3 (three) Research Fellowships for R&D initiation (BII) for Student

3 Research Fellowship(s) for R&D Initiation (BII) is(are) open at the FCiências.ID – Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências, for the project/R&D institution “Rheology and fracture in epithelial tissues”, “2024.15260.PEX”, ”DOI: https://doi.org/10.54499/2024.15260.PEX”, funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P.&/MECI through national funds under the programme Call for Exploratory Research Projects in all Scientific Domains 2024, under the following conditions:

1. Scientific Area: Physics
    
2. Admission requirements: Completed High school.
    
3. Additional optional skills and qualifications: 1) Participation in internships in theoretical or computational Physics.
    
4. Contracting requirements: Presentation of the academic qualifications and/or diplomas, if applicable. Enrolment in  BSc or MSc in Physics or related areas. 
    
5. Work plan: Fracture in epithelial tissues is a multiscale problem, linking molecular-scale failure, mesoscale energy dissipation, and macroscopic crack propagation. The dynamic nature of cell-cell adhesion, where binding and unbinding events occur continuously, adds complexity to the tissue’s mechanical response. Additionally, intracellular processes such as cytoskeletal remodelling introduce viscoelastic and plastic responses near crack sites that remain poorly understood. In this project, we will develop a novel mesoscale modelling approach to capture nonlinear fracture dynamics and explore universal behaviour in tissue failure.
    
6. Legislation framework: Research Fellowship Holder Statute, in accordance with Law 40/2004, of 18 August, in its current version and the FCT Regulation for Research Studentships and Fellowships, in its current version  (Reg. 950/2019 published in DR on 16th  December: https://dre.pt/application/file/a/127230968,  or at the FCT website: https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/regulamento.phtml.pt), and FCiências.ID Fellowship Regulation, as approved on 12th May 2020 (available at Regulamento de Bolsas de Investigação Científica da FCiências.ID).
    
7. Place of work: The work will be developed at the CFTC - Center for Theoretical and Computational Physics, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, under the scientific supervision of Professor Diogo Pinto.
    
8. Fellowship duration: This position is initially opened for 4 months due to start in June 2026. The fellowship contract may be potentially renewed for until the end of the project, in accordance with the provisions of Regulation of Research Fellowships from the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. 
    
9. Monthly allowance: The fellowship amounts to 701,12 €, according to table values of the fellowships awarded directly by the FCT, IP. The fellowship holder will have a personal accident insurance and can ensure the right to social security through adherence to the voluntary social insurance scheme, if not covered by any other social protection scheme, pursuant to Código dos Regimes Contributivos do Sistema Previdencial de Segurança Social.
   The fellowship will be paid monthly by bank transfer.
    
10. Evaluation and selection process: Candidates will be assessed by CV (80%) and motivation letter (20%). If necessary, an interview will be conducted with the 4 (four) best candidates. If an interview takes place, the final evaluation will be as follows: CV (60%), motivation letter (20%) and interview (20%).
    Applicants whose application is scored with a final classification of less than 75 points are not eligible for granting a fellowship.
     
11. Selection Committee:

• President – Prof. Diogo Pinto;
• 1st Effective member – Prof. Nuno Araújo;
• 2nd Effective member – Prof. Margarida Telo da Gama;
• 1st Alternate member – Prof. Mykola Tasinkevych;
• 2nd Alternate member – Prof. Paulo Teixeira.
   

12. Publication/notification of results: All the candidates will be notified by e-mail, sent by the call holder, with the selection meeting minutes enclosed.
     
13. Deadlines: This call for applications is open from 20/04/2026 to 10/05/2026 .
     
14. Application: Applications should be sent via e-mail to depinto@ciencias.ulisboa.pt, by attaching the following documents: 
    a) Curriculum vitae;
    b) Certificate of completion of previous degree Note 1, 2;
    c) Motivation letter;
    d) Other documents considered relevant.
     
15. Processing of personal data: FCiências.ID – Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências, as the controller under the General Data Protection Regulation, collects and processes the personal data requested in the context indicated in paragraph 14., under the legitimate interests in ensuring the award of the research fellowship to candidates with the indicated profile.
    The personal data will be kept for the period necessary for the execution of the purposes for which they are intended, being ensured the processing and protection in an appropriate and diligent way, the confidentiality and integrity of these data, through appropriate technical and organizational measures.
    Personal data may be transmitted to third parties, namely the entity funding the research project, solely for the purposes specifically established. In this sense, whenever the transfer of personal data to countries outside the European Union and/or international organizations is necessary, compliance with the applicable legal provisions is ensured.
    You have the right to request access, rectification, elimination, limitation of processing, the right to object and also data portability (if technically feasible), through the e-mail address: dpo@fciencias-id.pt. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the National Data Protection Commission. 
    For more information, we recommend consulting the Internal Rules of Data Protection of FCiências.ID - Association for Research and Development of Sciences at https://fciencias-id.pt/.
     
16. Time limits for the appeal procedure: In case of negative decision, the candidates have 10 business days, after the date of announcement of the results of the candidates’ evaluation, to pronounce their disagreement in accordance with the Código do Procedimento Administrativo. Appeals against the final decision may be submitted to the Administration Board of FCiências.ID (fciencias.id@fciencias-id.pt) within 15 business days after the notification date.

Note 1: The documents that prove the entitlement of the academic qualifications and diplomas can be dismissed during the application period and replaced by a declaration on their honour from the applicant (Minuta PT, Minute EN). Their delivery is mandatory for the fellowship contractualization.

Note 2: Please note that - higher education degrees and diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions  need to be recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution, pursuant to the Decree-Law nr. 66/2018 (August 16) and the Ministerial Order nr. 33/2019 (January 25). The presentation of the recognition certificate is mandatory for contract signature. More information can be obtained at: https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/pagina/degree-and-diploma-recognition.