COFAC – Cooperativa de Animação e Formação Cultural, crl / Universidade Lusófona, hereby announces the opening of a call for applications for the award of a Research Grant for a Master’s degree holder , within the framework of the participation of CeiED – Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Education and Development in the project “The Power of Protest: The April Revolution and the Construction of the Portuguese Teachers’ Trade Union Movement (1974–1979)”, reference 2024.13368.PEX, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), I.P./MCTES, through national funds (PIDDAC).

Candidate profiles

This call will select candidates for a Master’s Research Grant position with the following scientific profile:

• Master’s degree in Philosophy (preferred), Education Sciences, or other Social Sciences areas (Sociology, Anthropology, History);
• Good command of Portuguese and English. Candidates must be able to express themselves clearly in both languages, orally and in writing;
• Previous experience in scientific research projects, preferably in the field of teachers’ associativism and trade unionism in Portugal;
• Experience in the use of qualitative research methodologies.

Responsibilities of the selected candidate

The selected candidate will have the following responsibilities:

1. Collaborating with the Principal Investigator in the organisation and monitoring of project activities;
2. Conducting literature reviews, deepening the state of the art, and contributing to the theoretical framework;
3. Participating in the design and refinement of data collection instruments, including interviews, documentary analysis, historical-institutional mapping, and archive organisation;
4. Interacting with external researchers, professional associations, trade unions, educational institutions, and international partners relevant to the project;
5. Contributing to the strengthening of research networks and to the internationalisation of the work carried out;
6. Co-authoring scientific articles with the project team for submission to national and international indexed journals;
   Preparing interim and final research reports.

Applicable legislation and regulations

Law no. 40/2004 of 18 August (Statute of the Scientific Research Grant Holder) and subsequent amendments; FCT (National Agency for Science and Technology) Regulations for Advanced Training and Qualification of Human Resources; and the Universidade Lusófona Grant Regulations.

Place of work

The research will be carried out at the CeiED facilities in Lisbon, Portugal.
The Scientific Coordinator is Dr António Teodoro.

Duration of the contract

The grant will have a duration of 17 months, preferably starting in February 2026, and will include a 6-month probationary period. Grant contracts may be extended for equal or different periods, up to the end of the project.

1. Application deadline

• Opening date for submission of applications: 7 January 2026
• Closing date for submission of applications: 20 January 2026

Benefits

Monthly allowance

The monthly grant amount is €1,309.64, in accordance with the Grant Regulations of the National Agency FCT. This amount is supplemented by the payment of Voluntary Social Security contributions and Personal Accident Insurance
(https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Tabela_valores_SMM_2025.pdf).

Eligibility criteria

Requirements

1. Holding a Master’s degree in Philosophy (preferred), Education Sciences, or other Social Sciences (final defence completed) by the application deadline;
2. Being enrolled, or not, in a degree-awarding academic programme;
3. Research interests in the field of teachers’ associativism and trade unionism in Portugal.

Applicants holding an academic degree and diploma issued by a foreign Higher Education Institution must present proof of recognition of the academic degree by the Portuguese Higher Education System (Decree-Law no. 66/2018).

Applicants who do not yet hold recognition of their academic degree will be admitted to the competition. If selected, the candidate must submit proof of recognition by the Portuguese authorities prior to signing the contract.

The selected candidate must submit proof of diploma recognition within 15 days of notification of the application results. After this period, the Jury may decide to:

1. Extend the deadline for the candidate to provide proof of recognition;
2. Award the position to another candidate;
3. Or leave the position unfilled.

Application documents

Applications must include:

1. a) A cover letter/motivation letter in Portuguese and English (maximum 2 pages);
   b) A Curriculum Vitae (maximum 5 pages), in Portuguese or English, highlighting the most relevant items for the subject of the call;
   c) A copy of academic certificates and other documents relevant for eligibility purposes (candidates must hold a doctoral degree by the application deadline of the present call).

If, during the application period, the candidate does not yet have proof of recognition of their academic degree by the Portuguese Higher Education System (DL 66/2018), they must submit a sworn statement undertaking to provide proof of recognition within 30 days after notification of the application results.

Applications must be submitted by email, in PDF format, to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., by the application deadline. Applications must clearly indicate the reference of this call (Ref. BI-Mestre-2024.13368.PEX-AprilUnionism).

Selection process

Candidates will be selected in a first phase based on:

• Scientific merit (30%)
• Academic and professional background (30%)
• Previous experience in scientific projects (25%)
• Cover letter/motivation letter (15%)

This phase may be complemented by an interview (second phase).

If the Jury decides to conduct interviews, the first phase will account for 85% of the total evaluation (30%; 30%; 15%; 10%, respectively), and the interview will account for 15%.

Each criterion will be assessed on a scale from 0 to 10.

The Jury reserves the right not to select any candidate if the applications do not meet the required standards and/or profiles in terms of absolute merit.

Composition of the Selection Jury

Full Members

• Dr António Teodoro (Scientific Coordinator of the project);
• Dr Rosa Serradas Duarte (Member of the project team);
• Dr Filipa Lourenço (CeiED Science Manager).

Publication / notification of results

Candidates will be notified of the results by email, and the ranked list of candidates will be published on the CeiED website (https://www.ceied.ulusofona.pt).

Additional comments

Non-discrimination and equal access policy

CeiED actively promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, under which no candidate may be privileged, benefited, disadvantaged, or deprived of any right or exempted from any duty on grounds including, but not limited to, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, social origin or condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs, or trade union affiliation (Law no. 93/2017 of 23 August).

Data protection

By submitting an application, candidates agree to the use of their personal data by CeiED staff exclusively for the purposes of this public call. CeiED administrative staff will use applicants’ contact details to communicate directly with them and for the publication of results, in accordance with the principles established by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).