CCMAR/IJ/01/2024|JUNIOR RESEARCHER (M/F)|Molecular Biology|1 VACANCY

Centre of Marine Sciences of the Algarve, Portugal

Updated: 3 months ago

Job Type: FullTime

Deadline: 20 Feb 2024

1 Feb 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company: Centre of Marine Sciences of the Algarve
Research Field: Biological sciences » Biology
Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2)
Country: Portugal
Application Deadline: 20 Feb 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon)
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Hours Per Week: 35
Offer Starting Date: 1 Apr 2024
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: HE
Reference Number: HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-03-101113045 e C644915664-0000002
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: Yes

Offer Description

JUNIOR RESEARCHER (M/F) in the area of Molecular Biology - 1 VACANCY

Reference:CCMAR/IJ/01/2024

Project: RHE-MEDiation e C644915664-00000026

The Algarve Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) opens a call for a Junior Researcher (M/F) of any nationality, including stateless candidates, under an uncertain term employment contract within the research project: “RHE-MEDiation - Responsive hub for long term governance to destress the Mediterranean Sea from chemical pollution.” Ref. HORIZON-MISS-2022-OCEAN-01-03-101113045, funded By Programme Horizon IA – Horizon Innovation Actions of the European Commission and by research project C644915664-00000026 - PRR: Pacto Bioeconomia Azul – Vertical Algas funded by PRR - Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência and connected activities under the following conditions:

Job Summary and Duties:

The RHE-MEDiation project focuses on studying the population dynamics of prokaryotes and eukaryotes developing in photobioreactors used in the treatment of contaminated water and wastewater.

The C644915664-00000026 project focuses on studying the microbiome of seaweeds with the purpose of improving industrial production of seaweeds.

The tasks to perform by the Junior Researcher include:

Isolation of cultivable microorganisms associated to algae;

DNA extraction;

Preparation of samples for DNA sequencing;

Results analysis using bioinformatic tools for metagenomics, genomics and statistics;

Supervision of undergraduate, master and PhD students;

Participate on the writing of scientific papers, communications and technical reports.

Relevant Legislation:

Decree-Law nr 57/2016, from 29th August, altered by Law nr 57/2017, from 19th July, (RJEC).
Portuguese Labour Law, approved by Law nr 7/2009, from 12th February in its current form.
Decree – Law nr 124/99, from 20th April in its current form.
Regulatory Decree nr 11-A / 2017, of 29th December.
Decree – Law nr 29/2001 of 3rd February.
Portuguese Administrative Procedure Code
Internal Regulation For Scientific Research and Technological Development Personnel, and Science and Technology Management and Communication at Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve here

Starting Date: The contract is expected to start from April 2024, and will last only for the time necessary to complete the described work plan.

Workplace: The workplace will be CCMAR (Gambelas Campus of the University of Algarve) and/or other places whenever necessary for the development the work.

Working Schedule: 35 hours per week.

Monthly Remuneration The monthly gross base remuneration to be assigned is 3,059.69 Euros, in accordance with subsection a) of section 1, article 15 from Law nr. 57/2017, of July 19, and with the third remuneration position of the initial level provided for in article 2 of Regulatory Decree nr. 11-A/2017, of December 29, corresponding to level 44 of the Tabela Remuneratória Única, approved by Decree-Law No. 108/2023, of November 22, 2023, to which the amount of 165.88 Euros is added, based on the required profile and experience.

Application Period: Between 5th February 2024 and 20th February 2024 at 23:59 (Lisbon time, Portugal).

Required Profile:

PhD in molecular biology, biotechnology or related areas;

Experience in characterization of microbiomes associated with algae, including their culturing and isolation;

Experience in bacterial manipulation and co-cultivation with algae;

Experience on the use of metabarcoding and algae characterization;

Experience on the application of molecular biology and Nanopore whole genome and barcode sequencing technologies;

Experience on the use of bioinformatic tools for metagenomics, genomics and statistics (e.g., Qiime2, PiCRUSt2, MicrobiomeAnalyst, PRIMER, Phyloseq (R), etc);

Experience in the supervision of undergraduate, master and PhD students;

Possess a solid record of scientific publications, in the areas mentioned above, and a good track record of collaboration in national and international projects;

Excellent knowledge of the English language (oral and written);

Experience in running a molecular biology laboratory.

Provision of false documentation will be punished by law.

Selection panel: in accordance with article 13º of RJEC the selection panel is composed of Professor Doctor João Varela, Professor at Universidade do Algarve and researcher at CCMAR, (President); Professor Doctor Luisa Barreira, Professor at Universidade do Algarve (full member), Doctor Aschwin Engelen;,researcher at CCMAR (full member); Doctor David Abecasis, researcher at Universidade do Algarve and CCMAR (substitute member) and Doctor Neusa Martins, researcher at Universidade do Algarve and CCMAR (substitute member).

The evaluation will consist of a Curricular assessment (final classification between 0 and 100 points).

