NOTICE N.º 041/2024

First Call on Proposals for PhD Research Scholarships under the SEA-EU Alliance

Offer Description

The European University of the Seas Alliance (SEA-EU) is made up of nine universities: the University of Cadiz, University of West Brittany, University of Kiel, University of Gdánsk, University of Split, University of Malta, University of Naples, University of Algarve and University of NORD. The SEA-EU Alliance aims to create a co-creation relationship between universities that is people-driven, environmentally friendly and based on advancing knowledge for all.

Within the scope of the SEA-EU Alliance, the University of Algarve is calling for applications for 8 (eight) research scholarships, hereinafter referred to as PhD Research Scholarships, in the areas of Human, Social, Economic, Environmental, Marine and Health Sciences, under the FCT Research Grant Regulations (RBI) and the Research Grant Holder Statute (EBI).

The scholarships will be funded by the Erasmus+ Pogramme under the Partnerships for Excellence GA 101089757 - SEA-EU 2.0 action.

1. Submission of Applications

The application call is open from August 26, 2024, at 5:00 PM (Lisbon time) until September 16, 2024, at 5:00 PM (Lisbon time). Applications and supporting documents must be submitted via email to seaeualg@ualg.pt with the subject "Application SEA-EU_PHD."

Each candidate can submit only one application; submitting multiple applications will cancel all submissions. False declarations or acts of plagiarism by applicants will lead to the cancellation of their application and may incur additional sanctions.

2. Type and Duration of the Scholarships

The PhD Research Scholarships are intended to finance research activities leading to a doctoral degree at the Faculties of the University of Algarve under the following Doctoral Programmes:

- PhD in Marine, Earth, and Environmental Sciences (Faculty of Science and Technology) 

- PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (Faculty of Science and Technology) 

- PhD in Biological Sciences (Faculty of Science and Technology)

- PhD in Economic and Business Sciences (Faculty of Economics) 

- PhD in Tourism (Faculty of Economics)

- PhD in Archaeology (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences)

- PhD in Heritage Studies (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences)

- PhD in Digital Media Art (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences)

- PhD in Psychology (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences)

- PhD in Language Sciences (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences)

- PhD in Biomedical Sciences (Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences)

- PhD in Clinical Research and Translational Medicine (Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences)

- International PhD in Cancer (Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences).

Three (3) scholarships will be awarded to PhD programmes at the Faculty of Science and Technology, two (2) scholarships to PhD programmes at the Faculty of Economics, two (2) scholarships to PhD programmes at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and one (1) scholarship to one of the PhD programmes at the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

The duration of the scholarship is annual, renewable up to a maximum of three years (36 months), and no scholarship may be awarded for a period of less than three (3) consecutive months.

3. Recipients of the Scholarships

The PhD Research Scholarships are intended for candidates who are either already enrolled or meet the requirements to enrol in one of the Doctoral Programmes specified in point 2 of this Notice. These candidates must seek to conduct research leading to a doctoral degree at the University of the Algarve, with co-supervision from at least one other SEA-EU university. Both universities will jointly supervise the research work. Eligible candidates must hold a master's or bachelor's degree with at least five years of study in the above scientific fields.

4. Eligibility 

4.1 Candidate Eligibility Requirements

Eligible applicants include:

• National citizens or citizens of another European Union member states;
• Third country nationals;
• Stateless individuals;
• Citizens holding political refugee status.

To apply for a PhD Research Scholarship, the candidate must:

• Hold a bachelor's or master's degree;
• Not have previously received a doctoral or doctoral-in-industry scholarship directly funded by FCT, regardless of its duration;
• Not hold a doctoral degree.

4.2 Application Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for the competition, the following documents must be attached to the application:

