Early Stage Researcher [M/F] - 1 vacancy

Post Ref.: CCMAR/ESR/04/2021

The Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve (CCMAR) opens a vacancy for an Early Stage Researcher (Investigador Doutorando Marie Curie ITN - Early Stage Researcher) (M/F) from any nationality, including non-EU candidates to satisfy temporary needs under an uncertain term employment contract within the research project EATFish “European Aquaculture Training for improving Seafood Husbandry” grant agreement No. 956697 (EATFish), a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (ITN-ETN) funded in the framework of the HORIZON 2020 programme.

The main undertaking of EATFish is to educate young scientists who will be capable of envisioning and creating this transformational change to support sustainable and profitable European aquaculture through an interdisciplinary action. EATFish is a truly multidisciplinary training network aimed at integrating the biological, technical, socio-economic and governance aspects needed for sustainable and profitable aquaculture. For this, we will provide a structured estimated 3-year period cutting-edge PhD training programme.

Job Summary and Duties:

The Early Stage Researcher will be enrolled in a PhD at the Algarve University (https://fct.ualg.pt/en/curso/1562) and will contribute for the development and execution of EATFISH project, specifically for the task: “A nutritional approach to improve fish robustness.” 

FAO is responding to the “Blue Revolution” by promoting aquaculture as the solution to improve food security, and nutrition while increasing biological efficiency and optimizing the production cycle. To face this challenge, it is important to develop resilient aquaculture practices, which increase productivity, maintain healthy ecosystems, and ensure a sustainable consumption pattern. Nutrition is the most important factor that determines both growth and development of animals, with a direct impact in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). CCMAR will target dietary strategies that will improve fish robustness, to understand the biological pathways that mediate the relationships between growth, nutrition, and metabolism. Dietary strategies will be developed in collaboration with Partner Organisation Skretting (ARC). The GIT of fish is modulated by diet type, the initial microbiota adapts over time and is shaped by the availability of different nutrients. The impact of diet on fish gut microbiota and identification of microbial biomarkers related to host robustness will be done in collaboration with Partner CSIC. Growth plasticity, oxidative biology, protein metabolism, and the microbiome-gut axis will be key targets for the PhD proposal. Experimental species: gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) and Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis). As part of the programme, the ESR might spend some time in two secondments and will receive training on relevant topics and attend the annual meetings of the consortium.

Working Conditions:

The successful candidate will be employed for up to a maximum of 36 months (full time) under an uncertain working contract (full time) and will receive a monthly salary package according to the allowance amounts defined in the rules for Early Stage Researcher (ESRs) EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Networks (ITN) for Portugal.

• Living allowance – 2753.34€

• Mobility allowance - 600€

• Family allowance (if applicable) – 250€

IMPORTANT NOTE: The amounts above are set at the Grant Agreement of the project and are gross amounts. The ESR salary will be set using the amounts above which must include all the costs related with the working contract (other allowances under the contract, and all taxes due according to Portuguese Labor Law) because local regulations of the host country (Portugal) apply.

Eligibility:

Please note that this is an EU funded Marie Curie ITN post and therefore certain eligibility requirements apply:

• • The ESR must be in the first four years (full time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree at the time of recruitment by the host organization.
  • At the time of recruitment researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organisation (Portugal) for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the recruitment date.

Required profile:

The candidate must:

1. Hold a Master Degree in Aquaculture or related field.
2. Speak English fluently and have a proficiency in written English.

Only applicants that fulfil the eligibility and the required profile will be considered.

It is considered as an advantage to have:

1. MSc. Thesis in the field of Marine Fish Nutrition.
2. Experience in the following skills: marine fish rearing; fish nutritional indicators.
3. Basic skills in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS).
4. Basic skills with data analysis, including statistics.

Working contract conditions: full time uncertain term employment contract expected to start in November 2021.

Working Schedule: 35 hours weekly.

Working Place: CCMAR in Faro, Portugal and other places necessary for the execution of the job activities, namely abroad.

Application Period:  between July 27th and September 8th 2021.

Selection Committee: Dr. Sofia Engrola, Dr. Cláudia Aragão and Prof. Dr. Pedro Rodrigues

Selection Criteria: Applications will be scored on 0 to 100 scale. Through analysis of the application documents, the evaluation criteria and their relative weight for ranking are as follows:

1. Confirmed experience in rearing aquaculture marine fish. – 20%
2. Confirmed experience in biochemical analyses of fish nutritional indicators. – 15%
3. Confirmed experience in rearing aquaculture marine species in RAS. – 15%
4. Knowledge of informatics and statistical analysis. – 10%
5. English knowledge assessed through the structure and content of the motivation letter (the motivation letter must be written in English) as well as state of the art of the PhD topic. – 25%
6. Applicant merit (Published peer-review papers in international SCI indexed journals and/or international conference presentations - poster or oral). – 15%

Some candidates might be call for an interview to clarify any aspect of the CV found less clear by the jury, but the selection criteria will remain as listed above.

The selection committee 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 committee.

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 if they resign later during the contract, the jury reserves the right, upon convenience and opportunity, to assign the post to the next applicant in accordance with the ranking positions. The applications received in this call will be considered for the constitution of a reserve list that can be used up to 14 months of the date of this 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:

1. a Motivation Letter (in English).
2. a detailed CV (in English).
3. a copy of the Master Degree Certificate with the final classification (if awarded by a Portuguese Higher Education Institution) or a copy of the certificate of recognition of the Master 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.
4. the filled declaration of honour available in the application platform, for applicants that cannot provide a copy of the certificate of recognition of the Master degree with the final classification (if the degree was awarded by a foreign University).
5. a copy of the acknowledgement of the request for recognition of the Master degree (with the final classification) by a Portuguese Public Higher Education Institution or by DGES (if the degree was awarded by a foreign University) as indicated above.
6. Upload a document with a state of the art on the PhD topic “A nutritional approach to improve fish robustness ”, in English, with a maximum of 500 words plus bibliography (more  details about the subject can be found at: https://eatfishmariecurie.wordpress.com/research/, Project number 6).
7.  Upload 2 Letters of Recomendation.

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 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 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 July the 22^nd  2021.