NOTICE N.º 39/2023

OPEN CALL FOR RESEARCH GRANT APPLICATION WITHIN THE TERMS LAID DOWN OF THE REGULATIONS FOR RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALGARVE

TITLE:  3 PhD Research fellowships

It is now open a call for 3 PhD Research fellowships within the project DISPERSALS, Dispersals, resilience, and innovation in Late Pleistocene SE Africa, funded by European Research Council (ERC), ERC-2021-ADG, with the following conditions:

Research Field:Archeology

Admission Requirements: fluency in English since the PhD degree at the UNiversidade do Algarve  is taught in English.

Position 1: Phytoliths analyses. Preferably with an MA in Archaeology or similar discipline and field research experience in Africa.

Position 2: Data analyses. Preferably with an MA and field research experience in Africa and knowledge of Pleistocene African archaeological materials. Preferably experience in data modeling in archaeology.

Position 3. Isotopic analyses. Preferably with an MA in Archaeology or similar discipline and field research experience in Africa; preferably with experience or interest in isotopic analyses in human diet and or mobility.

Work Plan: The three fellowships are to develop doctoral dissertations, hopefully finished after 4 years. The doctoral research is within the projet DISPERSALS, funded by en ERC grant. The fellows will have  specific training in the respective area of each position to develop the reconstructions and creation of a high precision chronology for the last 100 thousand years in Mozambique, as well as paleoenvironmental reconstruction, diet and mobility of human groups in the Save and Limpopo basins.

Applicable legislation and regulations: Statute of the Scientific Research Fellow, approved by Law nº 40/2004, of August 18, in the current wording conferred by Decree-Law nº 123/2019, of August 28 and the Regulation of Research Grants of the University of Algarve (https://files.dre.pt/2s/2021/10/210000000/0013700149.pdf.

Working place: The work will be developed at ICArEHB, University of Algarve, and in Mozambique, jointly with the Researcher Nuno Bicho, principal investigator of the DISPERSALS project and coordinator.

Duration of the grant: The grant will have a first contract of 12 months duration, beginning on October, 1st, 2023. The contract may be renewed up to 4 years total, considering UAlg’s Research Grants Regulation. (https://files.dre.pt/2s/2021/10/210000000/0013700149.pdf )

Value of monthly maintenance allowance: The monthly maintenance allowance corresponds to € 1199,64 euros. The maintenance allowance will be paid monthly by bank transfer. (https://files.dre.pt/2s/2023/05/084000000/0012400124.pdf).

Selection criteria will be as follows: In accordance with nº2 of the article 11º of the FCT Research Grants Regulation, the selection criteria will be the applicant’s merit based on the CV, with a maximum score of 20 points.

The evaluation process may include one interview, to all or some candidates selected by the panel, weighting a 20% of the total score.

The tender jury shall comprise the following members:

- Nuno Bicho (President)

- João Cascalheira (Effective member);

- Gina Buckley (Effective member);

- Li Li (Effective member);

- May Murungi(Effective member);

- Ana gomes (Substitute Suplente).

- João cascalheira (Effective member)

Publication and notification of the results: Final results will be publicized through an ordered list according to the final grade and posted in a conspicuous and public local of ICArEHB and communicated to the applicants by e-mail to the addresses indicated by each candidate.

Deadline for applications and submission forms: the call is open from 01/06/2023 to 30/06/2023

Applications must be accompanied by the following documents:

- Official identification document (simple copy or legal equivalent). If you have a nationality other than Portuguese, you should present a residence permit, permanent residence certificate or long-term resident status, valid on the scholarship start date, any of which may be replaced, in its absence, by a declaration of commitment. However, one of the previous must be delivered at the contracting phase, under penalty of forfeiture of the granting of the scholarship;

-Copy of the qualification certificates of the academic degrees held, specifying the final classification and, if possible, the classifications obtained in all subjects taken;

If the doctorate has been awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must conform to the rules established in Decree-Law no. 66/2018 of August 16, and all required formalities must be complied with up to the date of termination deadline for submission of the application. If the completed process is not found until the end of the application deadline, the candidate must prove that he / she has requested the recognition of the degree.

Curriculum Vitae;

Cover letter with a maximum of 3 pages with a short description of the vision for the doctoral research as well as the indication of names of 2 references.

Passport or identification card for European applicants (copy);

Taxpayer Identification Number (NIF), if you have a nationality other than Portuguese, it must be submitted during the scholarship contracting phase, under penalty of forfeiture of the scholarship award;

Other documents considered important

The Application Request, dated and signed, must be addressed to the President of the Evaluation Panel (https://www.ualg.pt/sites/default/files/documentos/2022-12/anexo-iii-requerimento-para-candidatura-bolsa-en.pdf)  may be sent by post to the address: Universidade do Algarve/Reitoria a/c do Prof. Doutor Nuno Bicho, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Ref.ª (Edital nº 039/2023) or by email to the Scientific Coordinator, nbicho@ualg.pt. Since the Application Request is sent by email, the applicant must duly express his/her consent that all notifications regarding this application are sent to the email address given.

-Supporting documents stating that the applicant gathers all the requirements for this grant, namely the enrolment certificate in an awarding degree study cycle or in a postgraduate course;

-Supervisor Declaration taking the responsibility for the Work plan supervision, according to article 5º-A of the Statute of Scientific Research Fellow, as well as assuring the necessary conditions for the development of the work plan and in compliance with article 13 º of the Statute of Scientific Research Fellow;

-Declaration of the Grant acceptance;

-Declaration of commitment stating the exclusivity regime

Complaints and Appeal Deadlines and procedures

On the decision for granting the Research Grant, candidates may, if they wish, comment on the hearing of interested parties, within 10 working days, under the terms provided for in the Administrative Procedure Code.

From the practice or omission of any act of the evaluation panel, candidates can complain to the body, within 10 working days.

The final decision of the evaluation panel can be appealed to the Rector within 15 working days after the respective notification.

Scholarship contract

With the applicant(s) selected, and after receiving all the required documentation, a scholarship contract will be signed in accordance with the attached model.

Assessment of the scholarship holder(s)

At the end of each period of duration of the scholarship contract, the activity developed by the scholarship holder(s) is evaluated by the supervisor, based on the productivity attending to the objectives of the fellowship, in accordance with the attached model ordance with the attached model.

University of the Algarve reserves the right to cancel this application procedure if by any means the contract celebration with the funding entity is not established.

University of Algarve, May 18th, 2023

Scientific Coordinator

Prof. Doutor Nuno Bicho