• A copy of the identity card/citizen card/passport;
• The candidate's curriculum vitae in the CIÊNCIAVITAE format. Register and fill it in here;
• Academic degree certificates specifying the final grade and, if possible, the grades obtained in all completed subjects, or alternatively, a sworn statement from the candidate confirming that they have obtained the bachelor's or master's degree by the application deadline;
• If applicable, recognition of academic degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions and conversion of the final grade to the Portuguese grading scale, or alternatively, a sworn statement from the candidate confirming that, if selected for the PhD scholarship, they will submit the recognition process for the foreign degree equivalent to a bachelor's or master's and convert the final grade within 10 working days of the final results of this competition being announced. Failure to demonstrate the possession of the academic degree or its recognition at the contracting stage will result in the annulment of the candidate's evaluation due to an error in the factual assumptions. Failure to present the conversion of the final grade to the Portuguese grading scale during the application stage may result in the assignment of the minimum grade (zero points) in the evaluation (sub-criterion A2 "Grades Obtained in the Academic Path"). In such cases, the evaluation of criterion A2 will depend on the availability of sufficient information in the application regarding the academic degrees obtained by the candidate from foreign higher education institutions, the final grade obtained, as well as the minimum and maximum levels of the scale used by the degree-granting institution and the minimum grade required for approval;
• Preliminary proposal for a work plan to be developed in the scientific area of the doctoral programme to apply, with information, in order of preference, on the Faculty and Doctoral Programme of the UAlg where the candidate intends to develop the work;
• A signed motivation letter explaining the candidate's reasons for applying to one of the Doctoral Programmes mentioned in this Notice. The motivation letter should particularly indicate the candidate's preferences regarding the research area(s) he/she wishes to pursue and the reasons for interest in those areas;
• Two letters of recommendation, one of which may be a support letter from a higher education institution, employer, or other entity;
• The application and all associated documents must be written in Portuguese or English, including the motivation and recommendation letters.

Regarding the eligibility requirements mentioned above, please note the following: 

Academic degrees obtained abroad will only be accepted if recognised by the Portuguese General Directorate for Higher Education (DGES) or a public higher education institution in compliance with applicable legislation on the recognition of foreign qualifications, namely, Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16. All formalities established therein must be fulfilled by contracting (https://www.dges.gov.pt/pt/pagina/reconhecimento).

Only candidates who have completed the cycle of studies leading to a bachelor's or master's degree by the application deadline will be admitted. If the degree certificate is not yet available, a sworn statement from the candidates confirming they have completed the necessary qualifications for the competition by the application deadline will be accepted. The scholarship is always subject to the presentation of proof of the required academic qualifications.

5. Work Plan and Scientific Supervision for Scholarships 

The proposed work plan for the PhD research scholarship outlined in the application may be revised during the doctoral program application process based on feedback from the supervisory team.

The work plan should be detailed and must include the following sections: an abstract (maximum 250 words), the study's focus and its significance, objectives, literature review, methodology, expected outcomes (including the anticipated number of scientific articles), timeline, and bibliography. The work plan should not exceed 10 pages in A4 format, encompassing the timeline and bibliography. It must be formatted in Times New Roman, size 12, with 1.5 line spacing and standard margins (2.54 cm).

Please note that the teaching component of the doctoral program is not to be included in the work plan.

Candidates may propose up to three supervisors. One of the supervisors must be a professor or doctoral researcher from UAlg or its research centres; the other supervisor must be a professor or doctoral researcher from another SEA-EU Alliance university to guarantee co-tutoring (cotutelle agreement).

6. Assessment Criteria and Bonuses

6.1 Assessment Criteria 

The evaluation process considers both the candidate's merit and the quality of the proposed work plan.

Eligible applications will be assessed on a scale from 1,000 (minimum) to 5,000 (maximum) across the following criteria:

• Criterion A - Candidate's merit (70% weight):
• Sub-criterion A1 - Academic career (50% weight)
• Sub-criterion A2 - Personal CV (40% weight)
• Sub-criterion A3 - Motivation letter (10% weight)

The score for Sub-criterion A1 is determined based on the final grades indicated on the academic degree certificates submitted with the application. The calculation will follow Table 1 guidelines, considering the following qualifications: i) Bachelor's Degree + Master's Degree/Integrated Master's Degree; ii) Bachelor's Degree only; or iii) Master's Degree only.

IMPORTANT: Average score on a scale of 0 to 20; if no valid degree certificates are submitted, the score for sub-criterion A1 will be zero (A1 = 0).

To apply the scores set out in Table 1, the following documents must be submitted as part of the application:

a) Certificate of academic qualifications, specifying the final classification and, if possible, the marks obtained in all subjects. 

b) In the case of academic degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions, and to guarantee the application of the principle of equal treatment for candidates who hold foreign and national academic degrees, it is compulsory to recognise these degrees and convert the respective final classification to the Portuguese classification scale.

The recognition of foreign academic degrees and diplomas and converting the final classification to the Portuguese classification scale can be requested at any public higher education institution or the Directorate for Higher Education (DGES, only in the case of automatic recognition). In this regard, we suggest you consult the DGES portal at the following address: https://www.dges.gov.pt/pt. 

