1 (one) Research Fellowship (BI) for PhD student

1 Research Fellowship(s) (BI) is(are) open at the FCiências.ID – Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências, for the project/R&D institution “Exploring the evolutionary origin of sentience”, “2022.05256.PTDC”, funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P./MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC) under the programme R&D Projects In All Scientific Domains, Exploratory Research Projects (PeX) - 2022, under the following conditions:

1.                Scientific Area: Molecular biology, bacteriology, microbiology, plant biology or ethology.

2.                Requirements for admission:   Completed Bachelor's or Master's degree. Knowledge of the English language (particularly proficiency in reading and writing) is necessary.

3.                Additional optional skills and qualifications: a) Interest in sentience research and connected theoretical problems in biology and philosophy will be considered a preferential criterion of selection.

b) Previous experience with systematic reviews will be considered a preferential skill during the selection process.

c) PhD student in an area relevant to the project.

4.                Contracting requirements: Presentation of the academic qualifications and/or diplomas. Enrolment in  PhD degree in Biology or Biochemistry (or related areas).

5.                Work plan:

One of the outputs of the project EVORISE (https://evorise.rd.ciencias.ulisboa.pt) is to articulate a prospective review of the biological literature on sentience research. This extensive literature potentially covers research on organisms from animals (including Cephalopods, Decapods and insects) through plants to bacteria (e.g., the foundational literature in molecular bacteriology concerning bacterial “decision-making” during chemotaxis). The aim is to systematically analyse how sentience ascription is justified. In particular, we would like to analyse whether this justification entails reference to specific kinds of evidence (e.g., phylogenetic or behavioural) or other kinds of theoretical considerations. Given the size of the literature, a systematic review is needed. The relevant literature will be sorted (according to standards of theoretical salience) and from it we shall try to extrapolate the evidential and theoretical rationale of sentience ascriptions. The Fellowship holder must assist the P.I. and the team with organising and carrying out the systematic review and with the ensuing analysis. Previous experience of systematic reviews will be preferable but, nevertheless, sufficient training will be provided. The Fellowship holder will become a full member of the project’s team. The team aims to publish the article related to this output, to our knowledge so far missing in the literature, in a prominent biological journal.

6.                Legislation framework: Research Fellowship Holder Statute, in accordance with Law 40/2004, of 18 August, in its current version and the FCT Regulation for Research Studentships and Fellowships, in its current version  (Reg. 950/2019 published in DR on 16th  December: https://dre.pt/application/file/a/127230968,  or at the FCT website: https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/regulamento.phtml.pt), and FCiências.ID Fellowship Regulation, as approved on 12th May 2020 (available at Regulamento de Bolsas de Investigação Científica da FCiências.ID).

7.                Place of work: The work will be developed at the Centro de Filosofia das Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (CFCUL), Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal under the scientific supervision of Professor Davide Vecchi.

8.                Fellowship duration: This position is initially opened for 6 months due to start in September 2023. The fellowship contract may be potentially renewed for 3 months.

9.                Monthly allowance: The fellowship amounts to € 1 199,64, according to table values of the fellowships awarded directly by the FCT, IP. The fellowship holder will have a personal accident insurance and can ensure the right to social security through adherence to the voluntary social insurance scheme, if not covered by any other social protection scheme, pursuant to Código dos Regimes Contributivos do Sistema Previdencial de Segurança Social.

The fellowship will be paid monthly by bank transfer.

10.              Evaluation and selection process: Candidates will be assessed by  The selection process has two phases. In the first phase, two criteria will be used:

a) Relevant expertise clearly stemming from the analysis of the CV (maximum 4 pages) - 60%;

b) Motivation letter, with a sound and clear justification of the candidate’s interest in the project (with a length of maximum 500 words) - 40%.

 After the preliminary evaluation, the best 3 (three) candidates will be contacted for an interview. And the final evaluation will be obtained considering the sum of the criteria a) and b) (70%) and the interview (30%).

Applicants whose application is scored with a final classification of less than 60 points are not eligible for granting a fellowship.

11.              Selection Committee:

President of jury: Davide Vecchi.

Effective members: Maurizio Esposito and Lorenzo Baravalle.

Alternate members: Jorge Marques da Silva and Gil Santos.

12.              Publication/notification of results: All the candidates will be notified by e-mail, sent by the call holder, with the selection meeting minutes enclosed.

13.              Deadlines: This call for applications is open from 22/05/2023 to 19/06/2023 .

14.              Application:Applications should be sent via e-mail to dvecchi@fc.ul.pt, by attaching the following documents:

a) Curriculum vitae;

b) Certificate of completion of previous degree;

c) Motivation letter (maximum 500 words in length).

15.              Processing of personal data: FCiências.ID – Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências, as the controller under the General Data Protection Regulation, collects and processes the personal data requested in the context indicated in paragraph 14., under the legitimate interests in ensuring the award of the research fellowship to candidates with the indicated profile.

The personal data will be kept for the period necessary for the execution of the purposes for which they are intended, being ensured the processing and protection in an appropriate and diligent way, the confidentiality and integrity of these data, through appropriate technical and organizational measures.

Personal data may be transmitted to third parties, namely the entity funding the research project, solely for the purposes specifically established. In this sense, whenever the transfer of personal data to countries outside the European Union and/or international organizations is necessary, compliance with the applicable legal provisions is ensured.

You have the right to request access, rectification, elimination, limitation of processing, the right to object and also data portability (if technically feasible), through the e-mail address: dpo@fciencias-id.pt. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the National Data Protection Commission.

For more information, we recommend consulting the Internal Rules of Data Protection of FCiências.ID - Association for Research and Development of Sciences at https://fciencias-id.pt/.

16.              Time limits for the appeal procedure: In case of negative decision, the candidates have 10 business days, after the date of announcement of the results of the candidates evaluation, to pronounce their disagreement in accordance with the Código do Procedimento Administrativo. Appeals against the final decision may be submitted to the Administration Board of FCiências.ID (fciencias.id@fciencias-id.pt) within 15 business days after the notification date

Note 1: The documents that prove the entitlement of the academic qualifications and diplomas, or the proof of registration in the academic degree or diploma requested on the call, can be dismissed during the application period and replaced by a declaration on their honour from the applicant. Their delivery is mandatory for the fellowship contractualization.

Note 2: Please note that - higher education degrees and diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions  need to be  recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution, pursuant to the Decree-Law nr. 66/2018 (August 16) and the Ministerial Order nr. 33/2019 (January 25). The presentation of the recognition certificate is mandatory for contract signature. More information can be obtained at: https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/pagina/degree-and-diploma-recognition.