FCT and ProtoTera agreed to promote a PhD grant program in order to constitute a community of PhDs with multidisciplinary training in the areas of medicine, technology and physics that support the installation and operation in Portugal of cancer treatment centers using proton beam therapy.
The following domains will be considered:
a) Fundamental or applied research in the studies of the effects of high energy radiation on biological systems and materials and, in particular, on studies of radiation on cells and animals;
b) Development and optimization of relevant technologies for the therapeutic use of particle beams, including accelerators; beams modulated in space, time and intensity; real-time reconstruction systems for the location of the beam in the tumor area; real-time planning and medical imaging;
c) Diagnosis and treatment of oncological diseases which imply the study of innovative approaches that involve the combination of therapeutic and diagnostic systems, commonly referred to as “theranostics”, contributing to a
precision and customized medicine;
d) Research in medical and clinical physics related to proton radiotherapy namely, within the scope of the dependent and independent uncertainties of the dose calculation;
e) Medical and clinical research related to proton radiation therapy, namely in the referral of patients and in the planning and follow up of treatments;
f) Study of synergies between immunotherapy and proton therapy and therapies making use of both radioisotopes and proton therapy.
The maximum number of grants to be awarded in the present call will be five. The granting of the scholarship will depend on the receipt of all required documents and is subject to the availability of FCT funding.
The call will be open from 17th February to 14th May 2021, 17:00 (Lisbon time).
• 1st Phase: Submission of thesis themes by supervisors – 17th February to 1st April 2021, 17:00 (Lisbon time)
• 2nd Phase: Submissions of applications by students – 5th April to 14th May 2021, 17:00 (Lisbon time)
This programme is part of the International Doctorate Network in Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology.
ProtoTera Association (Portuguese Network of Infrastructures for Proton Therapy and Advanced Technologies for Cancer Prevention and Treatment), part of CTN/Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear, is a joint collaboration between C2TN (research unit of Técnico), LIP (associated research unit of Técnico), IPO and ICNAS.
