Junior Researcher

ANNOUNCEMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR THE SELECTION OF A PhD HOLDER RESEARCHER

Internal code: Researcher/Horizon_Europe/i3S/2111/2022

A call is opened for the position of a PhD holder, for an unfixed term work contract to carry out research duties within the project "AIDA – An Artificially Intelligent Diagnostic Assistant for gastric inflammation", with reference 101095359, funded by Horizon Europe.

Scientific Area: Biomedical Sciences

1. Project summary and work plan

The project’s objective is to develop and validate a multidisciplinary artificial intelligence-powered assistant, AIDA, which helps clinicians diagnose precancerous inflammation, suggests personalised therapeutic strategies for medical treatment and follow-up, and makes personalised recommendations for monitoring patient health status, thus contributing to gastric cancer prevention.

AIDA’s clinical study will cover a wide range of parameters, including genomics, transcriptomics, various microbiomics and blood biomarkers, to investigate the transition from a healthy stomach to chronic precancerous gastric inflammation and gastric cancer. The work to be developed at the Microbes & Cancer group aims to establish the microbiome taxonomic and functional differences between patients with gastric precancerous lesions and controls. In addition to the gastric microbiome, we will analyse the oral microbiome in order to identify profiles associated with precancerous lesions that can be used as non-invasive diagnostic markers.

2. Jury

Chairman: Ceu Figueiredo; Other Members: Fátima Carneiro, Rui Ferreira; Substitutes: Joana Figueiredo.

3. Workplace

i3S - Rua de Alfredo Allen, 208 Porto, research group Microbes & Cancer.

4. Professional category and monthly remuneration

Junior Researcher, €2.153,94

5. Obligatory requirements for admission

1. PhD degree in Biomedical Sciences, Health and Life Sciences or related scientific areas. If a foreign higher education institution has conferred the degree, it must comply with the provisions of Decree-Law 66/2018, of 16th August, and any formalities established therein must be fulfilled by the date of signing the contract.

2. Research experience in the area of the human microbiome and cancer;

3. Hands-on experience in methods for characterization of the microbiome, namely 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metagenomics;

4. Experience in microbiome data analysis;

5. Publication track record in international peer-reviewed journals in the microbiome field;

6. Immediate availability to start the contract.

6. Evaluation of the applications and publication of the results

Weight of the different curricular valuation criteria

a) Detailed curriculum (80%)

- Relevant experience in methods for characterization of the microbiome (50%)

- Scientific and technological production in the area of the human microbiome and cancer, including publications in peer-reviewed journals and oral/poster communications (15%)

- Participation in research projects in areas relevant for the application (15%)

b) Motivation letter (20%)

- Interest and motivation for the research area framing the position to be hired.

If the jury decides to obtain further clarifications and additional information about the curricular elements presented, the best candidates classified on the basis of the curriculum may be called for an interview. In this case, the curricular evaluation will weight 80% for all candidates (a) 64% and b) 16%) and the interview will weight 20%.

Candidates are excluded from admission to this call if they do not fill out their application correctly or do not meet the obligatory admission requirements. If in doubt, the jury may ask any candidate additional documents in support of their statements.

False statements made by candidates will be sanctioned in accordance with the law.

The jury will take minutes of their meetings, which may be consulted by candidates upon request.

The jury deliberates by means of a justified nominal vote according to the evaluation criteria, with no abstentions allowed, and draws up a list of excluded and admitted candidates, ranked by the respective classification after the curricular evaluation. I3S publishes the list on the i3S website, www.i3S.up.pt and candidates will be notified by e-mail.

After publication of the ranking list, if their wish to do so, the candidates have 10 working days to submit comments.

In the 90 days following the deadline for submission of applications, the jury's final decision is communicated to the candidates and made public. Subsequently the institute Director, who is also responsible for the final decision of hiring, will ratify the decision of the jury.

This call is intended exclusively to fill the indicated position on offer and may be canceled before the final ranking list of candidates is ratified by the Director. Accordingly the position will no longer be available.

7. Submission of applications

Applications must include all the documents proving that they fulfill the admission requirements, namely:

a) Copy of certificate or diploma;

b) Detailed Curriculum Vitae;

c) Motivation letter;

d) Other relevant documents.

The submission of applications is digital, in pdf format, from 21 November to 5 December 2022, in the following link:

https://DOZER.i3s.up.pt/applicationmanagement/#/addapplications/ResearcherHorizon_Europei3S21112022

8. Start and duration of the contract

The anticipated start date of the contract is January 2023 and is subject to budget availability. The maximum duration of the contract will be 12 months.

9. Non-discrimination and equal access policy

i3S actively promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access. No applicant shall be privileged, benefited, prejudiced, or deprived of any right or exempted from any duty on the basis of ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, origin or social condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs, or trade union membership.

Within the framework of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, i3S adopts the Open, Transparent and Merit-based (OTM-R) principles for the recruitment of researchers, with the aim of conducting fair and transparent recruitment processes, bringing equal opportunities to all candidates.

10. Applicants with disabilities

Under the terms of Decree-Law 29/2001, of February 3, the candidate with a disability is given preference in equal ranking, which takes precedence over any other legal preference. Candidates must declare under oath their degree of disability, the type of disability and the means of communication/expression to be used in the selection process, under the terms of the aforementioned decree.