Call for 1 Research Fellowship

Ad summary

A call is now open for 1 (one) Research Fellowship (reference: UNI_R: Resposta Integrada na Promoção da Saúde Mental no Ensino Superior”) within the scope of research activities of the project "UNI_R: Integrated Response in the Promotion of Mental Health in Higher Education" (project reference: DGES N.º da Candidatura: 22), by the APPsyCI – Applied Psychology Research Center Capabilities & Inclusion do ISPA – University Institute, funded under the Program for the Promotion of Mental Health in Higher Education, promoted by DGES - Directorate-General for Higher Education.

1. SCIENTIFIC FIELD: Psychology

1. Funding: DGES - Directorate-General for Higher Education, through funding under the Program for the Promotion of Mental Health in Higher Education is made under Article 32(1) of Law No. 37/2007, of August 22, in its current wording.

3.  Applicants’ Profile

Mandatory requirements: Master's degree in Psychology, or other areas within the Social Sciences and Humanities considered relevant by the members of the Jury.

Preferred factors:

a) Experience and knowledge in collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data;

b) Good scientific writing skills;

c) Oral and written command of the English language;

d) Scientific production in the scientific area of the project/work plan.

e) Experience in research projects in the thematic area of the project/work plan; Interest in integrating the scientific area of the project into the doctoral program (Clinical and Community Psychology).

4. Requirements for admission to the competition

The following documents must be submitted when applying:

a) Certificate of Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree, or Integrated Master's Degree, in Psychology, or other Social Sciences and Humanities areas considered relevant by the members of the Jury, stating the grade of completion;

b) Detailed Curriculum Vitae;

c) Motivation letter.

Candidates will only be admitted if they have completed the cycle of studies leading to a master's degree and are enrolled in a doctoral program in Psychology. The award of the scholarship is conditional on the presentation, during the contractualization phase, of proof of academic qualifications.

In the case of an academic degree and diploma awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it is necessary to submit proof of recognition of the academic degree by a Portuguese higher education institution and registration of the conversion of the respective final classification to the Portuguese classification scale, under the terms of Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of August 16, which approves the legal regime for the recognition of academic degrees and higher education diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions and paragraph e) of no. 2 of article 4 of Decree-Law no. 60/2018 of August 3.

If the applicant has already applied for, but is still awaiting, recognition of the academic degree awarded by a foreign higher education institution, he/she may alternatively submit a declaration of honor from the applicant stating that recognition of the academic degree has been requested and that it will take place by the application deadline.

The recognition of foreign academic degrees and diplomas, as well as the conversion of the final classification to the Portuguese classification scale, can be requested at any public higher education institution, or at the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES, only in the case of automatic recognition). In this regard, it is suggested that you consult the DGES portal at the following address: http://www.dges.gov.pt.

5. Requirements for signing the fellowship contract

The selected candidate must be enrolled in a doctoral program that is part of the educational project of a higher education institution, developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units, on the date the research grant contract is signed. By the date the scholarship contract is signed, the candidate must provide proof of enrollment in a course leading to a doctoral degree.

In the case of diplomas issued by foreign higher education institutions, and if the candidate submits a declaration of honor that he/she will obtain recognition of academic degrees by the application deadline, by the date of conclusion of the scholarship contract the candidate must submit proof of recognition of degrees in Portugal with a date prior to the closing date of the application period, as indicated in point 4.

In order to sign the research grant contract, it will also be necessary to submit a personal data form, Science ID, a copy of an identification document, and a declaration of dedication to work on an exclusive basis.

False declarations will result in the application being cancelled, without prejudice to the adoption of other sanctioning measures.

6. Work plan

The UNI_R Project seeks to identify and implement a theoretical-practical model of responses to promote Mental Health and Well-being in a Higher Education Institution, ISPA-Instituto Universtiário.

The work plan will consist of implementing and evaluating the project as a whole, in order to guarantee the execution of all the actions identified in it. In particular, the fellow will carry out the following tasks:

- assist in the organization of events (six), to be held at Ispa, with the distribution of two in each year of the project, including kick-offs, advanced training workshops, conferences with the participation of international consultants;

- develop the Involve Yourself Program, providing civic engagement and social participation for students, carried out in partnership with University-Community initiatives and projects underway and/or to be developed; 

- supporting the development of the Supported Education Program, to be implemented through the Student Office, including individualized activities and plans, but also group activities such as workshops related to time management and study methods, the challenges of entering higher education, stress management and preparation for the job market (e.g. creating a CV / Linkedin profile and preparing for selection interviews). Actions are also planned to raise awareness of diversity and inclusion, with regard to LGBTQ+ issues and migration;

- organize measures in an integrated logic model for mental health promotion and develop an integrated monitoring & evaluation system;

- contribute to the preparation of reports and other outputs in the field of scientific production.

