Are you a motivated PhD researcher in environmental or marine sciences looking to take the next step in your career? The Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, welcomes applications for the prestigious ‘La Caixa’ Foundation Postdoctoral Junior Leader Fellowships Programme. The 2025 call is open until 25 September 2025, 13h CET.
By applying with CESAM, you are eligible for one of 40 highly competitive postdoctoral fellowships designed to foster scientific excellence, mobility, and leadership in STEM fields, through two distinct frames:
Junior Leader – Incoming:
- Open to researchers of any nationality.
- PhD awarded between 2 and 7 years before the call deadline (extensions possible for career breaks).
- Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Portugal for more than 12 months in the 3 years before the deadline.
- The proposal must be in a STEM discipline.
Junior Leader – Retaining:
- Open to researchers of any nationality who have resided or carried out their main activity in Portugal continuously for at least the last 12 months immediately before the call deadline.
- PhD awarded between 2 and 7 years before the call deadline (extensions possible for career breaks).
- Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity outside Portugal for more than 12 months in the 3 years before the deadline.
- The proposal must be in a STEM discipline.
- Additional requirement: Candidates must have carried out research stays at a centre or university outside Portugal, during their doctoral or postdoctoral studies, for a total of at least 6 months before the closing date of the call.
Why Choose CESAM?
CESAM is dedicated to addressing critical environmental and marine challenges through transdisciplinary research. With over 500 active members, including more than 200 PhD holders, CESAM provides a vibrant community dedicated to scientific discovery and innovation. Key research areas at CESAM include: Global Change, Adaptation, and Mitigation; Environmental management and Pollution; and Socio-Ecological Systems and Resources.
By joining CESAM, you will be part of a collaborative environment that fosters international partnerships and cutting-edge research. Our team possesses expertise in diverse fields, including ecotoxicological innovative approaches that consider multiple stressors, analytical chemistry, modelling atmospheric and hydrodynamic processes (freshwater, coastal & oceanic), ‘Omics’ technologies and bioinformatics, environmentally friendly technologies (e.g., LCA), environmental economics, and stakeholder engagement.
How to Apply
If you already have a topic of research, check out CESAM´s website to find a potential supervisor who matches your research interests. Alternatively, you can email cesam-gesciencia@ua.pt by 31 July 2025, including:
- An abstract of your project proposal;
- A short CV specifying the area of your PhD, the date it was awarded, and the institution that granted the degree.
CESAM will then attempt to match you with a suitable supervisor. Please note that a match is not guaranteed, as there may not be an available or interested supervisor.
If you have no idea about the topic you want to address, you can search this list to see if there is any project that fits your research interests. If you spot a relevant topic, get in touch with us!
If a match is found, CESAM and the University of Aveiro’s research support offices will guide you through the application process.
Take your research further. Join CESAM and the “La Caixa” Foundation to shape the future of science, drive innovation, and become a leader in your field!