Open position: Research assistant – Biological sciences – Deadline 20 December 2023

Offer description

A tender is hereby opened for the award of 1 Research Grant (RG)in the scope of R&D projects Unravelling evolutionary physiology landscapes of coastal marine fauna under extreme temperatures using a multi-layer Systems Biology approach, PTDC/BIA-BMA/1494/2020, under the following conditions:

• Scientific Area: Biology, Ecology, Marine Sciences
• Funding Source: Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P./MCTES, through national funds (OE)

Admission Requirements 

Master Degree in Biology, Ecology, Marine Sciences, Biochemistry or related scientific areas, acquired less than 3 years ago and with an average grade equal or higher than D (Satisfactory) in the ECTS European grading system (academic degree title, academic degree certificate, and qualifications certificate should be presented with the application; if the degree was attributed by a foreign institution, the respective degree recognition in Portugal can be presented only upon the employment contracting stage for the selected candidate). Please note that the applicants should be formally enrolled in a training course that does not confer an academic degree, integrated in the educational project of the University of Aveiro, at the time of the employment contracting stage. Proof of enrolment must be made available at the contracting stage. During the application stage, the candidate may attach a declaration of honor to confirm that they meet the requirements for enrolment in a course that does not confer an academic degree.

Preference will be given to candidates with experience in scientific research, including field work in coastal areas, life support system maintenance, bioassays with aquatic organisms and molecular techniques, as well as interest in proceeding to a Doctoral degree within the topic of global change impacts on marine fauna. Preference will also be given to candidates with good oral and writing English skills, science communication experience, and data analysis experience (preferably in R).

If the qualification has been conferred by a foreign higher education institution it must be recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution, under the terms of the provisions of article 25 of Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of August 16th, which approves the legal regime of recognition of academic degrees and diplomas of Higher Education, attributed by foreign higher education institutions, and of paragraph e) of no. 2 of article 4 of Decree-Law no. 60/2018, of August 3rd, and any formalities established therein must be fulfilled by the date of the hiring act. More information available at: https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/pagina/degree-and-diploma-recognition.

Eligibility:

Applicants are eligible if they comply with paragraph a) of no.1 of article 2, of the Research Fellow Statute as amended by Decree-Law no. 123/2019, of August 28th, as well as nos. 1 and 2 of article 6 of the Research Grant Regulations of the Foundation for Science and Technology. The RG(s) awarded to undergraduate or master students enrolled in courses that do not confer academic degree may only be granted to those who do not exceed, upon conclusion of the grant contract in question, including possible renewals, an accumulated period of two years in that type of grant, consecutive or interpolated, under the terms of no.5 of article 6 of the aforementioned Regulations.

Work plan:

Tasks to be developed during the scholarship will consist in:

• Field sampling of goby fish in Portuguese coastal intertidal areas (Ria de Aveiro, Praia da Aguda, Tróia, Lagoa de Albufeira, Ria Formosa, in collaboration with NOVA Univ. of Lisbon and Algarve University)
• Set up and maintenance of life support systems
• Design and implement experiments with fish
• DNA, RNA and protein extraction from fish samples and sample quality assessment
• Histological preparation of fish tissues
• Biomarker quantification in fish tissues (immunoassays, colorimetric and fluorescence assays)
• Statistical analyses

It is expected that the research assistant will contribute to scientific publications and communications in peer-reviewed international journals and congresses during the scholarship work.

Applicable legislation and regulations: Statute of Scientific Research Grant Holder, as amended by Decree-Law no. 123/2019, of August 28th; Regulation no. 950/2019, of November 29th, published in Diário da República, no. 241, Series II, of December 16th (FCT, I.P. Research Grants Regulation); Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of August 16th (Legal regime for recognition of academic degrees and diplomas of higher education awarded by foreign higher education institutions).

Workplace: The work will be carried out at ECOMARE, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology of the University of Aveiro, under the scientific supervision of Doctor Diana Madeira. Additionally, some tasks will involve field work along the Portuguese coast, as well as collaborations with two other institutions, therefore the successful applicant is expected to be available to travel and spend a few weeks in the collaborating institutions (NOVA University of Lisbon, University of Algarve) to execute specific project tasks (financial support for travels will be provided by the project).

Duration of the grant(s): The grant duration will be 6 months, starting in 1 February 2024, and may be renewed until the maximum limit of approved funding. Under no circumstances shall it exceed the limits defined in nos. 3 and 4 of article 6, of Regulation no. 950/2019, of November 29th, published in Diário da República, no. 241, Series II, of December 16th (Research Grants Regulation of FCT, I.P.).

Amount of monthly maintenance allowance: The amount of the grant corresponds to €1,199.64, according to the table of monthly maintenance allowance amounts set out in Annex I of Regulation no. 950/2019, subject to any updates that may be applicable, under the terms of no. 2 of article 18 of Regulation no. 950/2019, of November 29th, published in Diário da República, no. 241, Series II, of December 16th (Research Grants Regulation of FCT, I.P.). The fellow may also be reimbursed for the amount corresponding to the Voluntary Social Security, in case of adherence to this plan.

Selection methods:

The selection methods to be used will be the following: i) curricular evaluation (CV), including BSc and MSc average grade (>D) and merit (60%); ii) candidate experience in research work relevant to the project (25%), and iii) motivation letter (15%). If the jury sees fit, the most qualified candidates may be interviewed by videoconference. In such case, the selection criteria will be as follows: i) curricular evaluation (CV) (50%); ii) candidate experience in research work (20%), and iii) motivation letter (10%) and iv) interview (20%).

The jury reserves the right not to award the research grant if none of the candidates reach the minimum final classification of 10 points, on a scale from 0 to 20 points.

Composition of the Selection Jury:

President: Dr. Diana Madeira

Effective jurors: Prof. Dr. Catarina Vinagre, Dr. Carolina Madeira

Alternate jurors: Dr. Ricardo Calado, Prof. Dr. Mário Diniz

Deadline for applications and how to submit applications:

The call is open from 15^th november to 20^th december 2023, and only applications submitted within the deadline will be admitted.

Applications must be formalized by sending a letter of application accompanied by the following documents: Curriculum Vitae, certificate of the degrees and qualifications, motivation letter, and declaration of honor for the enrolment in a course that does not confer an academic degree within University of Aveiro. Documents should be sent in English, with the exception of certificates of degrees and qualifications, which can also be sent in Portuguese. Applications should be sent by e-mail to d.madeira@ua.pt, and should refer to “ExtremeOceans PTDC-BIA/BMA/1494 – Research scholarship [Name of the candidate]” in the email subject.

Form of publication/notification of results: The final results of the evaluation will be published through an ordered list by final mark obtained posted on the University’s website, within 90 working days after the final date of submission of the application, and the successful candidate will be notified by email. For the purposes of prior hearing of interested parties, the deadline of 10 working days is set, as provided for in the Code of Administrative Procedure. At the end of the period for hearing the interested parties, and in the absence of any response from them, the list of candidates will become final. Candidates may lodge a complaint against the final decision within 15 working days, or appeal to the maximum executive body of the funding entity within 30 working days after notification of the final decision, in accordance with the provisions of article 12 of the Research Grants Regulation of the Foundation for Science and Technology.

Tender duration: The final ranking list of candidates will be valid for 6 months for the purpose of constituting a reserve list for selection.

The models of the grant contract and of the final report to be prepared by the grant holder and the supervisor are available at Research fellows – sgrh – Universidade de Aveiro (ua.pt).

Where to apply

Read more about the opportunity here.