Research Fellowship – 1 vacancy

 

Within the project – Photo-Plas

EXPL/CTA-AMB/1613/2021

 

Ref. ª: CCMAR/BINCGAM/09/2022

 

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 Environmental Sciences within the research project: EXPL/CTA-AMB/1613/2021, named as “Foto-libertação de poluentes e de microplásticos a superfície de plásticos” funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P./MCTES through national funding (PIDDAC) 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 Photo-Plas project will study the formation of particles and compounds photoreleased from plastics surfaces.

The selected fellowship holder will be involved in the following tasks and objectives:

1 - Irradiation of plastic materials and microplastics adsorbed on the surface of sand, under natural conditions (sunlight) and lamp conditions.

2 - Analysis of non-irradiated and irradiated plastics materials by infrared microscopy microscopy. Objective: evaluation of chemical changes in the polymer structure.

3 - The extraction of released volatile, semi-volatile and non-volatile products formed after irradiation.

4 - Analysis of released compounds using chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques. Objective: identification of the formed compounds.

 

 

 

Scientific Supervisor:

Dr. José Paulo da Silva, Coordinator of the project at CCMAR 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. To hold a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry or related fields.
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.

 

It is considered as an advantage:

Demonstrated experience in a research laboratory. In the event of a tie between candidates during the selection process, this argument may be used to select the candidates.

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. Proven experience in chromatography techniques (45%).
2. Proven experience in chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry or infrared spectroscopy techniques (35%).
3. Published scientific articles in international peer reviewed journals in the areas of Environmental Sciences, Chemistry or Biochemistry (20%).

 

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 12 months, expected to start from May 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 (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 08th of April 2022 to 27th of April 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 (if awarded by a Portuguese Higher Education Institution) or a copy of the 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).
• 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 (if awarded by a Portuguese Higher Education Institution) or a copy of the certificate of recognition of the Master degree (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). CCMAR Board of Directors reserves the right to extend the aforementioned period, at the request of the candidate and if it does not negatively impact the fulfillment of the work plan.

 

Selection Committee: Dr. José Paulo da Silva, coordinator of the project at CCMAR and researcher at CCMAR (president of the jury), Professor Deborah Power, Full Professor at Algarve University and group leader at CCMAR (member) and Dr. Joana Cruz, 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 (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).

- 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).

- 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

- If applicable, a statement from the candidate saying that does not exceed, with the conclusion of the present fellowship contract, an accumulated period of two years in this type of fellowship, consecutive or otherwise.

- 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 – Use the infrared microscope independently (70%)

Criteria 2 – Use the LC-MS (30%)

 

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, April  2nd  2022