Research Fellowship – 1 vacancy

Within the project - MAR-01.03.01-FEAMP-0050
SEAFOODQual

Ref. ª: CCMAR/BINCGA/05/2021

The Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) opens a Research Fellowship for a person with a Bachelor Degree (Bolsa de Investigação não conducente à obtenção de grau académico para licenciado) within the research project: “Aplicação de Tecnologias Inovadoras e Sustentáveis de Processamento e de Monitorização de Qualidade de Produtos Alimentares do Mar” reference MAR-01.03.01-FEAMP-0050 cofunded by the Operational Programme Mar 2020, Portugal 2020 and the Europen Union through the European Fund for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries under the following conditions:

Work Plan and Tasks to perform:
The SEAFOODQual project will study the application of innovative and sustainable technologies of processing and quality monitoring of sea food products, aiming to extend shelf-life and improve seafood product quality and safety. 

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

1.    Take an active role in the working group and be responsible for the assigned tasks of the project.

2.    The BI fellow will be responsible, together with other members of the project team, for the execution of the following project tasks, namely:

a)    Development of HP (High Pressure) processing assays for fish and shellfish products, apply standard monitoring methods for assessment of sea food quality and safety, assessment of processed sea food products by companies and development of standard protocols. 
b)    Development and validation of novel protein biomarkers for seafood (fish and shellfish) quality and safety monitoring, through omics technology (proteomics and metagenomic) and protein related immune techniques.
c)    Activities of technology/knowledge transfer and outreach in the context of the project objectives.

3.    Support the activities of HP processing experiments, mainly sample collection, management and related equipment handling, microbiological assays and measurement of food related biochemical/biophysical parameters, product demonstration and collection and preparation of standard operating protocols.

4.    Execute activities in the development of new protein biomarkers for seafood quality and safety, namely in procedures of molecular biology applied to mainly: a) protein analysis (extraction, quantification, gel electrophoresis, immunoassays- dot blot, semiquantitative western blot); b) nucleic acid analysis ((RT-qPCR, primers design); c) and protein and nucleic acid related bioinformatic analysis (sequence analysis, alignments, phylogenies).

5.    Develop activity reports, collaborate in the development of protocols of standard operating procedures in the context of the project and be responsible for rigorous sample management both records and storage.

6.    Collaborate in writing scientific articles and participate in other scientific dissemination events and outreach. 
7.    Collaborate in activities linked to technology/knowledge transfer (support the technical training of students, internships and other research fellows included in the project team).

8.    Provide general technical support for the laboratory hosting the platform of recombinant proteins and biosensors (ProtMar) at CCMAR, where the SEAFOODQual project is based.

9.    Travel to collaborating institutions in Europe (Agricultural University of Athens, Greece and Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland).
10.    Update professional skills, through training, to support research excellence. 

Supervisor:
Dr. Liliana Anjos Guerreiro (auxiliary researcher) at UALG/CCMar and Professor Dr. Deborah Power (group leader and full professor) at UALG/CCMar 

Work place:
The workplace is CCMAR (Gambelas Campus of the Algarve University, Faro, Portugal), specifically the ProtMar protein and biosensor platform, Lab 3.30 and 3.33 Edf.8.  

Requirements for the application:
This fellowship is intended for Bachelor’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. Applicants should meet all the conditions stated below:

1.    Hold a Bachelor Degree in Biochemistry and/or Biotechnology. 
2.    Have a good knowledge of spoken and written English.

Desirable skills

Preference will be given to applicants with:
1)    Work experience in a scientific research laboratory (demonstrated initiative and a good level of independence and teamwork is important).  
2)    Experience in the following research activities: 
a)    Sampling and homogenization methods for fish muscle tissue directed to protein solubilization (tissue sampling and sample management).
b)    Methods of molecular biology applied to protein analysis (protein extraction, quantification, gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE and native), a working knowledge of software and bioinformatics tools (database research and sequence analysis).
c)    Immunoassays (dot blot, semiquantitative Western blot) and softwares related to image analysis and acquisition.

d)    The use of general laboratory equipment and its maintenance, including tissue homogenizers, image analysis systems and documentation, sample management and development of laboratory protocols and procedures.
e)    Molecular biology techniques in nucleic acids analysis and bioinformatic is desirable (RT-qPCR, primers design, sequence analysis, alignments, phylogenies).

Evaluation criteria: 
The evaluation criteria for the applications and their relative weight for ranking are as follows:
1.    Average of the academic bachelor degree grades - 25%.
2.    Experience in the development of seafood quality and safety protein biomarkers - 20%. 
3.    Experience in protein analysis techniques - 20%.
4.    Experience in imunoassays - 20%. 
5.    Work experience in a scientific research laboratory - 15%.

The Selection Committee reserves the right to contact or interview applicants if further information or clarification about their application is required.

In the event that no applicant has the necessary profile, the Selection Committee reserves the right to close the call without recruitment. If the selected candidate does not take up the position because of failure to comply with documentary requirements or any other reason, or if later they resign the Selection Committee reserves the right, upon convenience and opportunity, to select applicants from the same call following the position in the ranked list.  

Fellowship conditions: The fellowship will have a duration of 12 months, expected to start in July 2021. The fellowship must be carried out under an exclusivity regimen, according to the CCMAR fellowship regulations (see here https://bit.ly/3aXyXQu), 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 835.98€ 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 08 of June to 22 of June 2021.

Application process and mandatory documents: 
Complete applications should 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 declaration, available from the application platform, declaring the intention to enrol 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 unit, if the candidate is selected for the position;
⦁    a copy of the Bachelor degree Certificate with the final classification (if awarded by a Portuguese Higher Education Institution) or a copy of the certificate of recognition of the Bachelor degree by a Portuguese Public Higher Education Institution or by DGES – Directorate General for Higher Education (if the degree was awarded by a foreign University) with the final classification in the Portuguese scale; 
⦁    the declaration, available from the application platform, if they are unable to provide a copy of the Bachelor degree certificate with the final classification or of the Bachelor degree certificate of recognition with the final classification at the time of application, as indicated above; 
⦁    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 selection 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.

Candidates holding degrees awarded by a foreign university should have their degree recognized in Portugal no later than the date indicated in the communication of selection for the position. Non-compliance justifies exclusion from the procedure. Information about the recognition procedures can be obtained at any Portuguese public higher education institution or by Directorate General for Higher Education – DGES (here https://bit.ly/3afyQQU). 

Selection Committee: 
Dr. Liliana Anjos Guerreiro, auxiliary researcher at UALG/CCMar (president), Professor Dr. Deborah Power group leader and full professor at UALG/CCMar (member), and Dr. Patrícia Pinto researcher at UALG/CCMAR (member).

Notes:
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, May   the 20th  2021