7. 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 November 29th, published in Diário da República, No. 241, Series II, of December 16th (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 academicdegrees and diplomas of higher education awarded by foreign higher education institutions); Regulation for Scientific Research Fellowships of Ispa – Instituto Universitário); and other applicable legislation.

8. Workplace and scientific supervision

The scholarship contract will be signed with ISPA, CRL (contracting entity). The work will be carried out at the R&D Unit APPsyCI - Applied Psychology Research Center Capabilities & Inclusion (host entity), at ISPA - Instituto Universitário (Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal) and, possibly, at other locations necessary to carry out the work plan, under the scientific supervision of Prof. Dr. Maria João Vargas Moniz.

9. Duration of the fellowship

The scholarship will last for 27 months, up to the maximum duration of the project (2026/09/30), and limited by the maximum period for the type of scholarship established by article 6, points 4 and 5, of the Research Scholarship Regulations of the Foundation for Science and Technology.

The scholarship is expected to start in July 2024.

10. Remuneration and other components

The monthly stipend is 1259,64 euros according to the table of monthly maintenance, set by FCT for activities in the exclusive dedication regime, https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tabela-de-Valores-SMM_atualizacao-2024.pdf I.P. in Portugal , subject to any updates that may apply, to be paid monthly through bank transfer. Each 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 a personal accidents insurance.

11. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SELECTION METHODOLOGY

Applications and selection will be assessed by evaluating the candidates' CVs and through an interview.

The assessment process consists of two successive phases:

Phase 1 - Assessment which will focus on the merit of the candidate through the documents submitted, and Phase 2 - interview.

11.1 Curriculum evaluation

Phase 1

Phase 1 will assess the candidate's merit according to the following criteria, each with the weight indicated:

- Criterion A: Academic qualifications, based on the final classification indicated on the certificate/diploma of Bachelor's and Master's degrees, or Integrated Master's degree (20%);

- Criterion B: Previous experience in intervention/research activities in the scientific area of the project/work plan (65%);

- Criterion C: Motivation and interest in the area, according to the candidate's letter of motivation (15%).

The applications (and the respective evaluation criteria) will be assessed, and the candidates classified and ranked, on a scale of 0.00 - 20.00. The final classification for Phase 1 will be obtained using the formula:

Phase 1 = (Criterion A x 20%) + (Criterion B x 65%) + (Criterion C x 15%)

Phase 2

The 3 candidates with the highest scores in Phase 1 of the evaluation process, ranked in descending order, will be admitted to Phase 2 - Interview.

11.2 Interview evaluation

Candidates tied for the top 3 positions in Phase 1 will be admitted to Phase 2.

The purpose of the interview is to examine: the candidate's motivation; the candidate's knowledge of the information indicated in the letter of motivation and CV, namely theoretical and methodological knowledge of the project's subject area/work plan; project management skills; communication skills, including proficiency in English; and other dimensions, such as the candidate's professional attitude and pro-social behavior. Each criterion will be assessed on a scale of 0.00 - 20.00 by the members of the Jury.

The final ranking of applications admitted to Phase 2 is obtained using the formula:

Final Ranking = (Phase 1 x 50%) + (Phase 2 x 50%)

In the event of a tie, the candidates will be ranked on the basis of the scores obtained in each evaluation criterion with the following precedence: Phase 2 - Interview; Phase 1 - B) previous experience demonstrated in the candidate's CV; A) Academic qualifications; and C) letter of motivation. If none of the candidates present the appropriate and/or necessary skills for the position and the respective work plan, even if they meet the admission requirements, the jury reserves the right not to award the employment contract.

Note for the purposes of valuing Criterion A of Phase 1:

1 - The final average of the Bachelor's Degree + Master's Degree in a pre- or post-Bologna course results from the simple arithmetic average of the final grade obtained in the 1st cycle (Bachelor's Degree) and the final grade obtained in the 2nd cycle (Master's Degree).

2 - In the case of integrated master's degrees awarded by institutions that do not issue certificates detailing the final classifications of the 1st and 2nd cycles, the final classification indicated on the degree certificate upon completion of the study cycle is considered;

3 - If an integrated master's degree certificate and a pre-Bologna or 2nd cycle master's degree are presented, the final classification of the integrated master's degree will be considered;

4 - If more than one equivalent Master's or Integrated Master's degree certificate is presented (equivalent number of ECTS credits), it is up to the jury to decide which academic degree(s) best suits the work plan to be developed and should therefore be valued for the purposes of Criterion A. Other degrees may be considered for Criterion B.

5 - The jury will consider that the candidate has the minimum classification (10 out of a maximum of 20) required to obtain a degree in Portugal, when the documents proving the degree and issued by national higher education institutions do not indicate the final classification.

6 - The jury will consider the minimum classification (10 points out of a maximum of 20) required to obtain a degree in Portugal if the candidate submits a declaration of honor clarifying that he/she has completed and obtained a Master's degree by the end of the application period (as indicated in point 4 of this notice).

7 - The jury will consider, for evaluation purposes, that the candidate has the minimum classification (10 out of a maximum of 20) required to obtain an academic degree in Portugal when the documents proving the degree and issued by foreign higher education institutions submitted by the candidate are not recognized in Portugal and/or with the respective final classification converted to the Portuguese classification scale (as indicated in point 4 of this call).

If none of the candidates present the appropriate and/or necessary skills and competencies for the position and respective work plan, despite fulfilling all the admission requirements, the Assessment Panel reserves the right not to award the employment contract.

1.  JURY COMPOSITION

• President: Maria João Vargas Moniz, Assistant Professor, APPsyCI – Applied Psychology Research Center Capabilities and Inclusion, Ispa
• Effective Member: David Neto, Assistant Professor, APPsyCI – Applied Psychology Research Center Capabilities and Inclusion, Ispa
• Effective Member: Maria João Gouveia, Assistant Professor, APPsyCI – Applied Psychology Research Center Capabilities and Inclusion, Ispa
• Alternate Member: Ana Cristina Martins, Assistant Professor, APPsyCI – Applied Psychology Research Center Capabilities and Inclusion, Ispa
• Alternate Member: Sara Belo, Student Office, Ispa

1. FORM OF PUBLICATION/NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS

a. After notification of the results, candidates have 10 working days to comment in a prior hearing, in accordance with articles 121 et seq. of the Code of Administrative Procedure. The final decision will be issued after analysis of the opinions presented at the prior hearing. The jury's final decision will be issued within 90 days of the deadline for submitting applications. All candidates will be notified of the results of the competition by e-mail.

b. Once the period for hearing interested parties has ended, the selected candidate has ten working days to accept, in writing, the position awarded, failing which, if no justifiable reason is given within this period, this will be considered a resignation or withdrawal from the position. If the selected candidate resigns or withdraws, the selection board reserves the right to notify and award the contract to the candidate ranked in the next position, if applicable, and in accordance with the final ranking list.

The competition is intended exclusively to fill the post indicated. It may be terminated until the respective final ranking list of candidates has been approved and will expire once the post on offer has been filled.

1. DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

Applications should be submitted by sending the application and supporting documents, digitally in PDF format, to the e-mail address candidaturas.investigadores@ispa.pt, with c/c toappsyci@ispa.pt, from May 24th to June 7th [AI1] of 2024, until 11. p.m. (Lisbon time) concerning this call APPsyCI/007/BI/2024 in the email’s subject.

The application must be accompanied by the following documents (as indicated in point 4):

a) A copy of your Bachelor's and Master's degree certificates, or Integrated Master's degree, in Psychology, or other areas within the Social Sciences and Humanities considered relevant by the members of the Jury, showing the grade of completion;

b) Detailed curriculum vitae;

c) A letter of motivation.

All documents must be attached in PDF format.

Candidates who fill in their application incorrectly or who fail to meet the requirements set out in this notice may be excluded from admission to the competition.

False statements made by candidates will be punished in accordance with the law.

15. Non-discrimination and equal access policy: ISPA, CRL actively promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, whereby no candidate may be privileged, benefited, disadvantaged or deprived of any right or exempted from any duty on the grounds of ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, social origin or condition, 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.

16. Disabled candidates: Under the terms of Decree-Law no. 29/2001, of February 3, disabled candidates have preference in equal ranking, which takes precedence over any other legal preference. Candidates must declare on the application form, under oath, their degree of disability, the type of disability and the means of communication/expression to be used in the selection process, under the terms of the mentioned law.