JUNIOR RESEARCHER (M/F) IN MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY - 1 VACANCY

Reference: CCMAR/ID/05/2019
The Algarve Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) opens a call for a Junior Researcher (M/F) of any nationality, including stateless candidates under an uncertain term employment contract, within Sistema de Apoio à Investigação Científica e Tecnológica (SAICT) – Call nr 02/SAICT/2017 - Projeto de Investigação Científica e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico (IC&DT), funded by Investment and Structural European Funds (FEEI) - Programa Operacional Regional do Algarve and National Funds (FCT-MEC) under the research project ““GreenVet: Unravelling the potential of marine halophyte plants as sources of innovative products with veterinary uses” ref. ALG-01-0145-FEDER-028876”.

Job Summary and Duties: 
The Junior Researcher will contribute for the development and execution of GreenVet project. The tasks involved are:
a)    Collect and nutritional analysis of halophytic’s plants biomass.
b)    Preparing organic extracts from halophytic’s plants biomass.
c)    Evaluation of antioxidant activity of extracts made from halophytic’s plants biomass using in vitro techniques.   
d)    Using a mamal macróphages model stimulated with LPS, to evaluate the anti inflammatory activity of the extracts made from halophytic’s plants biomass.
e)    Student’s orientation.
f)    Preparing scientific papers.

Relevant Legislation:
⦁    Decree-Law nr 57/2016, from 29th August, altered by Law nr 57/2017, from 19th July, (RJEC).
⦁    Portuguese Labour Law, approved by Law nr 7/2009, from 12th February in its current form.  
⦁    Decree – Law nr 124/99, from 20th  April  in its current form.
⦁    Regulatory Decree nr 11-A / 2017, of 29th December.
⦁    Decree – Law nr 29/2001 of 3rd February.
⦁    Portuguese Administrative Procedure Code

Starting Date: The contract is expected to start in July 2019 and will only last  for the necessary execution of the working plan.
Workplace: The workplace is CCMAR (Gambelas Campus of the Algarve University, Faro, Portugal)  with some fieldwork along the Portuguese coast.
Working Schedule: 35 hours per week.

Monthly Remuneration: Gross monthly Remuneration is 2.128,34€, in accordance with subsection a), section 1, article 15 from Law nr 57/2017, 19th July, and with the remuneration position at initial level predicted in article 2 of Regulatory Decree nr 11-A/2017, of 29th December, correspondent to level 33 at Tabela Remuneratória Única, approved by Order nr 1553-C/2008, 31st December.
 

Application Period:  Between June 14th and July 2nd  2019. 

Required Profile: 
1.    PhD in biology or similar and with a reduced experience of post doctoral research or without scientific curriculum after PhD in the application field.

Non-compliance with any of these requirements invalidates the application. Provision of false documentation will be punished by law.
Preferencial Profile:

It is considered desirable that the applicants have experience in the following techniques as demonstrated in their Curricuum Vitae: extraction of compounds from natural origin; characterization of the nutritional profile of plants biomass; evaluation of the antioxidant activity of extracts made from halophytic’s plants biomass using in vitro techniques; use a mamal cells model stimulated with LPS, to evaluate the anti inflammatory activity of the extracts made from halophytic’s plants biomass. It is also desirable that the applicant hold experience in students supervision.

Selection panel: in accordance with article 13º of RJEC the selection panel is composed of Dr. Luisa Custódio, principal researcher at CCMAR and project coordinator (President); Dr. João Cardoso, researcher at CCMAR (Member) and Professor Maria de Lurdes Cristiano, Associate Professor with Agregação at Algarve University and Researcher at CCMAR (Member). 

Evaluation and Selection Process
The evaluation will result in a final classification between 0 and 20 points.

Curricular assessment
The selection will be made through the evaluation of the motivation letter and CV, which will include the activity and career development plan within the subject area, and of the candidate’s scientific and professional career path focusing on the relevance, quality, and timeliness of the criteria referred to in Article 5 (2) (a) to (d) of the RJEC. The following assessment criteria, and the candidate’s ability to perform the duties required, will be considered:

CA) Scientific and technological production in the last five years, deemed most relevant by the candidate;
CB) Activities of applied research or based on practice, developed in the last five years, that the candidate considers with greater impact;
CC) Activities of extension and dissemination of knowledge, namely in the promotion of the culture and the scientific practices, developed in the last five years, that the candidate considers more relevant, including experience in students supervision;
CD) Project management activities and programmes of science, technology and innovation, or experience in observation, monitoring and evaluation of the scientific and technological system or higher education in Portugal or abroad developed in the last five years. Included here are the activities of preparation and submission of applications for science, technology and innovation projects.

The period of five years referred in the evaluation criteria may be increased by the selection panel, at the request of the candidate, when justified on grounds of suspension of scientific activity for socially protected reasons, namely for reasons of parental leave, prolonged serious illness, and other situations of unavailability for work legally protected. 

Functioning of the Selection Panel
Each member of the selection panel will assess all the candidates in all the factors from CA to CD scoring between 0 and 20, and must present the reasons for the scores attributed. Abstention is not allowed.
 
The curricular assessment (C) of each candidate is obtained according to the average of the criteria that is evaluated by the weights of the following formulation, expressed to the first decimal.
C = CA*70 + CB*20 + CC*5 + CD*5

The final scores of the Curricular Assessment (0-20), which will be the final score of each candidate, will be obtained from the average of the scores given, independently and in writing, by each jury member, abstentions are not allowed.

The selection panel will write minutes of the meetings with a description of the evaluation and selection process including an ordered list of candidates, their classification, and the final decision. The CCMAR Board of Directors shall validate the final decision of the selection panel.
In the event that no applicant has the necessary profile, or the funding conditions have significantly changed since the announcement of this position, the selection committee reserves the right to close the call without any recruitment. In the event that the selected person does not accept the position or resigns during the contract, the jury reserves the right, upon convenience and opportunity, to assign the post to the next applicant in accordance with the ranking positions.

Application submission process and documents: Only applications submitted through the CCMAR website will be considered: https://www.ccmar.ualg.pt/list/job. Applications are considered to be correctly submitted only after the candidate has received a confirmation e-mail from CCMAR. Applications (in English) should include a Motivation Letter (including a personal assessment of the relevance of the activities of the last five years for the present competition, highlighting the chosen scientific publications), copy of the candidate’s Ph.D. certificate, a detailed CV (in accordance with the requirements and selection criteria of the application), a digital copy (e.g PDFs) of up to 3 relevant publications, other documents deemed as relevant for the application, and the email contacts of up to 3 referees.

Results: The lists of admitted and excluded candidates, and the final classification list, shall be posted on the CCMAR website at https://www.ccmar.ualg.pt/list/job-closed and all candidates will be notified by email.  

Preliminary Hearing and Final Decision Deadline: After notification, candidates have 10 working days to contest the preliminary decision. The final decisions will be announced within 90 days of the application deadline.

Candidates holding degrees awarded by a foreign university should have their degree recognized in Portugal no later than 10 days after receiving the communication of selection for a position. Non-compliance justifies exclusion from the procedure. Information about the recognition procedures can be obtained at any Portuguese university or here. The board of directors reserves the right, upon request from the candidate, to extend the compliance period provided it does not impact negatively the programmed activities.

Disabled candidates shall be preferred in a situation of equal classification, 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.  

The members of the jury approved this announcement on June 3rd 2019.