Call open for applications for a research grant (Master’s Degree), enrolled in PhD cycle of studies in Mathematics, within the framework of project Mirror symmetry on Higgs bundles moduli spaces with the reference EXPL/MAT-PUR/1162/2021, financed by Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) by national funds, under the following conditions:

Scientific Area: Mathematics

Admission requirements:

• To have a Master’s degree in Mathematics or in a related area;
• To be enrolled in PhD cycle of studies in Mathematics or courses that do not confer academic degree.

Although the recipients must be enrolled in a cycle of studies leading to the attribution of an academic degree or in a course not conferring an academic degree, at the time of application it is not necessary for the candidate to have made such an enrollment, and proof of enrollment must be presented until thefellowship is contractualized. Candidates are only required to meet the requirements to enroll in the training offer. If there are candidates already enrolled (including attending a course), they compete on an equal footing with those who are not enrolled.

Note: In the case of masters who are enrolled in courses that do not confer academic degree, the research grant can only be awarded to those who do not exceed, with the signing of the research grant contract in question, including possible renewals, an accumulated period of two years in this type of grant, consecutive or interpolated.

Preferences Requirements: Preference is given to candidates who demonstrate sufficient scientific knowledge and skills to initiate research within the scope of the fellowship topic and which is relevant to one of the main research topics of the project; to candidates who have basic knowledge of the theory of Higgs bundles over Riemann surfaces, their moduli spaces, and their relations with geometric structures, nemely Teichmüller spaces and complex projective structures.

Hiring Requirements: If the qualification has been granted by a foreign higher education institution, it will have to be recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution, pursuant to article 25 of Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of 16 August, which approves the regime legal recognition of academic degrees and diplomas in Higher Education, arising from foreign higher education institutions, and paragraph e) of paragraph 2 of article 4 of Decree-Law No. 60/2018, of August 3, all of which the formalities must be fulfilled there until the contracting act.

Activity Outline: Research work in accordance with the research objectives of the Project EXPL/MAT-PUR/1162/2021 – Mirror symmetry on Higgs bundles moduli spaces. Namely, topics related to Higgs bundles on Riemann surfaces will be addressed. Additional information about the project can be consulted on the website https://sites.google.com/view/aoliveira/fct or via the e-mail andre.oliveira@fc.up.pt.  

Legislation and regulations: Law no. 40/2014, updated by Decree-Law no. 123/2019, of 28 August (Statute of Scientific Research Grant Holder); Regulation no. 950/2019 of 16 December (Regulation of Research Grants of the Foundation for Science and Technology); Regulation no. 184/2021, of 3 March (Regulation of Research Grants of the University of Porto) and Decree-Law no. 66/2018 of 16 August (Legal Regime of Recognition of academic degrees and diplomas of Higher Education awarded by Foreign Higher Education Institutions).

Work place: The work will be developed in the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP), under the guidance of Professor Peter Gothen

Grant duration: Initial duration of 5 months, with beginning on 1st of June of 2023, eventually renewable up, but not exceeding the end date of the project.

Maintenance allowance amount: The grant stipend amounts to 1199,64€ according to the table of values of the grants awarded directly by FCT, I.P. in the Country (https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores). The payment will be made by bank transfer.

Voluntary Social Insurance: As long as the grant lasts 6 months or more, and in compliance with the provisions of the current version of the Grant Holder Statute, the grant holder will be entitled to have FCUP support the costs resulting from the contributions that fall into the first of the tax brackets. The grant holder will be responsible for contributions beyond the first tax bracket, should the grant holder opt for a higher coverage. 

Personal Accident Insurance: During the grant period, the grant holder will be covered by a personal accident insurance policy.

Selection procedure: The selection methods to be used are as follows:

      Curriculum Assessment (AC), based on:

            Criterion 1 (C1) ): Curriculum assessment – weight 50%.

            Criterion 2 (C2): Specific competencies relevant to the work plan – weight 50%.

            Each one of the previously defined items, will be assessed in a scale from 0 to 20 points.

