Research Fellowship – 1 vacancy

 

Within the project –541666287

HealthyBi4Namibe

 

Ref. ª: CCMAR/BINCGAM/25/2023

 

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: HealthyBi4Namibe - Development of technological tools to improve and reduce health risks for bivalve consumption in Angola funded by the Aga Khan, Network for Development and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P/MCTES 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 HealthyBi4Namibe project aims to study and characterize the impact of environmental threats (pathogens, toxic blooms, and environmental pollutants) on marine bivalves to develop and implement technologies to assess and ameliorate their quality and safety risk for human consumption in Namibe (Angola).

 

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

1. Participation in sampling campaigns for collection of environmental samples and bivalves in Faro and Namibe;
2. Development of molecular techniques for pathogen detection and gene expression analysis;
3. Development of microbiological and biochemical techniques to isolate and characterize marine pathogenic bacteria from water and bivalve samples;
4. Environmental sample handling for molecular biology and chemical 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 Doctor João Cardoso, Professor at the Algarve University, researcher at CCMAR and coordinator of the project (President of the jury); Professor Deborah Power, Full Professor at Algarve University and group leader at CCMAR (member).

 

Work place:

The workplace is CCMAR (Gambelas Campus of the Algarve University, Faro, Portugal), with possible trip to Angola.

 

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. Availability to travel to, and work for short periods (up to 2 months) in Angola
4. 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: molecular biology techniques (Genomic DNA extraction and PCR); microbiology/biochemical methods applied to the isolation and characterization of marine bacteria from environmental samples.

 

In the event of a tie between candidates during the selection process, this argument may be used for selection.

 

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 for nucleic acid analysis extraction and amplification – 15%;
3. Proven experience in microbiology and biochemical methods for marine pathogenic bacteria - 20%;
4. Previous work experience in research in the area of molecular microbiology- 25%;
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. Should candidates be invited to an interview, the aim will be to assess in more detail and obtain further information about activities used to rank candidates (points 1 – 5 evaluation criteria).

 

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 9 months, eventually renewed for additional periods until the maximum 12 months with a provisional start date of February 2024. The fellowship must be carried out full-time (exclusive regime), according to the FCT Fellowship Rules (RBI) and the  CCMAR fellowship rules (see here), which are 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 15th of December 2023 to 2nd of January 2024 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 motivation letter (in English);
2. a detailed Curriculum Vitae (in English);
3. the email contact of up to 3 referees;
4. a copy of the Master degree Certificate with the final classification.

 

Non-compliance with this 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, Professor at the Algarve University, 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 (Certidão de inscrição/matricula) from the Academic Services in a non-academic degree course (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

- 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.

 

 

 

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, December the 12th, 2023