JUNIOR RESEARCHER (M/F) in the area of biological sciences - 1 VACANCY

Reference: CCMAR/IJ/04/2022

Project: DivRestore/0013/2020

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 the research project DivRestore/0013/2020 - “Florestas Marinhas de animais, plantas e algas: "nature-based tools" para proteger e recuperar biodiversidade.” funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P./MCTES. and connected activities, in order to recruit and select the best candidate for the development of the project activities under the following conditions:

Job Summary and Duties: 

The project aims to move the field of marine restoration beyond the state of the art by applying novel nature-based solutions to improve resilience of restoration. Within the context of this appointment the position holder will lead a task on the retoration of cold-water coral habiats using asexual coral propagation with stakeholder involment. Specifically, the task will involve collaboration with local communities and stakeholders (e.g. fisherman) to both map vulnerable habitat under pressure, from which forests in need of active restoration will be identified, and to conduct restoration experiments using coral by-catch. Duties and responsabilities of the Junior Researcher include:

• Plan and lead efforts to map coral biodiversity and fishing impacts by engaging local fisherman in research;
• Develop widely applicable substrates for asexual outplanting of corals from fishing incidental catches;
• Preparation of scientific papers from the research;
• Presentation of research at conferences;
• Co-supervision of students working in this research area;
• Support project management, synergies across work packages and the reporting to conservartion and restoration stakeholders.

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 from August  2022, and will last only for the time necessary to complete the descrined work plan.

Workplace: The workplace will be CCMAR (Gambelas Campus of the University of Algarve) and/or other places whenerver necessary for the development the work.

Working Schedule: 35 hours per week.

Monthly Remuneration: Gross monthly Remuneration is 2.153,94€, 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 Decree Law No 109-A/2021 of 7th December 2021.

 

Application Period: Between 29th July 2022 and 12th August  2022  at 23:59 (Lisbon time, Portugal).   

 

Required Profile: 

1. PhD on Marine Ecology, Marine Evolution or related areas no more than 5 years before the application date;
2. Experience in the areas of coral ecology, biology and habitat restoration, preferably with cold-water and temperate gorgonian corals;
3. Experience in taxonomy of marine anthozoans, particularly octocorals;
4. Experience working on coral bycatch with fishermen;
5. Fluent in portuguese (to engage and work with local fishermen);
6. Certified scuba diver;
7. A high proficiency in English (spoken and written).

 

Desirable:

• Strong demonstrated organizational skills and attention to detail, with experience managing projects and ability to exercise independent judgement;
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, students and volunteers, with strong interpersonal skills;
• Ability to prioritize own workload, work independently and meet deadlines;
• Experience in sexual propagation of corals, including reproductive and larval biology;
• Demonstrable interests in marine conservation.

 

Provision of false documentation will be punished by law.

Selection panel: in accordance with article 13º of RJEC the selection panel is composed of Professor Ester Serrão, coordinator of the project, Professor at Algarve University (President), Doctor João Neiva, researcher at UALG and CCMAR (member) and Doctor Gareth Pearson, researcher at CCMAR (Member).

Evaluation and Selection Procedure:

The evaluation and selection of applications will consider the candidate’s scientific and curricular career path focusing on the relevance, quality, and timeliness of the criteria referred to in Article 5 (2) (a) to (d) of the RJEC, as follows (scored on a scale from zero to twenty (0-20)):

CA) Scientific and technological production in the last five years, deemed most relevant by the candidate to perform the project tasks, in accordance with the value defined. The content of the scientific production is more relevant than the publication metrics, or the publisher entity. (5%);

CB) Activities of applied research or based on practice, developed in the last five years, that the candidate considers with greater impact for the tasks to perform in the project, in accordance with the value defined (70%);

CC) Activities of extension and dissemination of knowledge, namely in the promotion of the culture and the scientific practices and developed in the last five years, that the candidate considers more relevant and experience in orientation (15%);

CD) Management activities of scientific projects and programmes of research, technology and innovation, or experience in observation, monitoring and evaluation of the scientific and technological system, or higher education, in Portugal or abroad. Included here are the activities of preparation and submission of applications for science, technology, and innovation projects (10%).

Criteria CA will be classified in accordance with the scientific production presented in the CV and highlighted in the motivation letter.

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.

The jury may contact the candidates for any additional information or clarification.

Functioning of the Selection Panel

Evaluation (from 0-20 points) is performed through the documental assessment of the motivation letter (including a personal assessment of the relevance of the activities of the last five years for the present application), and the CV that will include the activities of the specific field and of the scientific and professional path of the applicant.

The score of each candidate is obtained from the sums of the scores of each criterion multiplied by the weights according to the formulation:

C = CA*5% + CB*70% + CC*15% + CD*10%

After determining the final score C of all candidates, each member of the selection panel will rank the candidates according to the final scores assigned to them from the highest to the lowest. This is followed by the vote to the first place and for each successive place. A candidate is selected when they receive the majority of votes. If this does not happen in the first round of voting, the least ranked candidate is eliminated, and the procedure is repeated with the remaining candidates. In case of a draw the vote of the President of the selection panel is decisive.

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, 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.

 

Application submission process and mandatory documents:

Applications must be complete and submitted through the CCMAR website 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) must include:

• A Motivation Letter (in English), including a personal assessment of the relevance of the activities of the last five years for the present application.
• Detailed CV (in English) including the activities of the specific field and of the scientific and professional path of the applicant, organized according to the evaluation criteria CA to CD.
• A copy of the Doctoral Degree Certificate.

 

Non-compliance with these documents/information determines the immediate rejection of the application.

 

 

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 the assessment of all aplications the jury will write a provisional minute with the description of the admission process, assessment and selection, including the list of the ordered candidates and their classification and decision. All candidates will be notified by email of the provisional decision of the jury. In accordance with article 121 of the Portuguese Administrative Procedure Code, after being notified by electronic email all candidates have 10 working days, counted from the date of dispatch of the notification by electronic email, to contest the preliminary decision sending an email to the jury of the present call.  The final decision will be validated by the CCMAR board of Directors and all candidates will be notified by electronic email within 90 working days counted of the application deadline.

Candidates holding degrees awarded by a foreign university should have their degree recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution by the time of contract signing.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, 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 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  19th July 2022.