A call for applications is now open for the attribution of 1 (one) Research Fellowship for Master Enrolled in a Non-Academic Degree Course, within the scope of the R&D project “Testing the multimodal anti-depressant vortioxetine as a therapeutic strategy to mitigate SCA3”, with the reference AtaxiaUK2023, financed by ATAXIA UK, subject to the following conditions:

Scientific Area: Health Sciences

Candidate’s Category: Masters enrolled in a non-academic degree course integrated in the educational project of the institution (UMinho), developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units.

Requirements for the granting of the fellowship:

·         Candidates may apply without prior registration in a non-academic degree course integrated in the educational project of the institution (UMinho). The requirement for registration in a non-academic degree course integrated in the educational project of the institution (UMinho) must be verified on the date of contracting the fellowship.

·         For the purpose of contracting the fellowship, the selected candidate must present a valid proof of registration in a non-academic degree course integrated in the educational project of the institution (UMinho), issued by the respective academic services of the Higher Education Institution, with the indication of the current academic year or its duration (beginning and end).

Candidate’s Profile:

a)       Mandatory requirement:

- Master's Degree in the areas of Medicine and Molecular Oncology or related areas;

- Post-graduation course in Laboratory Animal Sciences with FELASA B (DGAV) certification;

- Training Course in Advanced Statistics;

- Knowledge/Experience with serotonin-targeting anti-depressants.

b)      Not benefiting from a non-conferring degree research fellowship for an accumulated period of 2 years, consecutive or interpolated;

c)       Requirements in the contractualization phase:

- Presentation of the registration in a non-academic degree course integrated in the educational project of the institution (UMinho), developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units;

- Presentation of proof of academic qualifications*** completed until the deadline for the applications, including evidence resulting from academic degree recognition processes.

d)      Preferential factors:

- Knowledge acquired during the academic path in the area of Neurosciences, specifically in animal models of Spinoceberellar Ataxias.

***The documents proving the ownership of the academic degrees and diplomas, or their respective recognition, when awarded by foreign higher education institutions, may be waived during the application phase, being replaced by a declaration of honour of the candidate, with the verification of this condition occurring only in the fellowship contracting phase. The aforementioned declaration of honour of the candidate must attest to facts that occurred on a date prior to the application. In situations of discrepancy between the information contained in the declaration and the documentation delivered for the purpose of contracting the fellowship, only the information contained in the documentation delivered for the purpose of contracting the fellowship will be considered. If it is verified that the documents proving ownership of the academic degrees and diploma, or their respective recognition under the terms of the Decree-Law n.º 66/2018, of august 16th, do not correspond to the classifications attributed in the evaluation of the academic path and that it may, consequently, change the ranking of the candidate, the contracting of the fellowship will not be carried out.

Candidate’s eligibility: Candidates must meet the eligibility conditions set out in article 9 of the Regulation of Research Grants (2019) from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), I.P.

Work plan and objectives to be achieved: aims to develop and consolidate the scientific training of the fellowship holder, through involvement in research work.

In this context, the work plan includes the execution of the following R&D activities:

- Animal manipulation;

- Motor behavior performance;

- Data analysis (application of advanced statistics).

The present work plan aims at studying the therapeutic potential of two compounds, vortioxetine and citalopram, in a mouse model of Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3.

The following are identified as result indicators:

1- Execution of the tasks indicated above with quality, scientific rigor and in safe conditions.

Applicable legislation and regulations: Statute of the Research Fellow, approved by the Law n.º 40/2004, of august 18th, in its current version, published by Decree-Law n.º 123/2019, of august 28th; Regulation of Scientific Research Grants of the University of Minho, published in Diário da República, 2nd serie, n.º 119, dispatch n.º 6524/2020, of 22-06-2020, rectified through the rectification statement n.º 447/2021, of 22-06-2021; and the Regulation of Research Grants, n.º 950/2019, of 16-12-2019, from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. - in force.

