Research grant for a postdoctoral scholarship

Project title: Portugal, Cold War International Law, and the Refugee Convention - POLITIC

Project reference: 2023.15100.PEX

A call for applications is open for a research grant for a postdoctoral scholarship under the Portugal, Cold War International Law, and the Refugee Convention, funded by Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the following conditions:

1. Scientific Area: International Refugee Law

   About the project: The project seeks to investigate the ways in which Cold War politics shaped Portugal’s accession to the 1951 Refugee Convention in 1960, fourteen years before the Carnation revolution marked the country’s break from authoritarian rule. While scholars have examined the relationship between the Cold War and Portugal’s membership in the NATO alliance, the context of its accession to the Refugee Convention remains largely uncharted. This is visible not only in the literature on the Estado Novo, but also in the scholarship on Cold War international law, part of which has explored how the Cold War shaped international refugee law.

   Seeking to address this gap, POLITIC will investigate Portuguese governmental acts (1958-1960), as well as the legal and political works of key mainland Portuguese authors and figures from the colonies (1950s-1974). The project has three main objectives:

2. To understand better the relationship between Portugal’s accession to the Refugee Convention and the Cold War;
3. To shed light on the relationship between authoritarianism, the Cold War and the Refugee Convention;
4. To contribute to debates on the legacies of the Cold War in contemporary times.

1. Admission requirements: 

- PhD awarded in international refugee law (interdisciplinary perspectives particularly valued);

- Academic experience in English;

- Knowledge of Portuguese. 

1. Other requirements: (requirements that can be valued)

   - Publication record in relevant fields in international peer-reviewed journals;
   - Research experience in relevant fields.

2. Work plan: 

• Archival research and desk research 
• Contribution to the drafting of a co-authored article (to be published in a peer-reviewed journal) 
• Contribution to the organization of research activities (webinars and conferences) and other activities related to the project

1. Applicable legislation and regulations: Pursuant to the NOVA University Lisbon Research Grant Regulations, approved by Order no. 9484/2023 of 14 September 2023, as well as the Research Grant Holder Statute, approved by Law no. 40/2004, of 18 August, as amended and republished by Decree-Law no. 202/2012, of 27 August and by Law no. 12/2013, of 29 January, Decree-Law no. 89/2013, of 29 January.º 40/2004, of 18 August, amended and republished by Decree-Law no. 202/2012, of 27 August and by Law no. 12/2013, of 29 January, by Decree-Law no. 89/2013, of 9 July and by Decree-Law no. 233/2012, of 29 October (available at https://dre.pt/dre/legislacao-consolidada/lei/2004-58216179)

   
   

2. Place of work: The work will be carried out at the Nova School of Law, under the scientific supervision of Professors Veronica Corcodel and Jeremy Julian Sarkin. 

1. Duration of the grant: The grant will last for 12 months, starting on February 6, 2025. The scholarship contract may be renewed for the duration of the project assignment or for the duration of the funding.

1. Amount of the monthly maintenance allowance: The amount of the scholarship corresponds to €1801, according to the table of values defined in Annex I of the NOVA University Lisbon Research Scholarship Regulations, approved by Order no. 9484/2023 of 14 September 2023, and payment is made monthly by bank transfer.

1. Selection methods: (define % of parameters to be assessed)

The selection methods to be used will be as follows:

- Strong publication record in refugee and migration studies – 30%

- Relevance of the Curriculum Vitae for the project – 30%

- 2-page Cover Letter explaining how the candidate’s research expertise can contribute to the project – 40%

1. Composition of the Selection Panel:

   President of the Jury:

   Veronica Corcodel

   Effective members:

   Nausica Palazzo

   Jeremy Julian Sarkin

   Alternates:

   Ana Cristina Nogueira da Silva

   
   

2. How the results are publicised/notified:

   The final results of the assessment proposed by the jury will be notified to the candidates by email, no later than 90 working days after the deadline for submitting applications, and they will be able to access the minutes and the shortlist, and comment within 10 working days on the draft decision in the context of a prior hearing of interested parties, under the terms of the Code of Administrative Procedure. At the end of the period set for the hearing of interested parties and in the absence of any response, the shortlist will become final. Candidates may lodge a complaint against the final decision within 15 working days (to the email address used for notification), or appeal to the highest executive body of the funding organisation within 30 working days of notification of the final decision, addressed to (the Directorate or CEDIS) via the email address cedis@novalaw.unl.pt.

1. Application deadline and form of submission: The call for applications will be open between January 10 and January 24, 2025.

   
   

2. Applications must be formalised by sending an email to concurso.bolsas@novalaw.unl.pt, mentioning the grant reference "Research grant no. 1/2025" in the subject line of the email.

1. The application must consist of a single PDF file, including: 
   1. Motivation letter (up to two pages)
   2. Detailed CV (including email address and telephone number);
   3. Documents proving the academic degrees obtained and grades in all subjects taken;

(For academic degrees awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it is compulsory to present the registration of the recognition of the academic degree and the conversion of the final classification to the Portuguese scale (process regulated by Decree-Law no. 341/2007, of 12th October), or alternatively, to obtain equivalence/recognition of the academic degrees (process regulated by Decree-Law no. 283/83, of 21st June)).

1. Proof of enrolment for the current academic year as set out in point 2 of the Notice;
   1. Optional letters of recommendation.

Lisbon, 9 of January of 2025

The Director – Margarida Lima Rego