Founded in 1911, the University of Porto is a benchmark institution for Higher Education and Scientific Research in Portugal and one of the top 200 European Universities according to the most relevant international ranking system¬s. The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto positions itself as an 'erudite and cosmopolitan' institution, a living campus and fount of inspiration for the technical and scientific, civic and cultural growth of so many youngsters, promising them a better future.
DOCTORAL STUDENT / EARLY STAGE RESEARCHER (ESR9) POSITION
in Horizon2020 MSCA European Training Network ‘PRINT-AID: Development of personalized anti-infective medical devices combining printing technologies and antimicrobial functionality’ Doctoral training will be carried out at LEPABE, a research unit operating in the fields of Chemical, Environmental and Biological Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of Porto (FEUP). With a large majority of young researchers, LEPABE is focused on generating scientific knowledge through interdisciplinary research, and on establishing successful university–industry collaborations for effective technology transfer. Within LEPABE, the Biofilm Engineering Laboratory is a very international and multidisciplinary group of about 30 persons, focusing on different aspects of biofilm studies.
The successful candidate will carry out the following tasks: i) develop minimum information guidelines for in vitro and in vivo biofilm experiments (the MIABiE initiative); ii) develop the PRINT-AID database (based on the existing Biofomics Database) for the management and analysis of data derived from biofilm experiments, and iii) contribute to the standardization of technologies used in the assessment of the efficacy of antimicrobial candidates or biomaterials against biofilm-related infections.
The candidate is also expected to perform secondments at the Center for Biofilm Engineering and Biosurface Technologies Corp. in Montana (USA), and at the University of Helsinki (Finland). These institutions will provide further expertise in the standardization of methods and models for validation of the anti-biofilm technology and consideration by the regulatory authorities.
The PRINT-AID project will provide training across a wide range of disciplines including microbiology, drug discovery, medical devices, prototyping and fabrication, material and polymer sciences/chemistry, and bioinformatics, ensuring interdisciplinary and intersectoral experience. The candidate will be enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Chemical and Biological Engineering of FEUP and will be expected to defend their PhD at the end of the project. The PhD research will be conducted in English.
Requirements for the position are
- MSc degree in an appropriate field of life sciences (e.g. Bioengineering, biomedical engineering, bioinformatics or computer science).
- Solid skills in programming and databases and a basic understanding of statistics will be considered a benefit.
- Strong motivation in pursuing doctoral studies.
- Readiness to work in a highly multi-disciplinary research environment.
We offer salary for three years based on H2020 MSCA ETN programme, consisting of Living and Mobility allowances. The candidates may also qualify for Family allowance depending of their family status. All standard pension benefits and occupational health care are provided for university employees.
To apply
Please submit your application by March 15th 2017
Please submit your application to: Nuno Filipe Azevedo, nazevedo@fe.up.pt.
The application must include:
- CV (with publications included)
- Copy of university MSc diploma including completed courses during the M.Sc
- Contact details of two references (e.g. M.Sc. thesis supervisors)
- Motivation letter (max 1 page) with a description of research interests and an explanation why the candidate would be suitable for the project.
If applying to several PRINT-AID ESR positions, please rank the positions in the motivation letter.
Please note that during the recruitment process the candidate must provide documents to prove eligibility (status of Early Stage Researcher and fulfilment of Mobility rule) for the position.
Further information on the project: http://printaid-etn.eu/
