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

Reference: CCMAR/IJ/10/2023

Project: HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-03-101113045

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 RHE-MEDiation with ref. HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-03-101113045, RHE-MEDiation - Responsive hub for long term governance to destress the Mediterranean Sea from chemical pollution, funded by European Union's Horizon Europe programme in order to recruit and select the best candidate for the development of the project activities under the following conditions:

Job Summary and Duties: 

This post is for a junior researcher in the field of microalgal biotechnology to study the removal of pollutants from wastewater with microalgae and assess possible uses of the biomass based on its chemical composition.

 

Specifically, the Junior Researcher will be involved in the following tasks:

1. Deployment of pilot microalgal photobioreactors in 3 locations in Europe (Turkey, Greece and Italy);
2. Inoculation of the bioreactors and follow-up of microalgal culture growth;
3. Analysis of priority pollutants in wastewater before and after tertiary treatment with microalgae;
4. Analysis of priority pollutants in the produced biomass/sludge;
5. Analysis of compounds with added value in microalgal biomass (establishment of new protocols);
6. Assessment of possible uses for microalgal biomass depending on pollutant concentration;
7. Assist with writing manuscripts, and presentation of research results at academic symposia and lab meetings.

 

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 September 2023, and will last only for the time necessary to complete the described work plan.

Workplace: The workplace will be at CCMAR (University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal) and other places necessary to the completion of the job tasks.

Working Schedule: 35 hours per week.

Monthly Remuneration: Gross monthly Remuneration is 2228.11€, 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 26-B/2023 of 18th April 2023.

 

Application Period: Between 31th of May and 30th June 2023 at 23:59 (Lisbon time, Portugal).

Required Profile: 

1. PhD in Biotechnology, Biological Engineering, Environmental Engineering or related areas;
2. Proven experience with microalgae cultivation;
3. Experience in using advanced analytical techniques;
4. Basic understating of multivariate statistics tests and tools;
5. Experience in supervision of students.

 

Preference will be given to candidates with:

1. Experience in using LC-MS;
2. Experience in targeted and untargeted metabolomics.

 

Selection panel: in accordance with article 13º of RJEC the selection panel is composed of Professor Luísa Barreira, project Coordinator at CCMAR, Professor at the University of Algarve and researcher at CCMAR (President); Professor João Varela, Professor at the University of Algarve and researcher at CCMAR (member); Doctor Aschwin Engelen, researcher at CCMAR (member) and Professor Dina Simes, Professor at the University of Algarve and researcher at CCMAR (substitute member).

 

Evaluation and Selection Procedure:

The evaluation will consist of a Curricular assessment (final classification between 0 and 100 points).

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:

CA) Scientific and technological, cultural, or artistic 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. (40%);

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 (40%);

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 (5%);

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. (15%).

Criteria CA will be classified in accordance with the scientific production presented by the candidate.

The CB sub-Criteria will be evaluated as follows:

• Experience in the cultivation of microalgae (20%)
• Experience in the valorisation of biomass (20%)
• Experience with advanced analytical techniques including LC-MS (40%)
• Experience in targeted and untargeted metabolomics (20%)

 

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 selection committee reserves the right to contact and interview candidates if additional information or clarification of any curricular aspect is necessary related with the research results. 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.

 

Functioning of the Selection Panel

Evaluation (from 0-100 points) is obtained through assessment of the motivation letter (including a personal assessment of the relevance of the activities of the last five years for the present application, highlighting the chosen scientific publications), and the CV that will include the activities of the specific field and of the scientific and professional path of the applicant and of up to 3 scientific papers of the candidate’s choice.

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*40% + CB*40% + CC*5% + CD*15%

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 based on the selectable reservation list that can be used up to 12 months of the date of the present announcement.

 

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 correctly submitted only after the candidate has received a confirmation e-mail from CCMAR. Applications (in English) must include:

1. A Motivation Letter (in English), including a personal assessment of the relevance of the activities of the last five years for the present application, highlighting the chosen publications.
2. 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.
3. A copy of the Doctoral Degree Certificate.
4. E-mail contacts of up to 3 referees.
5. Up to a maximum of 3 scientific papers chosen by the candidate.

 

Non-compliance with this 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 applications 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 regarding 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 29th May 2023.

 

Project RHE – MEDiation received funding from European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the grant agreement No 101113045