ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MASTERS ENROLLED IN NON-DEGREE COURSES RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP - 14/ECUM/CFUM/2024-FORC (1 vacancy)

Universidade do Minho, Portugal

Updated: 14 days ago

Job Type: FullTime

Deadline: 03 May 2024

17 Apr 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company: Universidade do Minho
Department: Escola de Ciências
Research Field: Physics
Engineering » Materials engineering
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Country: Portugal
Application Deadline: 3 May 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon)
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Hours Per Week: 35 hours
Offer Starting Date: 18 Apr 2024
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Not funded by an EU programme
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: No

Offer Description

A call for applications is now open for the attribution of 1 (one) grant of Masters enrolled in non-degree courses research fellowship within the scope of the R&D project “Films On Rubber and Cork”;referencePTDC / CTM-REF / 0155 / 2020, funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the following conditions:

Scientific Area: Materials Science and technology.

2. Recipient category: Master degree in Physics, Physical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or related areas, enrolled in non-academic courses integrated into the educational project of the institution, developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units.

3. Important requirements are:

Research Scholarship aimed at R&D activities for Masters in Physics, Physical Engineering, or Materials Engineering or related areas. Candidates may apply without prior registration in the course for which the scholarship is open. The requirement for registration in a non-degree conferring course will be verified at the time of scholarship contracting.

Only scholarships for which selected candidates present valid proof of enrollment in the non-degree conferring course, according to the type of scholarship under competition, issued by the academic services of the Higher Education Institution, respectively indicating the current academic year or its duration (start and end), will be contracted.

Preferential conditions are: Experience in the synthesis and production of materials through physical processes, as well as in their characterization using advanced techniques

** Different R&D Units are included, even if located in the same Organic Unit (UOEI) of UMinho (no. 4 and 5 of article 7 of the FCT I.P Research Grant Regulation, in force)

***Documents proving the ownership of academic degrees and diplomas, or their respective recognition when they have been awarded by foreign higher education institutions, when applicable for the type of scholarship in the call for applications, may be waived at the application stage, being replaced by declaration of honor of the candidate, with the verification of this condition occurring only in the phase of contracting the scholarship. This statement must attest facts that occurred on a date prior to the application. In situations of divergence between the information contained in the declaration and the documentation submitted for the purpose of contracting the grant, only the information contained in the latter will be considered. If it is verified that the documents proving the ownership of the academic degree and diploma, or the respective recognition under the terms of Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16, do not correspond to the classifications awarded in the evaluation of the academic path and may, consequently, change the candidate's ranking, the fellowship contracting will not be done.

4. Applicants eligibility: Applicants must comply with the eligibility conditions laid down in article 9 of the Research Grants Regulation of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (2019).

5. Workplan and objectives to be achieved: The work plan involves the deposition of thin films of metal oxides by reactive sputtering on complex organic substrates. The plan also includes optical, structural, elemental characterization, and evaluation of sample resistance to mechanical wear and resistance to discoloration due to the ultraviolet component of solar radiation.

6. Applicable legislation and regulations: Research Fellowship Holder Statutes, approved by Law no. 40/2004 of August 18, in its current version published by Decree-Law no. 123/2019 of august 28; Regulation of Scientific Research Fellowships of the University of Minho (RBIC), published in “Diário da República”, 2nd series, no. 119, through dispatch no. 6524/2020 of 22-06-2020, ratified by ratification declaration no. 447/2021 of 22-06-2021 and Regulation of Research Studentships and Fellowships (RBI) of the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. - in force.

7. Host/Contracting institution and scientific supervision: Host/Contracting institution and scientific supervision: The workplan will be carried out at the Physics Center of the University of Minho, located at the Gualtar Campus in Braga and the Azurém Campus in Guimarães, under the scientific guidance of Luís António Carvalho Gachineiro da Cunha, Assistant Professor.

8. Fellowship duration: The grant will take place after the selected candidate accept and sign the contract, with a provisional starting date on june of 2024. The fellowship lasts for 6 months.

9. Amount of the research grant: The value stipend (Monthly Maintenance Allowance) is 1.259,64 euros, per month, in accordance with the stipends values published by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT I.P.) in the country (Annex I – Monthly Stipends Values for the maintenance allowances of the FCT Regulation for Research Studentships and Fellowships ) and Annex II of the Regulation of Scientific Research Fellowships of the University of Minho (RBIC), published in “Diário da República”, 2nd series, no. 119, through dispatch no. 6524/2020 of 22-06-2020, ratified by ratification declaration no. 447/2021 of 22-06-2021, according to the applicable regulation.Payment is made on the 23st of each month, through bank transfer to the Bank Identification Number of the fellow identified in the contractualization process.

10. Other benefits: Reimbursement of Voluntary Social Security (Social Security contributions), corresponding to the 1st level of discounts (for research grants with a total duration 6 months or higher) and personal accident insurance.

11. Exclusivity regime: The grantee will perform the activities under exclusivity, as foreseen in article 5º of the Research Fellow Statutes and applicable regulations.

12. Selection panel:

President: Luís António Carvalho Gachineiro da Cunha, Assistant Professor, Center of Physics, School of Sciences, University of Minho.

Effective members:

Cacilda Maria Lima de Moura, Assistant Professor, Center of Physics, School of Sciences, University of Minho.

Luís Silvino Alves Marques, Assistant Professor, Center of Physics, School of Sciences, University of Minho.

