NOTICE FOR THE AWARD OF SCHOLARSHIPS IN THE FRAMEWORK OF R&D PROJECTS AND INSTITUTIONS

A call is open for the award of 2 Research Grants (BI) within the scope of the R&D project Towards precision tests of ultralight dark matter with gravitational imaging and waves, 2024.05617.CERN, under the following conditions:

1. Scientific Area: Physics and Mathematics

2. Source of Funding: Project No. 2024.05617.CERN, supported by measure RE-C06-i06.m02 – "Strengthening the Funding of International Partnerships in Science, Technology, and Innovation" under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), within the scope of the financing agreement signed between the Recover Portugal Mission Structure (EMRP) and the Foundation for Science and Technology I.P. (FCT), as an intermediary beneficiary.

3. Admission Requirements: Candidates must hold an M.Sc. in Physics, Mathematics, or a related scientific field (enrolled in a Ph.D. program at the University of Aveiro or in a non-degree course, integrated into the educational project of the University of Aveiro). 

NOTE: In the application, the scholarship holder must indicate the name of the course, the enrollment date, and its duration. Only courses related to the field of the holder's degree and with a duration consistent with the scholarship period will be considered.

(Refer to Courses at: Courses - University of Aveiro (ua.pt) and Training at UA - training - University of Aveiro)

Proof of enrollment/registration must be provided by the time of the contract signing, and the candidate may submit a declaration of honor stating compliance with the requirements for enrollment in an integrated master's, master's, doctoral program, or a non-degree course.

If the qualification was obtained from a foreign higher education institution, it must be recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution in accordance with Article 25 of Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16, which establishes the legal framework for the recognition of academic degrees and diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions, and point e) of paragraph 2 of Article 4 of Decree-Law No. 60/2018, of August 3. All formalities specified therein must be completed by the date of the contract signing.

4. Eligibility: Applicants who meet the provisions of subparagraph (a) of paragraph 1 of Article 2 of the Research Fellowship Statute, as amended by Decree-Law No. 123/2019, of August 28, and paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 6 of the Research Fellowship Regulation of the Foundation for Science and Technology, are eligible. Research Fellowships (BI) awarded to graduates or master's degree holders enrolled in non-degree courses can only be granted to individuals who do not exceed, with the signing of the current fellowship contract (including possible renewals), a cumulative period of two years in this type of fellowship, whether consecutive or non-consecutive, in accordance with paragraph 5 of Article 6 of the aforementioned Regulation.

5. Work Plan: Development of scientific activities within the scope of the project Towards precision tests of ultralight dark matter with gravitational imaging waves.

6. Applicable Legislation and Regulations: Research Fellow Statute, as amended by Decree-Law No. 123/2019, of August 28; Regulation No. 950/2019, of November 29, published in the Diário da República No. 241, 2nd Series, of December 16 (Research Fellowships Regulation of the FCT, I.P.); Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16 (Legal framework for the recognition of academic degrees and diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions).

7. Place of Work: The work will be conducted at the research unit CIDMA of the Department of Mathematics of the University of Aveiro, under the scientific supervision of Professor Carlos Herdeiro.

8. Duration of the Fellowship: The fellowships will last for 6 months, with a planned start in May 2025, and may be renewed for additional periods of 2 months, up to the maximum approved funding limit. Under no circumstances can it exceed the limits defined in the regulations for this type of fellowship, pursuant to Article 7 of Regulation No. 950/2019, of November 29.

9. Monthly Maintenance Allowance: The monthly fellowship allowance is €1,259,64, in accordance with the table of maintenance allowance values set out in Annex I of Regulation No. 950/2019. This amount is subject to applicable updates under the terms of Article 18(2) of Regulation No. 950/2019, of November 29. The fellow may also be reimbursed for the corresponding amount of Voluntary Social Insurance, if they opt for this regime.

10. Selection Methods: The selection methods to be used are as follows: curriculum evaluation and interview, with respective weightings of 70% and 30%.

11. Composition of the Selection: Jury: President: Dr. Carlos Alberto Ruivo Herdeiro; Permanent Members: Dr. Pedro V. Cunha and Dr. Eugen Radu;  Alternate Members: Dr. Miguel Zilhão and Dr. António P. Morais

12. Application Deadline and Submission Process: The application period is open from February 6th, 2025, to February 21st, 2025. Only applications submitted within this timeframe will be considered.

Applications must be formally submitted by sending a cover letter accompanied by the following documents: Curriculum Vitae, degree certificate (master's), two recommendation letters, and a motivation letter (max. 1 A4 page). Applicants must also provide an email address to which they agree, by this indication, to receive notifications for all purposes related to this process.

Applications should be sent via email to herdeiro@ua.pt.

13. Notification and Publication of Results: The final evaluation results will be published in a ranked list based on the final score obtained, displayed on the University’s website within a maximum of 90 working days after the application submission deadline. The selected candidate will be notified via email, and a 10-working-day period will be established for a preliminary hearing of interested parties, as provided by the Administrative Procedure Code. At the end of this period, if no responses are received, the ranked candidate list will become definitive. Candidates may appeal the final decision within 15 working days or submit a complaint to the executive board of the funding entity within 30 working days after notification of the final decision, in accordance with Article 12 of the Research Fellowships Regulation of the Foundation for Science and Technology.

14. Validity of the Call: The final ranking list of candidates will remain valid until October 31, 2025, for the purpose of creating a selection reserve list.

Models for the fellowship agreement and the final report to be prepared by the fellow and the supervisor can be consulted at the Fellowships section of the Human Resources Service of the University of Aveiro (bolseiros - sgrh - Universidade de Aveiro (ua.pt)).