UBI | 1 (one) Research fellowship for PhD Student_UNITA2023_ER_1

Call for Research Fellowship for Doctoral Degree - Extension of Application period

The University of Beira Interior (UBI) opens a call for 1 (one) research fellowship, hereinafter referred to as PhD Research Fellowship, in Electrical and Computer Engineering or Industrial Engineering and Management, in the scope of Renewable Energies, project “Development and Optimisation of a Trigeneration System based on Adsorption Machine Technology”, under the FCT Research Fellowship Regulation (RBI) and the Research Fellowship Holder Statute (EBI).

The fellowship will be funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the Collaboration Protocol for Financing the Pluriannual Plan of the PhD research fellowships, celebrated between FCT and the University of Beira Interior, within the scope of the consortium Universitas Montium (UNITA).

1. APPLICATION SUBMISSION

The call is open from April 05, 2023 until 23h59 (Lisbon time) of April 30, 2023.

The applications and all supporting documents provided for in the present Announcement must be submitted, mandatorily, by e-mail sent to vrinvestigacao@ubi.pt, with acknowledgment to unita@ubi.pt, indicating in the subject “Candidatura a Bolsa de Investigação para Doutoramento, Ref_UNITA2023_ER_1”.

Each candidate must submit only one application, under penalty of cancellation of all submitted applications.

The provision of false statements or acts of plagiary by the candidates, shall be grounds for cancellation of the application without prejudice to the adoption of other measures of sanctioning nature.

2. TYPE AND DURATION OF FELLOWSHIP

PhD Research Fellowship is intended to finance research activities, developed by the candidate, leading to the award of the doctoral academic degree (PhD) in the University of Beira Interior, under cotutelle in the scope of the Universitas Montium (UNITA) consortium.

The research activities leading to the doctoral academic degree will be developed at the University of Beira Interior, namely in CISE, Electromechatronic Systems Research Centre, which will be the host institution for the research fellowship holder, in co-supervision with the University of Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA) – LaTEP, Laboratoire de Thermique, Energétique et Procédés.

The research activities leading to the Doctoral degree for the selected fellowship holders, must be included in the activities and strategic plan of the CISE, and must be developed within the scope of Doctoral Programs of University of Beira Interior.

The fellowship to be awarded will be a mixed fellowship, with the work plan taking place partially at the University of Beira Interior, and at the University of Pau et des Pays de l'Adour. The period of the work plan to be developed in the foreign institution cannot exceed 24 months.

The fellowship duration is, as a rule, annual, renewable up to a maximum of four years (48 months), and cannot be awarded for less than three consecutive months.

3. FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS

The PhD Research Fellowship is intended for candidates that are enrolled, or candidates who fulfil the necessary conditions to be enrolled, in a Doctoral Program of the University of Beira Interior and aim to develop research activities leading to the academic degree of doctor in CISE, Electromechatronic Systems Research Centre, in collaboration with LaTEP, Laboratoire de Thermique, Energétique et Procédés of the University of Pau et des Pays de l'Adour.

4. ADMISSIBILITY

4.1 Candidate Admissibility Requirements

Can apply to the present call:

• National citizens or citizens from other member states of the European Union;
• Non-EU Nationals;
• Stateless;
• Citizens benefiting from political refugee status.

To apply for the PhD Research Fellowship it is necessary:

• Hold a MSc degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Management, or related areas;
• Reside in Portugal, permanently and habitually, at the beginning of the work plan period abroad, if the work plan proposed for the fellowship includes a period in foreign institutions (mixed fellowship). This requirement applies both to national and foreign citizens;
• Not having benefited from a PhD fellowship, or a PhD studentship in industry, directly financed by FCT, regardless of its duration;
• Not hold a Doctor's degree.

