Admission
Applications for the 2023/2024 edition open in July 25th.
Public announcement available here.
The MolBioS candidates are expected to have a strong background in biological sciences including a degree in biology, biochemistry, agronomy, medicine, or related fields. Students with other backgrounds may also be accepted as long as they are in areas that interface with biology (e.g. chemistry, bioinformatics, biophysics). Candidates should be fluent in English as this is the Program official language.
1. Vacancies and Aplications:
1.1 Maximum number: 40
1.2 Minimum number: 5
Applications for 2023/2024
1st phase:
Applications - 25.07.2023 - 14.08.2023
Publication of results - until 21.08.2023
Registration of admitted candidates – 23.08.2023 - 30.08.2023
2nd phase:
Applications - 16.10.2023 - 31.10.2023
Publication of results - until 07.11.2023
Registration of admitted candidates – 22.11.2023 - 29.12.2023
2. Access criteria and admission to the program
Academic qualification: The candidates must have a strong academic record and meet the minimum following requirements:
- Holding a Masters degree or legal equivalent;
- Holding a Bachelor’s degree with a relevant academic or scientific curriculum recognized by the Scientific Commission of the Doctoral Program and approved by the Scientific Council of ITQB NOVA, as attesting the capacity to carry out the Program
- Holding an academic, scientific or professional curriculum recognized by the Scientific Commission of the Doctoral Program and approved by the Scientific Council as attesting the capacity to carry out the Program.
3. Application rules:
3.1. All application are submitted through this link.
3.2. The application shoud include the following documents:
a) Request directed to the President of the Scientific Council, formalizing the application (draft can be requested to the Academic Services);
b) Copy of ID;
c) Copy of document with taxpayer identification number;
d) Documents proving that the candidate meets the conditions required in point 2 of this Announncement. In case of foreign degree, the candidate should present an original translated certificate (english or portuguese) or, in alternative, the original certificate along with the diploma supplement in english;
e) Updated Curriculum vitae, including the published work duly documented;
f) PhD work plan, signed by the supervisor and candidate;
g) Supervisor(s) declaration regarding the supervision of the candidate's work plan ;
h) Information regarding existing funding to support doctoral work. In case of the attribution of a PhD grant you should designate the funding source and reference.
4. Selection criteria:
4.1. The candidates of this PhD Program are selected by its Scientific Committee, taking into account the following criteria (the candidate must have a positive evaluation in the three mentioned criteria):
a) Academic curriculum, with a 50% weighting;
b) PhD work plan, with a 25% weighting;
c) Host conditions merit, with a 25% weighting.
5. Registration and renovation process:*
5.1. All registration and renovation must be done through this link.
5.2. Registrations – until 30 days after the acceptance of the application.
5.3. Renovations – 10 months counting from the date of the registration / beginning of the Doctoral Plan (for those with an Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnolologia fellowship).
5.4 Request for the accreditation of academic education – when registering.
6. Fellowships and financing
The admission to the Molecular Biosciences programme does not correspond to a fellowship. All candidates must ensure the financial coverage associated to their activities during the doctoral period, for example, through the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. fellowships.
In the 2023/2024 edition there will be 5 fellowships available, funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia under the Collaboration Protocol for the Funding of the Multiannual Plan for Research Fellowships for PhD Students, signed between FCT and the R&D Unit iNOVA4Health - Translational Medicine Program (Official Announcement). The work plan will take place entirely in a national institution, either in full or in part at iBET – Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica or ITQB NOVA. Applications must be submitted through this link from 01.08.2023 to 15.09.2023.
There will also be 3 research fellowships available in the area of Molecular Biosciences, funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) under the Collaboration Protocol for Financing the Multiannual Research Fellowship Plan for PhD Students, concluded between FCT and ITQB NOVA, through its Molecular, Structural and Cellular Microbiology (MOSTMICRO-ITQB) research unit, ref. UIDP/04612/2020 - Official Announcement. Applications must be submitted through this link from 26.10.2023 to 10.11.2023.
7. Fees and Annual Fees
7.1 The application fee is 51€ (fifty one euro). If the candidate is not admitted or excluded this value will not be refundable.
7.2. The registration fee is 35€ (thirty five euros).
7.3. The Annual fees for the academic year of 2023/2024 is of 2.750,00 € (two thousand seven hundred and fifty euros) for national students, and 10.000,00 € (ten thousand euros) for international students. Except what is included in article 7, point 3 of the PhD Rules. All students with a PhD fellowship from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., have their annual fees paid by this Institution.
8. Calendar of the Molecular Biosciences Doctoral Course 2023-2024
Academic period - 05.01.2024 to 30.06.2024
Christmas break - 18.12.2023 to 03.01.2024
Easter break - 28.03.2024 to 01.04.2024
9. Course Coordinators: Doctor Ricardo Louro (ITQB NOVA) and Doctor Cristina Silva Pereira (ITQB NOVA)
*This Doctoral Course is in association with Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia of New University Lisbon and according to the Molecular Biosciences Rules (Regulamento n.º 236/2017, 5 de maio), article 13.º, the registration and renewal process regarding this Institution should be consulted on their online page.
Aditional information: The Degree and Diploma Recognition in Portugal of higher education degrees and diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions is regulated, since January 1st 2019, by Decree-Law no. 66/2018. This Decree-Law repeals the previous two regarding these issues, Decree-Law no. 283/83 and Decree-Law no. 341/2007.
There are three types of recognition in Portugal.:
Automatic recognition;
Level recognition;
Specific recognition.
For more information please consult the online page of the Direção Geral de Ensino Superior (Portuguese Higher Education Office).
