Call for 1 Research Fellowship (bachelor’s degree holder)

Ad summary

A call is now open for 1 Research Fellowship (bachelor’s degree holder; call reference: MARE/014/BI/2023in the scope of the project “Observatório Golfinhos no Tejo”, funded by MARE- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre(UIDP/04292/2020) funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) – FCT, I.P./MCTES, through national funds (PIDDAC).

1. Scientific field

Biological Sciences / Marine Biology

2. Applicant’s Profile

Mandatory requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in biology or equivalent course.

Experience in land-based and boat-based cetacean observation.

Experience in data processing and statistical analysis.

Preferred factors:

Experience in outreach activities.

Previous participation in national or international R&D events.

Ability and motivation to work in a multidisciplinary team.

3. Mandatory documents for admission:

a) Bachelor’s degree certificate with the final classification.

b) Detailed Curriculum Vitae.

c) Motivation Letter.

If the qualification has been conferred by a foreign higher education institution it must be recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution, and the final classification must be converted into the Portuguese evaluation scale, under the terms of the provisions of Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of August 16th, which approves the legal regime of recognition of academic degrees and diplomas of Higher Education, attributed by foreign higher education institutions, and of paragraph e) of no. 2 of article 4 of Decree-Law no. 60/2018, of August 3rd, and any formalities established therein must be fulfilled by the date of the hiring act.

If the candidate has already requested but is waiting on the recognition of the academic degrees conferred by a foreign higher education institution to be issued, he/she can alternatively submit 1) a declaration of honor clarifying that he/she will obtain the recognition for his/her academic degree by the end of the application period, and 2) proof that the recognition was requested.

4. Requirements for signing the fellowship contract

The candidate must be enrolled in a master’s degree or enrolled in a course that does not award an academic degree integrated into the educational project of a higher education institution. This registration must be completed until the time of contracting the research fellowship.

In the case of diplomas issued by foreign higher education institutions, and if the candidate submits a declaration of honor clarifying that he/she will obtain recognition for his/her academic degree by the end of the application period and proof that the recognition was requested, he/she must present proof that the academic degree is recognized in Portugal until the time of contracting the research fellowship.

To sign the contract, a form with personal information, and a copy of an identification document must also be submitted.

False declarations are reasons to cancel the candidacy without prejudice to the application of other sanction measures.

5. Work plan

The fellow will participate in the cetacean monitoring program at Observatório Golfinhos no Tejo, using different sampling techniques (visual and acoustic).

The candidate will be responsible for data processing and analysis (behavioral samples, video and acoustic recordings, and photo-id).

The fellow will collaborate with the research team in scientific production, reports, and other R&D activities.

Participation in outreach activities, in close collaboration with the project partners, is also expected.

6. Applicable legislation

Law No. 40/2004, of August 18th, as amended by the Decree-Law No. 123/2019, of August 28th, in its current wording (Research Fellowship Holder Statute/Estatuto do Bolseiro de Investigação - EBI); Regulation No. 950/2019, of December 16th, in its current wording (FCT’s Regulation for Research Fellowships/Regulamento de Bolsas de Investigação da FCT - RBI); Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16th (Legal regime of recognition of academic degrees and diplomas of higher education awarded by foreign higher education institutions) and other applicable legislation.

7. Workplace and scientific supervision

ISPA, CRL (contracting entity) will sign the fellowship contract. The place of work is located at MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, at Ispa – Instituto Universitário and the pre-defined sampling sites (Observatório Golfinhos no Tejo, located at VTS Tower in Algés, and Tagus estuary) under the scientific supervision of Manuel E. dos Santos.

8. Duration of the fellowship

The fellowship will have a duration of 5 months, eventually renewable, conditioned by budget, and by the provisions of points 4 and 5 of Article 6 of FCT’s Regulation for Research Fellowships.

The fellowship is expected to start in August 2023.

9. Remuneration and other components

930,98€ by the table of monthly maintenance stipend set by FCT (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Tabela-de-Valores-SMM_2023.pdf, to be paid monthly through bank transfer. The fellow is also entitled to the applicable voluntary social security system (Seguro Social Voluntário, Decree-Law No. 40/89, of February 1st; EBI – art. 10º), and personal accident insurance.

