Fellowships

The ICVS/3B’s at the University of Minho in collaboration with the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (EXPERTISSUE EEIG), created the PhD program on Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells, (TERM&SC). This Program was selected for Funding under the scope of the call from the Portuguese Science Foundation IP, and Ministry of Technology and Higher Education (FCT / MCTES), and the European Social Fund through the Operational Programme Human Capital (PO CH) which finances 6 scholarships per year to be awarded to selected candidates.

This highly internationalized PhD program, coordinated by the ICVS/3B’s, University of Minho, in collaborations with the Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (EXPERTISSUES European Economic Interest Group) aims at providing training of excellency to young hybrid researchers in interdisciplinary fields covering advanced biomaterials, nano/micro-technologies in regenerative medicine, isolation/expansion of stem cells, processing, modification and evaluation of hybrid systems for tissue engineering, response of cells and tissues to materials, in vivo screening, pre- and clinical tests and exploitation of tissue engineering products and cellular therapies.

The TERM&SC Doctoral Program aims at attracting both national and international students with excellent academic and/or professional records, namely previous research experience. More detailed information about this Doctoral Program can be obtained by following this link http://termsc.3bs.uminho.pt/ 

Under the scope of the present call for application, the Program Directive Committee is responsible for the selection of the candidates that will be awarded with the FCT scholarships, being the respective contracts performed directly with FCT. As so, and in the terms of the Estatuto do Bolseiro de Investigação Científica, approved by law nº 40/2004 of August 18, in its current form, and of the Regulation of the Scholarships from FCT, the Directive Commission. 

1- PhD SCHOLARSHIPS (BD): The Associated Laboratory ICVS/3B’s from the University of Minho opens a call to 6 PhD scholarships finances by national funds through Portuguese Science Foundation IP, and Ministry of Technology and Higher Education (FCT / MCTES), and the European Social Fund through the Operational Programme Human Capital (PO CH) under the following conditions:

2- PROFILE OF THE CANDIDATE: Candidates to the TERM&SC Doctoral Program should preferentially hold an MSc degree on Biomedical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Materials Engineering, Biology, Medicine, Biochemistry, Medicine or related/equivalent areas.

3- CANDIDATES: Under the terms of article nº5 and article nº14, both of the FCT Research Grants Regulations (RBI), can apply for this call:

National’s citizens or nationals of other member states of the European Union who are holders of the academic degree necessary to enter a cycle of studies conducive to obtaining the academic degree of doctor;

Citizens of third countries, residence permit holders or beneficiaries of long-term resident status as provided for in Law 23/2007, of July 4, amended by Law No. 29/2012, of August 9;

Not eligible citizens who have already benefited, for the same purpose scholarships of the same type of placed now in competition, if they have been directly funded by FCT.

4- PERIOD OF APPLICATION: The applications should be submitted between 07th of May and 31st of May 2019.

DOCUMENTS: The full application must include the following documents to the email info@3bs.uminho.pt .

The application must be instructed, under penalty of exclusion, with the following documents:

• Detailed curriculum vitae, dated and signed with a letter of motivation; 
• Two recommendation letters;
• Copy of identification document;
• Documents evidencing the certificates of qualifications of all the academic degrees* obtained, with grade;
• Document proving permanent and habitual residence in Portugal, if applicable;
• Updated statement proving the candidate's professional status, indicating the nature of the job, duties and workload in the average week, if applicable, and may replace it with a declaration of honor, if he does not carry out any professional activity or provision of services;

* In the moment of the application, it’s not necessary to submit the recognition of degrees obtained in foreign institutions (only the degrees’ certificates). However, admitted candidates will have to present, in the moment of the contract, the official recognition in the terms defined in the legislation (Decree-Law nr.66/2018, of the 16th of August and Ordinance nrº33/2019, of 25th of January).

5- WORK PLAN: Areas of advanced biomaterials, nano / micro-technologies in regenerative medicine, isolation / expansion and differentiation of stem cells, processing, modification and evaluation of hybrid systems for tissue engineering, cellular and tissue response to materials, in vivo evaluation, clinical and industrial translation of tissue engineering products and cell therapies.

6- INSTITUTION: Associated Laboratory ICVS/3B’s from the University of Minho.

7- SELECTION METHODS: The evaluation of the applications is based on Academic Qualifications and Interview. The evaluation criteria for each method is as follows: 

1. Curriculum Evaluation (50%)

1.1 Academic qualifications and Research Experience (25%)

1.2 Motivation of the candidate and quality of the feedback received from the reference letters (25%)

2. Interview (50%)

2.1 Professional and behavioral skills during the interview

A good standard in English with excellent verbal and written communication skills is also required, candidates will be interviewed in English either in person or by video conference.

The candidates will be classified with a scale of 1 to 20 for each criterion, and only candidates classified with a score above 15 in the Curriculum Evaluation will be admitted to the Interview.

8- JURY OF SELECTION: Interviews will be conducted by a Selection Committee appointed by the Directive Board, including potential supervisors and members of the Directive Board.  The interviews will take place at 3B’s Research Group in June 2019.

9- NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS: The final evaluation will be published through the list ordered according to final score. It will be posted in a public location of the 3B´s Research Group, the successful candidate will be notified by e-mail with the respective minute.
In case the decision to be made is not favorable to the award of the required scholarship, the candidates have a 10 working days deadline, after release of the results, to pronounce against the results according to the terms determined by the Portuguese Administrative Procedure Code. After the final decision is made, an appeal can be performed addressing the FCT, within a 15 working days deadline after the respective notification.

10- DURATION AND AMOUNT OF THE SCHOLARSHIP: Pursuant to article nº 9 of the RBI, the duration of the scholarship is one year, renewable at least for the maximum period of 4years, and is expected to start in September 2019. The monthly maintenance allowance grant is the one established in the attached Table to the RBI taking into account the type of scholarship. Payment of the SMM as well as the payment of expenses resulting from the eventual adhesion of the fellow to the voluntary social insurance scheme (1st step) will be made monthly by bank transfer to the account identified by the fellow in the process of contracting the scholarship.
The candidates to be selected will carry out the functions of scholarship holder on an exclusive dedication under the terms established in the Researcher's Statute.

11- LEGISLATION: Law nº 40/2004, of August 18, in its current version, approves the Statute of Research Fellowship, available at: http://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/estatutobolseiro.phtml.pt
FCT Research Grants Regulation, I.P, Regulation nº 234/2012, last amended by Regulation Nº 339/2015, published in the II Series of the Diário da República dated June 17, 2015, available at http://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/regulamento.phtml.pt