CCMAR – Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve – invites outstanding postdoctoral candidates to submit an expression of interest to jointly develop an MSCA-PF 2026 proposal with one of our research groups. This opportunity is intended for talented researchers who wish to advance their careers in an excellent, international, and interdisciplinary research environment.
We are inviting interested researchers to develop postdoctoral research projects in collaboration with our research groups under the European Commission's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) 2026 call.
Are you an ambitious postdoctoral researcher looking to develop a competitive Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship proposal in marine science, climate change, carbon-related research, or other blue science domains?
CCMAR – Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve – invites outstanding postdoctoral candidates to submit an expression of interest to jointly develop an MSCA-PF 2026 proposal with one of our research groups. This opportunity is intended for talented researchers who wish to advance their careers in an excellent, international, and interdisciplinary research environment.
About the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) support the career development and training of excellent researchers through international mobility, advanced training, and interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral collaboration. The programme is designed to enhance the creative and innovative potential of researchers holding a PhD. Further information on the MSCA-PF scheme is available on the European Union website European Commission website.
Why CCMAR?
CCMAR is a leading Portuguese research centre dedicated to understanding, protecting, and valorising marine resources through multidisciplinary research, innovation, and advanced training. Based in the Algarve, in southern Portugal, CCMAR offers an outstanding environment for frontier research at the interface of marine science, sustainability, and innovation.
CCMAR’s research strategy is organised around three main thematic lines:
Ocean Knowledge – understanding the drivers of global environmental change
Ocean Health – protecting marine systems through conservation and management
Ocean Wealth – exploring new marine products, resources, and blue economy opportunities
These areas are supported by strong scientific and technical infrastructure, including molecular biology, sequencing, analytical chemistry, ecology, bioimaging, and scientific diving services, as well as a solid institutional commitment to Open Science and FAIR data principles. CCMAR has an excellent track record in international collaborative research and plays an active role in marine science policy, research infrastructures, and strategic cooperation at national and international levels.
Research Areas and Supervisors
CCMAR offers a wide range of opportunities for co-developing MSCA-PF proposals with its research groups and principal investigators.
Check out the research groups, thematic areas and supervisors available!
Current areas of interest include:
Aquaculture & Sustainable Management
Genomics & Microbial Interaction
Climate Change, Paleoceanography & Ocean Processes
Marine Biotechnology, Biomedicine & Biomaterials
Marine Ecosystems & Biodiversity
Candidates are encouraged to explore the available research groups and topics on the CCMAR website and identify the supervisor and thematic area that best match their profile and interests, here.
Candidate Profile
We welcome highly motivated candidates who meet the following profile:
- PhD in a relevant field, such as marine biology, ecology, oceanography, biotechnology, environmental sciences, bioinformatics, or related disciplines.
- Strong scientific track record, demonstrated through high-quality publications and/or other relevant research outputs.
- A clear research vision aligned with one or more of CCMAR’s thematic areas.
- Strong communication, networking, and collaborative skills.
Eligibility
Applicants must comply with the eligibility rules of the MSCA-PF 2026 call, including:
- PhD degree at the time of the call deadline.
- A maximum of 8 years of full-time research experience after the PhD.
- Compliance with the mobility rule, meaning they must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Portugal for more than 12 months in the 36 months before the call deadline (9 September 2026).
- Applicants should consult the official Horizon Europe eligibility conditions here: see this link (from page 80).
Expression of Interest: How to Apply
Candidates wishing to express their interest in preparing a proposal with CCMAR should submit the following documents:
- a 2–3 page CV;
- a cover letter, including motivation, the group and topic of interest, why they are a good fit, and their career and learning goals;
- a brief research concept note (max. 1 page) outlining their proposal idea aligned with one of the offered topics.
Key Dates
- First response deadline: Wednesday, 13 May, 23:59 WEST
- Selected candidates will be contacted between May and 15 June by the respective potential supervisors
- MSCA-PF 2026 call deadline: 9 September 2026
Contact
For general information about CCMAR and the application procedure, please contact: ccmarfunding@ualg.pt.
If you identify a strong match with one of the thematic areas or supervisors, you are welcome to contact the respective supervisor directly, available here. We look forward to receiving your expression of interest.