10. Submission of applications

The call is open from 14 to 28 June 2023, 11 PM (Lisbon time). Only applications submitted before this deadline will be accepted.

Applications must be formalized via e-mail to candidaturas.investigadores@ispa.pt, and cc. to mare_ispa@ispa.pt and must clearly state the reference of this call in the “Subject” of the e-mail: MARE/014/BI/2023. Alternatively, applications can be sent via post to Ispa – Instituto Universitário – MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre – Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal, and received within the specified application period.

Applications must include the following mandatory documents:

1. Bachelor’s degree certificate/diploma with the final classification.
2. Detailed curriculum vitae.
3. Motivation letter.

All documents must be submitted in PDF format. All documents must be in Portuguese or English.

The non-compliance with these requirements may determine the rejection of the application.

11. Evaluation and selection criteria

Candidates will be ranked on a 0 – 20 scale.

Stage 1: Curriculum Evaluation (CA)

CA will be conducted according to the merit of the candidate and based on the following criteria:

1. Experience in land-based cetacean observation (30%).
2. Experience in boat-based cetacean observation (20%).
3. Experience in outreach activities (10%).
4. Previous participation in national or international R&D events (10%).
5. Motivation letter (30%)

CA will correspond to the weighted average of the criteria above and will weigh 60% for the final classification.

Candidates who score less than 10 points in the first stage of the competition will be excluded from the call – “Excluded”.

Final Classification:

Applicants will be ranked according to the weighted average of the classifications obtained for each criterion.

If none of the candidates presents the appropriate and/or necessary skills and competencies required for the position and respective work plan, the jury has the right to not attribute the fellowship.

Note – For evaluation purposes, the Evaluation Panel will award the minimum score (10 points on a 0 – 20 scale) required for obtaining a degree in Portugal when degree certificates/diplomas issued by foreign institutions are not recognized in Portugal and/or do not have the respective final classifications converted to the Portuguese evaluation scale. In this case, a declaration of honor is submitted clarifying that the recognition of the academic degrees and conversion of the final classification will be issued until the end of the application period.

12. Composition of the Evaluation Panel

Doctor Joana Robalo (MARE-Ispa; President)

Doctor Manuel Eduardo dos Santos (MARE-Ispa; Effective member)

Doctor Sara Francisco (MARE-Ispa; Effective member)

Doctor Frederico Almada (MARE-Ispa; Alternate member)

Doctor Ana Pereira (MARE-; Alternate member)

13. Communication of results

The results will be notified no later than 90 working days after the closing date for submission of applications to the e-mail address provided by the applicants.

14. Deadlines and procedures for preliminary hearing, complaint, and appeal

After communicating the provisional list of the results, applicants who want to dispute the results have 10 working days to request a preliminary hearing, per Article 121 and following the Administrative Procedure Code (CPA). The final decision will be communicated after the examination of the arguments presented at the preliminary hearing. After this communication, the selected candidate has 10 working days to accept, in writing, the attributed fellowship. Otherwise, withdrawal or renouncement of the fellowship will be considered, unless a proper justification is presented.

After the final decision, a complaint may be placed within 15 working days or an appeal within 30 working days, both counting from the notification date. Applicants who wish to submit a complaint or an appeal should address their complaint to the Rectory of Ispa – Instituto Universitário.

If the selected candidate renounces or withdraws from the fellowship, the jury can notify and attribute the fellowship to the candidate(s) in the subsequent position(s), if applicable, according to the final ranking list.

15. Templates for the research fellowship contract and the final reports by the fellow and by the supervisor

The template for the research fellowship contract as well as the template for the final reports to be created by the fellow and by the supervisor, and concomitant evaluation criteria, can be found in the Ispa – Instituto Universitário’s Regulation for Scientific Research Fellowships (Appendices 2, 3, and 4) at:

https://intranet.ispa.pt/sites/default/files/users/531/rg102_bols_invest_cient_v4.0.pdf