Call for Applications for PhD Research Grants - Lugus 896174

Call for Applications for PhD Research Grants

The Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies (CEIS20) hereby opens this Call for Applications for 2 (two) Doctoral research grants, hereinafter called PhD Research Grants, in the field(s) of Contemporary Studies, in compliance with the provisions of the FCT Regulations for Research Grants and Fellowships (RBI) and the Research Fellowship Holder Statute (EBI).
The scholarships will be financed by the Foundation for Science and Technology (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) (FCT) under the Collaboration Agreement of the Multiannual Financing Plan for Doctoral Research Grants, signed between FCT and the R&D Research Unit Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, UIDB/00460/2020 .

1. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS
The Call for Applications is open from 28/04/2023  on 06/06/2023 .
Applications and all the supporting documents described in this Call must be submitted by email to direcao.ceis20@uc.pt.
Each applicant can only submit one application, under penalty of cancellation of all the applications submitted.
Please note that false declarations or acts of plagiarism from the applicants will lead to the exclusion of the application notwithstanding the need to take other corrective or punitive disciplinary measures.

2. TYPE AND DURATION OF THE SCHOLARSHIPS
The PhD scholarships are intended to finance research activities carried out by the doctoral candidate that will lead to the attainment of the academic degree of doctor in Portuguese Universities.
The research activities leading to the attainment of the academic degree of doctor will take place at Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, which will be the candidates’ host institution(s), notwithstanding that the research work may be carried out in collaboration with more than one institution.
The research activities leading to the attainment of the academic degree of doctor of the selected applicants must be framed within the activity plan and strategy of the R&D Research Unit Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies , and must be carried out within the following Doctoral Programmes:
PhD in Contemporary Studies of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Coimbra. 
The work programme may be entirely or partially carried out on a national institution (national or blended scholarships, respectively).
As a rule, PhD scholarships are annual, renewable for up to the maximum of four years (48 months), and cannot be granted for a period less than three consecutive months.
In the case of a blended scholarship, i.e., carried out both in Portugal and abroad, the research period at the foreign institution cannot exceed 24 months.

3. RECIPIENTS OF THE SCHOLARSHIPS
PhD scholarships are intended for candidates who are enrolled or who comply with the requirements to enroll in the Doctoral Program listed in point 2 of this Call, who wish to carry out research activities as part of this degree in R&D Research Unit Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, or at another associated host institution.

4. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
4.1 Admission requirements for applicants
The following candidates may apply to this Call:
    National (Portuguese) citizens or citizens from other member states of the European Union;
    Third-country nationals;
    Stateless individuals;
    Citizens with political refugee status.
     
To apply for a PhD scholarship, applicants must comply with the following requirements:
    To hold a Bachelor or Master degree in any scientific area, which may focus on aspects related to Contemporary Studies;
    Reside permanently and habitually in Portugal at the beginning of the work plan at a foreign institution, in cases in which the work plan includes a research period at foreign institutions (blended scholarships); this requirement is applicable to both national and foreign citizens.
    Has not benefited previously from a PhD scholarship or a PhD Industry scholarship directly funded by FCT, regardless of its duration.
    Does not hold a Doctor's degree.

4.2 Application requirements
The following documents are mandatory, under penalty of exclusion from the Call:
    Elements of identity card/citizen card/passport;
    Curriculum vitae of the candidate;
    Certificates of academic qualifications, specifying the final classification and, if possible, the marks obtained in all the courses taken, or, alternatively, a declaration of honour from the candidate stating that he/she completes the Bachelor or Master degree by the end of the application deadline;
    Record of recognition of academic degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions and record of the conversion of the respective final grade into the Portuguese grading system scale, or alternatively, declaration on honour from the applicant stating that he/she has obtained the recognition of the foreign degree equivalent to a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree by the deadline for applications;
    Motivation Letter; 
    Letters of Recommendation (two); 
    To write the application and all the documents associated with it, including the letters of motivation and recommendation, in Portuguese or in English. 
    Work plan.
    The work plan must present an original scientific project (see organisation below) and be linked to a set of questions and study areas that make up the scientific culture of the PhD in Contemporary Studies, namely with one or more of the four axes of the CEIS20 strategic project:
    1. Inequalities, Borders and Mobilities;
    2. Media and Society in the Post-Digital Era; 
    3. Democracy, Present Time and Memory of Dictatorships; 
    4. Theory in Humanities, Arts, Sciences and Social Technologies.