Host/contracting entity and scientific supervision: The work plan will be developed at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), from the School of Medicine (EM) of the University of Minho, located at the Gualtar Campus, in Braga, under the scientific supervision of Doctor Andreia Teixeira-Castro.

Fellowship duration: The fellowship will last for 12 months, starting predictably in June 2023.

Amount of the Monthly Maintenance Allowance: The amount of the monthly maintenance allowance corresponds to 1.199,64€/month, according to the table of values regarding the fellowships in the country from FCT I.P. (Annex I – Table of monthly maintenance allowances of the Regulation of Research Grants from FCT I.P.), the Annex II of the Regulation of Scientific Research Grants of the University of Minho, published in Diário da República, 2nd serie, n.º 119, dispatch n.º 6524/2020, of 22-06-2020, rectified through the rectification statement n.º 447/2021, of 22-06-2021, and remaining applicable regulations.

Payment is made until the 23rd of each month, through bank transfer to the Bank Identification Number of the fellowship holder indicated in the contracting process.

Other benefits: Reimbursement of the Voluntary Social Insurance, corresponding to the 1st Echelon of the contributory base (for fellowships with a duration equal to or greater than 6 months), and Personal Accident Insurance.

Exclusivity regime: The performance of functions as a research fellow is carried out on an exclusive basis, under the terms set out in article 5 of the Statute of the Research Fellow and applicable regulations of research grants.

Composition of the Selection Jury:

President:

– Doctor Andreia Cristiana Teixeira Castro, Assistant Researcher at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute of School Institute from the School of Medicine of the University of Minho;  

Effective Members:

– Doctor Sara Carina Duarte Silva, Junior Researcher at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute from the School of Medicine of the University of Minho;  

– Doctor Marta Daniela Araújo Costa, Junior Researcher at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute from the School of Medicine of the University of Minho;

Substitute Members:

–Professor Patrícia Espinheira Sá Maciel, Associate Professor from the School of Medicine of the University of Minho;

– Doctor Bruno Miguel Barroso Rodrigues Almeida, Junior Researcher at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute from the School of Medicine of the University of Minho.

In case of impediment of the President of the jury, he will be substituted by the first effective member, being appointed a substitute member to replace the first effective member.

In case of impediment of one of the effective members, a substitute member will be appointed to replace the effective member.

Evaluation and selection criteria and procedures: The evaluation of the applications will focus on the Merit of the Candidate, in which the following evaluation criteria will apply, valued on a scale of 0 to 5 values:

Merit of the Candidate - MC (100%):

AP - Academic Path (which reflects the classifications of the academic degrees), with a weight of 40%;

PC - Personal Curriculum (which reflects the scientific and professional path/curriculum), with a weight of 50%;

ML - Motivation Letter, with a weight of 10%.

The classification in the Merit of the Candidate will be obtained by applying the following formula:

MC=(AP×0,4)+(PC×0,5)+(ML×0,1)

The Final Classification (FC) of the candidate corresponds to the classification obtained in the Merit of the Candidate (MC), with a weight of 100% (MC = 100%).

The Fellowship will be awarded to the candidate ranked in the 1st position, by order of the final ranking.

Note: Candidates with degrees obtained abroad must present a proof of the recognition of their qualifications in Portugal and the conversion of the final classification obtained to the Portuguese classification scale or, alternatively, a declaration of honour of the candidate, attesting the ownership of the academic degree required for the present competition and the final classification obtained. Candidates who do not comply with one of these provisions will be awarded a score of “0” by the jury in what concerns the classification of the candidate’s academic grade. Candidates will be evaluated on the remaining parameters.

Announcement of the results: The project of the evaluation results, substantiated on a minute, will be sent to the candidates by email, in accordance with article 13 of the Regulation of Scientific Research Grants of the University of Minho (in force).

Candidates have a period of 10 (ten) working days to pronounce regarding the project of the evaluation results, if they so wish, in a prior hearing for the interested parties, under the terms of article 121.º and 122.º of the Code of the Administrative Procedure (Decree-Law no. 4/2015, of January 7th).