4.2 Admissibility Requirements of the Application

It is mandatory, under penalty of not being admitted, to attach the following documents to the application:

• Elements of the identity card/citizen card/passport;
• Curriculum vitae of the candidate;
• Qualification Certificates of the academic degrees held specifying the final classification and, if possible, the classification obtained in all the subjects taken or, alternatively, declaration of honour by the candidate that he/she has completed the BSc or MSc degree by the end of the application deadline;
• Presentation of a recognized certification of academic degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions and respective conversion of the final classification to the Portuguese classification scale, or, alternatively, declaration of honour by the candidate that, in case of being selected for the fellowship, will submit the process of recognition of the foreign degree equivalent to that of a BSc or MSc degree and conversion of the final classification, since the foreign academic degree have been obtained during the application period. The non-demonstration, in the contractualization phase, of the possession of the academic degree or its recognition implies the annulment of the candidate's evaluation due to error regarding the factual assumptions. Failure to submit the conversion of the final classification to the Portuguese classification scale, in the application period, may determine the attribution of the minimum classification (ten points) in the evaluation of sub-criterion A1;
• Motivation letter, in which the candidate explains the reasons for application and presents his/her scientific/professional path, identifying the most representative document or achievement, explaining the reason for his/her choice (Maximum 2 A4 pages, spacing 1.5);
• Recommendation letters (two), distinct and signed by the respective issuer on institutional letterhead. These letters must mention the context of the academic and/or professional relationship with the candidate and indicate the specific reference to this announcement; for example, recommendation letters may provide a framework on the maturity and suitability of the candidate's profile to develop a doctoral project;
• Write the application and all associated documents, including motivation and recommendation letters, in Portuguese or English.

Regarding the above-mentioned admissibility requirements, the following should be noted:

• 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 Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior (DGES, only in the case of automatic recognition), in compliance with the provisions of the applicable legislation regarding the recognition of foreign qualifications, namely, in Decree-Law No. 66/2018 of August 16, and any formalities established therein must be fulfilled until the hiring.

Regarding this matter, it is suggested to consult the DGES portal through the following address: http://www.dges.gov.pt.

• Only candidates who have completed the cycle of studies leading to a BSc or MSc degree by the application deadline will be admitted. In case candidates do not yet have the Certificate of completion of the previous degree, a declaration of honour, stating that they have completed the necessary qualifications for the purposes of the fellowship by the end of the application deadline, will be accepted. The presentation of proof of academic qualifications is mandatory for the signature of the contract.
• For evaluation purposes, considering the international constitution of the evaluation panel, and in order to allow the evaluation of the application on equal terms by the panel, only documents in English will be taken into account.

5. WORK PLAN AND SCIENTIFIC SUPERVISION OF THE FELLOWSHIP

The selected candidate will carry out the research activity of their PhD within the scope of the project entitled “Development and Optimisation of a Trigeneration System based on Adsorption Machine Technology”, to be developed at the University of Beira Interior – CISE, in collaboration with the University of Pau et des Pays de l'Adour – LaTEP, and under the scientific supervision of Professor António João Marques Cardoso (UBI) and co-supervision of Professor Frédéric Marias (UPPA). The aim of this work plan is to model and evaluate the trigeneration system available at CISE | GIRS-RES platform, in order to understand its nominal operation, but also its transient operation in order to qualify its dynamics. For validation, the study will comprise a strong interaction between an experimental component and analytical modelling and simulation.

The fellowship will be awarded to the best-ranked candidate, after the registration in one of the doctoral programs of University of Beira Interior has been formalized.

6. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND BENEFITS

​​​​​​​6.1 Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation takes into account the merit of the candidate, with regard to his/her academic background and personal curriculum, and the performance in the interview.

Applications considered admissible will be scored on a scale of 0-20 on each of the following evaluation criteria:

• Criterion A - Merit of the candidate, with the weight of 70%;

o  Sub-criterion A1 - Academic background (final grade of bachelor's and master's degree), with the weight of 60%

For the calculation of the classification in this sub-criterion, the following will be considered:

a) The final average of “bachelor + master”, in a pre- or post-Bologna course, results from the simple arithmetic average of the final grade obtained in the 1^st cycle ([180 ECTS credits)]/ bachelor and the final grade obtained in the 2^nd cycle ([90-120 ECTS credits)]/master, by applying the following formula:

Final average (bachelor + master's degree) = [final grade 1^st cycle (bachelor) + final grade 2^nd cycle (master)] /2

b) In the case of integrated master's degrees awarded by institutions that do not issue certificates with a breakdown of the final classifications of 1^st and 2^nd cycles, Will be considered the final classification registered in the degree certificate after completion of the study cycle [300 to 360 credits (ECTS)].

