NOTICE N.º 074/2024

OPEN CALL FOR RESEARCH GRANT APPLICATION WITHIN THE TERMS LAID DOWN OF THE REGULATIONS FOR RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALGARVE

TITLE: Open call for one postdoctoral research grant (BPD)

It is now open a call for one Postdoctoral Grant (BPD) within the ALGARVE-FEDER-01203900 - expressCDx (17474) - "Identification of RNA Biomarkers for the Development of New Personalized Cancer Diagnostic Methods " co-financed by the Programs CRESC Algarve 2030, Portugal 2030 and European Union, to be developed by RISE-Health - Universidade do Algarve, with the following conditions:

Research Field: Biological Sciences

Admission Requirements: Candidates must have a PhD in Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, or a related scientific field, as well as experience in computational biology and bioinformatics analyses of genomic and transcriptomic data, preferably in the areas of Human Genetics, Oncogenetics, and Oncogenomics.

Work Plan: This project aims to identify RNA biomarkers for the development of new personalized cancer diagnostic methods. The work to be developed under this fellowship will be computational and has the following objectives: (1) To test the association between PIK3CA allelic expression levels and clinical features in colorectal, prostate, and other cancers, and (2) To identify new biomarkers for breast cancer based on allelic expression analysis of other genes frequently mutated in cancer.

Applicable legislation and regulations: Statute of the Scientific Research Fellow, approved by Law nº 40/2004, of August 18, in the current wording conferred by Decree-Law nº 123/2019, of August 28 and the Regulation of Research Grants of the University of Algarve (https://files.dre.pt/2s/2021/10/210000000/0013700149.pdf) and the Regulation for Research Grants of the Foundation for Science and Technology (https://files.dre.pt/2s/2019/12/241000000/0009100105.pdf).

Working place: The work will be conducted at RISE-Health – University of Algarve, under the scientific supervision of Professor Paulo Martel (Principal Investigator of the expressCDx project) and Doctor Joana Xavier.

Duration of the grant: The grant will have a first contract of six months duration, beginning on April 2025. The contract may be renewed until 31/12/2027, considering UAlg’s Research Grants Regulation. (https://files.dre.pt/2s/2021/10/210000000/0013700149.pdf ) and the Regulation for Research Grants of the Foundation for Science and Technology (https://files.dre.pt/2s/2019/12/241000000/0009100105.pdf).

Value of monthly maintenance allowance: The monthly maintenance allowance corresponds to €1851,00 euros. The maintenance allowance will be paid monthly by bank transfer.

Selection criteria will be as follows: In accordance with nº2 of the article 11º of the FCT Research Grants Regulation, the selection criteria will be the applicant’s merit, and will be as following: (a) Scientific and professional experience in the analysis of genomic and transcriptomic data, with a primary focus on human genetics, oncogenetics, and oncogenomics, demonstrated through publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, oral presentations, or poster presentations, with a corresponding score of 8 points (40% weighting). (b) Familiarity with next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, including the types of data generated, and experience with programs and pipelines for variant identification, filtering, and annotation, as well as gene expression analysis, with a corresponding score of 8 points (40% weighting). (c) Skills in bioinformatics and computational analysis, including experience with UNIX/Linux operating systems in a server environment, proficiency in command-line scripting, and the ability to create and execute scripts in R for task automation. Familiarity with genomic data analysis libraries in R, such as Bioconductor, and experience in documentation preparation and code management using tools like RMarkdown and GitHub, with a corresponding score of 4 points (20% weighting).

The evaluation process may include an interview with some or all candidates, selected by the evaluation panel, to assist in ranking the applicants.

The tender jury shall comprise the following members:

- Paulo José Garcia de Lemos Trigueiros de Martel (President) (Assistant Professor at  Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia);

-  Álvaro Augusto Marques Tavares (Effective member) (Associate Professor at Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas);

- Joana Gonçalves de Gouveia Maia Xavier (Effective member) (Assistant Researcher at RISE-Health - UAlg);

- Ana Teresa Luís Lopes Maia (Substitute member) (Assistant Professor at Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas).

Publication and notification of the results: Final results will be publicized through an ordered list according to the final grade and posted in a conspicuous and public local of RISE-Health - UAlg, Building 8, 3rd floor (Gambelas Campus) and communicated to the applicants by e-mail to the addresses indicated by each candidate.

Deadline for applications and submission forms: the call is open from 18/02/2025 to 03/03/2025

Applications must be accompanied by the following documents:

Official identification document (simple copy or legal equivalent). If you have a nationality other than Portuguese, you should present a residence permit, permanent residence certificate or long-term resident status, valid on the scholarship start date, any of which may be replaced, in its absence, by a declaration of commitment. However, one of the previous must be delivered at the contracting phase, under penalty of forfeiture of the granting of the scholarship;

Copy of the qualification certificates of the academic degrees held, specifying the final classification and, if possible, the classifications obtained in all subjects taken;

If the doctorate has been awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must conform to the rules established in Decree-Law no. 66/2018 of August 16, and all required formalities must be complied with up to the date of termination deadline for submission of the application. If the completed process is not found until the end of the application deadline, the candidate must prove that he / she has requested the recognition of the degree.

Curriculum Vitae;

Passport or identification card for European applicants (copy);

Taxpayer Identification Number (NIF), if you have a nationality other than Portuguese, it must be submitted during the scholarship contracting phase, under penalty of forfeiture of the scholarship award; 

Other documents considered important

The Application Request, dated and signed, must be addressed to the President of the Evaluation Panel (https://www.ualg.pt/sites/default/files/documentos/2022-12/anexo-iii-requerimento-para-candidatura-bolsa-en.pdf) for the following address: Universidade do Algarve, Edifício 8, Gabinete 3.12, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Reference NOTICE N.º 074/2024 - expressCDx (BPD) or by email to the Scientific Coordinator (pmartel@ualg.pt). If the Application Request is sent by email, the applicant must duly express his/her consent that all notifications regarding this application are sent to the email address given.

Documents to be submitted for contracting the grant

-Supporting documents stating that the applicant gathers all the requirements for this grant, namely the enrolment certificate in an awarding degree study cycle or in a postgraduate course;

-Supervisor Declaration taking the responsibility for the Work plan supervision, according to article 5º-A of the Statute of Scientific Research Fellow, as well as assuring the necessary conditions for the development of the work plan and in compliance with article 13 º of the Statute of Scientific Research Fellow;

-Declaration of the Grant acceptance;

-Declaration of commitment stating the exclusivity regime

Complaints and Appeal Deadlines and procedures 

On the decision for granting the Research Grant, candidates may, if they wish, comment on the hearing of interested parties, within 10 working days, under the terms provided for in the Administrative Procedure Code.

From the practice or omission of any act of the evaluation panel, candidates can complain to the body, within 10 working days.

The final decision of the evaluation panel can be appealed to the Rector within 15 working days after the respective notification.

Scholarship contract

With the applicant(s) selected, and after receiving all the required documentation, a scholarship contract will be signed in accordance with the attached model.

Assessment of the scholarship holder(s)

At the end of each period of duration of the scholarship contract, the activity developed by the scholarship holder(s) is evaluated by the supervisor, by applying the following criteria, in accordance with the attached model:

a) Fulfilment of the proposed objectives considering the work plan (80%) 

b) Interest and motivation in the project development (20%)

University of the Algarve reserves the right to cancel this application procedure if by any means the contract celebration with the funding entity is not established.

University of Algarve, 06/02/2025

Scientific Coordinator

Doutor Paulo José Garcia de Lemos Trigueiros de Martel