To apply Table 1, the following is considered:

a) The final "bachelor's + master's" average results from the simple arithmetic average of the final grade obtained in the 1st cycle and the final grade obtained in the 2nd cycle by applying the following formula:

Final average = Final grade (bachelor’s degree) + final grade (master’s degree)

                                                                                                 2                               

b) In the case of integrated master's degrees awarded by institutions that do not issue certificates detailing the final classifications of the bachelor's and master’s degrees, the final classification included in the certificate upon completion of the study cycle [300 to 360 credits (ECTS)] will be considered.

c) If an integrated master's degree certificate [300-360 credits (ECTS)] and a pre-Bologna or master's degree are presented, the final classification of the integrated master's degree will be considered.

d) If only bachelor's or master's degree certificate(s) are presented, the classifications in the respective columns of Table 1 will apply.

e) When candidates present more than one comparable bachelor's and/or master's degree (equivalent number of ECTS credits), it is up to the panel to decide which academic degree(s) best suit(s) the work plan. It should, therefore, be counted when calculating the academic record classification (sub-criterion A1). For example, if a candidate presents a bachelor's degree certificate and more than one master's degree certificate, the panel should consider the master's degree that best suits the work plan. However, if a candidate presents certificates for an integrated master's degree and a master's degree (without a bachelor's degree certificate), the panel will have to take the integrated master's degree into account when calculating the classification of the academic record, as indicated above. The assessment panel must consider the other course(s) presented by the candidate in the assessment of Sub-criterion A2, valuing their personal curriculum. In either case, the methodology decided on and applied by the panel must be explained in the respective assessment reports and the minutes.

f) to calculate Sub-criterion A1, certificates that specify only a qualitative classification (e.g. pre-Bologna master's degrees) will be converted into the terms expressed in Table 2 to calculate the final average (bachelor's degree + master's degree) and the consequent calculation of the academic career classification (by applying Table 1).

Sub-criterion A1 will be given a score of zero (A1 = 0) in all cases that do not fall within the situations set out in Table 1. Here are some examples:

a) When both national bachelor's and master's degree certificates do not mention the final classification obtained (neither qualitative nor quantitative);

b) When both the bachelor's and master's degree certificates obtained abroad are not recognised, or the respective final classifications are not converted to the Portuguese classification scale.

• Criterion B - Merit of the work plan, with a weight of 30%.
• Sub-criterion B1 - Substantiated relevance of the object of study and objectives of the work, with a weight of 40%;
• Sub-criterion B2 - Scientific quality of the state of the art and the methodology of the work plan, with a weight of 50%;
• Sub-criterion B3 - Feasibility of the work plan, with a weight of 10%;

The Evaluation Panel may decide to conduct interviews to clarify each evaluation criteria.

To decide on the award of scholarships, candidates will be ranked according to the weighted average of the classification obtained in each of the two criteria, translated by the following formula:

Final Classification = (𝟎, 7 × 𝑨) + (𝟎, 3 × 𝑩)

For tie-breaking purposes, candidates will be ranked based on the marks awarded for each assessment criterion in the following order of precedence: criterion B and criterion A. The Evaluation Panel must ensure a balanced distribution of the awarded scholarships according to the quota stipulated for each Faculty, as mentioned in Point 2 of this Notice.

Important notice for candidates with diplomas issued by foreign higher education institutions:

• Candidates with diplomas issued by foreign higher education institutions may apply. They will be assessed using the same criteria as candidates with diplomas issued by Portuguese institutions if they submit, in their application, proof of the request for recognition of the academic degrees and the conversion of the final classification to the Portuguese classification scale under the terms of the applicable legislation.
• Candidates with foreign degrees who do not provide proof of converting the final classification to the Portuguese classification scale will be assessed with 0.000 points in Sub-criterion A1.
• In any case, scholarship contracts with candidates with diplomas issued by foreign institutions will only be signed upon presentation of proof of recognition of the academic degrees and conversion of the final classification, as indicated above.

Candidates whose application is evaluated with a final classification of less than 3.500 points will not be eligible for a scholarship.

6.2 Bonuses

To deepen external research and teaching partnerships with non-European universities within the SEA-EU Alliance, applicants from UAlg's external partner universities within the SEA-EU Alliance will have a bonus equal to 0.5 in Criterion A - Candidate's merit. The following institutions are UAlg's external partner universities within the SEA-EU Alliance (Table 3): 

7. Evaluation

The panel assessing the candidates is made up of the following members from the University of Algarve:

Prof Dr Maria Alexandra Anica Teodósio, Full Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology, UALG (Chair of the evaluation panel);

Prof Dr Patrícia Susana Lopes Guerrilha dos Santos Pinto, Full Professor, Faculty of Economics, UALG;

Prof Pedro Jorge Gomes Teodósio Castelo Branco, Associate Professor with Aggregation, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, UALG;

Prof Dr Maria Alcinda dos Ramos das Neves, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology, UALG;

Prof Dr Mirian Estela Nogueira Tavares, Full Professor, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, UALG.

