#4836

Public Notice - International Selection Procedure

Recruitment of a Science Communicator with a PhD Degree

Associated Laboratory CHANGE: Institute for Global Change and Sustainability, Reference LA/P/0121/2020 (CE3C), financed by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P./MCTES

FCiências.ID/2025/LA CHANGE/ CE3C/1

FCiências.ID - Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências, through its Chairman of the Board of Directors, following the signature of the program-contract for the attribution of the statute and complementary funding to Associate Laboratories 2021-2025, hereby announces the opening of an international call for the recruitment of a Science Communicator with a PhD Degree , equated to Assistant Researcher, within the scope of the Associated Laboratory CHANGE: Institute for Global Change and Sustainability, Reference LA/P/0121/2020, financed by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P./MCTES, in the form of an employment contract, on an exclusive regime, according to the Portuguese Labour Code and complementary legislation.

I. Admission Requirements

Portuguese nationals, foreign and stateless persons may submit applications to this selection procedure, provided they hold a doctoral degree* Biology, Environmental Sciences, or related areas, and fully comply with the following requirements:

1. At least 5 years of professional and/or academic experience after the year of completion of the PhD; proven through the coordination of projects and (co)authorship of scientific articles published in international peer-reviewed journals, in the areas of specialisation of the call, including communication and dissemination of science and citizen science - information provided in the CV and/or motivation letter;
2. Publication of at least five (5) scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals since 2019, in the areas of specialization of this position, including communication and dissemination of science and citizen science; Scopus h-index equal to or greater than 10 - information provided in the CV and/or motivation letter;
3. Proven experience in strategic communication, dissemination of science and citizen science in the fields of Biodiversity and/or Environmental Sciences - information provided in the CV and/or motivation letter;
4. Experience in organising events, training courses, technical-scientific initiatives and actions to disseminate and communicate science in a national and international context - information provided in the CV and/or motivation letter;
5. Proven experience in organising and facilitating co-creation workshops in science communication and citizen science - information provided in the CV and/or motivation letter.

* Please note that Degrees obtained in foreign countries need Portuguese Recognition issued by a Portuguese high degree Institution, according to the Decree-Law nr. 66/2018, of August 16th, and the Ministerial Order nr. 33/2019, of January 25th. The presentation of such Recognition is mandatory for contract signature. More information can be obtained at: https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/pagina/degree-and-diploma-recognition.

II. Preferential Requirements

The candidate must also have demonstrated:

1. Ability to attract competitive funding in the area of science communication and dissemination, citizen science, biological sciences, environmental sciences or related areas;
2. Ability to interact with other public or private, national and international institutions - information provided in the CV and/or motivation letter;
3. Proven experience in academic activities (teaching and/or supervising students and/or evaluation panels) in the scientific area of the competition - information provided in the CV and/or motivation letter;
4. Leadership, organisational and analytical skills to implement and manage projects related to citizen science, science communication and participatory engagement - information provided in the CV and/or motivation letter;
5. Ability to implement and manage citizen science initiatives - - information provided in the CV and/or motivation letter;
6. Experience in involving stakeholders in the quadruple helix, in particular society in general and political decision-makers - information provided in the CV and/or motivation letter;
7. Knowledge of the organization and objectives of R&D institutions in the National Science and Technology System - information provided in the CV and/or motivation letter;
8. Experience in Science and Technology management, particularly in (inter)national cooperation processes, strategic initiatives, consortia and thematic networks - information provided in the CV and/or motivation letter;
9. Proficiency in Portuguese and English (written and spoken) - information provided in the CV and/or motivation letter.

III. Applicable Law

1. Portuguese Labour Code, as approved by Law No. 7/2009, of February 12th, in its current version (CT);
2. Regulation of Carreiras de Investigação Científica e de Gestão de Ciência e Tecnologia da FCiências.ID – Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências (Regulamento de Carreiras) [namely Chapters 2 and 3] available on https://fciencias-id.pt/node/50.

IV. Workplace 

The position to be filled requires training at PhD degree and relevant professional experience, to ensure that the candidate to be hired, a Science Communicator equivalent to an Assistant Researcher, can deal with the coordination, organization and operation of the Communication Office of the CHANGE Associated Laboratory: Institute for Global Change and Sustainability (LA CHANGE). 

The candidate will be responsible for autonomously ensuring professional and properly decoded interfaces with CHANGE's various target audiences, providing opportunities, formats and fluid forms of interaction with society. The candidate must also promote interdisciplinary work on CHANGE's themes, integrate it into ongoing research projects and contribute to preparing future projects.