            The Final Classification (FC) will be obtained using the following formula:

                                                              CF=AC= 0,5*C1+0,5*C2

         If the Selection Jury finds it convenient, an individual interview (E), eventually using a videoconference system, may be carried out to the three candidates with the best classification, in which case it will have a weight of 20%.

In that case, CF will be obtained by the following formula:

                                                             CF=0,8*AC+0,2*E

The candidate who has a foreign academic degree or diploma whose final classification is expressed on a different classification scale from the Portuguese one or does not have a classification, for evaluation purposes, must present a document proving the recognition of the foreign degree or diploma and the conversion of the classification for the Portuguese classification scale until the closing date of applications for the competition.

If the documents attesting the degree submitted by the candidates do not present the final classification of the degree required in this notice with the respective grade converted to the Portuguese classification scale, the jury will consider, for evaluation purposes, that the candidate has the minimum classification (10 points) of a maximum of 20 points) required to obtain a degree in Portugal.

Candidates whose application has been assessed with a final classification less than twelve points are not eligible to sign the contract of the fellowship.

Selection committee:

• President – Doutor André Oliveira, Investigador, FCUP;
• 1.º member – Prof. Doutor Peter Gothen, Professor Associado, FCUP;
• 2.º member – Prof. Doutora Margarida Melo, Professore Associato, Università Roma Tre;
• 1.º alternate member – Prof. Doutor Filippo Viviani, Professore Associato, Università Roma Tre.
• 2.º alternate member – Prof. Doutora Inês Cruz, Professora Auxiliar, FCUP;

Advertisement of final decision: The final results of the evaluation will be published through a list ordered by final classification, sent to candidates by email. It is further informed that, pursuant to the provisions of articles 121 et seq. of the Code of Administrative Procedure, it has a legal period of 10 working days from the day immediately following the notification, to make a decision, if it so wishes. A complaint may be filed against this decision within 15 working days or, alternatively, an appeal may be filed within 30 working days, addressed to the Director of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, pursuant to article 191 et seq. of the Code of Administrative Procedure. The host entity may use the final ranking list to replace the selected grantee in case he/she gives up the position, up to one year.

Deadline for applications and form of presentation of the applications The deadline for submitting applications will be 10 days from the date of publication of the Research Grant Announcement. Applications must be formalized, mandatorily, through the web page of Infociências of this opening (https://info.fc.up.pt/fcup/pedidos/users/novo.php?f_id=1291&formulario=…) accompanied by the following documents:

1. Motivation letter;
2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae;
3. Certificate of academic qualifications;
4. Declaration of eligibility (in attached);
5. Other relevant documents;

The documents indicated in points a) to e) must be submitted in a single file in zip format on the tender page.

Supporting documents for the contract: At the time of signing the contract, the grant holder must provide the following documents: 

• Biographic form;
• Photocopy of Passport and/or residency permit (if applicable);
• Photocopy of Portuguese IBAN/NIB;
• proof of enrolment in PhD in Mathematics

or

proof of non-degree course; Proof document or statement duly signed by the institution's highest body that the course is provided for in the respective educational project and that it is developed in association or cooperation with at least one R&D unit (indicate which one(s) specifically); and Statutes of the entities that develop the course together with the higher education institution, in order to verify if they are considered R&D units, for the purposes of the provisions of article 16 of Decree-Law No. 63/2019, of May 16th;

• Foreign academic degree recognition (if applicable);
• Exclusivity declaration;
• Ciência ID and ORCID ID.

Commitment

In compliance with paragraph h) of Article 9 of the Constitution, the University of Porto, as an employer, actively promotes a policy of equal opportunities between men and women in access to employment and professional advancement, scrupulously avoiding any form of discrimination. In this spirit, terms such as “candidate,” “author,” or “teacher,” among others that refer to the people who apply for this recruitment tender are used as gender neutral.

In addition, no candidate may be privileged, benefited, impaired or deprived of any right or exempt from any duty on grounds of ancestry, age, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, origin or social status, genetic heritage, reduced working capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions and trade union membership.

The call is open from 27/04/2023 to 11/05/2023.