46/ECUM/CFUM/2023 - Design-Solar

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE AWARD OF A RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

46/ECUM/CFUM/2023 - Design-Solar Research Fellowship - 1 vacancy

A call for applications is now open for the attribution of one (1) grant of Research Grant (BI) within the scope of the R&D project Designing superior CIGSe solar cells through understanding and controlling growth, PTDC/CTM-CTM/2241/2021, financed by national funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the following conditions:

Scientific Area: Materials Science

Recipient category: Recipient category: Research grant (BI) intended for R&D activities by Masters (in any of the following areas: Physics, Materials Science, Materials Engineering or similar) enrolled in non- academic degree courses integrated into the educational project of the institution, developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units.

Requirement for granting the fellowship:

• The applicants may apply without prior registration in the course for which the fellowship is open. The requirement to enroll in a degree course or non-academic degree course will be verified on the date of contracting the fellowship;
• Only fellowships whose selected applicants present a valid proof of enrollment in a degree course or non-academic degree course will be contracted, according to the type of the fellowship, issued by the academic services of the Higher Education Institution, indicating, respectively, the academic year or its duration (star and term).
• Enrollment in non-certified course (without curricular units) will not be considered as proof of enrollment

Candidates profile:

Candidates must comply with the following requirements:

1. Hold an academic degree (Master degree or equivalent) in any of the following areas: Physics, Material Science, Materials Engineering, or similar;

1. Be enrolled in a PhD program or in a diploma offered by a higher education institution;

1. Expertise and/or knowledge in semiconductors, photovoltaics, or solar cell fabrication or characterization will be an advantage;

(e)          Have a good knowledge of English

Applicants eligibility: Applicants must comply with the eligibility conditions laid down in article 9 of the Research Grants Regulation of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (2019).

Workplan and objectives to be achieved: Continue with the optimization of the growth conditions of the different layers of materials that make up a Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) photovoltaic (PV) solar cell and design of processes for deposition of samples for in-situ materials characterization, as also characterization, using Raman spectroscopy, of the produced layers, including in-situ experiments.

The focus of this study will be on the microstructural processes that occur during multi-step deposition. Special attention will be given to phase changes in the different compositional regimes of the common three-step process, focusing on defect formation and annihilation, segregation of elements between different components and how this affects crystallinity and in-situ electronic properties.

The evaluation is based on the writing of a detailed final report, from which a publication may emerge.

Applicable legislation and regulations: Research Fellowship Holder Statutes, approved by Law no. 40/2004 of August 18, in its current version published by Decree-Law no. 123/2019 of august 28; Regulation of Scientific Research Fellowships of the University of Minho (RBIC), published in “Diário da República”, 2nd serie, no. 119, through dispatch no. 6524/2020 of 22-06-2020, ratified by ratification declaration no. 447/2021 of 22-06-2021 and Regulation of Research Studentships and Fellowships (RBI) of the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. - in force.

Host/Contracting institution and scientific supervision: The work plan will be carried out in the University of Minho, located in the Campus Gualtar, and at INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, under the scientific supervision of the Professor Anabela Rolo (Prof auxiliary) and Doctor Sascha Sadewasser (Research Group Leader).

Fellowship duration: The grant will take place for a period of 6 months, with a provisional starting date on the october of 2023. The fellowship grant may eventually be renewed according to the execution of the project and the applicable legislation.

Amount of the research grant: The value stipend (Monthly Maintenance Allowance) is 1.199,64 Euros per month, in accordance with the stipends values published by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT I.P.) in the country (Annex I – Monthly Stipends Values for the maintenance allowances of the FCT Regulation for Research Studentships and Fellowships) and Annex II of the Regulation of Scientific Research Fellowships of the University of Minho (RBIC), published in “Diário da República”, 2nd serie, no. 119, through dispatch no. 6524/2020 of 22-06-2020, ratified by ratification declaration no. 447/2021 of 22-06-2021, according to the applicable regulation.

Payment is made on the 23st of each month, through bank transfer to the Bank Identification Number of the fellow identified in the contractualization process.

Other components of the research grant: (define the other components of the research grants, in accordance with the no. 5 of the article 18º of the FCT Regulation for Research Studentships and Fellowships, no. 950/2019 of 16-12-2019 or article 21º of the Regulation of Research Fellowships of the University of Minho (RBIC), accordingly with the regulations applicable).

Other benefits: Reimbursement of Voluntary Social Security (Social Security contributions), corresponding to the 1st level of discounts (for research grants with a total duration 6 months or higher) and personal accident insurance.

Exclusivity regime: The grantee will perform the activities under exclusivity, as foreseen in article 5º of the Research Fellow Statutes and applicable regulations.

Selection panel:

President:

Anabela Gomes Rolo, Professora Auxiliar, Center for Physics, School of Science, University of Minho

Effective members:

Sascha Sadewasser, Group Leader of the Laboratory for Nanostructured Solar Cells, International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory.

Oleksandr Bondarchuk, Facility Manager of the Research Core Facilities, International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory.

Substitute members:

Maria de Fátima Guimarães Cerqueira, Professora Auxiliar, Center for Physics, School of Science, University of Minho

The first effective member will substitute the President of the selection panel in case of impediment, being nominate the first substitute member in the place of the first effective member.

Criteria and procedures for applications assessment and selection: The applications assessment will focus on the candidate's Merit, following evaluation criteria, valued on a scale of 1 to 5 values (or another scale)¹:

¹ If a second evaluation method is fixed – Interview, it may not have a weighting higher than 40%, according to no. 1 of article 12º of UMinho regulation;

A. Applicant Merit - AM - (70%):

1. 1: Academic path (considering the classifications of academic degrees), with a weighting of 60%; A.2: Personal curriculum (considering professional and scientific background), with a weighting of 30%; A.3: Motivation letter and/or recommendation letter, with a weighting of 10%.

The merit classification (AM) of the applicant’s merit with the achieved through the following formula: AM = (A1×0,6) + (A2×0,3) + (A3×0,1)

Candidates classified in the first 3 (three) positions, who obtain a minimum classification of 4 in the MC, will be admitted to the Interview phase, the Jury proceeding to the evaluation of the following sub-criteria

1. Interview – ENT (30%):

B.1: interpersonal skills (30%);

B.2: Demonstrated knowledge in the area (40%); B.3: Motivation (20%);

B.4: Linguistic competences (10%).

The Jury also decided to proceed with the evaluation of the Interview, according to the following levels:

• • High – 5 values;

• • Good – 4 values;

• • Sufficient – 3 values;

• • Reduced – 2 values;

• • Insufficient – 1 value.

The Interview classification (ENT) will be obtained by applying the following formula:

ENT=(B1×0,3) + (B2×0,4) + (B3×0,2) + (B4×0,1)

The final classification (CF) of Candidate Merit (MC) and Interview (ENT) will be obtained by applying the following formula:

CF=(AM×0,7) + (ENT×0,3)

The academic degrees and diplomas documents, or their respective recognition when awarded by foreign higher education institutions are not mandatory in the application phase, being replaced by a declaration of honor of the candidate with the contents of academic results. The documents of

The jury shall define whether all candidates are interviewed or identify the criterion to be applied to a set of candidates to be interview and its valuation (for instance, selection of candidates ranked between the 1s and 4^th position in the evaluation list of APCC).

academic qualification or respective recognition will be required in the contracting phase and must attest facts that occurred on a date prior to the application. In situations of divergence between the information contained in the declaration and the documentation submitted for contracting the grant, only the information contained in the latter will be consider. If the documents proving the ownership of the academic degree and diploma, or the respective recognition under the terms of Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16, do not correspond to the classifications awarded in the evaluation of the academic path, which can change the candidate's ranking, the fellowship won’t be contracted.

Notes: Applicants with degrees obtained abroad must present proof of recognition of qualifications in Portugal and conversion of the final classification obtained in them to the Portuguese classification scale or declaration under the terms indicated in the previous point. Candidates who do not comply with one of these provisions, the selection panel will assign “0” in the grade of the graduation and/or master course. Candidates will be evaluated on the remaining parameters.

Disclosure of results: The provisional results of applications, based in the selection panel minutes, will be send to the applicants by email until 90 working days from the applications deadline.

If case of unfavourable results, the candidates have a period of 10 working days to comment, if desired, in a prior hearing to interested parties, pursuant to articles 121 and 122 of the Code of Administrative Procedure (DL no. 4 / 2015 of January 7th).

Complaint and appeal procedures: The final results of the evaluation will be published through an ordered list (alphabetically, by final grade obtained), posted in a visible and public place of the host unit, as well as by email to all applicants, enclosing for that purpose, the minutes of the jury deliberations.

The selected candidate must inform its willingness to accept the grant, in writing. In case of rejection, the fellowship will be awarded to the next candidate in the ordered list of applicants.

The final decision can be contested within 15 working days, by sending to the President of the jury the corresponding claim. Interested parties may also submit an optional hierarchical appeal, in the terms of the number 3 of article 13 of Regulation of Scientific Research Fellowships of the University of Minho (RBIC).

Constitution of a selection reserve list: The applicants ranked in the next positions on the ordered list will be included in a selection reserve list, which can be used until 31/03/2024.

Application deadline and submission: The tender is open for a period of 20 working days, counting from the date of publication of the advertisement on the Euraxess portal.

Applications must be formalized by sending an application letter with the following documents: curriculum vitae; qualifications certificate or declaration of the applicant; motivation letter; statement proving that meets the conditions for the grant typology, according to the application requirements; other documents important to the evaluation process.

Applications must be sent by email to bolsas@ecum.uminho.pt, indicating the reference of the call for applications in Subject: 46/ECUM/CFUM/2023 - Design-Solar. Applications submitted by other means will not be accepted.