The activities to be carried out focus on the strategic organisation, dissemination and communication of science, namely the implementation of the CHANGE Communications Office, including:

1) Defining and updating LA's Communication Plan (including the information to be disseminated, with regard to what objectives and in relation to what type of events / policies / ..., formats and types of language, institutions, levels of intervention, ...); this is an operational tool document, of key technical and tactical importance, detailing the implementation of the LA's communication strategy in the form of specific activities, content to be developed, channels used, timetable, resources (human, goods and materials and budget) required for its implementation, as well as the respective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and metrics;

2) Operationalising the Communication Plan of the LA, harmonising it in a coherent way with the activity of the communication offices of the R&D units that constitute the LA;

3) The regular production of appealing content in different formats, targeting school and teachers’ segments, the media, companies and, in general, all who benefit from the incorporation of knowledge throughout life;

4) In the context of the LA's activity in public policies and its relations with the various stakeholders, organising events (at national and international level) that give visibility to the LA's contributions to such policies;

5) Disseminating and publicising the knowledge generated by the scientific activity of the LA's R&D units;

6) Production and/or validation of content resulting from the LA's activity, whether marketing or society orientated;

7) Management of the LA website and other relevant social networks with the production of evaluation indicators;

8) Training new science communication professionals;

9) Actively seeking funding dedicated to science communication and dissemination and citizen science;

10) Proactively liaising with science communication activities in related fields that may exist at FCiências.ID and the LA's member institutions.

The Science Communicator will be expected to participate in external funding opportunities, taking part in the preparation of national and international applications for public or private funding lines. He/she will also be expected to collaborate with the LA CHANGE Coordination and Thematic Line Coordinators, assisting in the creation of dissemination networks and thematic meetings, promoting and communicating LA CHANGE's image, liaising with partner R&D units to ensure that procedures and strategies are aligned. 

These responsibilities will be reflected in many other aspects of the future annual individual performance appraisal, which must be taken on by the candidate to be hired, in the form of proposals to the CHANGE coordinator, who is responsible for approving them, financing them and creating the conditions for their implementation, with their direct involvement.

V. Composition of the Jury

The members of the jury are:

• President – Cristina Máguas;
• 1st Member of the jury – José Manuel Rebordão;
• 2nd Member of the jury –Joana Lobo Antunes;
• 3rd Member of the jury – Rui Rebelo;
• 4th Member of the jury – Tiago Capela Lourenço;
• 1st Alternate Member of the jury – Maria Ana Dias;
• 2nd Alternate Member of the jury – Gabriela Rodrigues.

VI. Place of work

Work will be developed at the facilities of the Associate Laboratory CHANGE: Institute for Global Change and Sustainability (CE3C), in Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal.

VII. Contract Duration

The full-time permanent employment contract on an exclusive regime is expected to start in February 2025, including an initial experimental trial period of 180 days.

VIII. Monthly Allowance

The gross monthly salary to be attributed is 3.501,28 Euros, on an exclusive regime, corresponding to the position 1 of the category equivalent to Assistant Researcher, in the Scientific Research career as mentioned in Annex I of ECIC, in its current version, under the terms of decree-law 108/2023 of 22 November 2023, on which legal discounts will apply, plus holiday and Christmas allowances, as well as food allowance in the amount and conditions set out for workers with a legal employment relationship under the Labour Code.

IX. Evaluation of applications

1. Failure to comply with the Admission Requirements implies the non-admission of candidates in absolute merit.
2. The selection of the candidates approved in absolute merit will rely on the evaluation of their scientific and curricular achievements in the last five (5) years, taking into consideration the quality and relevance of the scientific production, and the professional activity indicated as more relevant by the candidate.
3. Based on the assessment of the candidates' scientific and curricular background in the last five (5) years, each member of the jury presents a justified proposal for admission (final classification equal to or greater than 75%) or exclusion (final classification below 75%) for each candidate, according to the evaluation criteria referred to in paragraph 5.
4. The final classification of candidates is given on a scale of 0 to 100%.
5. Evaluation of the relative merit of candidates, will rely on the following criteria:

• Curriculum Vitae - 40%;
• Experience in science communication and dissemination strategies for a variety of audiences and/or press offices and in citizen science - 20%;
• Experience in organising scientific and outreach events and initiatives in national and international contexts - 20%; 
• Experience with digital content and participatory workshops - 10%;
• Motivation letter - 10%;
• Interview, if deemed necessary by the jury - 10%.
• The jury may decide to interview the 3 best ranked candidates [in criteria a) to e) of paragraph 5], for clarifications and improved explanations of curricular elements. If there is an interview, the sum of the classification obtained in the evaluation criteria a) to e) will correspond to 90% of the final classification and the interview will correspond to 10%.

