1 (one) Research Fellowship under Special Regime (BI-RE) for PhD student

1 Research Fellowship(s) under Special Regime (BI-RE) is(are) open at the FCiências.ID – Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências, for the project “Fish Vibes - Vibrational sensing and production in fishes: investigations of the underwater vibroscape (reference: HFSP RESEARCH GRANT - RGP018/2025)”, financed by International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO), under the following conditions:

1. Scientific Area: Biology, Aquatic Sciences, Bioacoustics, and related fields
    
2. Admission requirements: Master in Biological Sciences, Bioacoustics or related fields.
    
3. Additional optional skills and qualifications: Preference for training and/or experience in Marine Biology, Behavioural Ecology, and/or Bioacoustics. Experience in fieldwork, fish handling, and maintenance of fish in captivity. Experience and interest in bioacoustics and in observing and recording animal behaviour. Experience and skills in science communication, including strong oral and written skills in English; knowledge of statistical data analysis. Ability to learn new techniques and to work in a team. Candidates with a driving license (Category B) are also valued (travel expenses covered by the project).
    
4. Contracting requirements: Presentation of the academic qualifications and/or diplomas, if applicable. Enrolment in  PhD in Biology.
    
5. Work plan: Fish communicate using multiple sensory modalities (e.g., visual, chemical, and acoustic). The FishVibes project will investigate a potential additional communication mode: substrate-borne vibration. The overarching research hypothesis is that benthic and demersal fish produce and respond to vibrations. When signalling fish contact a substrate, they generate different types of mechanical waves that propagate through both the water (sound) and the substrate (substrate-borne vibration). As such, these species are expected to be vibrational communicators and contributors to the vibroscape.
   FishVibes will focus on vocal species that rely on acoustic communication for successful reproduction, namely the Lusitanian toadfish (Halobatrachus didactylus). This work plan, integrated within FishVibes, aims to: (1) Characterise the calls produced by toadfish to determine whether there is a vibrational component occurring alongside the acoustic signal in their natural spawning grounds; (2) Investigate the sensory capabilities of toadfish to detect substrate-borne vibrations; (3) Assess the physical characteristics and vibroacoustic variability of signalling environments, evaluating the role of these factors in vibrational communication. The fellowship holder will conduct this work at the Fish Bioacoustics Lab (Lisbon, Portugal) and collaborate with a multidisciplinary, international team that will provide expertise across the different components of the research. The work plan includes visits to partner laboratories in the US and the UK, and will involve a substantial amount of fieldwork, complemented by a strong laboratory component. Laboratory activities will include signal analysis, audiometry, and contributions to other tasks within the FishVibes project, which will also focus on a second model species investigated under controlled laboratory conditions.
    
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 MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Universidade de Lisboa, under the scientific supervision of Professor Maria Clara Amorim.
    
8. Fellowship duration: This position is initially opened for 12 months due to start in January 2026. 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 € 1370, 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.
   Travel expenses related to fieldwork and participation in international meetings within the scope of the FishVibes project will be covered by the project.
    
10. Evaluation and selection process: Candidates will be assessed by  
    a) Curricular evaluation - 50%; 
    b) Experience/skills in the areas referred to in the Additional optional skills and qualifications (Preferential Factors) - 30%;
    c) Motivation letter - 15%;
    d) Reference letter – 5%.
    If necessary, the jury may conducted interviews with the 3 (three) best candidates based on the sum of criteria a) to d). In the case of an interview, the sum of the scores obtained in the evaluation criteria a) to d) will represent 70% of the final grade, and the interview will represent 30%.
    Applicants whose application is scored with a final classification of less than 60 out of 100 points are not eligible for granting a fellowship.
     
11. Selection Committee:

• President – Maria Clara Amorim;
• 1st Effective member – Raquel O. Vasconcelos;
• 2nd Effective member – Manuel Vieira;
• 1st Alternate member – Vitor C. Sousa;
• 2nd Alternate member – Maria Dias.
   

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 10/11/2025 to 23/11/2025 .
     
14. Application: Applications should be sent via e-mail to mcamorim@fc.ul.pt, by attaching the following documents: 
    a) Curriculum vitae;
    b) Certificate of completion of previous degree Note 1, 2;
    c) Motivation letter;
    d) Reference letter or reference contact providing the letter;
    e) Other documents considered relevant.
     
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.