Research Fellowship – 10 vacancies

 

Within the project - Project no 540316524

MARAFRICA

 

Ref. ª: CCMAR/BIC/15/2022

 

The Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) opens ten (10) Scientific Initiation Fellowship (BIC), for applicants of any nationality, including stateless candidates, and holders of political refugee statute, in the scientific field of marine biodiversity, fisheries and conservation within the research project: “A network monitoring, integrating and assessing marine biodiversity data along the West coast of Africa to understand, predict and mitigate climatic / oceanographic changes.” Project number: 540316524, funded by Aga Khan, Development Network and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. under the following conditions:

 

 

Host and Contracting Institution: CCMAR

This fellowship is intended for initiation in R&D activities of students enrolled in a Master degree in the field of conservation of the marine biodiversity at the start of the BIC, aiming at the initiation or reinforcement of their scientific training.

 

Work Plan, Tasks to perform and objectives:

The MARAFRICA project aims to develop a marine biodiversity data network and training program for the Atlantic coast of Africa

 

Specifically, the fellowship holder will be expected to support the coordinating team of the proposal in all the tasks of the project, namely:

 

1. Organization of metadata identification and integration into a database for biodiversity of the African countries targeted by the project MARAFRICA
2. Update professional skills, through scientific training, to increase research excellence in the countries relevant for the project MARAFRICA

 

Scientific Supervisor:

Ester Serrão, coordinator of the project, professor at University of Algarve and researcher at CCMAR.

 

Work place:

The workplace is CCMAR (Gambelas Campus of the Algarve University, Faro, Portugal) and other places necessary to perform the workplan.

 

Requirements for the application:

Applicants must meet all the conditions stated below:

 

1. To have good knowledge of English to be confirmed in the motivation letter and in the CV.
2. This fellowship cannot be awarded to those who have already benefited from a fellowship awarded under the EBI (Estatuto do Bolseiro de Investigação, FCT, Portugal/ Fellowship Holder By-Laws), to be confirmed through the candidate’s CV.

 

 

 

Non-compliance justifies exclusion from the procedure.

 

 

Evaluation criteria:

The relative weight for ranking of the criteria to be applied for analysis of applications are as follows:

 

1. Experience relevant to the field of Marine Biodiversity, Fisheries and Conservation – 50 %

 

2. Experience working in countries of the Atlantic coast of Africa plus Mozambique – 50 %

 

The selection committee reserves the right to contact and interview candidates if additional information or clarification of any curricular aspect is necessary. If an interview takes place, the interview will be used to evaluate in more detail the curricular items used to rank the candidate as indicated above.

 

In the event that no applicant has the necessary profile, the selection committee reserves the right to close the call without any recruitment. In the event that the selected person does not take up the position because of failure to comply with documentary requirements or any other reason, or later during the contract if they resign, the jury reserves the right, upon convenience and opportunity, to assign the post to the next applicant in accordance with the ranking positions based on the selectable reservation list that can be used up to 06 months of the date of the present announcement.

 

Fellowship conditions: The fellowship will have a duration of 03 months, eventually renewed for periods of 1 month up to the end of the research project and a maximum of 12 months. The selected applicants will be expected to start in October 2022. The fellowship must be carried out under an exclusivity regimen, according to the FCT Fellowship Regulation (RBI) and of the CCMAR fellowship regulations (see here) based on the Portuguese law 40/2004, of 18 of August (Fellowship Holder By-Laws/Estatuto do Bolseiro de Investigação) amended by the Decree-Law 123/2019 of 28 of August. A maintenance allowance of 486.12€ will be paid monthly, through bank transfer, and will be updated as stipulated by the Foundation for Science and Technology (see here https://bit.ly/2ZcxUGJ).

 

Application period: from 01 August to 17 of August  2022 at 23:59 (Lisbon time, Portugal).

 

Application process and mandatory documents:

Complete applications must be submitted online at https://www.ccmar.ualg.pt/list/job and must include:

1. a letter (in English) explaining how the candidate meets the evaluation criteria.
2. a detailed Curriculum Vitae (in English) explaining how the candidate meets the evaluation criteria
3. a declaration of the intention to enrol in a master degree in accordance with the conditions stated above, if the candidate is selected for the position.

 

Non-compliance with these documents/information determines the immediate rejection of the application.

 

Results and Preliminary Hearing: The admission and evaluation results will be communicated by email within 90 working days after the application deadline. After notification, candidates have 10 working days to contest the preliminary decision.

 

Selection Committee:

Ester Serrão, coordinator of the project at CCMAR. Professor at Algarve University and researcher at CCMAR (President); Karim Erzini, Professor at Algarve University and researcher at CCMAR (member); Alexandra Teodósio, Vice- Rector at Algarve University and researcher at CCMAR (member).

 

Notes:

Hiring Documents

After the candidate is selected and for the hiring purpose the following documentation/information will be requested:

- proof of the enrolment (Comprovativo de inscrição/matricula) from the Academic Services in a Master Degree (in accordance with the declaration on honour).

- Declaration of commitment stating the exclusivity regime.

- Civil, fiscal and social security Identification (if applicable).

- Account Number – IBAN.

- Ciência ID: https://www.ciencia-id.pt/CienciaID/HomePage.aspx

- Proof of country of residence, residence authorization, or other document legally equivalent, if applicable, in force at the time of fellowship start date.

 

Fellowship Agreement model

After the candidate selection and all information is received, it will be signed a fellowship agreement in accordance with the model  here

 

Fellowship holder Assessment

At the end of each period of duration of the fellowship contract, the activity developed by the fellowship holder will be evaluated by the supervisor, by applying the following criteria, in accordance with the model below.

 

Criteria 1 - contribution to improvement of marine biodiversity data accessibility and networking for the project region (40%)

Criteria 2 – contribution to improvement of marine biodiversity training for the project region (40%)

Criteria 3 – personal skills development (20%)

 

Supervisor report model here

 

Fellowship holder report

By the end of each fellowship period the fellowship holder must present a report. You can find the fellowship holder final report model here

 

 

The board of Directors reserves the right, due to a change in circumstances at the date of the present announcement, to cancel the present call without any recruitment.

 

Disabled candidates shall be preferred in a situation of equal ranking, and said preference supersedes any legal preferences. Candidates must declare, on their honour, their respective disability degree, type of disability and communication / expression means to be used during selection period on their application form, under the regulations above.

 

CCMAR’s non-discrimination and equal access opportunities policy – No candidate can be privileged, benefited, jeopardised or be deprived of any right or exempt of any claim in regards to descendent, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, economic situation, origin, social economy, genetic heritage, disability, chronic disease, nationality, ethnicity, territory of origin, language, religion, politics, ideology or union membership. 

 

Faro, July 28th 2022