Notice for the Award of Research Grants for PhD

The Geobiosciences, Geoengineering and Geotechnologies R&D Unit of the University of Aveiro (GeoBioTec/UA) opens a competition for the award of one (1) research scholarship, hereinafter referred to as the Research Grant for PhD, in the area of Geosciences, under the FCT Research Scholarship Regulation (RBI) and the Research Grant Statute (EBI).

The grants will be funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the Collaboration Protocol for Financing the Multiannual Research Scholarship Plan for PhD Students, concluded between FCT and the Geobiosciences, Geoengineering and Geotechnologies R&D Unit, (GeoBioTec) UI/4035/2020.

1. APPLICATION SUBMISSION

The competition is open between September 27 and 23 h 59 m (Lisbon time) of October 12, 2021.

Applications and documents supporting the application provided for in this Notice of Opening of Competition must be submitted by e-mail sent to [email protected] .

Each candidate may submit only one application, under penalty of cancellation of all applications submitted.

The provision of false declarations or the performance of acts of plagiarism by the candidates is grounds for cancellation of the application without prejudice to the adoption of other measures of a sanctioning nature.

2. TYPE AND DURATION OF SCHOLARSHIPS

The doctoral research grants are intended to finance the grantee's realization of research activities leading to obtaining an academic degree of PhD in Portuguese universities.

The research activities leading to obtaining the academic degree of doctor will take place in the GeoBioTec R&D Unit, which will be the institution of reception of the grantees, without prejudice to the work being carried out in collaboration between more than one institution.

The research activities leading to obtaining the academic degree of doctor of the selected grantees must be included in the activity plan and strategy of the GeoBioTec R&D Unit, and should be developed within the scope of the PhD Program in Geosciences of the University of Aveiro.

The work plan may take place in whole or in part in a national institution (national or mixed scholarship, respectively).

The duration of the scholarships is, as a rule, annual, renewable up to a maximum of four years (48 months), and a scholarship may not be granted for a period of less than 3 consecutive months.

In the case of a mixed grant, the period of the work plan in a foreign institution may not exceed 24 months.

3. RECIPIENTS OF SCHOLARSHIPS

Doctoral Research Scholarships are intended for applicants enrolled or candidates who meet the conditions necessary to enroll in the Doctoral Program in Geosciences and who wish to develop research activities leading to obtaining an academic degree as a doctor in the GeoBioTec R&D Unit, or in associated host institutions.

4. ADMISSIBILITY

4.1 Applicant Admissibility Requirements

The following may apply to this competition:

· Nationals or citizens of other Member States of the European Union;

· Citizens of third states;

· Stateless persons;

· Citizens receiving political refugee status.

To apply for the Doctoral Research Scholarship, it is necessary to:

· Be a master in the areas of Geological Engineering or Geomaterials and Geological Resources or in areas considered related;

· Reside in Portugal on a permanent and customary basis, if the work plan associated with the scholarship takes place, in part, in foreign institutions (mixed scholarships), a requirement applicable to both nationals and foreign citizens.

· Not having benefited from a PhD or doctoral fellowship in companies directly funded by FCT, regardless of its duration.

• Not to hold a Doctor's degree.

4.2 Application Admissibility Requirements

It is essential, under penalty of non-admission to the Competition, to attach to the application the following documents:

· Elements of identity card/citizen card/passport;

· Candidate curriculum vitae;

· Certificates of qualification of the academic degrees held, specifying the final classification and, if possible, the classifications obtained in all the disciplines carried out, or, alternatively, the candidate's declaration of honor inhow he completed the master's degree by the end of the application period;

· Record of recognition of academic degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions and registration of the conversion of their final classification to the Portuguese classification scale, or, alternatively, declaration of honour of the candidate in how he obtained recognition of the foreign degree equivalent to that of master by the end of the application period;

· Letter of motivation;

· Letters of Recommendation (2);

· Write the application and all documents associated with it, including letters of motivation and recommendation, in Portuguese or English.

The following should be noted regarding the above mentioned admissibility requirements:

· In the case of academic degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions, and in order to ensure the application of the principle of equal treatment to candidates who hold foreign and national academic degrees, it is mandatory to recognize those degrees and convert their final classification to the Portuguese classification scale.

Recognition of academic degrees and foreign diplomas as well as the conversion of the final classification to the Portuguese classification scale may be required in any public higher education institution, or in the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES, just in the case of automatic recognition). In this regard, it is suggested that the DGES portal be consulted at the following address: http://www.dges.gov.pt .

· Only candidates who have completed the study cycle leading to the master's degree will be admitted until the end of the application period. If they do not yet have the certificate of completion of the course, a declaration of honor will be accepted by the candidates in which they have completed the necessary qualifications for the purposes of the competition by the end of the application deadline. The granting of the scholarship is always dependent on the presentation of the evidence of the ownership of the academic qualifications necessary for the granting of the scholarship.

5. WORK PLANS AND SCIENTIFIC ORIENTATION OF THE SCHOLARSHIP

Title: Alkaline activation in adobes - development of new formulations and evaluation of the characteristics techniques and ambient behavior. Development of new adobe formulations that encourage I reuse it and recycling of materials, as well as new raw material sources. Alkaline activation as stabilizing of adobes, through the alteration of the structural order, to increase its mechanical and chemical properties. Analysis of Cycle of Vida (ACV) to adjust the components of the formulation of adobes, acting as a tool of ecodesign, and to allow to compare the environmental potentials impacts of the production and constructive use of adobes with other materials of construction and systems.

It will contemplate the following phases:

Scientific supervision: Dr. Fernando Joaquim Fernandes Tavares Rocha, Professor, University of Aveiro, ORCID: 0000-0002-3636-3933

6. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND BONUSES

6.1 Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation takes into account the merits of the candidate.

Applications considered admissible will be scored on a scale of (0-20) on each of the following evaluation criteria:

· Criterion A - Average Master's degree in the scientific area of the competition, with a weight of 40%;

· Criterion B – Demonstrated evidence of capacity to carry out field and laboratory work for the development of new adobes formulations using alkaline activation, with sampling, physical and chemical preparation of samples, their chemical and mineralogical instrumental characterization (XRD and FRX) and study of their properties, weighing 50%;

· Criterion C - Scientific publications or scientific technical reports in the area and participation in technical and/or scientific meetings, weighing 10%

For the purposes of the decision on the granting of scholarships, applicants shall be ordered according to the weighted average of the classification obtained in each of the 3 criteria, translated by the following formula:

Final Classification = (0.4 ×A)+(0.5 ×B)+(0.1 ×C)

For the purposes of tiebreaker, the ordering of candidates shall be carried out on the basis of the classifications assigned to each of the evaluation criteria in the following order of precedence: criterion B, criterion A, criterion C.

Important notice for candidates with diplomas issued by foreign higher education institutions:

· Applicants with diplomas issued by foreign higher education institutions may apply and will be evaluated with the same criteria as candidates with diplomas issued by Portuguese institutions, provided that they present, in application, proof of the recognition of academic degrees and the conversion of the final classification to the Portuguese classification scale in accordance with the applicable legislation.

· Applicants with foreign diplomas who do not present proof of the conversion of the final classification to the Portuguese classification scale will be evaluated with the minimum classification (10 points) in the criterion (A).

· In any case, scholarship contracts with candidates with diplomas issued by foreign institutions will only be concluded by submitting the proof of recognition of academic degrees and conversion of the final classification, as indicated above.

Applicants whose application is assessed with a final rating of less than 14 points shall not be eligible for scholarship.

7. EVALUATION

The selection jury of the candidates consists of the following elements:

Effective Members

· Eduardo Anselmo Ferreira da Silva, University of Aveiro (chair)

· Slavka Carvalho Andrejkovičová, University of Aveiro

· Carla Maria Lopes Candeias, University of Aveiro

Alternative members

· Fernando Ernesto Rocha de Almeida, University of Aveiro

· Rute Lourenço Coimbra, University of Aveiro

The selection jury shall assess applications in accordance with the evaluation criteria set out in this Notice of Opening of Competition, considering the elements of appreciation.

All jury members, including the chair, make a commitment to respect a set of responsibilities essential to the evaluation process, such as the duties of impartiality, the declaration of any potential situations of conflict of interest (CDI) and confidentiality. At all times of the evaluation process, confidentiality is fully protected and ensured in order to ensure the independence of all opinions produced.

Jury members, including the chair, may not be advisors or co-advisors to candidates with applications submitted to the competition.

For each application, a final evaluation form will be produced by the jury, where in a clear, coherent and consistent manner the arguments that led to the classifications assigned to each of the evaluation criteria are presented.

Minutes of the jury meetings shall be produced at the responsibility of all its members.

The minutes and its annexes must include the following information:

· Name and affiliation of all members of the selection jury;

· Identification of all applications excluded and their reasons;

· Methodology adopted by the jury for cases considered specific;

· Final Evaluation Forms of each candidate;

· Provisional list of classification and serialization of candidates, in descending order of the final classification, of all applications evaluated by the jury;

· CDI statements from all members;

· Any voting delegations and powers on grounds of justified absence.

8. DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS

The results of the evaluation are communicated via e-mail to the email address used by the applicant for the application/ indicated in the application.

9. DEADLINES AND PROCEDURES OF PRIOR HEARING, COMPLAINT AND APPEAL

After communicating the provisional list of the results of the evaluation, the candidates have a period of 10 working days to, willingly, rule in the pre-hearing of interested parties, in accordance with Articles 121 and following of the Code of Administrative Procedure.

The final decision shall be given after the analysis of the pronunciations presented at the prior hearing of interested parties. A claim may be lodged within 15 working days or, alternatively, an appeal may be lodged within 30 working days, both counted from their notification. Applicants who choose to submit a complaint must address their pronunciation to the member of the FCT Governing Board with delegated competence. Applicants who choose to appeal must address the appeal to the FCT Board of Directors.

10. SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS

Research grant contracts are concluded directly with FCT.