c) In the case of being presented an integrated master's certificate [300-360 credits (ECTS)] and a pre-Bologna master's degree or a 2nd cycle degree, will be, necessarily, considered the final classification of the integrated master's degree.

d) Certificates that specify only a qualitative classification (for example, pre-Bologna master's degrees), the conversion for the purposes of calculating the final average (bachelor + master's degree) will be as expressed in Table 1:

Table 1: Qualitative ratings conversion table

o            Sub-criterion A2 - Personal curriculum, with the weight of 30%

In assessing this sub-criterion, evaluators must analyze and consider the candidate's curriculum in a holistic way, evaluating in an integrated way the merit of his/her academic, scientific, and professional background. The classification to be attributed in this sub-criterion should therefore consider the different achievements, including scientific publications, presentations in congresses, and participation in research projects. The evaluators must also consider the professional activity, and the academic results that were not considered for the calculation of sub-criterion A1 - Academic Path (provided that the certificates or evidence are attached to the application).

o            Sub-criterion A3 – Motivation Letter, with the weight of 10%

In the assessment of this sub-criteria, will be considered the reasons for the application, the presentation of the candidate's scientific/professional background, and how it fits into the scope of the Research project to which he/she is applying, as well as the motive(s) for choosing the document or achievement indicated as most representative of the curriculum.

• Criterion B – Interview, with the weight of 30%

The interview aims to analyze the candidate's communication skills and scientific profile, namely through the presentation of their academic and scientific background, and the most representative document or achievement of the curriculum indicated in the motivation letter.

For the purpose of the decision on the fellowship award, the candidates will be ranked according to the weighted average of the classification obtained in each of the 2 (two) criteria (A and B), rounded to the nearest hundredth, translated by the following formula:

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

As a tie-breaking, candidates will be ranked based on the classifications given to each of the evaluation criteria in the following order of precedence: criterion A, criterion B.

Important notice for candidates with degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions:

• Candidates with degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions may apply and will be evaluated using the same criteria as candidates with degrees awarded by Portuguese institutions, provided that they present, in the application, proof of recognition of academic degrees and conversion of final classification for the Portuguese classification scale under the applicable legislation.
• Applicants with recognized foreign degrees who do not present proof of conversion from the final classification to the Portuguese classification scale will be evaluated with the minimum classification (10 points) in sub-criterion A1.
• In any case, fellowship contracts with candidates with degrees awarded by foreign institutions will only be celebrated upon presentation of proof of recognition of academic degrees and conversion of the final classification, as indicated above.

Candidates whose application is evaluated with a final score lower than 14 points are not eligible for the fellowship.

6.2 Benefits

Not applicable.

7. EVALUATION

Applications will be assessed by a panel as follows:

Effective vowels

• Doctor António João Marques Cardoso, Universidade da Beira Interior (panel coordinator)
• Doctor Frédéric Marias, Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour
• Doctor Davide Sérgio Baptista da Fonseca, Universidade da Beira Interior

Substitute vowels

• Doctor Adérito Neto Alcaso, Instituto Politécnico da Guarda
• Doctor Sabine Sochard-Reneaume, Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour

The evaluation panel will appraise the applications in accordance with the evaluation criteria set out in this Research Fellowship Announcement, weighting the assessment elements.

All members of the panel, including the coordinator, are committed to respect a set of responsibilities essential to the evaluation process, such as the duties of impartiality, the declaration of any potential conflict of interest, and confidentiality. At all times during the evaluation process, confidentiality is fully protected and ensured, in order to guarantee the independence of all opinions produced.

For each application, the panel will produce a final evaluation sheet where the arguments that led to the classifications attributed to each of the evaluation criteria and sub-criteria are presented in a clear, coherent, and consistent manner.

Minutes of the evaluation panel's meetings must be produced under the responsibility of all its members.

The minutes and their annexes must include the following information:

• Name and affiliation of all evaluation panel members;
• Identification of all excluded applications and the reasons for their rejection;
• Methodology adopted by the panel for cases considered particular;
• Final evaluation sheets for each candidate;
• Provisional list of classification and ranking of candidates, in descending order of final classification, of all applications evaluated by the panel;
• Conflict of interest declarations (CID) of all panel members;
• Any delegation of votes and competency due to justified absence.

8. NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS

The evaluation results are communicated via email to the email address used by the candidate to send the application/indicated in the application.

9. DEADLINES AND PROCEDURES FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, COMPLAINT AND APPEAL

After communication of the provisional list of the evaluation results, the candidates have a period of 10 working days to, if they wish so, pronounce at a prior hearing of interested parties, under the terms of articles 121 and following of the Código do Procedimento Administrativo.

The final decision will be issued after the analysis of the pronunciations presented during the prior hearing of interested parties. A complaint may be filled against the final decision within 15 working days, or, alternatively, an appeal may be filed within 30 working days, both counting from the date of notification of the decision. Candidates who choose to submit a complaint must address their appeal to the member of the FCT Board of Directors with delegated competence. Candidates who choose to appeal must address it to the FCT Board of Directors.

The research fellowship contracts are signed directly with FCT.

The following documents must be sent, at the time of the eventual award of the fellowship, for the purpose of its contractualization:

a) Copy of the civil identification document, VAT identification document and, if applicable, social security identification¹;

b) Copy of qualification certificates of academic degrees held;

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

d) Document proving enrolment and registration in one of the Doctoral Programs of University of Beira Interior;

e) Statement by the supervisor(s) assuming responsibility for the supervision of the work plan, pursuant to article 5-A of theResearch Fellowship Holder Statute (template of the declaration to be made available by the FCT);

f) Document proving the acceptance of the candidate by the institution where the research activities will take place, guaranteeing the necessary conditions for its good development, as well as the fulfillment of the duties provided for in article 13 of the Research Fellowship Holder Statute (template of the declaration to be made available by the FCT);

g) Updated document proving compliance with the regime of exclusive dedication (template of the declaration to be made available by the FCT).

The award of the fellowship is still dependent on:

• the compliance with the requirements set out in this Announcement;
• the result of the evaluation;
• the absence of unjustified non-compliance with the grantee's duties under the scope of a previous grant contract financed, directly or indirectly, by FCT;
• FCT budget availability.

Failure to deliver any of the documents required to complete the fellowship contracting process, within 6 months from the date of communication of the conditional fellowship award decision, implies the expiry of the said fellowship and the termination of the process.

1 By candidate’s option, the availability of these documents can be replaced by the presentation in person at the financing entity, which will keep the elements contained therein that are relevant for the validity and execution of the contract, including the civil, fiscal and social security identification numbers, as well as the validity of the respective documents.

11. FUNDING

Payment of the fellowships will begin after the return, by the candidates, of the duly signed contract, which must occur within a maximum period of 15 working days from the date of receipt.

The fellowships awarded under the present call will be financed by FCT with funds from the State Budget and, when eligible, with funds from the European Social Fund, namely through the Programa Demografia, Qualificações e Inclusão (PDQI), in accordance with the regulatory provisions established for the purpose.

12. FELLOWSHIP COMPONENTS

Fellowship holders receive a monthly maintenance allowance under the terms of the table in Annex I of the RBI.

The fellowship may also include other components, under the terms set out in article 18 of the RBI and for the amounts provided for in Annex II.

All fellowship holders benefit from personal accident insurance in relation to research activities, supported by FCT.

All fellowship holders who are not covered by any social protection scheme can ensure the exercise of the right to social security by joining the voluntary social insurance scheme, under the terms of the Código dos Regimes Contributivos do Sistema Previdencial de Segurança Social, with the FCT assuring the charges resulting from contributions under the terms and within the limits provided for in article 10 of the EBI.

13. PAYMENTS OF FELLOWSHIP COMPONENTS

Payments due to the fellowship holder are made by bank transfer to the account identified by him/her. Payment of the monthly maintenance allowance is made on the first working day of each month.

Payments of the registration, enrolment or tuition fees are made by FCT directly to the national institution where the fellowship holder is attending the PhD.

14. TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR FELLOWSHIP RENEWAL

The renewal of the fellowship always depends on the request submitted by the grantee, within the 60 working days prior to the start date of the renewal, accompanied by the following documents:

a) opinion report issued by the supervisor/s and the host entity/ies on the monitoring of the fellowship holder's work and the evaluation of his/her activities;

b) updated document proving compliance with the exclusive dedication regime;

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

15. INFORMATION AND ADVERTISING OF THE FUNDING GRANTED