Organisation/Company University of Aveiro Department CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials Research Field Technology » Biotechnology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Bachelor Positions Country Portugal Application Deadline 11 Jun 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon) Type of Contract Not Applicable Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Jul 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number 2023.15169.PEX Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
A tender is hereby opened for the award of 1 (one) Research Grant (RG)in the scope of R&D project GreenPATH: Green Plastic recycling: Additives removal THrough renewable solvents to enhancing the enzymatic depolymerization, ref 2023.15169.PEX, from CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, under the following conditions:
1. Scientific Area : Biotechnology
2. Funding Source
a) Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P./MCTES, through national funds (PIDDAC).
3. Admission Requirements:
Students enrolled in a Master’s program in Biotechnology, preferably in the Industrial and Environmental specialization. The candidate must also have: i) knowledge and research experience in extraction processes; ii) ability to work in a multidisciplinary team; iii) enthusiasm, independence, motivation, and responsibility for executing the proposed tasks; and iv) communication and writing skills in English.
The proof of enrolment must be made available until the contract is awarded, and the candidate may attach a declaration of honor to confirm that they meet the requirements for enrolment in an integrated master's degree, master's or doctoral program or in a course that does not confer an academic degree.
If the qualification has been conferred by a foreign higher education institution it must be recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution, under the terms of the provisions of article 25 of Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of August 16th, which approves the legal regime of recognition of academic degrees and diplomas of Higher Education, attributed by foreign higher education institutions, and of paragraph e) of no. 2 of article 4 of Decree-Law no. 60/2018, of August 3rd, and any formalities established therein must be fulfilled by the date of the hiring act .
4. Eligibility:Applicants are eligible if they comply with paragraph a) of no.1 of article 2, of the Research Fellow Statute as amended by Decree-Law no. 123/2019, of August 28th, as well as nos. 1 and 2 of article 6 of the Research Grant Regulations of the Foundation for Science and Technology. The RG(s) awarded to undergraduate or master students enrolled in courses that do not confer academic degree may only be granted to those who do not exceed, upon conclusion of the grant contract in question, including possible renewals, an accumulated period of two years in that type of grant, consecutive or interpolated, under the terms of no.5 of article 6 of the aforementioned Regulations.
5. Work plan: This research grant will focus on the development of sustainable strategies for the valorization of plastic waste, combining two complementary approaches: (i) the removal of additives using alternative solvents and (ii) the enzymatic depolymerization of plastics. In the first approach, the effectiveness of green solvents will be evaluated for the selective extraction of pigments, plasticizers, and flame retardants, aiming at polymer purification. In the second approach, the use of enzymes will be explored to promote the degradation of polymers. The identification of suitable biocatalysts, as well as the optimization of reaction conditions, will be key aspects of this strategy. Whenever necessary, computational modeling tools and analytical techniques will be employed to characterize the materials before and after treatment. These approaches are expected to enable the development of more eco-friendly solutions for plastic waste treatment, fostering the transition toward a circular economy.
6. Applicable legislation and regulations: Statute of Scientific Research Grant Holder, as amended by Decree-Law no. 123/2019, of August 28th; Regulation no. 950/2019, of November 29th, published in Diário da República, no. 241, Series II, of December 16th (FCT, I.P. Research Grants Regulation); Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of August 16th (Legal regime for recognition of academic degrees and diplomas of higher education awarded by foreign higher education institutions).
7. Workplace: The work will be carried out at CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry of the University of Aveiro, under the scientific supervision of Doctor Ana Maria da Conceição Ferreira Takahashi.
8. Duration of the grant(s): The grant duration will be 9 months, starting in July of 2025, and may be renewed for additional periods of 3 months, up to the maximum limit of approved funding. Under no circumstances shall it exceed the limits defined in nos. 3 and 4 of article 6, of Regulation no. 950/2019, of November 29th, published in Diário da República, no. 241, Series II, of December 16th (Research Grants Regulation of FCT, I.P.).
9. Amount of monthly maintenance allowance: The amount of the grant corresponds to €1040,98, according to the table of monthly maintenance allowance amounts set out in Annex I of Regulation no. 950/2019, subject to any updates that may be applicable, under the terms of no. 2 of article 18 of Regulation no. 950/2019, of November 29th, published in Diário da República, no. 241, Series II, of December 16th (Research Grants Regulation of FCT, I.P.). The fellow may also be reimbursed for the amount corresponding to the Voluntary Social Security, in case of adherence to this plan
10. Selection methods: The selection methods to be used will be the following: Curricular Evaluation, considering the following aspects: i) Final grade obtained in the Bachelor's degree (0–10 scale, weighted at 50%), and ii) Curriculum analysis and suitability of the candidate's profile for the development of the project (0–10 scale, weighted at 50%). The selection committee may, if deemed necessary, invite the top three candidates from the Curricular Evaluation for an Interview. In such cases, the Curricular Evaluation will account for 70% of the final score, and the Interview will account for 30%.
12. Deadline for applications and how to submit applications: The call is open from 28 May to 11 June 2025,and only applications submitted within the deadline will be admitted.
Applications must be formalized by sending a letter of application accompanied by the following documents: Curriculum Vitae, Academic Degree Certificate, Declaration of Honor and other relevant supporting documents. They shall also indicate the e-mail address to which by such indication they accept to be notified for all purposes within this procedure.
13. Form of publication/notification of results: The final results of the evaluation will be published through an ordered list by final mark obtained posted on the University's website, within 90 working days after the final date of submission of the application, and the successful candidate will be notified by email. For the purposes of prior hearing of interested parties, the deadline of 10 working days is set, as provided for in the Code of Administrative Procedure. At the end of the period for hearing the interested parties, and in the absence of any response from them, the list of candidates will become final. Candidates may lodge a complaint against the final decision within 15 working days, or appeal to the maximum executive body of the funding entity within 30 working days after notification of the final decision, in accordance with the provisions of article 12 of the Research Grants Regulation of the Foundation for Science and Technology.
14. Tender duration: The final ranking list of candidates will be valid until 1 month for the purpose of constituting a reserve list for selection.
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