1 (one) Research Fellowship (BI) for a 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 “ WorldTrans – TRANSPARENT ASSESSMENTS FOR REAL PEOPLE” at Instituto D. Luiz of the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa”, Reference HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-06-01- HORIZON-CL5-2022-D1-02-03 - 101081661, financed by by European Union´s Horizon Europe Research & Innovation Programme under the Grant Agreement No. 101081661, under the following conditions:

1. Scientific Area: Physics and Energy Systems, Earth Sciences, Climate change and Environmental modelling, or similar areas.
    
2. Admission requirements:  
   - Completed MSc in Physics, or Energy Systems, or Ecological modelling.
   - Experience with modelling of interaction between natural and human systems (energy, ecological and climate modelling). 
    
3. Additional optional skills and qualifications: 
   - Knowledge of Systems Dynamics modelling, with experience in the Stella platform preferred (information provided in the CV and/or in the motivation letter).
   - Proven ability to work in international teams (through project participation -  information provided in the CV and/or in the motivation letter).
   - Knowledge of biosphere-human interactions and social-ecological concepts  (information provided in the CV and/or in the motivation letter).
   - Experience with participatory processes for solutions of for environmental problems (such as Citizen Assemblies, climate negotiations, etc) - (information provided in the CV and/or in the motivation letter).
   - Proficiency in written and spoken English - (information provided in the CV and/or in the motivation letter).
    
4. Contracting requirements: Presentation of the academic qualifications and/or diplomas, if applicable. Enrollment in  a PhD course. 
    
5. Work plan: This work plan calls for a transdisciplinary approach to scenario and model development to create tools, methods and scenarios exploring transformative change of humanity’s relationship with nature. The work plan includes the following activities:
   - Develop integrated assessment models (IAMs) to effectively inform decision-making in global development issues, and specifically to measure the progress towards the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and the Paris Agreement.
   - Implement a set of indicators from the KMGBF monitoring framework on the global level in an existing systems dynamics IAM (FRIDA).
   - Integrate the biosphere more accurately in this model, including quantifications of the state of terrestrial, freshwater and marine biodiversity and refine the human behaviour module of FRIDA to explore the implications for risk perception, behaviour change and decision making.
   - Apply downscaling tools to FRIDA’s national-level results to explore nature’s contributions to people at a local level and to develop projections for indicators of biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people that give a locally appropriate representation of the three value perspectives on nature in the Nature Futures Framework (NFF): nature for nature, for society and as culture.
   - Generate scenarios of transformative change by using the NFF and FRIDA in conjunction, based on the calculated indicators, by drawing upon the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment.
   - Develop tools and methods to conduct participatory processes to co-create scenarios with relevant stakeholder groups to catalyse civil engagement, to inform decision making, and to serve educational purposes.
    
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 IDL – Institute Dom Luiz, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon under the scientific supervision of Professor Alexandre C. Köberle (supervisor) and Cristina Branquinho (co-supervisor).
    
8. Fellowship duration: This position is initially opened for 12 months and due to start in  September 2025. The fellowship contract may be potentially renewed for  until the end of the project, in accordance with the provisions of Regulation of Research Fellowships from the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P and FCiências.ID Fellowship Regulation. 
    
9. Monthly allowance: The fellowship amounts to € 1309,64, according to table values of the FCiências.ID Fellowship Regulation. 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.
    Additionally, a tuition fees support grant (SAP) may be paid to support the costs with the tuition fees, in accordance with the provisions of Article 21(6) of the FCiências.ID Fellowship Regulation; as well as a Single Travel Allowance and a Single Accommodation Allowance. 
    
10. Evaluation and selection process: Candidates will be assessed by a) CV (60%), b) motivation letter (40%). If considered necessary by the jury, an interview with the top 3 (three) candidates based on the total of criteria a) and b). If there is an interview, the sum of the evaluations obtained in evaluation criteria a) and b) will correspond to 90% of the final classification and the interview to 10%.
    Applicants whose application is scored with a final classification of less than 70 points are not eligible for granting a fellowship.
     
11. Selection Committee:

• President – Alexandre C. Köberle;
• 1st Effective member –  Wanderson Costa;
• 2nd Effective member – Ricardo Trigo;
• 1st Alternate member – Cristina Branquinho;
• 2nd Alternate member –  Pedro Matos Soares.
   

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 02/07/2025 to 15/07/2025 .
     
14. Application: Applications should be sent via e-mail to ackoberle@ciencias.ulisboa.pt, by attaching the following documents:
    a) Curriculum vitae;
    b) Certificate of completion of previous degree Note 1, 2;
    c) Motivation Letter.
     
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 can be dismissed during the application period and replaced by a declaration on their honour from the applicant (Minuta PT, Minute EN). 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.