진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

A call for applications is open for 1 Postdoctoral Research Grant (BIPD) within the scope of the project URGENT – Unravelling the Role of Great Predators within Anticyclonic Eddies: Nature Tools for Climate Change Mitigation [FCT- 2025.07513.MAD], under the following conditions:

I. Scientific Area: Marine Sciences, Marine Ecology, Marine Biology, Biogeochemistry, or related fields.

II. Admission Requirements:

• General Requirements:
a) Holder of a PhD in Marine Sciences, Ecology, Biology, or related scientific fields;
b) The PhD degree must have been obtained within the three years prior to the date of application submission;

c) The postdoctoral research must be carried out at a host institution different from the institution where the research work that led to the granting of the PhD degree was developed;

d) The research activities must not require postdoctoral experience;

e) The research activities have a development and execution period equal to or less than three years;

f) The scholarship recipient does not exceed, with the signing of the scholarship contract in question, including possible renewals, an accumulated period of three years in this type of scholarship, whether consecutive or intermittent.

• Preferred requirements:
a) Experience in project management;

b) Experience in fieldwork with marine megafauna;

c) Experience in fieldwork in island habitats / remote areas;

d) Advanced skills in statistical analysis, programming, and ecological modeling;

e) Experience in model analysis involving predator-prey interactions, bioenergetic models, and biogeochemical cycles (especially carbon);

f) Experience in computing nutrient transfer by whales and the influence of environmental and oceanographic variables;

g) Publications in international scientific journals indexed in the area of ​​Marine Sciences.

III. Work plan: The grant aims to contribute to the scientific execution of the URGENT project (Unravelling the Role of Great Predators within Anticyclonic Eddies: Nature Tools for Climate Change Mitigation), funded by the FCT within the scope of the SR&DT Madeira Project Competition – Tourism and the Sea (Ref. 2025.07513.MAD). The project's main objective is to characterize the effects of anticyclonic ocean eddies on the temporal and spatial (horizontal and vertical) occurrence of top marine predators and, furthermore, to quantify the contribution of these animals to biogeochemical cycles, especially the carbon cycle. For this purpose, a resident population of a large deep-diving marine predator on Madeira Island will be used as a model system. The activities to be developed encompass the following project tasks, focusing on d):
a) project management and communication;

b) Characterization of horizontal and vertical movements of cetacean species that dive to great depths in field campaigns in Madeira, using biotelemetry;

c) Characterization of the 'Deep Scattering Layer' in the preferred habitats of cetaceans in the waters of Madeira;

d) Modeling of carbon sequestration and nutrient movement by large marine predators.

The fellow will also contribute to the preparation of scientific publications and dissemination of results.

IV. Applicable legislation and regulations: Research Fellow Statute, in its current wording; University of Madeira Research Grant Regulations; FCT, I.P. Research Grant Regulations, in its current wording.

V. Workplace: The work will be carried out at the Regional Research Unit in Madeira of MARE – Centre for Marine and Environmental Sciences (MARE-Madeira), co-supervised by the University of Madeira (UMa) and the Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation (ARDITI), under the scientific guidance of Dr. Filipe Alves (Coordinator of the URGENT project) and Dr. Marc Fernandez (responsible for point III, section ‘d’ - modeling of carbon sequestration and nutrient movement by large marine predators). Fieldwork will predominantly take place in the Madeira archipelago, with possible trips to other study locations within the scope of the project.
VI. Duration of the grant(s): The grant will have an initial duration of 12 months, and may be renewed at most until the end of the project, depending on the project's budgetary availability and the positive evaluation of the grantee's performance, in accordance with current legislation.
VII. Monthly maintenance allowance: The scholarship amount corresponds to €1901.00, according to the table of values ​​for scholarships awarded directly by FCT, I.P. in Portugal (http://alfa.fct.mctes.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores).

VIII. Selection methods: The selection methods will be applied in the evaluation and classification of candidates:
1. Curriculum Evaluation (AC) – 60%: analysis of the academic and scientific curriculum, with special attention to experience in biogeochemical cycles with marine megafauna, technical skills in ecological modeling. Logic, analysis of predator-prey interactions, and record of scientific publications in indexed international journals.
2. Interview (E) – 40%: preferably conducted in person, or by videoconference when necessary, assessing motivation, suitability to the work plan, scientific communication skills, and potential for integration into the research team.
The three candidates with the best ranking in the curriculum evaluation will be called for an interview. The final ranking is calculated using the formula: CF = 0.60 × AC + 0.40 × E. In case of a tie, the ranking from the curriculum evaluation prevails.

IX. Composition of the Selection Jury:
President: Dr. Felipe Alves
Member: Dr. Marc Fernandez
Member: Prof. Dr. Manfred Kaufmann
Alternate Member: Dr. Ana Dinis
X. Method of publication/notification of results:
The admission lists, as well as the results of each selection method and final ranking lists, will be published on the website of the Human Resources Unit – Scholarship Holder Center of the University of Madeira, http://urh.uma.pt/, and the candidate will be notified by email.

XI. Application deadline and method of submission:
a) Applications may be submitted within 10 working days following the publication of the Notice;

b) Applications must be formalized by sending an application letter accompanied by the following documents: Letter of motivation, Curriculum Vitae, qualification certificate.
c) Applications must be submitted in person between 9:00 am and 12:30 pm and between 2:00 pm and 5:30 pm at the Human Resources Unit – Scholarship Holder Center of the University of Madeira, located at Colégio dos Jesuítas, Rua dos Ferreiros, 9000-081 Funchal, or by mail to the same Service and address, and also by email to [email protected], addressed to the Jury President, with the scholarship reference in the subject line.