The evaluation panel will assess the applications using the evaluation criteria set out in this Notice, weighing up the elements of judgment.

All panel members, including the Chair, must respect responsibilities essential to the evaluation process, such as the duties of impartiality, declaration of any potential conflict of interest situations, and confidentiality. At all times during the evaluation process, confidentiality is fully protected and ensured to guarantee the independence of all opinions produced. 

The panel members, including the Chair, may not be supervisors or co-supervisors of candidates with applications submitted to the evaluation panel.

For each application, the panel will produce a final evaluation form that clearly, coherently, and consistently presents the arguments that led to the classifications attributed to each of the evaluation criteria and sub-criteria, as well as explaining any bonuses attributed. 

Minutes of the assessment panel meetings will be produced, and all members will be responsible for them.

The minutes and their annexes must include the following information:

• Name and affiliation of all members of the evaluation panel;
• Identification of all applications considered not to be assessable;
• Final evaluation sheets for each candidate;
• Provisional list of classification and ranking of candidates, in descending order of the final classification, of all the applications assessed by the panel, with no ties;
• CDI declarations from all panel members;
• Any delegations of votes and competencies due to justified absence.

8. Dissemination of Results

The assessment results are communicated via e-mail to the e-mail address used by the candidate to apply, and proof of receipt of the e-mail must be requested.

9. Deadlines and Procedures for Prior Hearings, Complaints and Appeals

After the provisional assessment results are announced, candidates have 10 working days to submit their comments during the prior hearing of interested parties, following Article 121º and the subsequent of the Code of Administrative Procedure.

After considering any feedback provided during this hearing, the final decision will be made. Candidates may challenge the final decision by filing a complaint within 15 working days or, alternatively, by submitting an appeal within 30 working days, both starting from the date of notification.

10. Scholarship Requirements

Research contracts are signed directly with the UAlg. 

The following documents must be submitted when the scholarship is awarded for the purposes of the contract:

a) Copy of civil identification document(s), tax document(s) (Portuguese) and, where applicable, social security document(s)[1];

b) Copy of the qualification certificates for the academic degrees;

c) Candidate's curriculum vitae;

d) Presentation of the record of recognition of foreign academic degrees and conversion of the respective final classifications to the Portuguese classification scale, if applicable;

e) Formalise the application for the doctoral programme the candidate intends to attend at the Faculty indicated by the jury and send proof of enrolment and registration in one of the Doctoral Programmes identified in this Notice; 

f) Work plan to be developed;

g) Declaration by the supervisor(s) assuming responsibility for supervising the work plan (draft declaration to be made available by UAlg SEA-EU Office - seaeualg@ualg.pt), under the terms of article 5ºA of the Research Fellow Statute (https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/lei/2004-58216179);

h) Document proving the acceptance of the candidate by the institution where the research activities will take place, guaranteeing the necessary conditions for their proper development, as well as fulfilment of the duties set out in article 13º of the Research Fellow Statute (draft declaration to be made available by UAlg SEA-EU Office);

i) Updated document proving compliance with the exclusive dedication regime (draft declaration to be made available by UAlg SEA-EU Office);

j) Document proving Portuguese IBAN (account holder).

The award of the scholarship is also dependent on:

• fulfilment of the requirements set out in this Notice; 
• the outcome of the scientific evaluation; 
• the absence of unjustified non-compliance with the scholarship holder's duties under a previous scholarship contract financed directly or indirectly by UAlg. 

Failure to submit any documents required to complete the scholarship contract process within 6 months of the date of communication of the decision to award the scholarship conditionally will result in the award lapsing and the process being closed. 

Once the scholarship has been awarded, UAlg will send the names of the successful candidates to the SEA-EU Alliance universities and request the names of the supervisors and similar doctoral programmes to facilitate the application process at each of these universities and thus guarantee the co-tutoring process (cotutelle agreement).

11. Funding

Scholarship payments will commence after candidates return the signed contract, which must be completed within 15 working days of receipt.

The scholarships awarded through this call will be funded by UAlg using Erasmus+ Programme funds under the Partnerships for Excellence GA 101089757 - SEA-EU 2.0 initiative.

12. Scholarship Components

Scholarship holders will receive a monthly maintenance allowance by the FCT Research Scholarship Regulations (RBI) No. 234/2012, as detailed in the updated table effective from January 1, 2024: https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tabela-de-Valores-SMM_atualizacao-2024.pdf. 

Additionally, all scholarship holders are covered by personal accident insurance for research activities provided by UAlg. Those not enrolled in any social protection scheme may join the voluntary social insurance scheme under the Contributory Schemes Code of the Social Security System. The FCT will cover the contributions' costs according to the terms and limits outlined in Article 10º of the EBI.

13. Payments of the Scholarship Components

Payments to the scholarship holder are made via bank transfer to the account specified by the holder. The monthly maintenance allowance is paid on the first working day of each month.

The scholarship holder is responsible for directly paying enrolment, registration, and tuition fees to UAlg.

14. Scholarship Renewal Terms and Conditions

Renewal of the scholarship always depends on a request submitted by the scholarship holder within 60 working days before the renewal start date, accompanied by the following documents: 

a) opinions issued by the supervisor(s) and the host organisation(s) on the monitoring of the scholarship holder's work and the evaluation of their activities;

b) an up-to-date document proving compliance with the exclusive dedication regime;

c) document proving renewal of enrollment in the cycle of studies leading to the doctoral degree.

15. Informing and Publicising the Funding

During the scholarship period, students will receive guidance from their supervisors at UAlg's Organic Units and the partner universities within the SEA-EU Alliance. These supervisors will coordinate all activities related to the doctoral program the student is pursuing.

All R&D activities funded directly or indirectly by the scholarship - such as communications, publications, scientific works, and theses - must acknowledge the financial support provided by the Erasmus+ Programme under the Partnerships for Excellence GA 101089757 - SEA-EU 2.0 action. Relevant documents must display the insignia of the European Commission and the SEA-EU Alliance, following the graphic standards of the Community support programme.

Dissemination of research results funded under the RBI must adhere to the open access rules for data, publications, and other research outcomes as established by the FCT. Furthermore, all scholarships, especially those supported by community funding, are subject to monitoring and control by national and community bodies through applicable legislation. Scholarship holders must cooperate fully, providing any requested information and participating in surveys or evaluation studies, even if their scholarship period has ended.

16. Non-discrimination and Equal Access Policy

The FCT upholds a strict policy of non-discrimination and equal access. No candidate shall be favoured, disadvantaged, or denied any rights, nor exempted from any responsibilities, based on ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic status, education, social background or condition, genetic heritage, work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin, race, place of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs, or trade union membership.

17. Applicable Legislation and Regulations

This Notice governs this Call, the UAlg Research Grant Regulations (Regulation No. 950/2019, published in Series II of the Official Gazette on 16 December 2019), the Research Grant Holder Statute (Law No. 40/2004, of 18 August, as amended), and all other applicable national and EU legislation.

18. Additional Information

We recommend that the candidates carefully read the information required to submit applications for the UAlg Doctoral Programmes. General information on the Doctoral Admission Scheme for the 2024/2025 academic year: 

• PhD Programme in Marine, Earth and Environmental Sciences (Faculty of Science and Technology) https://fct.ualg.pt/curso/1562   
• PhD Programme in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (Faculty of Science and Technology) https://fct.ualg.pt/curso/1826   
• PhD Programme in Biological Sciences (Faculty of Science and Technology) https://fct.ualg.pt/curso/1559 
• PhD Programme in Economic and Business Sciences (Faculty of Economics) https://fe.ualg.pt/curso/1672 
• PhD Programme in Tourism (Faculty of Economics) https://fe.ualg.pt/curso/3000 
• PhD Programme in Archaeology (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) https://fchs.ualg.pt/curso/1673 
• PhD Programme in Heritage Studies (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) https://fchs.ualg.pt/curso/1911   
• PhD Programme in Digital Media Art (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) https://fchs.ualg.pt/curso/1714 
• PhD Programme in Psychology (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) https://fchs.ualg.pt/curso/1542 
• PhD Programme in Language Sciences (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) https://fchs.ualg.pt/curso/1546
  • Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences (Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) https://fmcb.ualg.pt/curso/1919 
  • Doctoral Program in Clinical Research and Translational Medicine (Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) https://fmcb.ualg.pt/curso/1922 
  • International Doctoral Program in Cancer (Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) https://fmcb.ualg.pt/curso/1969