Polytechnic of Leiria is now opening applications for 1 (one) scientific research fellowship, within the project “3DSpin - electrospun-based structures for skin regeneration”, financed by “+Ciência“, under the following conditions:      

. SCIENTIFIC AREA: Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomedical Sciences, Biomechanics, Biotechnology, Materials Engineering.

. RECIPIENTS: Bachelors in Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomedical Sciences, Biomechanics, Biotechnology, Materials Engineering, Marine Biology or related areas or who are study cycle students in Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomedical Sciences, Biomechanics, Biotechnology, Materials Engineering or who are enrolled in courses that do not confer an academic degree, in association with a Research Unit (in accordance with articles 5 to 7 of the FCT regulations.

. DURATION: 10 months, non- renewable. The fellowship is due to start in 04/2026.   

. WORK PLAN: Development and characterization (physicochemical, mechanical and biological) of 3D biphasic structures based on electrospinning with bioactive agents of marine origin.

. WORKPLACE AND SCIENTIFIC SUPERVISION: The work will be developed at the Centre for Rapid and Sustained Product Development from the Polytechnic of Leiria (CDRSP-PLeiria), under the supervision of PhD Researcher Juliana Rosa Dias.

. GRANT FINANTIAL COMPONENTS: Monthly maintenance stipend of € 1040,98 according to the FCT Regulation for Studentships and Fellowships (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Tabela_valores_SMM_2025.pdf). Plus, if applicable, the monthly Voluntary Social Insurance, according to the conditions defined in Research Fellowship Holder statute, as well as the Personal Accident Insurance, during the research fellowship period.   

. PAYMENT: The maintenance stipend will be monthly processed, through bank transfer, to the account identified by the research fellow.

. ACTIVITY SCHEME: Exclusivity, according to the applicable legislation.

. EVALUATION PANEL: The jury responsible for the applications evaluation will be constituted by: Juliana Rosa Dias (president), Rui Miguel Barreiros Rúben and Pedro José da Silva Carreira (effective members); Nuno Manuel Fernandes Alves and Paula Cristina Rodrigues Pascoal Faria (substitute members).

. APPLICATION DEADLINE: march 24, 2026 to april 07, 2026

. SELECTION METHOD AND EVALUATION CRITERIA: The evaluation will be made through curriculum analysis and possible interview, and will focus on the merit of the candidate, where they will be considered and weighted according to the following:

a) Suitability of Academic Study Area (SA): 

 • Academic degree in Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomedical Sciences, Biomechanics, Biotechnology, Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Materials Engineering - 20 points.

• Academic degree in related areas – 13 points

b) Academic Qualification (AQ): Bachelor's degree grade;

c) Professional/Academic Experience (PAE):

• Has excellent professional/academic experience – 20/20 points

• Has very good professional/academic experience – 17 points.

• Has good professional/academic experience – 14 points.

• Has enough professional/academic experience – 10 points.

• Has insufficient professional/academic experience – 2 points.

• No mention of professional/academic practice – 0 points.

c)Specific knowledge (SK): Experience and knowledge in: (1) processing of materials by additive manufacturing, namely electrospinning; (2) Knowledge in morphological, physicochemical, mechanical and biological characterization; (3) Knowledge in fibroblast and macrophage culture, as well as in performing anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunohistochemical tests:

• Excellent knowledge – 20 points.

• High knowledge – 15 points.

• Medium knowledge – 10 points.

• Low level of knowledge – 5 points.

• No knowledge – 0 points.

with the final grade FG = [SA*0.3 + AQ*0,2 + PAE*0.2 + SK* 0.3]. If the jury decides by reasoned deliberation, the three first classified in the curriculum analysis will be invited for an interview (INT), with the final grade (FG) =[FG*0.8 + INT*0.2]. Candidates who, at the end of the assessment, obtain a classification of less than 9,5 will be excluded from the contest.

Observation: If the candidate(s) with foreign qualifications(s) do not present, during the application phase, the recognition of the degree or foreign diploma and the classification conversion to the Portuguese scale, the jury defines the conversion only for the application purposes based on the rules of the legal regime applicable to the recognition of foreign degrees and diplomas or, when not possible, applies the minimal classification of 10 points.

Note that foreign academic degrees need to be registered by a Portuguese institution, in accordance with  Decree-law no. 66/2018, dated August 16th, and  Ordinance no. 33/2019, dated January 25th. The presentation of the certificate is mandatory for signing the contract. More information can be obtained at: https://www.dges.gov.pt/pt/pagina/reconhecimento?plid=374                                         

. ELIGIBILITY OF CANDIDATES: Without prejudice to the applicable rules to each type of research fellowship, the following candidates are eligible:

a) National citizens or citizens of other member states of the European Union;

b) Third-party states citizens;

c) Stateless persons;

d) Beneficiaries of political refugee status.

. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS: Applications must be submitted through, https://recrutamento.ipleiria.pt/processos-ativos/bolseiros/concurso?recruitment_process_id=181, by clicking the "submit application" button, filling out and submitting the application form accompanied by the following documents:

- Document(s) proving the ownership of the academic degree(s) and/or required application diploma(s), preferably with the final average and curricular units’ classification. Candidates with foreign qualifications must prove their academic degree and foreign diploma in the terms of the Decree-law no. 66/2018, dated August 16th. These documents can be dismissed during the application phase, by submitting a declaration of honour available in the application form, which can only attest to facts that occurred prior to the application, with the verification of this condition occurring only in the contract signing phase;

-  Document proving the enrolment and registration in the study cycle or in a non-awarding degree course, as stated in the application announcement (optional presentation in the application stage, which in turn is a mandatory element when contracting the research grant) ;

- Updated candidate Curriculum Vitae;

- Document(s) supporting other evaluation parameter(s) indicated in the announcement;

- Other certifications and/or other documents considered relevant by the candidate.

. RESULTS | DISCLOSURE AND COMPLAINTS: The jury will send to the candidates, by e-mail, the provisional results of the evaluation (presented in the form of the minutes resulting from the evaluation process) within 90 working days  after the application deadline. After this disclosure, candidates have 10 working days to pronounce, if they wish, in the appropriate form available in the institutional webpage, under the terms of the administrative procedure code (CPA). The final decision will be taken within a maximum period of 60 working days after the conclusion of the previous hearing of interested parties, of which a complaint can be filed within 15 working days, after notification, to the highest executive body of the Polytechnic of Leiria. Within the scope of the research fellowship award procedure, if the final ordering list, duly approved, contains a number of approved candidates higher than the number of research fellowships to be filled, an internal recruitment reserve is always created, which can be used when there is need for occupation due to withdrawal of the scholarship holder, under the terms of the CPA, to be used during the eligibility of the project.

. APPLICABLE LEGISLATION AND REGULATION: Research Fellowship Holder statute, approved by Law no. 40/2004, dated August 18th, in its current wording; Regulation n.º 152/2021, dated february 22th (Polytechnic of Leiria Regulation for Studentships and Fellowships), with amendment introduced by Regulation nº. 548/2022 dated June 8th (Polytechnic of Leiria Regulation for Studentships and Fellowships).  

Leiria, march 23, 2026

The Vice-President of the Polytechnic of Leiria 

Pedro António Amado de Assunção