Research Fellowship – 1 vacancy

 

Within the project – 2022.08563.PTDC

INNATEMEM

 

Ref. ª: CCMAR/BINCGAM/15/2023

 

The Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) opens one (01) Research  Fellowship (BI) for a person with a Master Degree (Bolsa de Investigação não conducente à obtenção de grau académico para mestre), of any nationality, including stateless candidates, and holders of political refugee statute, in the scientific field of Biological Sciences within the research project ref. 2022.08563.PTDC: INNATEMEM - Harnessing innate immune training for enhanced disease response in marine bivalves - 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 INNATEMEM project aims to study bivalve immunity and to identify and characterize new players in innate immunity and innate memory response acquisition.

 

Specifically, the fellowship holder will be involved in the following tasks and objectives:

1. Sample preparation for transcriptomics and metagenomics analysis;
2. Bioinformatic analysis of transcriptomes and confirmation using molecular biology techniques;
3. Bioinformatic analysis of tissue microbiomes;
4. Sample handling for molecular biology, biochemical and histological analysis;
5. Planning and experimental design in the context of the project objectives;
6. Activities of technology/knowledge transfer and outreach and scientific paper writing in the context of the project objectives;
7. Contribute to the general maintenance of the host laboratory

Scientific Supervisors:

Professor João Cardoso, Lecture at Algarve University and researcher at CCMAR and coordinator of the project and Professor Deborah Power, Full Professor at Algarve University and group leader 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. Master’s degree in Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biology or related fields.
2. Good knowledge of written and spoken English.
3. This fellowship will 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, and the required information should be explicit in the candidate’s CV.

Non-compliance justifies exclusion from the procedure.

 

It is considered as an advantage:

Preference will be given to applicants with previous experience in a scientific research laboratory and with demonstrated expertise in the following activities: bioinformatic tools applied to the analysis of transcriptomes and metagenomes of marine organisms and/or marine environmental samples; Molecular biology techniques (RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, PCR, qPCR).

 

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. Master academic degree grade - 35%;
2. Proven experience in molecular biology techniques – 25%;
3. Proven experience on analysis and handling large datasets using bioinformatic tools- 20%;
4. Previous work experience in a scientific research laboratory - 15%;
5. Published scientific articles or scientific presentations in the field of knowledge - 5%;

 

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 curricula 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 06 months of the date of the present announcement.

 

Fellowship conditions: The fellowship will have a duration of 12 months, or until the end of the research project  with a provisional start date of October 2023. 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 1199.64€ 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 September 2023 to 22nd of September 2023 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);
• a copy of the Master degree Certificate with the final classification.
• 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.

 

 

Selection Committee: Professor João Cardoso, Lecture at Algarve University and researcher at CCMAR and coordinator of the project (President); Professor Deborah Power, Full Professor at Algarve University and group leader at CCMAR (member) and 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 (Comprovativo de inscrição/matricula) from the Academic Services in a non-academic degree course.

- 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 that the candidate does not exceed, with the award of the current fellowship, including possible renewals, an accumulated period of two years in this type of fellowship, either consecutive or intermittent.

 

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 - Compliance with the activity plan (30%)

Criteria 2 – Technical and scientific performance (30%)

Criteria 3 – Development of scientific activity reports and knowledge transfer activities (30%)

Criteria 4 – Responsibility and assiduity (10%)

 

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, September the 05th, 2023