016/BI/2024 - Fellowship for Masters

Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier
Application for a Master Fellowship
within the Project 2022.03561.PTDC

Applications are invited for a Master Fellowship in the scope of the project entitled “Glycofoldamers as bacterial toxin inhibitors” with the Ref. 2022.03561.PTDC, funded by FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia I.P./MCTES.

Scientific Area: Chemistry

Academic degree: We seek candidates with a Master’s degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences or related areas, with bachelor’s degree classification of 14 (or higher) and a Master’s degree classification of 16 (or higher).

Other requisites:
- Strong background in organic synthesis;
- Good English language knowledge, spoken and written;
- Commitment to pursue PhD studies
- Being enrolled in a PhD, or in a non-academic degree course, until the signature of the contract, in accordance with number 2 of the Article 6th of “Regulamento de Bolsas de Investigação da Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P.” from FCT, law in force.

Working Plan: We seek to explore a new class of multivalent glycoconjugates for bacterial toxin/adhesin inhibition. The selected candidate will prepare and purify oligomeric multivalent scaffolds; conjugate them with carbohydrate ligands; characterize the interaction between the glycoconjugates and toxins/adhesins by biophysical techniques; elucidate the structure of the complexes formed and evaluate the inhibition of adhesion to host cells.

Applicable Law and Regulations: Status of Scientific Research Fellow, approved by Law number 40/2004, of August 18th, changed and republished by Ordinance 202/2012 of August 27th and changed by Ordinance 233/2012 of October 29th and by Law 12/2013 of January 29th and by Ordinance 89/2013 of July 9th and by the Ordinance 123/2019 of August 28th;
Regulations for Research Fellowships from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., in force (https://former.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/docs/RegulamentoBolsasFCT2019DR.pdf).

Working Place: The work will be carried out in the Bio-oriented Supramolecular Chemistry lab and in the Bioorganic Chemistry lab at ITQB NOVA, under supervision of Doctor Pedro Mateus and Doctor Rita Ventura.

Duration of the fellowship: The fellowship will have the duration of 7 months, expected to start in April 2024, on a full-time basis, according to Fellowship Regulations of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.

Stipend amount: 1 199,64 €, according to the table of values of grants awarded directly by the FCT, I.P. in the Country (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Tabela-de-Valores-SMM_202…) and payment will be made, monthly, through bank transfer.

Selection procedure: The evaluation procedures will be based on the analysis of the candidates ́ CV and, if needed, an interview for selected candidates may take place. In this case, the curriculum evaluation and the interview will have a weight of 70% and 30% respectively.

Juri composition: Doctor Pedro Mateus (president), Doctor Rita Ventura, Doctor Peter Kis (efective members) and Doctor Luís Lima (substitute member).

Application documents: The application should be formalized in a cover letter indicating the corresponding fellowship reference together with the following documents: detailed Curriculum Vitae, degree certificate, transcript detailing the courses taken and the contact of 2 references. All documents should be sent by email in a single pdf file. If the degree has been conferred by a non-Portuguese higher education institution, the selected candidate must obtain the certificate of the degree recognition, issued by the Portuguese Directorate General for Higher Education or by a Portuguese Public Higher Education Institution, until the signature of the contract. Regarding this issue, please consult the website of the Portuguese Directorate General for Higher Education: https://www.dges.gov.pt/en.

Notification of candidates: All the candidates will be informed of the final result by e-mail.

Deadlines and procedures for complaints and appeals: If the result is not favorable, the candidates have a period of 10 working days, after the disclosure of the results, to comment, if desired, in a prior hearing of interested parties, in the terms provided for in the Code of Administrative Procedure.

Application period: From 5 of February to 11 of March, 2024.

Applications should be sent to:
Doctor Pedro Mateus
Email: pmateus@itqb.unl.pt
Ref. 016/BI/2024
ITQB NOVA
OEIRAS