We encourage candidates whose curriculum, motivation and scientific project intend to cross one or more of these interdisciplinary axes. In principle, there are no restrictions to the thematic scope or objects of study presented; rather, attention is given to the relevance of contemporary perspectives brought on the study of complex problems.

Regarding the aforementioned admission requirements, the following should be noted:
In the case of academic degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions, and to guarantee the principle of equal treatment among applicants with national and foreign academic degrees, the applicant must submit proof of recognition of such degrees and the conversion of the respective final average grade to the Portuguese grading scale.
The recognition of foreign academic degrees and diplomas and the conversion of the respective final average grade to the Portuguese grading scale, can be issued by a Portuguese public higher education institution, or by the Directorate-General for Higher Education (Direção Geral do Ensino Superior, DGES: only in the case of automatic recognition). Candidates should consult the DGES portal for more information at https://www.dges.gov.pt/en.
All requests for automatic or level recognition made to the UC are exempt from the payment of fees in the case of candidates to competitive examinations (of the UC) for the recruitment of Researchers as well as for the attribution of Research Grants, who are selected and hired and need to obtain the recognition of academic degrees or higher education diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions, under the terms of Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of 16 August, as a requirement for hiring. 
If the applicant has the nationality of one of the Member States of the European Union, he/she enjoys a reduction by half of the fees provided for the Recognition of Level or Specific Recognition of Doctoral Degree.
Only applicants who have completed the cycle of studies leading to a Bachelor or Master degree until the application deadline will be admitted. Applicants who have not yet received their degree certificate/diploma must submit a declaration of honour stating that they will conclude the Bachelor’s or Master's degree by the end of the application period. Granting the scholarship will depend on the presentation of proof of the academic qualifications required at the contracting stage.

5. WORK PLAN AND SCIENTIFIC SUPERVISION OF THE SCHOLARSHIPS
The work plan should propose a scientific project of multi-annual scope (3-4 years), which articulates the following organization: Abstract (150 words), State of the art (500 words), Objectives (300 words), Detailed description of the work plan (1000 words), References (30 entries). In terms of scientific orientation, the work plan should have an interdisciplinary scope and study (scientifically) complex problems that fit one or more of the four axes of the CEIS20 strategic project – (1) Inequalities, Borders and Mobilities, (2) Media and Society in the Post-Digital Era, (3) Democracy, Present Time and the Memory of Dictatorships, (4) Theory in Humanities, Arts, Sciences and Social Technologies – under the main supervision of an integrated researcher of CEIS20 to be defined, according to the preliminary project of the selected candidates.

6. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND BONUSES
6.1 Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation will be based on the merit of the candidate, the work plan and the interview.
All admitted applications will be ranked according to the weighted average of the score obtained on 0-20 in each of the following evaluation criteria:
    Criterion A - Merit of the candidate, with a weight of 40%;
    Sub-criterion A1 – Academic Training, with a weight of 25%;
    Sub-criterion A2 – Professional curriculum, with a weight of 20%;
    Sub-criterion A3 – Scientific curriculum, with a weight of 20%;
    Sub-criterion A4 – Motivation Letter, with a weight of 30%; 
    Sub-criterion A5 – Letters of recommendation, with a weight of 5%.

The score for subcriterion A1 is calculated on the basis of the final classifications that appear in the academic degree certificates submitted by the applicant in the application form: Bachelor's Degree + Master's Degree/Integrated Master's Degree; only Bachelor's Degree; or only Master's Degree. The classification to be considered is the one that appears in the respective degree certificates submitted in the application form.
The classification obtained in subcriterion A1 results from the simple arithmetic average of the final mark obtained in the bachelor's degree and the final mark obtained in the master's degree, by applying the following formula:

Subcriterion A1 classification=(bachelor^' s degree final grade+master^' s degree final grade)/2

    Criterion B - Work plan, with a weight of 30%:
    Sub-criterion B1 – originality and quality of the work plan, with a weight of 40%;
    Sub-criterion B2 – adequacy and relevance of the work plan to the axes of the CEIS20 strategic project, with a weight of 60%.

    Criterion C - Interview, with a weight of 30%:
    Sub-criterion C1 – Communication and verbal expression, with a weight of 20%;
    Sub-criterion C2 – Knowledge of English and/or other languages relevant to the Doctoral work/publication, with a weight of 10%;
    Sub-criterion C3 – Motivation and interest, with a weight of 20%;
    Sub-criterion C4 – Capacity for analysis, critical sense and articulation of research perspectives, with a weight of 50%.

