Post-Doctoral Fellowship – 1 vacancy

Within the project Ref. PTDC/BIA-CBI/6515/2020

Ref. ª: CCMAR/BPD/03/2021

The Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) opens a position for a Post-Doctoral Fellowship (BPD -  Bolsa de Pós Doutoramento) within the research project: The Paris Agreement and the global redistribution of marine biodiversity, Reference PTDC/BIA-CBI/6515/2020 funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the following conditions:

Work Plan and Tasks to perform:
Project PARIS aims to address the central research question of what will be the consequences of future climate changes to global marine biodiversity. The groundbreaking approach is to (1) estimate global connectivity patterns for major biodiversity groups, and (2) link projected distributional shifts with dispersal potential under global change scenarios. Analyses will compare present-day patterns with contrasting future scenarios (e.g., Paris Agreement expectations vs. business as usual) to provide key information for IPCC impact assessments, for the prosecution of the Sustainable Development Goals 9, 13 and 14 of the 2030 Agenda, and for well-informed conservation and management policies (e.g., Aichi targets and similar initiatives). 

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

1. Manage climate data acquisition at global scales from the open-source services “European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts”, “Copernicus, the European Union's Earth Observation Program” and the “Coupled Model Intercomparison Project”. 
2. Develop marine layers for ecological modelling for present-day conditions and for future scenarios of global change (bio-oracle.org) in R and python environments with already available computer pipelines.
3. Draft a data paper documenting the development of the layers, to be published in a scientific journal.

Supervisor:
Dr. Jorge Assis, Researcher at CCMAR.

Work place:
The workplace is CCMAR (Gambelas Campus of the Algarve University, Faro, Portugal). 

Requirements for the application:
This Post-Doctoral fellowship (BPD) is intended for PhDs that meet cumulatively the conditions stated below:
1.    A Doctoral Degree in the field of marine ecology or related area obtained in the three years prior to the date of submission of this application.
2.    Candidates that carried out their PhD with CCMAR as host institution are not eligible.

Preferential Profile:
 (To be demonstrated in the applicant’s Curriculum Vitae)
1. Good background in the use of environmental data layers for modelling distribution of marine species in a global scale.
2. Experience in writing scientific papers.
3. Experience in R or Python computer languages applied to modulation in the distribution of marine species.

Evaluation criteria: 
The selection will be made through the evaluation of the motivation letter and CV, which will include the activity and career development plan within the subject area and of the candidate’s scientific path. The evaluation criteria are as follows:

1. Experience in marine species distribution modelling performed in R or Python, using datasets describing environmental conditions at global scales (50%).
2. Publications using marine species distribution modelling addressing the interactions / impacts of climate change to marine biodiversity in a global scale (50%).

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 it resigns 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 09 months, expected to start on May 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 1646€ 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 25th of March to 12th of April 2021.

Application process: 
Applications should be submitted online at https://www.ccmar.ualg.pt/list/job and include:
⦁    a motivation letter (in English); 
⦁    a detailed Curriculum Vitae (in English);
⦁    copy of the Doctoral Certificate (if awarded by a Portuguese Higher Education Institution) or copy of the certificate of recognition of the Doctoral 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); 
⦁    A declaration of honour available in the application platform for applicants that cannot provide a copy of the doctoral certificate or of the certificate of recognition, as indicated above; 
⦁    The email contact of up to 3 referees.

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. Jorge Assis, researcher at CCMAR (President of the jury); Prof. Dr. Maria Ester Serrão, researcher at CCMAR (Member); and Dr. João Neiva, researcher at 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, March  the 10th 2021