The evaluation and selection of applications will consider the candidate’s scientific and curricular career path focusing on the relevance, quality, and timeliness of the criteria referred to in Article 5 (2) (a) to (d) of the RJEC, as follows:

CA) Scientific and technological, cultural or artistic production in the last five years, deemed most relevant by the candidate to perform the project tasks, in accordance with the value defined. The content of the scientific production is more relevant than the publication metrics, or the publisher entity (40%);

CB) Activities of applied research or based on practice, developed in the last five years, that the candidate considers with greater impact for the tasks to perform in the project, in accordance with the value defined (35%);

CC) Activities of extension and dissemination of knowledge, namely in the promotion of the culture and the scientific practices and developed in the last five years, that the candidate considers more relevant (10%);

CD) Management activities of scientific projects and programmes of research, technology and innovation, or experience in observation, monitoring and evaluation of the scientific and technological system, or higher education, in Portugal or abroad (15%).

The period of five years referred in the evaluation criteria may be increased by the selection panel, at the request of the candidate, when justified on grounds of suspension of scientific activity for socially protected reasons, namely for reasons of parental leave, prolonged serious illness, and other situations of unavailability for work legally protected.

The selection committee reserves the right to contact and interview candidates if additional information or clarification of any curricular aspect is necessary related with the research results. In case it takes place, the interview aims to evaluate in more detail the curricular items used to grade the candidate according to the list above.

Functioning of the Selection Panel

Evaluation (from 0-100 points) is obtained through assessment of the motivation letter (including a personal assessment of the relevance of the activities of the last five years for the present application, highlighting the chosen scientific publications), and the CV that will include the activities of the specific field and of the scientific and professional path of the applicant and of up to 3 scientific papers of the candidate’s choice.

The score of each candidate is obtained from the sums of the scores of each criterion multiplied by the weights according to the formulation:

C = CA*40% + CB*35% + CC*10% + CD*15%

After determining the final score C of all candidates, each member of the selection panel will rank the candidates according to the final scores assigned to them from the highest to the lowest. This is followed by the vote to the first place and for each successive place. A candidate is selected when they receive the majority of votes. If this does not happen in the first round of voting, the least ranked candidate is eliminated, and the procedure is repeated with the remaining candidates. In case of a draw the vote of the President of the selection panel is decisive.

The selection panel will write minutes of the meetings with a description of the evaluation and selection process including an ordered list of candidates, their classification, and the final decision. The CCMAR Board of Directors shall validate the final decision of the selection panel.

In the event that no applicant has the necessary profile, the selection committee reserves the right to close the call without any recruitment. In the event that the selected person does not take up the position because of failure to comply with documentary requirements or any other reason or later, during the contract, if they resign the jury reserves the right, upon convenience and opportunity, to assign the post to the next applicant in accordance with the ranking positions based on the selectable reservation list that can be used up to 12 months of the date of the present announcement.

Application submission process and mandatory documents:

Applications must be complete and submitted through the CCMAR website https://www.ccmar.ualg.pt/list/job . Applications are considered to be correctly submitted only after the candidate has received a confirmation e-mail from CCMAR. Applications (in English) must include:

A Motivation Letter (in English), including a personal assessment of the relevance of the activities of the last five years for the present application, highlighting the chosen publications.

Detailed CV (in English) including the activities of the specific field and of the scientific and professional path of the applicant, organized according to the evaluation criteria CA to CD.

A copy of the Doctoral Degree Certificate.

E-mail contacts of up to 3 referees.

Up to a maximum of 3 scientific papers chosen by the candidate.

Non-compliance with this documents/information determines the immediate rejection of the application.

Results: The lists of admitted and excluded candidates, and the final classification list, shall be posted on the CCMAR website at https://www.ccmar.ualg.pt/list/job-closed and all candidates will be notified by email.

Preliminary Hearing and Final Decision Deadline:

After the assessment of all applications the jury will write a provisional minute with the description of the admission process, assessment and selection, including the list of the ordered candidates and their classification and decision. All candidates will be notified by email of the provisional decision of the jury. In accordance with article 121 of the Portuguese Administrative Procedure Code, after being notified by electronic email all candidates have 10 working days, counted from the date of dispatch of the notification by electronic email, to contest the preliminary decision sending an email to the jury of the present call. The final decision will be validated by the CCMAR board of Directors, and all candidates will be notified by electronic email within 90 working days counted of the application deadline.

Candidates holding degrees awarded by a foreign university should have their degree recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution by the time of contract signing. Non-compliance justifies exclusion from the procedure. Information about the recognition procedures can be obtained at any Portuguese university or here .

The board of Directors reserves the right, due to a change in circumstances at the date of the present announcement, to cancel the present call without any recruitment.

Disabled candidates shall be preferred in a situation of equal classification, and said preference supersedes any legal preferences. Candidates must declare, on their honour, their respective disability degree, type of disability and communication / expression means to be used during selection period on their application form, under the regulations above.

CCMAR’s non-discrimination and equal access opportunities policy – No candidate can be privileged, benefited, jeopardised, or be deprived of any right or exempt of any claim in regard to descendent, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, economic situation, origin, social economy, genetic heritage, disability, chronic disease, nationality, ethnicity, territory of origin, language, religion, politics, ideology or union membership.

The members of the jury have approved this Edital on the 22nd of January 2024.

Requirements

Research Field: Biological sciences » Other
Education Level: PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications