CCMAR/BINCGAM/05/2024 | Master's Fellowship (M/F) | Environmental Sciences and Chemistry | 1 Vacancy
Research Fellowship – 1 Vacancy
Within the project: JDAMicroplastics
Project Refº: JDA ID 3200
Ref. ª: CCMAR/BINCGAM/05/2024
The Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) opens one (01) Research Fellowship for a person with a Master Degree (Bolsa de Investigação não conducente à obtenção de grau académico para Mestre), for applicants of any nationality, including stateless candidates, and holders of political refugee statute, in the scientific field of Environmental Sciences and Chemistry within the research project with the reference: JDA ID 3200 - JDAMicroplastics - “Identification and quantification of microplastics in marine samples by LC-MS”, funded by EMBRC – European Marine Biological Resource Centre, under the following conditions:
1.Host and Contracting Institution: CCMAR
This fellowship is intended for master’s degree holders that are enrolled in a non-academic degree course, integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution and developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units at the starting date of the fellowship.
2. Work Plan, Tasks to perform and objectives:
The fellowship holder will perform the following tasks:
1 - Determine the environmental markers of polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polyamide (PA), polyurethane (PU), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polycarbonate (PC) after thermal oxidation and LC-HRMS analysis.
This task involves:
a) The thermal oxidation of the mentioned plastics materials on silica and sand surfaces;
b) Analysis of the released compounds by LC-HRMS;
c) Identification of markers of each polymer.
2 - Implement and validate LC-HRMS analytical methods for microplastics on beach sand and in water.
For sand this task involves:
a) Quantitative analysis of the selected markers after oxidation on sand;
b) Quantitative correlation analysis between the released markers and the oxidized amount of plastics particles;
c) Analysis of natural samples.
For water this task involves:
a) Filtration of the samples;
b) Processing of the filters as described for the sand;
c) Analysis of natural samples.
3.Scientific Supervisor:
Doctor José Paulo da Silva, Researcher and Infrastructure manager at CCMAR.
4.Workplace:
The workplace is CCMAR (Gambelas Campus of the Algarve University, Faro, Portugal) and other places necessary for the execution of the work plan.
Requirements for the application:
5. Applicants must meet all the conditions stated below:
Master’s degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biotechnology or related area.
Non-compliance justifies exclusion from the procedure.
6. Evaluation criteria:
Through the analysis of the application documents the evaluation criteria for the applications and their relative weight for ranking are as follows:
Classification obtained in academic degrees (bachelor's and master's) (50%);
Proven experience in chromatography (40%);
Published scientific articles in international peer reviewed journals and/or in conferences in the areas of Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry (10%).
The selection committee reserves the right to contact and interview candidates if additional information or clarification of any curricular aspect is necessary. 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.
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.
7. Fellowship conditions:
The fellowship will have a duration of 12 months, expected to start from October 2024. The fellowship must be carried out under an exclusivity regimen, according to the FCT Fellowship Regulation (RBI) and of the CCMAR fellowship regulations (see here) based on the Portuguese law 40/2004, of 18 of August (Scientific Research Fellowship holder statutes) amended by the Decree-Law 123/2019 of 28 of August. A maintenance allowance of 1259.64€ will be paid monthly, through bank transfer, and will be updated as stipulated by the Foundation for Science and Technology (see here).
8. Application period: from 8th of August of 2024 to 30th of September of 2024 at 23:59 (Lisbon time, Portugal)
9. Application process and mandatory documents:
Complete applications must be submitted online at https://ccmar.ualg.pt/en/career-opportunities and must include:
A motivation letter (in English);
A detailed Curriculum Vitae (in English);
A copy of the Master’s degree certificate;
The email contact of up to 3 referees.
Non-compliance with this documents/information determines the immediate rejection of the application.
10. Results and Preliminary Hearing: The admission and evaluation results will be communicated by email within 90 working days after the application deadline. After notification, candidates have 10 working days to contest the preliminary decision.
11. Selection Committee: Doctor José Paulo da Silva, Researcher and Infrastructure manager at CCMAR (President of jury), Professor Deborah Power, Professor at the University of Algarve and CCMAR group leader (Member), Professor Adelino Canário, President of the CCMAR board, CCMAR group leader and Professor at the University of Algarve (Member), Professor Sandra Lage, CCMAR researcher, Invited Auxiliary Professor at the University of Algarve and project coordinator (Substitute Member) and Doctor André Lopes, Researcher at FCT, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade do Algarve and CCMAR (Substitute Member).
12. Notes:
Hiring Documents:
After the candidate is selected and for the hiring purpose the following documentation/information will be requested:
Proof of the enrolment (Comprovativo de inscrição/matrícula) from the Academic Services in a non-academic degree course;
Copy of the master’s degree;
Declaration of commitment stating the exclusivity regime;
Civil, fiscal, and social security Identification (if applicable);
Account Number – IBAN;
Ciência ID: https://www.ciencia-id.pt/CienciaID/HomePage.aspx.
13. Fellowship Agreement model:
After the candidate selection and all information is received, it will be signed a fellowship agreement in accordance with the model here
14. Fellowship holder Assessment:
At the end of each period od duration of the felowship contract, the activity developed by the fellowship holder will be evaluated by the supervisor, by applying the following criteria, in acoordance with the model below:
Criteria 1. Number of studied polymers (30%);
Criteria 2. Number of compounds identified (40%);
Criteria 3. Number of natural samples analyzed (30%).
15. Supervisor report model: here
16. Fellowship holder report: By the end of each fellowship period the fellowship holder must present a report. You can find the fellowship holder final report model 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 ranking, 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 endorses the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (Charter and Code).
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 regards 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.
Faro, 5th of August of 2024
