarship(s): The scholarship will have a duration of six months, starting on December of 2026. The scholarship contract may be renewed up to (ex.) a maximum of six months or until the end of the funding project's budget allocation, always taking into account the maximum duration for each type of scholarship, in accordance with Article14 of the Research Grant Regulations of the University of Évora.

Selection methods: The selection methods to be used will be the following:

A - Curricular evaluation (A1 - final grade and A2 - grade of the UCs considered relevant to the project);

B - Knowledge and experience in separation, identification and characterization of microplastics, namely in morphological characterization by optical microscopy and molecular characterization by infrared microspectroscopy.

C - Scientific production

The respective evaluation will correspond to a classification defined by the following formula: Final classification = (0.45 x A1) + (0.125 x A2) + (0.25 x B) + (0.125 X C) + (0.05 X D)

Composition of the Selection Jury:

Advertising/notification of results: The final results of the evaluation will be publicized, through an ordered list alphabetically, posted in a visible and public place at the department of Chemistry and biochemistry of the Évora University, being the candidate (a) approved notified through email.

To ensure the right of prior hearing of interested parties, the Final Classification project will be announced by any written means to all interested parties.

After communicating the provisional list of the results of the evaluation, candidates have a period of 10 working days to express their opinion in a preliminary hearing of interested parties.Based on the final ranking list, a reserve selection list will be drawn up, to be used for the possible recruitment of new scholarship holders within the scope of this project, up to the duration of the scholarship, which may be used in the eventuality of the first ranked candidate withdrawing, failing to present the mandatory documentation, or in the event of the scholarship holder canceling their scholarship early. In the eventuality that none of the candidates demonstrates the profile required to carry out the work plan, the jury reserves the right not to award the scholarship.

Academic degrees obtained in foreign countries require registration by a Portuguese Institution in accordance with Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of August 16 and Ordinance No. 33/2019, of January 25th.

Dep. Of Chemistry and Biochemistry of the University of Évora