Research Grant

Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies

Organisation/Company University of Aveiro Department Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies Research Field Biological sciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Master Positions Application Deadline 20 Nov 2026
- 17:00 (UTC) Country Portugal Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time 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

A tender is hereby opened for the award of 1 Research Grant(s) (RG) under project PLASTICBUG
- understanding the role of microplastics in the spread and trophic transfer of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, COMPETE2030-FEDER-00709200 of CESAM, under the following

conditions:

1. Scientific Area: Microbiology.

3. Admission

Requirements:
Master's Degree in Microbiology

4. Other

Requirements:
Applicants must hold a Degree in Biomedical Sciences or Biology, with a final grade of 16 or above (on a 0–20 scale). Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated research experience in the field of Microbiology, particularly in: microbiological techniques, including the isolation, purification and maintenance of microorganisms; biofilm characterisation; DNA extraction; performance and interpretation of antibiotic susceptibility tests; bacterial sequence and genome analysis; use of bioinformatics tools for the analysis of genomic and/or metagenomic data; and use of R software for data processing, statistical analysis and graphical representation. Experience in the organisation, analysis and interpretation of microbiological and molecular data will also be valued, as will the relevance of the candidate’s previous experience to the activities included in the work plan. Applicants must be available to start the fellowship on 1 January 2027.

5. Eligibility: Applicants are eligible if they comply with paragraph a) of no.1 of article 2, of the Research Fellow Statute in the wording given by Decree-Law no. 123/2019, of August 28th, and also the provisions of article 9 of the Scientific Research Grant Regulations of the University of Aveiro.

6. Work plan: The fellowship holder will join the PLASTICBUG project team and participate in activities aimed at assessing the role of microplastics as vectors of antibiotic-resistant bacteria dissemination and their impact on the microbial communities of plants and aquatic organisms. The work plan will focus on the preparation and monitoring of experimental assays, sample collection and processing, and microbiological and molecular analyses. A central component will involve the bioinformatic analysis of genomic and metagenomic data, including sequence processing and quality control, bacterial genome analysis, taxonomic and functional characterisation of microbial communities, and the identification of genes of interest, particularly those associated with antibiotic resistance and virulence. The fellowship holder will also participate in the statistical analysis and integration of the different datasets, using R and specific bioinformatics tools, as well as in the interpretation, graphical representation and dissemination of the results obtained. The fellowship holder will work in close collaboration with the project partners, contributing to the joint analysis and interpretation of data. The fellowship holder will also participate in dissemination and science communication activities, supporting the preparation of materials and the presentation of key findings to diverse audiences.

7. Applicable legislation and regulations: Research Fellow Statute, as amended by Decree-Law No. 123/2019, of August 28th; Scientific Research Grant Regulation of the University of Aveiro, Regulation No. 292/2020, published in Diário da República No. 61, Series II, of March 26th; Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16th (Legal regime of recognition of academic degrees and diplomas of higher education awarded by foreign higher education institutions).

8. Workplace: The work will be carried out at Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM) and Department of Biology of the University of Aveiro, under the scientific supervision of Professor/Doctor Marta Cristina Oliveira Martins Tacão.

9. Duration of the grant(s): The grant duration will be 12 months, starting in january of .2027,, up to the maximum limit of approved funding. Under no circumstances shall it exceed the limits defined in nos. 5 and 6 of article 9, of Regulation no. 292/2020, of February 28th, published in Diário da República, no. 61, Series II, of March 26th (Scientific Research Grant Regulation of the University of Aveiro).

10. Amount of monthly maintenance allowance: The amount of the grant corresponds to €1.090,98, according to the table of values of monthly maintenance allowances, set out in Appendix III of the Scientific Resea