Complaint and appeal procedures: The final results of the evaluation will be publicized through an ordered list, posted in a visible and public place of the Host Unit, as well as through an email message sent to all candidates, attaching, for this purpose, the minutes with the deliberations of the jury.

The selected candidate must express in writing the intention to accept the fellowship. In case of non-acceptance, the fellowship will be awarded to the candidate ranked in the following position, by order of the final ranking.

A complaint may be lodged against the final decision, within a period of 15 working days, addressed to the President of the Jury. Interested parties may also submit an optional hierarchical appeal, addressed to the Pro-Rector for Research and Projects, Professor Sandra Paiva.

Deadline for applications and form of presentation of the applications: The call for applications is open from April 17h 2023 till April 28th, 2023.

Applications must be formalized, obligatorily, by sending an application letter accompanied by the following documents (preferably in PDF format):

- Curriculum vitae (preferably: https://cienciavitae.pt/);

- Qualifications Certificate with the indication of the final classification obtained and, if possible, the classifications obtained in the curricular units, or a declaration of honour of the candidate, attesting to the ownership of the academic degree required for this competition (at the deadline for the applications) and the final classification obtained;

- Motivation Letter;

- Declaration of honour of the candidate, attesting that the candidate meets the necessary conditions for the type of fellowship, in accordance with the application requirements (namely the requirements of paragraph b) and c) of the point “Candidate’s Profile”);

- Other documents considered relevant to the evaluation process.

Applications must be sent by email to the address icvs.rh@med.uminho.pt, indicating the competition reference ICVS_BI_2023_008(1) in the Subject. Applications sent by other means or sent in breach of the application deadline stipulated in this Public Notice will not be admitted.

The lack of presentation of any of the aforementioned application documents, determines the exclusion of the respective application.

Fellowship contractualization: The granting of the fellowship takes place through the signing of a contract between the University of Minho and the fellowship holder, in accordance with the contract minute (Annex IV of the Regulation of Scientific Research Grants of the University of Minho, published in Diário da República, 2nd serie, n.º 119, dispatch n.º 6524/2020, of 22-06-2020, rectified through the rectification statement n.º 447/2021, of 22-06-2021), and in accordance with point 2.4 of the FCT document: “Rules for Granting and Management of Grants within the scope of R&D projects, including infrastructure projects, the multi-annual financing program for R&D units and other FCT financing instruments (Version 2021)”.

The contract can only be concluded after receipt of all required documentation depending on the type of fellowship in question, which must occur within a maximum period of 6 months (including proof of ownership of the academic degree or diploma required for the fellowship in question, or of its recognition in Portugal, and proof of the registration in a cycle of studies or in a course that confers an academic degree or the registration in a non-academic degree course, depending on the fellowship in question).

After receiving all the documentation, the contracting entity has a period of 60 working days to conclude the fellowship contract. In case of the fellowship contracts under the Regulation of Scientific Research Grants of the University of Minho, the deadline for the conclusion of the fellowship contract is of 15 working days, pursuant to paragraph 2 of article 15 of the aforementioned Regulation. Once received by the fellowship holder, he/she must return the contract duly signed within 15 working days.

Fellowship contracts can only begin after due authorization by the contracting entity.

Expiration and cancellation of fellowship contracts: Without prejudice to the other causes provided for in the applicable fellowship regulations (FCT and UMinho) and in the Statute of the Research Fellow, the fellowship ceases with the conclusion of the contracted Work Plan, as well as with the end of the period for which it was granted or renewed.

At the end of the fellowship, the fellowship holder is obliged to present the Final Report on the work carried out, in accordance with the objectives to be achieved by the fellowship holder and the evaluation criteria/result indicators defined with the scientific supervisor, within 30 days after the scholarship expiration.

The Final Report must be prepared in accordance with Annex I of the Regulation of Scientific Research Grants of the University of Minho, published in Diário da República, 2nd serie, n.º 119, dispatch n.º 6524/2020, of 22-06-2020, rectified through the rectification statement n.º 447/2021, of 22-06-2021.