The 2025 edition of the Individual Call for Scientific Employment Stimulus (CEEC) by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) has highlighted CICECO. Twelve researchers were selected across diverse fields, from chemical sciences to nanotechnology and biotechnology, demonstrating CICECO’s scientific breadth and international reputation.

These contracts provide up to three years of research contracts for PhD holders, aiming to reinforce the Portuguese scientific system, attract and retain highly qualified researchers, and offer career development opportunities in a highly competitive environment.

The following CICECO researchers were awarded the FCT CEEC:

• Sara Fateixa – Assistant Researcher, Chemical Sciences

• Mirtha Alejandra Oliveira Lourenço – Assistant Researcher, Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology

• Hugo Alexandre Gonçalves da Rocha Fernandes – Assistant Researcher, Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology

• Indrani Coondoo – Assistant Researcher, Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology

• João Tiago Moniz Fernandes – Junior Researcher, Chemical Sciences

• Emanuel Augusto Vieira Capela – Junior Researcher, Environmental Biotechnology and Industrial Biotechnology

• Sara Magalhães da Silva – Junior Researcher, Environmental Sciences

• Jaime González Cuadra – Junior Researcher, Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology

• Susana Cristina dos Santos Pinto – Junior Researcher, Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology

• Kiryl Zakharchuk – Junior Researcher, Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology

• Cátia Filipa Rodrigues Monteiro – Junior Researcher, Medical Engineering and Biotechnology

• Jorge Diogo Marques Laranjeira – Junior Researcher, Physical Sciences

Behind the list of names are stories illustrating the multiple paths a scientific career can take. We spoke with three awardees to exemplify this diversity: the international trajectory of Jaime González Cuadra, the perseverance and creativity of Sara Fateixa, and the consolidated scientific path of Mirtha Lourenço.

A Consolidated Scientific Journey: Mirtha Lourenço

With a degree and Master’s in Chemistry from the University of Coimbra and a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Aveiro, Mirtha Lourenço has built a career at the intersection of chemistry, materials, and environmental sustainability. She has worked across leading institutions, including the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Turin, where she developed carbon-based materials for CO2 reduction, and within European projects such as NMR4CO2. Currently, as a European Research Area Postdoctoral Fellow under the Marie Skodowska-Curie Actions, she leads the GRACE project at CICECO, focusing on designing sustainable porous silicas for efficient CO2 capture.

The new contract represents both recognition and responsibility: “My research focuses on multifunctional materials capable of capturing and converting CO2 into CH4 during biogas purification.” The researcher reflects: “Being selected represents recognition of my hard work and dedication to science over the past few years, especially considering the high difficulty in obtaining funding. In my panel, for example, only 9 Assistant Researcher positions were funded out of 60 applications, many of them from researchers with excellent CVs and high-quality work proposals who, unfortunately, were not selected. This makes me feel that my selection is a result of both the work I’ve done so far and a good dose of luck.”

Regarding the impact of this contract on her scientific career in the coming years, Mirtha adds: “At this moment, my goal is to focus on research, continue attracting funding, expand my network of collaborations, and develop work that may one day be recognized as useful to society.”

Resilience and Hope: Sara Fateixa

Sara Fateixa embodies the resilience of a researcher who has navigated competitive funding landscapes while developing a multidisciplinary career in nanomaterials, spectroscopy, and sustainable applications. A graduate of the University of Aveiro, she was the first doctoral graduate in Nanosciences and Nanotechnology from the institution. Her PhD work on polymer composites for SERS biosensing gained international recognition, including awards from the Royal Society of Chemistry and the WITec Prize.

Her postdoctoral work at CICECO expanded into textile-based sensors for health and environmental monitoring, vibrational imaging for pharmaceuticals, and international collaborations spanning the USA, UK, Germany, Norway, and Brazil. More recently, she secured support for pioneering research on 2D hybrid materials for water quality monitoring.

Reflecting on her path, Fateixa emphasizes passion and perseverance: “My passion for science and research has always kept me motivated. I have always dreamed of conducting research that is meaningful to society, work that could make a difference or help improve people’s lives. I cannot imagine myself doing anything other than science.”

Her next steps are: “In the immediate future, my primary focus will be advancing my new project, TRACE-CARE (Wearable sensors for optical biosensing in healthcare applications). At the same time, I am strongly committed to broadening my international collaborations and engaging in new interdisciplinary projects that align with emerging societal and scientific challenges. I believe such synergies are essential to foster innovation and to translate research into meaningful impact.”

About the obstacles faced during her research years, the researcher adds: “My advice is to never give up. Always keep hope that things will improve, and remain strong and dedicated to what you believe in. Your time will come!”

International Talent: Jaime Cuadra

Jaime González Cuadra, a more recent addition to CICECO, represents the new wave of international talent drawn to the institution. Trained in Spain with a PhD from Universitat Jaume I (awarded cum laude with international distinction), his work has focused on transparent oxide thin films for photocatalysis. His research trajectory includes stays in Brazil, Italy, and Portugal, reflecting a profile shaped by mobility and international collaboration.

Now appointed as Junior Researcher under the FCT contract, González Cuadra will develop extrusion-based 3D printed geopolymers functionalized with semiconducting oxides for the degradation of emerging pollutants. “Compared to my previous work on transparent semiconducting oxides for optical and energy applications, this project integrates advanced materials science with environmental sustainability, addressing urgent global challenges beyond performance optimization alone,” says Cuadra.

The researcher also highlights the transformative power of working in different countries: “Each place not only provided technical expertise—ranging from nanomaterials synthesis to applied nanotechnology and industrial R&D—but also exposed me to diverse cultural approaches to research. These experiences taught me adaptability, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and the value of tackling scientific problems from a global and inclusive perspective.”

Cuadra concludes: “Embrace the opportunities. Conducting research abroad is both challenging and rewarding, demanding resilience but offering immense personal and professional growth. It allows young scientists to become part of truly global collaborations and to enrich their work through cultural diversity.”