6. The jury shall deliberate by means of a roll-call vote based on the evaluation criteria.
7. Minutes of the jury meetings are drawn up, summarizing all relevant elements considered by jury members, as well as their individual votes and justifications.
8. After completion of the evaluation process, the jury will draw up a ranking of successful candidates with their classifications.
9. Hiring will be decided by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of FCiências.ID, based on the final jury recommendation.
10. The evaluation results will be published on the website of the FCiências.ID ("Concursos" tab). The candidates will be individually notified of the evaluation results by e-mail sent to the address indicated in the "Personal Data" section of the submitted form.
11. With the notification referred to in paragraph no. 11, the hearing phase of interested parties referred to in Article 121 et seq. of the CPA will begin, and last for ten working days.
12. The possible pronouncement of the candidate in a prior hearing must be addressed to the President of the jury and submitted in writing to concursos@fciencias-id.pt.  The President of the jury will convene a jury’s meeting to produce the final decision, within thirty working days.
13. Within five working days of the final jury decision, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of FCiências.ID will approve it and the candidates will be notified.
14. The communication between FCiências.ID (concursos@fciencias-id.pt) and the candidates will be electronic and will comply with the following rules:
    1. At the time of electronic submission of any document - namely in the case of paragraph no. 13 - the candidates must generate proof of "sent message".
    2. FCiências.ID will send an email message acknowledging documents received to the email address used by the candidates, within two working days.
    3. In case of absence of a confirmation receipt by FCiências.ID – showing the possibility of technical problems that should neither be the responsibility of the candidate nor FCiências.ID - the candidates should contact FCiências.ID, with the proof referred to in point (a), to ensure delivery and proper receipt of the documents concerned.

X. Processing of personal data

1. FCiências.ID - Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências, as the responsible for processing the personal data, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation, collects and processes the personal data requested in the context the job application, under paragraphs b) and c) of Article 6.1 of the General Data Protection Regulation (RGPD).
2. The personal data shall be kept for the period necessary for the execution of the purposes for which they are intended, and the processing and protection, in an appropriate and diligent manner, of the confidentiality and integrity of such data shall be ensured through appropriate technical and organisational measures.
3. 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 necessary the transfer of personal data to countries outside the European Union and/or international organizations, compliance with the applicable legal provisions shall be ensured.
4. You have the right to request access, rectification, erasure, limitation of processing, the right to object and also data portability (if technically feasible) by sending an e-mail to: dpo@fciências-id.pt. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the National Data Protection Commission.
5. For more information, we recommend that you consult the Internal Rules of Data Protection of FCiências.ID - Association for Research and Development of Sciences at https://fciencias-id.pt/.

XI. Compliance with public policies

1. FCiências.ID actively promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, so that no candidate can be privileged, benefited, disadvantaged or deprived of any right or exempt from any duty due to, inter alia, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, economic situation, education, social origin or condition, genetic heritage, reduced working capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs and trade union membership.
2. Under the terms of D.L. No. 29/2001, of February 3rd, a disabled candidate has a preference in equal classification, which prevails over any other legal preference. Candidates must declare their respective degree of disability, the type of disability and the means of communication / expression to be used in the selection process, under the terms of the above-mentioned diploma.

XII. Submission of Applications

1. The present call will be open from the 21st of January 2025 to the 3rd  of February 2025.
2. The application and all the required documents may be submitted in Portuguese or English.
3. Applications will be submitted online, through the electronic platform of FCiências.ID http://concursos.fciencias-id.pt.
4. On the electronic platform, applicants will complete a mandatory section on Personal Data [name, address, date of birth, contact email, nationality and scientific identifiers] and upload files with the documents listed below:

• Detailed Curriculum vitae in PDF format - mandatory;
• A document expressing interest and clearly demonstrating that the candidate has the professional experience required in the Admission Requirements, including reference to the field of specialisation and the job to be carried out - mandatory;
• Up to five publications relevant for the objectives of the Workplace - mandatory;

5. Digital copies of documents proving formal academic degrees (PhD) and/or other scientific and professional qualifications - original documents must be provided in case of actual recruitment - mandatory;
6. Other documents that candidates consider relevant for the assessment of their scientific merit, or to declare the personal situation in the cases covered in section XI-2 of this Notice - optional.
7. By decision of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of FCiências.ID, candidates who do not submit the documents identified in no. 4 will not be admitted to the call. In case of doubts, the Chairman may also invite candidates to substantiate specific data or statements with official supporting documents, before accepting the candidates’ submission.

This Public Note was approved by the jury on the 20th of January 2025.