JUNIOR RESEARCHER (M/F) Aquaculture - 1 VACANCY 
Reference: CCMAR/IJ/25/2021

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 : FICA - “Ferramentas inovadoras para investigação contratada em nutrição em aquacultura” reference ALG-01-0247-FEDER-047175 funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through the Operational Programme for Algarve (PO CRESC ALGARVE 2020) 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 develop a set of specialized services for zootechnical, physiological and molecular research, to tackle the current and future challenges of the aquaculture industry in the area of industrial contracted research.

The tasks to perform by the Junior Researcher include: 
1.    Performing scientific research activities in the area of nutrition, with a main focus on marine fish nutrition.
2.    To have an active role in the dynamization of international collaborations in the specific scientific area.
3.    Training of researchers at master, and doctoral levels.
4.    Participation in the management of the research project, writing of reports, scienticif publications and other documents.
5.    Participation in the life of the institute, namely in the activities of science outreach.

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 March 2022 and will last for the time necessary to complete the work plan.

Workplace: The workplace is CCMAR (Gambelas Campus of the University of Algarve, Portugal) and/or other places necessary for the execution of the work plan.

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 1st February 2022 and 16th  February 2022 at 23:59 (Lisbon time, Portugal).  
 
Required Profile:  
1.    PhD in Sciences or closely related area.
2.    PhD Thesis in the field of Fish Nutrition.
3.    Experience in the following techniques: nutrient flux with radioactivity and nutrient budgets.
4.    Good knowledge of English (oral and written).

Preference will be given to applicants that have:
1.    Scientific and professional curriculum focused for the activities described in point 3 of the required profile. 
2.    Experience in rearing fish in RAS systems, nutritional physiology in larvae and juveniles of marine fish, bioavailability of amino acids, nutrient budgets, assisted feeding with the technique “tube-feeding” in larvae and juvenile fish, molecular biology, nutrient flux with radioactivity 
3.    National or European certificate for animal experimentation for scientific purposes (category researcher – coordinator or category C). 

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

Selection panel: in accordance with article 13º of RJEC the selection panel is composed of Dr. Sofia Engrola, coordinator of the project at CCMAR, team leader and researcher at CCMAR, (president of the jury), Dr. Cláudia Aragão, researcher at UALG and CCMAR (member), and Dr. Catarina Oliveira, researcher at UALG and 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 0-100):
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. (20%); 
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 (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. Included here are the activities of preparation and submission of applications for science, technology and innovation projects (5%).

Criteria CA will be classified in accordance with the content of the scientific publications involving the areas/techniques indicated in point 3 of the required profile in the last five years, the content of the publication will be more relevant than the publication metrics, or the publish entity (20%). Criteria CB will will be evaluated in accordance with the project aims, namely: Participation in projects in the areas/topics cited in point 2 of the required profile (10%); Experience in nutritional physiology in larvae and juveniles of marine fish, bioavailability of amino acids, nutrient budgets, diet digestibility (15%); Experience in nutrient flux, namely in the “tube-feeding” technique of larvae and juveniles fish, metabolic flux in sealed chambers with radioactive nutrients (30%); Experience in rearing of larvae and juvenile fish in RAS (5%); National or European certificate for animal experimentation for scientific purposes (category researcher – coordinator or category C) (10%).
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 
Evaluation (from 0-100) is performed through the documental assessment of the motivation letter in English (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 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 criteria multiplied by the weights according to the formulation: 
C = CA*20% + CB*70% + CC*5% + CD*5% 
The final score of each candidate is obtained by the sum of the curricular assessment scores (C) , rounded to the neareth tenth.

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. Abstentions are not allowed. 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 decive. 

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 8 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 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) that will include 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.
⦁    email contacts of up to 3 referees.
⦁    up to a maximum of 3 scientific papers choosen by the candidate (DOI).
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 days counted of the application deadline. 

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 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 January 17th 2022.