Note: Candidates who do not score at least 14 (fourteen) points in criteria A and B will be excluded from the competition and will not have access to an interview (criterion C).

In order to decide the granting of a PhD scholarship, applicants will be ranked according to the weighted average of the score obtained in each of the 3 criteria, according to the following formula:
Final classification = (0.4×A) + (0.3×B) + (0.3×C) 
     
For tiebreaking purposes, the final ranking list will be based on the scores assigned to each of the evaluation criteria in the following order: criterion B, criterion A, criterion C.
     
Important note for candidates holding a degree issued by foreign higher education institutions:
    In the case of academic degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions, and to guarantee the principle of equal treatment among applicants with national and foreign academic degrees, the applicants must submit proof of recognition of such degrees and the conversion of the respective final average grade to the Portuguese grading scale under the terms of the applicable legislation.
    Applicants with recognized foreign academic degrees who do not submit a proof of conversion of the final average grade to the Portuguese grading scale will be evaluated with the minimum grade of 0 points in criterion A, subcriterion A1. 
    In any case, scholarship contracts with applicants whose diplomas have been issued by foreign institutions will only be concluded upon presentation of proof of recognition of academic degrees and conversion of the final average grade, as indicated above.
     
Applicants whose application is scored with a final grade lower than 14 are not eligible for scholarship award.
     
6.2 Bonuses
Not applicable

7. EVALUATION
The evaluation panel is composed of the following members:
    José António Oliveira Martins, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Coimbra (Coordinator), Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Coimbra;
    Dina Sofia das Neves Sebastião, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Coimbra, Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Coimbra; 
    Francisco Manuel de Jesus Pinheiro, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Coimbra;
    João Carlos Santos Teixeira, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Coimbra; 
    Armanda Pinto da Mota Matos, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Coimbra, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences. 

The evaluation panel will assess applications based on the evaluation criteria described in this Call for Applications, considering the components of evaluation.
All panel members, including the coordinator, will make a commitment to respect the responsibilities of the evaluation process, such as the duties of impartiality, the declaration of any potential conflicts 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, a final evaluation form will be produced by the panel, in which the arguments that led to the scores attributed to each of the evaluation criteria and sub-criteria will be presented in a clear, coherent and consistent manner.
Minutes of the meetings of the evaluation panel will be taken under the responsibility of all its members.
The minutes and their attachments must include the following information:
    Name and affiliation of all members of the evaluation panel;
    Identification of all excluded applications and respective reasons ;
    Methodology employed by the panel for particular cases;
    Final Evaluation Sheets for each application; 
    Provisional list of the scoring and ranking of the candidates, in descending order of the final grade, of all applications evaluated by the panel;
    Conflict of Interest (COI) statements from all members of the panel;
    Delegations of voting and decision powers by reason of justified absence.

8. DISCLOSURE OF THE RESULTS
Evaluation results will be communicated by email to the address provided by the candidates in the application form.
The sorted list of classification will also be published on the CEIS20 website at https://www.uc.pt/iii/ceis20.
 
9. DEADLINES AND PROCEDURES FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS
Once the provisional ranked list of the evaluation results has been communicated, applicants may request a preliminary hearing with the interested parties, under the terms of Articles no. 121 and following of the Code of Administrative Procedures (CPA).
The final decision will be announced after the analysis of applicants’ arguments presented in the preliminary hearing. Following the final decision, the applicant can file a formal complaint within 15 working days or, alternatively, file an appeal within 30 working days, counting after the communication of the final results.
Applicants who choose to file a complaint should address their request to the member of the FCT Board of the Directors with the delegated competence. Applicants who choose to file an appeal must address their request to the FCT Board of Directors.
     
10. REQUIREMENTS TO AWARD THE SCHOLARSHIPS
The research scholarship contracts are signed directly with FCT.
The following documents are mandatory, upon conditional awarding of the scholarship for the purposes of contract preparation:
a) Copy of the document(s) of personal identification, tax number and, if applicable, social security; 
b) Copy of the academic degree certificates held by the applicant;
c) Recognition of the academic degrees obtained abroad and conversion of the final grade to the
Portuguese grading scale, if applicable;
d) Document proving acceptance and enrolment in the Doctoral Programme identified in the present Call for Applications;
e) Statement from the supervisor(s) declaring their acceptance to coordinate and supervise the work plan, as established in Article no. 5-A of the Statute for Research Fellowships (template will be made available by FCT);
f) Institutional document supporting the applicant, issued by the institution where the work plan will be carried out, guaranteeing the necessary conditions to its successful development, as well as the fulfilment of the duties established in Article no. 13 of the Research Fellowship Holder Statute (template will be made available by FCT);
g) Updated document proving the exclusive dedication regime (template will be made available by FCT);
h) Work Plan.
     
