Research Fellowship – 1 vacancy

Within the project – SMARTCELL
ALG-01-0247-FEDER-047169

Ref. ª: CCMAR/BINCGAM/03/2022

The Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) opens one (01) Research Fellowship for a person with a Master Degree (Bolsa de Investigação não conducente à obtenção de grau académico para mestre), for applicants of any nationality, including stateless candidates, and holders of political refugee statute, in the scientific field of Biological Sciences within the research project: ALG-01-0247-FEDER-047169, named as “SMARTCELL” funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through the Operational Programme for Algarve (PO CRESC ALGARVE 2020) under the following conditions:

Host and Contracting Institution: CCMAR
This fellowship is intended for Master’s Degree holders that are enrolled in a non-academic degree course, integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution and developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units at the starting date of the fellowship.

Work Plan, Tasks to perform and objectives:
The SMARTCELL project will study the effect of cryopreservation on viability and differentiation of specific mammalian cell lines and the final objective is to compare two different systems for the cryopreservation of mammalian cells.

Specifically, the fellowship holder will be involved in the following tasks and objectives:
1.    T22: Preliminary studies of mammalian cell lines
2.    T23: Test of a laboratorial prototype for cryopreserve mammalian cell lines
3.    T24: Test of an industrial prototype for cryopreserve mammalian cell lines

Scientific Supervisor:
Professor Eduardo José Xavier Rodrigues de Pinho e Melo, Associate Professor with agregação at Algarve University and researcher at CCMAR.

Work place:
The workplace is CCMAR (Gambelas Campus of the Algarve University, Faro, Portugal). 

Requirements for the application:
Applicants must meet all the conditions stated below:

1.    Holder of a Master Degree in the fields of Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Biomedicine or Biochemistry.
2.    This fellowship may only be granted to those who do not exceed, with the conclusion of the present fellowship contract, an accumulated period of two years in this type of fellowship, consecutive or otherwise, to be confirmed through the candidate’s CV.

Non-compliance justifies exclusion from the procedure.

Evaluation criteria: 
Through the analysis of the application documents the evaluation criteria for the applications and their relative weight for ranking are as follows:
1.    Final grade of the Master Degree (40%);
2.    Merit of scientific curriculum, based on the number and quality of scientific publications (35%);
3.    Experience in animal cell culture (15%);
4.    Other aspects scientifically relevant in the scientific curriculum such as communications in scientific meetings and fluency in English language (10%).

The selection committee reserves the right to contact and interview candidates if additional information or clarification of any curricular aspect is necessary. In case it takes place, the interview aims to evaluate in more detail the curricular items used to grade the candidate according to the list 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 6 months of the date of the present announcement.

Fellowship conditions: The fellowship will have a duration of 05 months, expected to start in March 2022 and eventually renewed for 7 months or until de end of the project up to a maximum of 12 months. 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 (Scientific Research Fellowship holder statutes) amended by the Decree-Law 123/2019 of 28 of August. A maintenance allowance of 1144.64€ 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 11th of February 2022 to 25th of February 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:
⦁    a motivation letter (in English);
⦁    a detailed Curriculum Vitae (in English); 
⦁    the declaration of honour, available from the application platform, declaring the intention to enrol in a non-academic degree course, integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution and developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D unit, if the candidate is selected for the position;
⦁    a copy of the Master degree Certificate with the final classification in the Portuguese scale (if awarded by a Portuguese Higher Education Institution) or a copy of the certificate of recognition of the Master degree with the final classification in the Portuguese scale by a Portuguese Public Higher Education Institution or by DGES – Directorate General for Higher Education (if the degree was awarded by a foreign University). 
⦁    the complete declaration of honour, available from the application platform, if they are unable at the time of application, to provide a copy of the Master degree certificate with the final classification in the Portuguese scale (if awarded by a Portuguese Higher Education Institution) or a copy of the certificate of recognition of the Master degree with the final classification in the Portuguese scale (if the degree was awarded by a foreign University), as indicated above; 
⦁    the email contact of up to 3 referees.

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.

Candidates holding degrees awarded by a foreign university should have their degree recognized in Portugal no later than the date indicated in the communication of selection for the position. Non-compliance justifies exclusion from the procedure. Information about the recognition procedures can be obtained at any Portuguese public higher education institution or by Directorate General for Higher Education – DGES (here https://bit.ly/3afyQQU). 

Selection Committee: Professor Eduardo José Xavier Rodrigues de Pinho e Melo, Associate Professor with agregação at Algarve University and researcher at CCMAR (President); Doctor Liliana Isabel Tomé dos Anjos, researcher at UALG and CCMAR (Member), Doctor Rute Castelo Félix, researcher at UALG and 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 (Certidão de inscrição/matricula) from the Academic Services in a non-academic degree course (in accordance with the declaration on honour).
-  If applicable, copy of the master degree (if awarded by a Portuguese Higher Education Institution) with the final classification in the Portuguese scale. 
- If applicable, certificate of recognition of the master degree by a Portuguese Public Higher Education Institution or by DGES – Directorate General for Higher Education (if the degree was awarded by a foreign University) with the final classification in the Portuguese scale. 
- 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 - Commitment to the experimental work (50%)
Criteria 2 - Skills on mammalian cell culture and handling capabilities on the experimental techniques used (50%) 

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, February the 7th  2022