CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Organisation/Company Universidade de Coimbra Research Field Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Master Positions Application Deadline 21 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/London) Country Portugal Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon 2020 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Assistant Researcher Positions with Masters degree

University of Coimbra opens a call to hire two Assistant Researchers with Masters degrees to join Hugo Fernandes’s Lab at the Multidisciplinary Institute of Ageing - MIA-Portugal, co-funded by the European Horizon2020 TEAMING Program (reference: ), and the Operational Program of the Centro Region of Portugal (CCDRC Ref:CENTRO- ), in the conditions described below. The full text of the Call is available at or upon request to .

Reference of the expression of interest: MIA-ASR-

Scientific area: Life Sciences (molecular and cellular physiology) and Health Sciences (biomedical sciences, regenerative medicine).

Work plan/objectives: The successful candidates will work on projects related to the biology of ageing and/or chronic age-related diseases, namely the study of the cellular mechanisms of ageing and the discovery of new therapies capable of minimising or reversing the process. Together with the principal investigator, the candidates will plan, carry out and analyse experiments using the laboratory's established protocols (or other relevant methods). The candidate will be responsible for documenting their activities and results in line with the laboratory's and institution's data policy. The project involves the culture of cell lines and human stem cells, and animal experimentation (mice).

Preferred requirements: Preference will be given to candidates with research experience in, and motivation for, the biology of ageing and chronic age-related diseases. Experience in the isolation and culture of primary human cells, histological analysis techniques and the handling of mice (FELASA licence) will be considered an advantage. Experience in transcriptomic and/or proteomic data analysis is preferred.

Wages and Benefits: 2.000,00€ monthly gross salary. The successful candidate will be hired by the University of Coimbra until 31 December 2027. According to Portuguese legislation on public hiring of researchers (Decree-Law 124/99), the contract includes the following benefits:

• Annual Wages: 14 months of pay, comprising 12 months of regular salary plus 2 additional months covering summer holidays and a Christmas allowance.
• Social Security Tax: Coverage under the Portuguese social security system.
• Food Allowance: Provision of a daily meal allowance.

Work Location: MIA-Portugal, University of Coimbra.

Selection criteria: The selection process will be conducted in two stages.

Stage 1

CV – Curriculum Vitae (70%), comprising education, previous positions and all types of research activity including but not limited to Master and internship projects, methods used, skills acquired, publications, preprints and unpublished data of relevance, any funding and rewards acquired as well as public presentations, participation in editorial, evaluation or review committees, etc.

CL – Cover letter (30%), where the candidate should state his/her motivations to join this research and why and how his/her profile, area(s) of expertise and skills are adequate for the position in question. Also include contact information for two references.

Based on the results of Stage 1, up to three of the highest-ranked candidates will be invited to proceed to Stage 2 and will be evaluated as follows:

Stage 2

I – Interview (80%): the jury will interview up to three of the best ranked candidates in Stage 1, for clarifications, discussion, understanding of the group’s mission and commitment to that mission.

R - References (20%): two letters from researchers in the scientific area assessing the candidate's overall scientific path, as well as their motivation, work capacity, ethics in science and interaction with colleagues. One of the letters preferably from your MSc supervisor or last employment.

The final classification (FC) will be expressed on a scale from 0 to 20 points, rounded to two decimal places, and calculated as follows:

The final classification (FC) will then be calculated as: FC = (S1 × 70%) + (S2 × 30%)

Evaluation and selection jury:

Professor Luís Bimbo, Professor at Faculty of Pharmacy at University of Coimbra

Doctor Joana Ferreira, Principal Investigator at MIA-Portugal

• Detailed Curriculum Vitae, duly dated and signed.
• Copy of all quali