Research initiation fellowships (RIF), within the framework of project: “DikesFPro - Integrating data and models to understand dikes failure processes",

RESEARCH INITIATION FELLOWSHIPS (RIF)

2 - Offer description

As per the terms laid down in the Research Fellowship Holder Statute, approved by Law no. 40/2004 , 18 August, as it stands, and in the FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) Regulations for studentships and fellowships, we announce the launching of a call for three research initiation fellowships (RIF), within the framework of project: “DikesFPro - Integrating data and models to understand dikes failure processes", with the reference PTDC/ECI-EGC/7739/2020

3 – Financing source

Budget of the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Foundation for Science and Technology) in its SB (State Budget) component. Grant rate of 100%.

4 – Scientific area

Computer or Multimedia engineering

5 - Duration

The fellowship will have a 6-month duration and is scheduled to start in June 2024. The fellowship contract may be renewed until the end of the project (March 2025).

6 – Reserve list

A reserve list for selection shall be drawn up for a 6-month period as from the date of the final decision of this call.

7 – Activity Regime

All the work shall be developed on an exclusive dedication regime, as per the provisions laid down in the Research Fellowship Holder Statute, approved by Law no. 40/2004, 18 August, as it stands, which can be consulted on FCT and LNEC websites.

8 - Work plan and objectives

The objectives of the work consist in:

• Supporting the tasks required to carry out the sharing and dissemination actions of the Project's knowledge, namely the Seminar and Workshop planned under Task 8:
• Creating the DikesFPro Project WebSite with a platform for sharing results, which is also included in Task 8 of the Project.
• Supporting the ongoing experimental work, namely the two types of experimental tests: 1) dike failure due to overtopping; 2) dike failure due to internal erosion (Tasks 1 and New Task 7 of the Project)
• Constructing a WebSIG with 1) the updating of the .kml file of Portuguese, Mozambican and Cape Verdean dams; 2) location and characteristics of the dams;
• Supporting the organization activities of several conferences presently underway, as the use of Conftool;
• Supporting the generation of highly realistic 3D images of 3D and 2D models; ii) creating a communication web platform for sharing images and project data/results with clients and/or partners

9 - Location

Workplace: LNEC – National Laboratory for Civil Engineering, I.P.

Avenida do Brasil, 101 – 1700-066 Lisboa

País: Portugal

Website: https://www.lnec.pt

Email: [email protected]

The above activities will be conducted at the Water Resources and Hydraulic Structures Division, of the Hydraulics and Environment Department, LNEC, without prejudice to the possibility of performing temporary missions in Portugal.

10 - Qualifications

Eligible applicants can be:

• students enrolled in a higher vocational technical course, holders of  a bachelor's degree or the 180 credits corresponding to the first 6 curricular semesters of an integrated master's degree in Computer or Multimedia Engineering or related areas, with a view to begin their scientific training by participating  in R&I projects.

11 – Scientific supervision

Assistant researcher Sílvia Amaral, from LNEC, shall be responsible for supervising the scientific activities.

12 - Monthly allowance

The Grant shall include a monthly allowance in the amount of € 601.12. The fellow shall also be entitled to a specific social security system and to insurance against personal accidents at work.

13 - Selection methods and criteria

The evaluation of the applications shall be based on the Applicant’s Merits (MC), and the following evaluation criteria shall be scored on a 0 to 20 scale.

Applicant’s merits:

• Academic Background (PA) – scores of the academic degrees required by this call – 50%
• Professional Résumé (CP) – scientific and professional career – 30%
• Interview with the selection jury (ES) – 20%

Hence:

MC = (0,5 * PA) + (0,3 * CP) + (0,2 * ES).

The jury is entitled to decide not to award the Grant if the quality of the applicants is deemed below par.

14 - Selection jury

President:

Sílvia R. C. Amaral (Assistant Researcher)

Members:

João Nuno Fernandes (Assistant Researcher)

Maria Teresa Viseu (Principal Researcher)

Alternates:

Lourenço Sasseti Mendes (Assistant Researcher)

15 - Application documents

1 - at the time of the application:

• Letter of motivation (maximum: one A4 page).
• Degree certificate, with indication of the partial scores and final classification.
• Document stating the score obtained in each curricular unit of the course the applicant is attending.

Foreign certificates shall be valid only if they are dully endorsed by an issuing entity, or if a recognition/equivalence document is produced stating that the foreign qualifications correspond to the same Portuguese qualifications. The respective scores can only be used if they are officially converted to the Portuguese scoring scale (by DGES – Direção Geral do Ensino Superior or by a public higher education institution), even if the foreign classification corresponds to a 0 to 20 scale.

• Official document of enrollment in the degree course defined in paragraph 10 of the present notice.
• Should the candidate be unable to produce such document, without any fault on his/her part, he/she may replace it by a sworn declaration stating that he/she has been enrolled in the said degree course and undertaking to submit the said document at the time of the signature of the contract.
• Detailed Curriculum Vitae.
• Other documents (optional), such as letters of reference and supporting documents of internships or complementary courses considered as relevant for the purposes of this Grant

2 - at the time of the awarding of the contract:

• Official document stating that the applicant is enrolled in the degree course defined in 10.

Necessary information for preparing the contract.

16 – Deadline for applications

Between 26 April and 10 May, 2024

17 - Formalization of applications

The applications shall be formalized by one of the following means:

• Electronic mail addressed to [email protected] ., until 24h00 of the last day of the stipulated time limit
• directly to the Setor de Arquivo e Expediente Geral of LNEC, at Avenida do Brasil, 101, 1700-066 Lisboa.
• registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt addressed to LNEC, I.P., Avenida do Brasil, nº101, 1700-066 Lisboa; the date of delivery considered for the purpose of compliance with the stipulated time limit being the date of registration

In the last two cases, the applications shall be delivered in a sealed envelope, bearing the following information on the outside:

“Concurso para atribuição de uma bolsa de investigação (BI), no âmbito do projeto DikesFPro - Integrating data and models to understand dikes failure processes”

18 - Notification of results

The final score of each evaluation stage shall be advertised in a list sorted by the final score obtained, all applicants being notified by electronic mail. The results shall also be published on the Recruitment page of LNEC’s website.

19 -  Deadlines and procedures for preliminary hearing, claims and appeals

Once the provisional ranked list of the evaluation results has been communicated, applicants who have an unfavorable provisional decision may use their right to dispute it during the preliminary hearing phase (if requested), which takes place within 10 working days, according to the Administrative Procedure Code (CPA). The final decision shall be disclosed after the analysis of applicants’ arguments presented in the preliminary hearing. Final decision can be claimed within 15 working days or, alternatively, appealed to the Board of Directors, within 30 working days, after the communication of the final results, respectively.

20 - Further information

Additional information can be obtained by phone: +351 218 443 892 or +351 218 443 216 or by electronic mail to the address referred to in 15. The applicants living outside Portugal can also refer to the portal EURAXESS Portugal .

21 - Standard fellowship contract

Available on the Recruitment page of LNEC’s website.

22 - Model of the final report to be prepared by the research fellow and supervisor

Available on the Recruitment page of LNEC’s website.