1 research fellowship, reference Lab2PT/BI-GREEN_GAP/02

A call for applications is now open for the attribution of 1 (one) Research Fellowship under Project N.º 0029 - GREEN GAP - Boosting Local Green Infrastructures for the restoration of biodiversity, for the renaturalization and the design of landscapes resilient to Climate Change in urban and rural areas of Galicia and Northern Portugal, project approved within the scope of the Interreg VI A España – Portugal Program (POCTEP) 2021-2027, ongoing in Lab2PT - Landscapes, Heritage and Territory Laboratory, University of Minho, under the following conditions:

Scientific Areas: Urbanism and Territorial Planning, Geography and Planning, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Sciences, and Biological Sciences.

Recipient category: The fellowships to be granted is intended for Masters in Urbanism and Territorial Planning, Geography and Planning, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences or related areas, enrolled in a doctoral course in one of the scientific areas, described in point 1 or enrolled in a non-academic degree course integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution developed in association or cooperation between the institution of higher education and 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).

Candidates profile:                                                                              

Candidates must hold, at the time of application, a Master's degree in the scientific areas of Urbanism and Territorial Planning, Geography and Planning, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences or related areas;

- Fluency in written and oral Portuguese and English;

- Have an academic record and curriculum vitae whose merit the members of the jury consider to be of scientific level, research capacity and activity developed, compatible with the disciplinary area and category for which the tender is open;

- Have knowledge in some of the following areas: Identification and characterization of green infrastructures; Methodologies and intervention strategies in green infrastructures; monitoring tools for environmental recovery actions for green infrastructure; protection and increase of biodiversity in natural and/or urban spaces; projects and actions for the rehabilitation of natural spaces and adaptation to climate change in a rural or urban context; Interventions aimed at the protection and visitation of natural spaces; planning and management of the natural and urban landscape; elaboration of landscape protection and management plans; assessment and valuation of ecosystem services.

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:

The Fellows will carry out activities under the "GREEN GAP - Boosting Local Green Infrastructures for the restoration of biodiversity, for the renaturalization and the design of landscapes resilient to Climate Change in urban and rural areas of Galicia and Northern Portugal" assigned to the University of Minho. In that context, the aim is to collaborate in the development of research activities, in particular: production of methodological and strategic documents that inform the rehabilitation and management of green infrastructures and increasing their resilience to climate change in the Euroregion of Galicia and Northern Portugal; the identification and characterization of innovative nature-based strategies for the sustainable management of the territory and increasing resilience to climate change; Monitoring and evaluating the implementation of green infrastructure strategies in pilot actions to improve biodiversity implemented in the municipalities of Guimarães and Paredes de Coura.

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 workplan will be carried out in the at the Landscape, Heritage and Territory Laboratory of Universidade do Minho, on the Campi of Azurém/Gualtar, under the scientific guidance of Professor Bruno Branco Castro.

Fellowship duration: The fellowship will have a duration of 8 (eight) months, scheduled to begin in July 2024, non renewable.

Note: Candidate admitted to the tenders must meet the conditions that enable them, under the applicable Research Fellowships Regulations, to comply with the maximum legal duration for the type of fellowship stipulated in the opening notice for the tender, considering the fellowships from which they eventually benefited previously, in a consecutive or interpolated period.

Amount of the research fellowship: The value stipend (Monthly Maintenance Allowance) is 1.259,64€ 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 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

Paulo Jorge de Sousa Cruz, Full Professor of Escola de Arquitetura, Arte e Design of the Universidade do Minho.

Effective vowels:

Ivo Pereira Oliveira, Associate Professor of Escola de Arquitetura, Arte e Design of the Universidade do Minho.

Bruno Branco Castro, Assistant Professor of Escola de Ciências da Universidade do Minho.

Substitute vowels:

Cidália Maria Ferreira da Silva, Associate Professor of Escola de Arquitetura, Arte e Design of the Universidade do Minho.

Maria Cláudia Gonçalves Cunha Pascoal, Associate Professor with Habilitation of Escola de Ciências da Universidade do Minho.

In the event of impediment by the President of the Jury, he will be replaced by the first effective vowel, and the substitute vowel will be appointed to replace the effective vowel.

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 20 values:

A. Merit of the candidate - MC (70%):

A.1: Academic path (which reflects the classifications of the academic degrees in the scientific areas of the fellowship, according to the reference table), with a weighting of 30%;

A.2: Personal Curriculum and portfolio (which reflects the applicant's scientific and professional background, when applicable), with a weighting of 60%, evidencing:

 - Knowledge in some of the following areas: Identification and characterization of green infrastructures; Methodologies and intervention strategies in green infrastructures; monitoring tools for environmental recovery actions for green infrastructure; protection and increase of biodiversity in natural and/or urban spaces; projects and actions for the rehabilitation of natural spaces and adaptation to climate change in a rural or urban context; Interventions aimed at the protection and visitation of natural spaces; planning and management of the natural and urban landscape; elaboration of landscape protection and management plans; assessment and valuation of ecosystem services.

 - Fluency in written and oral Portuguese and English;

 - Autonomy and organisational skills.

A.3: Motivation letter, with a weighting of 10%.

The classification for the merit of the candidate (MC) will be obtained by applying the following formula:

MC=(A1x0,3)+(A2x0,6)+(A3x0,1)

Candidates classified in the first 3 (three) positions, as long obtaining the minimal classification of 12 (twelve) in the MC, will be admitted to the Interview phase, with the Jury proceeding to evaluate the following sub-criteria:

B. Interview – INT (30%):

B.1: Interpersonal skills (30%);

B.2: Knowledge demonstrated in the area of the tender (40%);

B.3: Motivation (20%);

B.4: Language skills (10%).

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

INT=(B1x0,3)+(B2x0,4)+(B3x0,2)+ (B4x0,1)

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

FC=(MCx0,7)+(INTx0,3)

The jury reserves itself the right not to grant the fellowship if there are no candidates with the appropriate profile for the tender.

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 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).

[The hearing of the interested parties, if excluded, should be justified accordingly with article 124º of CPA]

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 31/01/2025.

Application deadline and submission: The call for applications is open from 20/05/2024 to 03/06/2024.

1. Candidate’s curriculum vitae;
2. Candidate’s portfolio or selected publications that demonstrate work developed within the scope of some of the areas of knowledge identified in criterion A.2;
3. Qualification certificate(s) mandatorily specifying the final classification and, if possible, the classification obtained in all disciplines taken, or, in alternative, a declaration of honour by the candidate.
4. For degrees obtained abroad, registration of recognition of academic degrees granted by foreign higher education institutions and registration of the conversion of the respective final classification to the Portuguese classification scale, or, alternatively, a declaration of honour by the candidate;
5. Motivation letter.

Applications must be sent by email to info@lab2pt.uminho.pt,  indicating the reference of the call for applications in Subject “Lab2PT/BI-GREEN GAP/02”. Applications sent by other means or extemporaneous will not be accepted.

Fellowship contractualization: The fellowship will be attributed by signing a fellowship contract between the University of Minho and the fellow, accordingly with the contract minute (annex IV of the Regulation of Research Fellowships of the University of Minho (RBIC), published in Diário da República, 2nd Série, no. 119, through dispatch no. 6524/2020 of 22-06-2020, ratified by ratification declaration no. 447/2021 of 22-06-2021, as indicated in 2.4 of the FCT document: “Rules for Granting and Management of Grants within the scope of R&D projects, including infrastructure projects, the multi-annual financing program for R&D units and other FCT financing instruments (Version 2021)”.

The contract may only be concluded after all the documentation required is collected, which must take place within a maximum period of 6 months [including evidences of the academic degrees or diplomas and enrolment in degree courses or non-conferring courses, depending on the type of scholarship].

Once all the documentation has been received, the contracting entity has a period of 60 working days to conclude the scholarship contract. Once received, the fellow must return the contract duly signed within 15 working days.

The activities under the fellowship contract can only began after proper authorization by the contracting entity.

Term and cancellation of fellowship contracts: Without prejudice to the other causes provided the fellowship regulations (FCT and UMinho) and in the Statute of the Research Fellow, the fellowship ends with the completion of the work plan, as well as with the expiration date for which it was granted.

At the end of the fellowship, the grantee is obliged to present a Final Report of the work carried out, in accordance with the objectives and evaluation criteria defined with the scientific advisor, within 30 days after the end of the scholarship.

The final report must be prepared in accordance with Annex I of the Scientific Research Fellowships Regulation of the University of Minho (RBIC), published in Diário da República, 2nd Série, no. 119, through dispatch no. 6524/2020 of 22-06-2020, ratified by ratification declaration no. 447/2021 of 22-06-2021. Contract template and final report template (link).

Declaration of Honor

Academic habilitations

(Full name), applicant to the research fellowship vacancy under the I&D project (title or reference), published in the Euraxess Portal, reference (notice reference), hereby declares to have a degree on (name of the course), concluded in the University of (XXXX), on the (conclusion date), with the final grade of (XXXX).

I have submitted my diploma for recognition at the University of XXXXX, according to the Decree-Law nº 66/2018 of August 16th([1]), concluded in the XX/XX/XXXX, with the final grade of XXXXX out of YY.

I also declare that I commit to provide proof of my diploma recognition obtained under the Portuguese Law, until the date of the conclusion of the fellowship contract, in case of being selected for the vacancy in this competition.

As this is true, this declaration will be dated and signed by me.

(Place), (date).

__________________________

(name)

[1] DGES (Foreign Degrees and Diplomas): https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/pagina/degree-and-diploma-recognition?plid=1536; University of Minho: Recognition of foreign degrees and diplomas: https://www.uminho.pt/EN/education/Pages/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications.aspx