The LanCog Research Group, University of Lisbon, welcomes expressions of interest from suitably qualified candidates interested in applying for 3-year research positions funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).
The FCT is the Portuguese national funding agency for academic research and development. In 2026, the FCT will fund the hiring of 400 researchers, holders of PhDs at various stages of career, to carry out their activity in research centres throughout Portugal. The selected researchers are hired by the host institution through a contract between the host and the FCT, which guarantees the funding. In the previous edition, 18 positions have gone to philosophers, and LanCog has a very strong record of supporting successful candidates.
The FCT will accept applications until January 29, 2026 (17:00 Lisbon time). Candidates will apply online directly to the FCT, but their application must be supported by a host institution.
The application, written in English, must include the following:
– A research plan, including a description of the main activities to be undertaken, the expected results, as well as an indication of how the research project fits with (at least one of) the goals set out in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
– A brief description of previous academic and scientific experience, highlighting the main activities and results obtained in the last 5 years;
– Curriculum vitae;
– A plan for the development of the candidate’s career, including a description of the main scientific goals and how this position would contribute to their achievement;
– A brief description of the conditions provided by the host institution and of how the proposed research plan fits into the overall strategy of the research centre.
Applications will be assessed by an international panel, according to the following two criteria:
– The candidate’s CV;
– The proposed research plan.
The applicant is responsible for choosing the appropriate category in which to apply (Junior: up to 5 years’ experience, Assistant: open to all applicants but is correspondingly far more competitive):
Junior researcher: PhD holders with up to 5 years of post-doctoral experience in the scientific area of application – 2.351,53€ gross wage (c. 1785€/month net*);
Assistant researcher: PhD holders with relevant experience (independently of its duration) in the scientific area of application – 3.501,28€ gross wage (c. 2362€ / month net*).
It is mandatory to upload the doctoral diploma. In order to comply with the Portuguese legislation concerning the recognition of foreign qualifications, all the doctoral degrees granted by foreign higher education institutions must be duly recognized. Applicants are advised to visit the website of the Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior (DGES) for further information:
https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/pagina/degree-and-diploma-recognition.
If possible, the recognition certificate (or proof that one has been requested) should be uploaded together with the diploma. Applications will be considered even if the recognition certificate is not available. However, the recognition must be obtained before signing the contract.
More information about the call, including a link to the application portal, is available here.
Interested candidates are invited to contact Dr. David Yates (at david.yates@edu.ulisboa.pt), with a brief description of their intended research and current CV no later than January 7.