The following documents must be sent, at the time of granting the scholarship, for the purposes of their contractualization:

(a) copy of the civil, tax and, where applicable, social security identification1

(b) copy of the qualification certificates of the academic degrees held;

(c) presentation of the register of recognition of foreign academic degrees and conversion of their final classifications to the Portuguese classification scale, if applicable;

d) Document proving registration and registration in the Doctoral Program identified in this Notice;

e) Statement of the advisor(s) assuming responsibility for the supervision of the work plan, pursuant to Article 5a of the Statute of the Research Grantee (draft of the declaration to be made available by FCT);

f) Document proving acceptance of the candidate by the institution where the research activities will take place, ensuring the conditions necessary for its good development, as well as the fulfillment of the duties laid down in Article 13 of the Statute of the Research Grantee (draft of the declaration to be made available by FCT);

g) Updated document proving compliance with the exclusive dedication regime (draft of the declaration to be made available by FCT).

The granting of the scholarship is still dependent on:

· compliance with the requirements set out in this Notice of Opening of Competition;

· the result of the scientific evaluation;

· non-unjustified non-compliance with the grantee's duties under a previous scholarship contract financed, directly or indirectly, by FCT;

· finantial availability of the FCT.

Failure to deliver any of the documents necessary to complete the contracting process of the scholarship, within 6 months from the date of communication of the decision to grant the scholarship conditionally, implies the expiry of that concession and the closure of the process.

11. FUNDING

The payment of the scholarships will begin after the return, by the candidates, of the scholarship contract duly signed, which should occur within a maximum of 15 working days from the date of receipt.

The grants awarded under this competition will be financed by the FCT with funds from the State Budget and, when eligible, with funds from the European Social Fund, to be made available under PORTUGAL2020, through, inter alia, the Northern Regional Operational Program (NORTE 2020), the Regional Operational Program of the Centre (Centre 2020) and the Alentejo Regional Operational Program (Alentejo 2020), accordance with the regulatory provisions laid down for this purpose.

12. SCHOLARSHIP COMPONENTS

Grantees are granted a monthly maintenance allowance in accordance with the table in Annex I to the RBI.

The grant may also include other components, in accordance with Article 18 of the RBI and the amounts provided for in Annex II.

All grantees receive personal accident insurance in relation to research activities, supported by FCT.

All grantees who are not covered by any social protection scheme may ensure the exercise of the right to social security by adhering to the voluntary social insurance scheme, in accordance with the Code of Contributory Schemes of the Social Security System, ensuring the FCT the charges resulting from the contributions in accordance with and with the limits provided for in Article 10 of the EBI.

13. PAYMENTS OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE SCHOLARSHIP

Payments due to the grantee are made by bank transfer to the account identified by the grantee. The monthly maintenance allowance is paid on the first business day of each month.

Payments of the components of registrations, enrolment fees or tuition fees are made by FCT directly to the national institution where the grantee is enrolled or registered in the doctorate.

14. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF RENEWAL OF THE SCHOLARSHIP

The renewal of the scholarship always depends on the application submitted by the grantee, within 60 working days prior to the date of renewal, accompanied by the following documents:

a) opinions issued by the advisor and host entity/s on the monitoring of the grantee's work and the evaluation of its activities;

b) updated document proving compliance with the exclusive dedication regime;

c) document proving the renewal of the registration in the cycle of studies leading to the degree of doctor.

15. INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY OF THE FINANCING GRANTED

In all R&D activities directly or indirectly financed by the grant, in particular in all communications, publications and scientific creations, as well as theses, carried out with the support provided for in the grant, the mention of financial support from FCT and the European Social Fund should be expressed through, inter alia, the Northern Regional Operational Program (NORTE 2020), Regional Operational Program of the Center (Center 2020) and the Regional Operational Program of Alentejo (Alentejo 2020). For this purpose, the insignia of FCT, MCTES, ESF and EU icons shall be entered in the documents relating to these actions, in accordance with the graphic standards of each operational program.

The dissemination of research results funded under the RBI shall comply with the rules of open access to data, publications and other research results in force in the FCT.

In all grants, and in particular in the case of actions supported by Community funding, in particular the ESF, follow-up and control actions may be carried out by national and Community bodies in accordance with applicable legislation in this area, with the grantees supporting the obligation to collaborate and provide the requested information, which covers the carrying out of surveys and evaluation studies in this area, even if the scholarship has already ceased.

16. POLICY OF NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL ACCESS

The FCT promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, so that no candidate may be privileged, beneficiary, impaired or deprived of any right or exempt from any duty on grounds, inter alia, of ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, origin or social condition, genetic heritage, reduced working capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions and trade union membership.

17. APPLICABLE LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS

The Contest is governed by this Notice of Opening, by the FCT Research Scholarship Regulations, approved by Regulation No. 950/2019, published in the II Series of the DR of December 16, 2019, by the Statute of the Research Fellow approved by Law No. 40/2004 of August 18, in the drafting in force, and by other applicable national and Community legislation.

[1] The availability of these documents may be replaced, at the candidate's option, by the face-to-face presentation at the funding entity, which shall keep the elements contained therein which are relevant to the validity and performance of the contract, including civil, tax and social security identification numbers, as well as the validity of the respective documents.