Research Grant (Graduate)
Research Grant (Graduate) S2AQUAcoLAB/Bolsa/Ref_07/2025
S2AQUA - Collaborative Laboratory, Association for Sustainable and Intelligent Aquaculture
(S2AQUAcoLAB) opens a Research Fellowship (BI) competition for selection for 1 degree in
Communication or Journalism or Marketing or Digital Marketing, or equivalent to any of the mentioned,
(M/F), to develop communication activities considering the objectives of the project and the Collaborative Laboratory.
Funded by the iOysters Project - Development and optimization of oyster growth in semi-closed and
closed systems (Operation Code 17496), through the funds of the Algarve 2030 / Portugal 2030
Program, co-financed by the European Union.
1. Recipients (conditions required)
The scholarship is intended for holders of a bachelor's degree in one of the following areas:
Biological Sciences, Biology, Communication, Journalism, Marketing, Design or equivalent.
Candidates must be enrolled in an integrated master's degree, master's or doctorate, or in a course that does not confer an integrated academic degree, in the educational project of a higher education institution developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units.
The position includes a training component, and candidates with an interest in developing their Master's dissertation/internship within the framework of the project are encouraged to apply.
Technical skills
• Experience in social media management (LinkedIn, Instagram, X, etc.)
• Ability to build narratives, story telling and appetite for science communication;
• Basic knowledge of website management platforms (WordPress or similar);
• Knowledge of graphic design (Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or equivalent);
• Ability to analyze digital performance metrics and present reports (optional, but desirable);
• Proficiency in Portuguese and English, written and spoken (fluent).
2. Work plan
The work program of the grant holder to be hired includes the following activities:
• Planning, creation and publication of content on digital channels (LinkedIn, Instagram and X);
• Plan and develop content for the website, institutional social networks, newsletters, news, press releases and other external communication platforms;
• Monitor the progress and ensure the fulfillment of the deliverables and milestones of the project, related to the communication of the same;
• Collaborate in the development of content for videos, infographics, presentations and others;
• Create visual identities, branding and institutional materials related to the project;
• Prepare Progress Reports and project endings, related to the communication of the project;
• Plan the organization of events and develop related communication;
• Develop other activities related to communication, dissemination, marketing and design of the project (including the representation of S2AQUAcoLAB in events, fairs and similar initiatives, when requested);
The position includes a training component, and candidates with an interest in developing the Master's thesis/internship within the scope of the project are encouraged to apply.
It is desirable that, in exceptional cases, the candidate is available to work weekends and public holidays, and to travel nationally and internationally, depending on the activities in progress.
3. Submission of applications
The contest is open between May 30 and 11:59 pm on June 22, 2025.
The application for the research grant is formalized by sending an email to geral@s2aquacolab.pt indicating reference to the S2AQUAcoLAB/Bolsa/Ref_07/2025 grant call.
Each candidate may submit only one application, under penalty of cancellation of all applications
submitted. The provision of false statements or the performance of acts of plagiarism is grounds for
cancellation of the candidacy, without prejudice to the adoption of other sanctioning measures.
4. Type and duration of the Fellowship
A Graduate Research Grant will be awarded.
The fellowship will start to be agreed later with the selected candidate, with a duration of 12 months and
eventually renewable under the terms of article 15 of the S2AQUAcoLAB Fellowship Regulations, on an
exclusive dedication basis. The work to be developed within the scope of this Fellowship is of a
temporary nature, and will not continue beyond the conclusion of the project.
The fellowship must be carried out on an exclusive basis, in accordance with the S2AQUAcoLAB
fellowship regulation S2AQUAcoLAB fellowship regulation (S2AQUAcoLAB Research Fellowship Regulation), and the FCT fellowship, regulation based on Portuguese law 40/2004, of 18 August (statutes of the Scientific Research Fellowship Holder) amended by Decree-Law 123/2019, of 28 August.
5. Supervision and Place where the activity will take place
The fellowship takes place within the framework of the activities of S2AQUAcoLAB, at the Portuguese
Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere, Av. 5 de Outubro, 8700-305, Olhão and at the headquarters of
S2AQUAcoLAB, located at Estação Piloto de Piscicultura de Olhão, Av. do Parque Natural da Ria
Formosa s/n, 8700-194 Olhão, Portugal.
The work will be carried out under the guidance of Letícia Domingues, Financial Responsible. The tasks
are articulated with the communications team.
The working hours of the scholarship are 40 hours per week.
6. Amount of the monthly maintenance allowance
The amount of the scholarship corresponds to €1,040.98, according to the scholarship value table,
approved by FCT, I.P.
www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Tabela_valores_SMM_2025.pdf
The grant holder is also entitled to reimbursement of the charges related to the Voluntary Social Security
(1st step), if applicable, in accordance with the conditions defined in the Research Grant Holder Statute.
The scholarship holder will benefit from personal accident insurance during the duration of the
scholarship. The payment of the scholarship will be made on a monthly basis, through bank transfer to
be made by S2AQUAcoLAB to the account indicated by the Scholarship Holder.
7. Admissibility
7.1 Candidate Admissibility Requirements
The following may apply for this call:
A. National citizens or citizens of other Member States of the European Union;
B. Nationals of third countries;
To apply for the Graduate Research Scholarship it is necessary:
C. Reside in Portugal permanently and habitually;
D. Not have benefited from a research grant in companies directly funded by FCT, regardless of its
duration;
7.2 Application Admissibility Requirements
It is indispensable, under penalty of non-admission of the candidacy:
E. Detailed curriculum vitae;
F. Prepare a motivation letter (maximum one page, double spaced, Arial font, size 12);
G. Documents proving the conditions required for the respective type of scholarship, namely
certificates of qualifications indicating the degree obtained and the final classification, and
recognized by a Portuguese university, if it was obtained abroad;
H. Portfolio of previous work (optional);
I. Copy of identification document (in case of placement - to be sent later);
J. Certificate of permanent residence, permanent residence permit or long-term resident status (if applicable);
K. Letter of recommendation and/or reference contacts (optional);
L. Document proving enrollment in a master's degree, or in an integrated master's degree, or in
a doctorate, or in a non-degree course integrated in an educational project of a higher education
institution developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units (in case of
placement - to be sent later);
M. Updated document proving the professional situation, indicating the nature of the bond and
functions, which may be replaced by a declaration under oath if the candidate does not carry out
any professional activity or provision of services, if applicable;
N. Declaration by the candidate, under oath, that he/she meets the requirements for admission
to this scholarship competition, available at (Declaration under oath - BI)
The reference to the S2AQUAcoLAB/Bolsa/Ref_07/2025 grant call must be indicated in the subject of
the application email.
Failure to submit the documentation referred to in I) and L) within fifteen days of the date of notification of the results will result in the grant not being awarded.
8. Composition of the jury
The jury of the competition, appointed from S2AQUAcoLAB, is made up of the following members:
President: Letícia Domingues, Financial Officer;
1st Effective Member: Pedro Pousão Ferreira, President of the Board - S2AQUAcoLAB;
2nd Effective Member: Ana Catarina Braga, Researcher and PI of the project - S2AQUAcoLAB;
1st Alternate Member: Cátia Marques, Scientific Coordinator - S2AQUAcoLAB;
2nd Alternate Member: Rui Rocha, Vice-Presidente of the Board – S2AQUAcoLAB.
9. Selection methods and criteria
Applications considered admissible will be scored from zero (0 minimum classification) to twenty (20
maximum classification).
Admission to the competition: all candidates who meet the requirements defined in this notice will be
admitted to the competition.
Evaluation method: candidates will be evaluated by curricular evaluation (CA) (100%), The jury
reserves, however, the right to contact or interview candidates in case of need for additional information
or clarification of documentary aspects if necessary. The eventual interview will allow you to evaluate
in more detail the curricular part used to evaluate the candidate according to the criteria listed above. An
interview will only be held if the jury deems it necessary or in case of a tie (E).
9.1 Curriculum evaluation (AC)
The curricular evaluation (CA) will be quantitatively expressed from 0 to 20 values corresponding to the
addition of the values obtained in the following objective criteria, and according to the following
weighting:
AC = 0.35 × A + 0.65 × B
where:
A - Evaluates the candidate's academic merit based on the average of the degree (0-20 values);
B - Evaluates previous experience in the performance of the required functions, in accordance with:
1. Experience in creating written and visual content for different external communication platforms, including social networks, web, news, press releases, videos, branding and other digital materials (0-4 values);
2. Experience in coordinating and monitoring project deliverables and milestones (0-4 points);
3. Experience in writing reports and preparing strategic marketing and communication plans (0-4 points);
4. Experience in communicating R&D projects (0-4 points);
5. Experience in designing and organising events and developing associated communication materials (0-4 points);
9.2. Interview
Based on the Curriculum Evaluation, a ranking of the candidates will be carried out, and/or if there is
any doubt or need for additional clarification, the jury reserves the right to contact the candidate(s) and
call for an interview.
