064/BI/2022 - Fellowship for Masters

Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier
Application for a Master Fellowship
within the project EJPSoils/0002/2021 - SoilSynbiotics

Applications are invited for a Master Fellowship in the scope of the project entitled “Evaluation of culturable and unculturable soil microbial populations linked to flood stresses as soil health-recovery bioinoculants” with the reference EJPSoils/0002/2021 - SoilSynbiotics, funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia I.P./MCTES, through national funding (PIDDAC).

Scientific Area: Agricultural Sciences.

Academic degree: Master in Biotechnology, or similar area.

Other requisites:
- Proficiency in microbiota identification, including DNA manipulation, isolation and identification of microorganisms, and analysis of complex samples;
- Previous lab experience in microbiology and/or plant-microbe interactions;
- Molecular biology, biochemistry and phenotyping skills, both with plant and microbes, will be highly valued;
- Being enrolled in a PhD or in a non-academic degree course, in accordance with number 2 of the Article 6th of “Regulamento de Bolsas de Investigação da Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. from FCT”, law in force.

Working Plan: The objective of this project is to advance in the knowledge of the microbiota populations that happens after flood events in agriculture soil, and their relevance in soil health recovery. This project is carried out in a cooperative project (EJP-Soil) with the Maynooth University and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP, with which we seek to evaluate how microbial populations are recovered after flood effects and which compounds can induce their faster recovery in affected soils. Thus, we will carry massive sequencing techniques (metagenomic) and culturable populations to define environmental affected populations. Thereafter we will evaluate changes in these communities due to the application of already defined probiotics in order to induce the presence of beneficial populations that enhance soil health. Those changes will be used to define a formulation able to be used as bioinoculant product in affected areas. We will test different combinations in order to optimize the results and ensure que quality and safety of the new product developed.

Applicable Law and Regulations: Status of Scientific Research Fellow, approved by Law number 40/2004, of August 18th, changed and republished by Ordinance 202/2012 of August 27th and changed by Ordinance 233/2012 of October 29th and by Law 12/2013 of January 29th and by Ordinance 89/2013 of July 9th and by the Ordinance 123/2019 of August 28th;
Regulations for Research Fellowships from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., in force (https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/docs/RegulamentoBolsasFCT2019.pdf ).

Working Place: The work will be carried out in the iPlantMicro Lab at ITQB NOVA, under supervision of Dr. Juan Ignacio Vílchez.

Duration of the fellowship: The fellowship will have the duration of 12 months, non-renewable, expected to start in December 2022, on a full-time basis, according to Fellowship Regulations of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.

Stipend amount: 1144,64 €, according to the table of values of grants awarded directly by the FCT, I.P. in the Country (https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/docs/Tabela_de_Valores_SMM_2022.pdf ) and payment will be made, monthly, through bank transfer.

Selection procedure: The evaluation procedures will be based on the analysis of the candidates´ CV and if needed an interview for the selected candidates may take place. In this case, the curriculum evaluation and the interview will have a weight of 80% and 20% each.

Jury composition: Doctor Juan Ignacio Vílchez (president), Doctor Ruben Vicente, Professor Margarida Oliveira. As substitute member, Doctor Ana Paula Santos.

Application documents: The application should be formalized in a cover letter indicating the corresponding fellowship reference together with the following documents: detailed Curriculum Vitae, degree certificate. All documents should be preferably sent by email in a single pdf file. If the degree has been conferred by a non-Portuguese higher education institution, the selected candidate must obtain the certificate of the degree recognition, issued by the Portuguese Directorate General for Higher Education or by a Portuguese Public Higher Education Institution, until the signature of the contract. Regarding this issue, please consult the website of the Portuguese Directorate General for Higher Education: https://www.dges.gov.pt/en .

Notification of candidates: All the candidates will be informed of the final result by e-mail.

Deadlines and procedures for complaints and appeals: Deadline application is by 14th November. If the result is not favorable, the candidates have a period of 10 working days, after the disclosure of the results, to comment, if desired, in a prior hearing of interested parties, in the terms provided for in the Code of Administrative Procedure.

Application period: Between 8th and 21th of November, 2022.

Applications should be sent to:
Doctor Juan Ignacio Vilchez
Email: [email protected]
Ref. 064/BI/2022
ITQB NOVA
OEIRAS