Scholarship for Master Degree holder - HealthyW8

UNIVERSIDADE DE ÉVORA; Portugal; On-site; EUR 12,000 - 17,000; Full time

Job summary

UNIVERSIDADE DE ÉVORA, through the Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, invites applications for a Master Research Fellow in Biochemistry within the HealthyW8 project. The role focuses on recruitment, saliva sample handling, and proteomics analyses under supervision, with emphasis on long-term trials and interdisciplinary data integration.

The scholarship duration is six months with potential renewal, and the work will be conducted at the Laboratory of Oral

Qualifications

• Experience in clinical trials
• Solid knowledge in Biochemistry
• Proven experience in saliva proteomics analysis
• Experience in recruitment of participants to clinical trials

Responsibilities

• Work within the HealthyW8 project, particularly WP4 long-term trials.
• Recruit participants for intervention trials and maintain contact.
• Collect and process saliva samples; apply gel-based and gel-free proteomics.
• Analyze dietary, physical activity, health and psychophysiological data such as heart rate variability.

Job description

Organisation/Company UNIVERSIDADE DE ÉVORA Department MED Research Field Chemistry » Biochemistry Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Master Positions Application Deadline 29 Oct 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? Horizon Europe Reference Number 101080645 - HORIZON-HLTH-STAYHLTH-01-05-twostage Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

MEDITERRANEAN INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURE ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

Research Fellow Master - 1 VACANCY

8th October 2026

A call for tenders is open for 1 Scholarship(s) Master within the scope of the projectHealthyW8 – Empowering healthy lifestyle behaviour through personalized intervention portfolios to prevent and control obesity during vulnerable stages of life (Grant Agreement Number 101080645 - HORIZON-HLTH-STAYHLTH-01-05-twostage), funded by European Comission, under the following conditions:

Scientific area: Biochemistry

Admission requirements:

• Experience in clinical trials
• Solid knowledge in Biochemistry
• Proven experience in saliva proteomics analysis

Preference requirements

• Experience in recruitment of participants to clinical trials
• Experience in analysis of psychophysiological data (e.g. heart rate variability)

As set forth FCT Research Scholarship Regulation No. 950/2019 of December 16, 2019, article 3 and 6, candidates for “BI” (Research Grants) 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:

The grant holder will participate in work within the scope of the HealthyW8 project, particularly related with the tasks planned in WP4 (long-term trials), namely recruitment of participants, for intervention trials, continuous contact with them, as well as collection and processing of saliva samples. More particularly, the work plan will include the periodic contact with young adults and children, application of surveys, unstimulated saliva collection and biochemical treatment of saliva samples. Concerning this last, gel-based and gel-free proteomics approaches will be used, as well as molecule quantification through immunostaining techniques (e.g. ELISA and Western Blot). The grant holder will be also involved in analysis of data collected at the beginning and intermediate periods, namely dietary data (FFQ), data about physical activity, health and wellbeing and psychophysiological data (e.g. heart rate variability).

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 Laboratory of Oral Biology and Salivary Proteomics of the Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture Environment and Development of the University of Évora, under the general coordination of the Administrator of the University of Évora and the scientific guidance of the Professor/PhD, Elsa Lamy, 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 6 months, starting on november of 2026. The scholarship contract may be renewed up to the end of the budget allocation of the financing project.

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

If deemed necessary by the jury, for additional clarification or to break ties, the top two candidates may be called for a selection interview. If an interview is used, the assessment criteria will be as follows:

Composition of the Selection Jury:

President – Elsa Lamy (Assistant Researcher – Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development - MED) – coordinator of the HealthyW8 project at the University of Évora)

1st Member – Fernando Capela e Silva (Associate Professor – Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences – ESDH, University of Évora)

1st Alternate Member – Armando Raimundo (Full Professor – Department of Sports and Health – ESDH, University of Évora)

2nd Alternate Member – Nuno Batalha (Associate Professor - Department of Sports and Health – ESDH, University of Évora)

Advertising/notification of results: The final results of the evaluation will be sent by e-mail, for all the candidates. 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.

Application deadline and submission of applications: The tender is open from 15th October to 29th October 2026 and the results of the selection will be published until 2nd November 2026.

Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, University of Évora