Master's Fellowship – 1 vacancy

 

Within the project – Hydroshifts

 

Project Ref.: PTDC/CTA-CLI/4297/2021

 

Ref. ª: CCMAR/BM/19/2023

 

The Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) opens one (01) Master's Fellowship (Bolsa de Mestrado), for applicants of any nationality, including stateless candidates, and holders of political refugee status, in the scientific field of Geology and related field, within the research project Hydroshifts – ref. PTDC/CTA-CLI/4297/2021– “Compreender as variações abrutas do hidroclima nas médias latitudes do Atlântico Norte.” funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P./MCTES through national funding (PIDDAC) under the following conditions:

 

Host and Contracting Institution: CCMAR

This fellowship is intended for R&D activities, by a student with a bachelor degree enrolled in a Master's Degree, at the beginning of the fellowship, with a view to consolidating his/her scientific training, through the development of research work leading to the achievement of a Master's degree.

 

Work Plan, Tasks to perform and objectives:

The Hydroshifts project focuses essentially on understanding the causes and mechanisms that control and regulate climatic instabilities, namely variations in hydroclimate in vulnerable regions exposed to extreme climate phenomena (extreme drought, fires, storms and floods), as is the case of SW Europe and SE USA. This project proposes to carry out a study of high temporal resolution, direct ocean-continent comparison (using pollen grain analysis, continental and marine biomarkers, and analysis of planktonic foraminifera associations), in marine sedimentary records from SW Europe and SE USA, which cover key deglaciations: TI, TV and TVII (TI: ~ 18 thousand years, TV: ~ 430 thousand years and TVII: ~ 625 thousand years).

 

The selected fellowship holder will be involved in the following tasks and objectives:

 

a. Sample preparation and selection of planktonic foraminifera for AMS dating during HS1 from a record from the Iberian Margin (U1385); and determine the variability of reservoir age during that specific event;

b. Preparation of samples for analysis of planktonic foraminiferal assemblages from the Blake Outer Ridge record (OPD 1058);

c. identification and counting of planktonic foraminifera at site ODP 1058, during glacial terminations (T) TV and TVII;

d. reconstruct Sea Surface Temperature (SST) using transfer functions for the periods encompassing TV and TVII;

 

The fellow's work can be integrated into the master's thesis plan and presented as a master's thesis at the end of the scholarship. The results of the work will be integrated into the objectives of tasks 5 and 6 of the project, more specifically:

 

A. Reconstruct SST based on planktonic foraminifera during TI, TV and TVII in the North Atlantic region;

B. Detect important climate shifts in the North Atlantic region during the aforementioned key glacial terminations.

C. Explore meridional and zonal temperature patterns.

 

 

 

Scientific Supervisor:

Doctor Filipa Naughton, project coordinator, Assistant Researcher of IPMA and CCMAR member and Doctor Andreia Rebotim, project member and junior researcher at CCMAR and IPMA.

 

Work place:

IPMA – Algés, Divisão de Geologia e Georecursos Marinhos – Av. Doutor Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho nº 6, 1495 – 165 Lisboa, Portugal and other places necessary for the completion of the work plan.

 

Requirements for the application:

Applicants must meet the following conditions stated below:

 

1. The candidate must hold a bachelor's degree in the scientific area of Earth Sciences, Geology or similar areas.

 

Non-compliance justifies exclusion from the procedure.

 

 

Evaluation criteria:

Through the analysis of the application documents the evaluation criteria for the applications and their relative weight for ranking are as follows:

a) Experience in marine sediments sampling (30%);

b) Experience in preparing marine sediment samples for planktonic foraminifera analysis (30%);

c) Experience in identification of planktonic foraminifera using a binocular microscope and knowledge in taxonomy of planktonic foraminifera (30%);

d) Knowledge in several computer programs and in English (independent user level) (10%);

 

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

 

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 06 months of the date of the present announcement.

 

Fellowship conditions: The fellowship will have an initial duration of 12 months, expected to start from January 2024 and eventually renewed for additional periods until the end of the project, and never exceeding a maximum of 24 months. The fellowship must be carried out under an exclusivity regimen, according to the FCT Fellowship Regulation (RBI) and of the  CCMAR fellowship regulations (see here) 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 930.98€ 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 16th of October 2023 to 31st of  October 2023 at 23:59 (Lisbon time, Portugal).

 

Application process and mandatory documents:

Complete applications must be submitted online at https://www.ccmar.ualg.pt/list/job and must include at risk of exclusion, the following documents:

1. a motivation letter (in English);
2. a detailed Curriculum Vitae (in English);
3. a copy of the Bachelor degree Certificate.
4. 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 admission and evaluation 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.

 

Selection Committee: Doctor Filipa Naughton, project coordinator, Assistant Researcher of IPMA and CCMAR member, (president of the jury); Doctor Vítor Magalhães, auxiliary researcher at IPMA and CCMAR member (member); Doctor Dulce Oliveira Researcher at CCMAR and IPMA (member), and Doctor Emilia Salgueiro, Assistant Researcher of IPMA, (substitute member).

 

 

Notes:

Hiring Documents

After the candidate is selected and for the hiring purpose the following documentation/information will be requested:

- proof of the enrolment (Certidão de inscrição/matricula) from the Academic Services in a Master’s Degree as mentioned above.

- Declaration of commitment stating the exclusivity regime.

- Civil, fiscal and social security Identification (if applicable).

- Account Number – IBAN

- Ciência ID: https://www.ciencia-id.pt/CienciaID/HomePage.aspx

 

Fellowship Agreement model

After the candidate selection and all information is received, it will be signed a fellowship agreement in accordance with the model  here

 

Fellowship holder Assessment

At the end of each period of duration of the fellowship contract, the activity developed by the fellowship holder will be evaluated by the supervisor, by applying the following criteria, in accordance with the model below.

 

Criterion 1 – Development of the work plan (40%)

Criterion 2 – Commitment to the activities and objectives of the scholarship (40%)

Criterion 3 - Development of personal skills (20%)

 

Supervisor report model here

 

Fellowship holder report

By the end of each fellowship period the fellowship holder must present a report. You can find the fellowship holder final report model 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 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, October 3rd 2023