The granting of the scholarship is still dependent on:
• The fulfilment of all the requirements listed in this Call for Applications;
• The results of the scientific evaluation;
• The absence of unjustified non-compliance of the fellowship holder during previous directly or
indirectly funded FCT fellowships;
• The FCT's available budget.
     
The lack of any of the necessary documents to complete the contracting procedure implies the expiration of the scholarship granting and conclusion of the process; applicants have up to 6 months after the disclosure of the provisional granting to present all of the documents listed.
     
11. FUNDING
The payment of the scholarships will begin after the return, by the candidates, of the scholarship contract duly signed, which should occur within a maximum of 15 working days from the date of receipt. 
The scholarships awarded under this competition will be financed by the FCT with funds from the State Budget and, where eligible, with funds from the European Social Fund, through the Demography, Qualifications and Inclusion Programme (PDQI), in accordance with the regulatory provisions set for this purpose.
     
12. SCHOLARSHIP COMPONENTS
A monthly maintenance allowance is granted to the fellows in accordance with the table in Annex I of the RBI.
The scholarship may also include additional allowances, according to RBI’s Article no. 18 and the values indicated in its Annex II.
All the scholarship holders have a personal accident insurance related to the research activities, which FCT will support.
All scholarship holders who are not beneficiaries of any social protection regime have the right to register for social security through the voluntary social insurance regime, under the terms of the Contributory Scheme of the Social Security System. FCT will ensure the charges resulting from contributions under the terms and the limits provided in Article no. 10 of the EBI.
     
13. PAYMENT OF THE SCHOLARSHIP
Payments due to the scholarship holder are made by bank transfer to the bank account indicated. The monthly maintenance allowance is paid on the first working day of each month.
Registration, enrolment and tuition fees are payed directly by FCT to the national institution where the scholarship holder has enrolled or is registered in a 3rd Cycle of Studies/PhD Programme.
     
14. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PhD SCHOLARSHIP RENEWAL
The renewal of the scholarship always depends upon the applicant’s request, within 60 working days prior to the renewal start date, which must include the following documents:
a) Declaration(s) issued by the supervisor(s) and by the host institution(s) attesting the work plan development and the evaluation of the respective activities;
b) Updated document proving compliance with the exclusive dedication regime;
c) Declaration proving enrolment renewal in the study cycle leading to the doctoral degree.

15. INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY OF THE GRANTED FUNDING
In all R&D activities directly or indirectly financed by the scholarship, in particular in all communications, publications and scientific creations, as well as theses, carried out with the support provided for in the scholarship, the mention of financial support from FCT and the European Social Fund, through, inter alia, the Demography, Qualifications and Inclusion Program (PDQI) should be expressed. For this purpose, the insignia of FCT, MCTES, ESF and EU logos should be entered in the documents relating to these actions, in accordance with the graphic standards of the Community support program.
The disclosure of research results funded according to the RBI provisions must comply with the open access guidelines, publications and other research results in accordance with FCT rules.
In all scholarship, and in particular in the case of actions supported by Community funding, in particular the ESF, follow-up and control actions may be carried out by national and Community bodies in accordance with applicable legislation in this area, with the scholarship holders supporting the obligation to collaborate and provide the requested information, which covers the carrying out of surveys and evaluation studies in this area, even if the scholarship has already ceased.

     
16. NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL ACCESS POLICY
FCT promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, thus no applicant may be privileged, benefited, damaged or deprived of any right or exempted from any duty, due to ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, economic status, education, origin or social condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic disease, nationality, ethnicity or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs or trade union affiliation.
     
17. APPLICABLE LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS
The present call is governed by this Notice of Opening, by the FCT Regulations for Research Fellowships approved by the Regulation no. 950/2019 (published in the Series II of the DR, of 16th December), by the Research Fellowship Holder Statute (approved by Law no. 40/2004, of 18th of August, in its current version), and by other applicable national and Community legislation.