If the jury deems it necessary or in case of a tie, the interview will be held. The interview will be carried
out in person or by videoconference, in order to validate some aspects, in particular:
a) Knowledge about the areas covered by the project;
b) Verbal expression and fluency;
c) Ability to adapt and integrate to work in a team;
d) Motivation;
e) Autonomy;
These criteria will be graded from zero to twenty, with the interview total resulting from the sum of the criteria to be divided by five (0 to 20 points).
9.3 Final Standings
The final classification of each candidate will be decided by a simple majority of the members of the jury.
All candidates admitted to the competition will be ranked by the classification assigned by the jury, based on the AC.
If it is necessary to perform E, the final classification (CF) will be obtained by the weighted sum of the curricular evaluation (AC) - with a weight of 40% - and the interview (E) - with a weight of 60%.
CF = 0.4 × AC + 0.6 × E
The jury of the competition will hold the necessary meetings to obtain a final decision, documenting in minutes the procedures used, as well as all the elements deemed relevant for the construction of the final decision. If there are no applications that meet the defined and desirable requirements, the jury may decide not to award this scholarship.
10. Communication of results
The results of the evaluation will be announced at the place indicated in the opening notice and/or by
sending an e-mail to the candidates, up to 90 working days after the deadline for submission of application.
Candidates have a period of 10 working days, after the announcement of the results, to make their
opinion, whether they want to or not, in a prior hearing of interested parties, under the terms provided for in the Code of Administrative Procedure.
The final decision must be taken within a maximum period of 60 working days, after the conclusion of the prior hearing of interested parties.
The provisions of the previous numbers do not apply whenever the draft decision leads to the granting of a scholarship to all candidates, in which case the said project is equivalent to the final decision.
11. Approval
After the conclusion of the hearing process of interested parties and its appreciation by the jury of the competition, the final decision of the jury will be proposed for approval by the Board of Directors of S2AQUAcoLAB.
12. Other information
Contracting documents:
After selecting the candidate and for the purpose of hiring, the following documentation/information will
be requested:
- Copy of civil, tax and, when applicable, social security identification document(s);
- Document proving the country of residence, residence permit or other legally equivalent document, when applicable, valid on the start date of the fellowship;
- Documents proving that the candidate meets the conditions required for the respective type of scholarship, namely proof of enrollment and registration;
- Declaration of commitment declaring the exclusivity regime;
- Qualification certificates;
- Account Number – IBAN.
Sample Stock Exchange Contract
After the selection of the candidate and receipt of all the information, a scholarship contract will be signed
according to the model: Research Scholarship Contract.
Scholarship Holder Evaluation
The activity developed by the scholarship holder will be evaluated by the advisor, applying the following criteria: Final report of the scholarship holder's activities.
1. Analysis of the report and compliance with the work plan.
Scholarship Holder Report
At the end of each scholarship period (if applicable) the scholarship holder must submit a report: Final
Scholarship Holder's Report.
The Board of Directors reserves the right, due to changes in circumstances at the time of this
announcement, to cancel this call without any recruitment.
Applicants with disabilities will be given equal preference, and such preference prevails over any legal
preferences. Candidates must declare, under oath, the respective degree of disability, type of disability
and means of communication/expression to be used during the selection period in the formal application.
S2AQUAcoLAB Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunities Policy
No candidate may be privileged, benefited, prejudiced or deprived of any rights or exempt from any
claim as to descent, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, economic situation, origin, social
economy, genetic inheritance, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnicity, territory of origin,
language, religion, politics, ideology or union membership.
13. Applicable laws and regulations
Statute of the Research Grant Holder, approved by Law No. 40/2004, of 18 August, as amended by
Decree-Law No. 202/2012, of 27 August, by Law No. 12/2013, of 29 January, by Decree-Law No.
89/2013, of 9 July, by Decree-Law No. 233/2012, of 29 October and by Decree-Law No. 123/2019, of
28 August.
Regulation of Research Grants of FCT, I. P., approved by Regulation No. 950/2019, of 29 November
2019, published in the Official Gazette, Series II, Part C of 16 December 2019 with the amendments
introduced by Regulation No. 643/2021, of
30 June 2021, published in the Diário da República, II Series, part C of 14 July 2021.
Code of Administrative Procedure, approved by Decree-Law No. 4/2015, of 7 January, in the wording
currently in force.
Regulation of Research Grants of S2AQUA – Collaborative Laboratory, Association for Sustainable and
Intelligent Aquaculture, approved in letter FCT/109/06/01/2023/S by the Foundation for Science and
Technology, I.P.
NOTICE OF THE FELLOWSHIP GRANT