Substitute members:

José Pedro Basto Silva, Assistant Researcher, Center of Physics, School of Sciences, University of Minho.

Mário Rui da Cunha Pereira, Assistant Professor, Center of Physics, School of Sciences, University of Minho.

The first effective member will substitute the President of the selection panel in case of impediment, being nominate the first substitute member in the place of the first effective member. The Jury, including the President, undertake the commitment to respect a set of responsibilities essential to the evaluation process, such as the duties of impartiality, of stating any potential situations of conflict of interest and confidentiality.

13. Criteria and procedures for applications assessment and selection: The applications assessment will focus on the candidate's Merit, following evaluation criteria, valued on a scale of 1 to 5 values:

13.1. Applicant Merit - MC (100%):

A.1: Academic path based on academic degree classifications (50% weighting);

A.2: Adequacy of the profile to the work plan and intended functions, including in the scientific and professional path (weighting 40%);

A.3: Letter of motivation and/or letters of recommendation (weighting 10%).

The final classification of the applicant’s merit with the achieved through the following formula:

MC=(A1*0,5)+(A2*0,4)+(A3*0,1)

Candidates who do not achieve the minimum score of 3.5 on Candidate Merit (MC) will be excluded from the competition.

The final classification (CF) is equal to the classification obtained in the Candidate Merit (MC).

The academic degrees and diplomas documents, or their respective recognition when awarded by foreign higher education institutions are not mandatory in the application phase, being replaced by a declaration of honor of the candidate with the contents of academic results. The documents of academic qualification or respective recognition will be required in the contracting phase and must attest facts that occurred on a date prior to the application. In situations of divergence between the information contained in the declaration and the documentation submitted for contracting the grant, only the information contained in the latter will be consider. If the documents proving the ownership of the academic degree and diploma, or the respective recognition under the terms of Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16, do not correspond to the classifications awarded in the evaluation of the academic path, which can change the candidate's ranking, the fellowship won’t be contracted.

14. Disclosure of results: The provisional results of applications, based in the selection panel minutes, will be sent to the applicants by email until 90 working days from the applications deadline. If the result is unfavourable to the granting of the requested scholarship, the candidates have a period of 10 working days to comment, if desired, in the context of a prior hearing to interested parties, pursuant to articles 121 and 122 of the Code of Administrative Procedure (DL nº 4 /2015 of January 7th).

15. Complaint and appeal procedures: The final results of the evaluation will be published through an ordered list by final grade obtained, posted in a visible and public place of the host unit, as well as by email to all applicants, enclosing for that purpose, the minutes of the jury deliberations. The selected candidate must inform its willingness to accept the grant, in writing. In case of rejection, the fellowship will be awarded to the next candidate in the ordered list of applicants. The final decision can be contested within 15 working days, by sending to the President of the jury the corresponding claim. Interested parties may also submit an optional hierarchical appeal, addressed to the Pro-Rector for Scientific Projects and Research Management, Professor Doctor Sandra Paiva.

16. Constitution of a selection reserve list: The applicants ranked in the next positions on the ordered list will be included in a selection reserve list, which can be used until 31/12/2024.

17. Application deadline and submission: The call for applications is open for a period of 10 working days from the date of publication on the Euraxess portal.

Applications must be formalized, mandatorily, by sending an application letter accompanied by the following documents: curriculum vitae; certificate of qualifications or declaration of the candidate (if applicable); letter of motivation; letters of recommendation (maximum two); other documents considered relevant to the appreciation of the scientific and professional path. Applications must be sent by email to [email protected] , indicating the reference of the call: 14/ECUM/CFUM/2024–FORC (1) in Subject . Applications submitted by other means will not be accepted.

18. Fellowship contractualization: The fellowship will be attributed by signing a fellowship contract between the University of Minho and the fellow, accordingly with the contract minute (annex IV of the Regulation of Research Fellowships of the University of Minho (RBIC), published in Diário da República, 2nd Série, no. 119, through dispatch no. 6524/2020 of 22-06-2020, ratified by ratification declaration no. 447/2021 of 22-06-2021, as indicated in 2.4 of the FCT document: “Rules for Granting and Management of Grants within the scope of R&D projects, including infrastructure projects, the multi-annual financing program for R&D units and other FCT financing instruments (Version 2021) ”.The contract may only be concluded after all the documentation required is collected, which must take place within a maximum period of 10 days. Once all the documentation has been received, the contracting entity has a period of 60 working days to conclude the scholarship contract. Once received, the fellow must return the contract duly signed within 15 working days. The activities under the fellowship contract can only began after proper authorization by the contracting entity.

19. Term and cancellation of fellowship contracts: Without prejudice to the other causes provided the fellowship regulations (FCT and UMinho) and in the Statute of the Research Fellow, the fellowship ends with the completion of the work plan, as well as with the expiration date for which it was granted or renewed. At the end of the fellowship, the grantee is obliged to present a Final Report of the work carried out, in accordance with the objectives and evaluation criteria defined with the scientific advisor, within 30 days after the end of the scholarship. The final report must be prepared in accordance with Annex I of the Scientific Research Fellowships Regulation of the University of Minho (RBIC), published in Diário da República, 2nd Série, no. 119, through dispatch no. 6524/2020 of 22-06-2020, ratified by ratification declaration no. 447/2021 of 22-06-2021.

Requirements

Research Field: Physics
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field: Engineering » Materials engineering
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications