Research Grant - Edital BI-ISISE-UMINHO-C644876810-00000019-2.1

17 Feb 2025
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Universidade do Minho - ISISE

Department

ISISE

Research Field

Engineering » Civil engineering
Engineering » Other

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Positions

Master Positions

Country

Portugal

Application Deadline

5 Mar 2025 - 23:00 (Europe/Lisbon)

Type of Contract

Not Applicable

Job Status

Not Applicable

Offer Starting Date

18 Feb 2025

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

NextGenerationEU

Reference Number

C644936001-00000045

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

A call is open to award (3) research grants within the R&D Project “NGS - New Generation Storage”, with reference C644936001-00000045 , funded by PRR – Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência – and by the European Funds Next Generation EU, under the incentive system “Agendas para a Inovação Empresarial”, in the following conditions:

 

RESEARCH FIELD: Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering or related fields.

 

CANDIDATES PROFILE / CANDIDATE ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Mandatory requirements:

In order to apply, the candidates must possess:

• A Master's degree in the field of Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geotechnics, or related fields;
• Applicants must comply with the eligibility conditions laid down in article 9 of the Research Grants Regulation of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (2019).

At the time of the respective hiring, candidates must prove that they are enrolled in one of the following courses:

• PhD in Civil Engineering, or related fields;
• In a Course that do not confer an academic degree, integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution, in the area or area related to that requested in the tender (e.g.: postgraduate studies, advanced studies, specialized training).

Preferential factors:

• Previous experience in the development of environmental impact studies and the implementation of the Life Cycle Assessment method;
• Previous experience on experimental work and on the characterization and development of new materials based on wastes, circular economy and construction;
• Previous experience in the execution and monitoring of geotechnical tests;
• Previous experience in experimental and laboratory work in the characterization of mine tailings;
• English language proficiency.

Requirement for granting the fellowship:

• The applicants may apply without prior registration in the course for which the fellowship is open. The requirement to enroll in a degree course or non-academic degree course will be verified on the date of contracting the fellowship.
• Only fellowships whose selected applicants present a valid proof of enrollment in a degree course or non-academic degree course will be contracted, according to the type of the fellowship, indicating, respectively, the academic year or its duration (start and term).

 

APPLICATION / ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The call is open from 18/02/2025 to 05/03/2025 (23:00 – Europe/Lisbon).

Applications must be sent exclusively by e-mail to eduardo.pereira@civil.uminho.pt , with the subject “Edital BI-ISISE-UMINHO-C644876810-00000019-2.1”, with the following documents: 

Elements of the National Identity Card/Citizen Card/Passport/Visa/Title of Residence;

Curriculum Vitae of the candidate, in Portuguese or in English;

Certificates of the academic degree(s) required, specifying the final grading (mandatory) and, if possible, the grades obtained in all the attended curricular units, or, alternatively, the candidate's declaration of honour that the degree was obtained until the end of the term of application;

Motivation letter, in Portuguese or in English.

Failure to comply with the application submission deadline, such as failure to submit or late submission of the application and the documents referred to in points 2) and 3), will result in the application being rejected.

Regarding the above mentioned admissibility requirements, the following should be noted:

• In the case of a degree granted by a foreign higher education institution, and in order to ensure the application of the principle of equal treatment to candidates holding foreign and national academic degrees, it is mandatory to recognize the degree and convert the respective final grading to the Portuguese grading scale. The academic degrees and diplomas documents, or their respective recognition when awarded by foreign higher education institutions are not mandatory in the application phase, being replaced by a declaration of honour of the candidate with the contents of academic results. The documents of academic qualification or respective recognition will be required in the contracting phase and must attest facts that occurred on a date prior to the application. In situations of divergence between the information contained in the declaration and the documentation submitted for contracting the grant, only the information contained in the latter will be consider. If the documents proving the ownership of the academic degree and diploma, or the respective recognition under the terms of Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16, do not correspond to the classifications awarded in the evaluation of the academic path, which can change the candidate's ranking, the fellowship won’t be contracted.
• Applicants with degrees obtained abroad must present proof of recognition of qualifications in Portugal and conversion of the final classification obtained in them to the Portuguese classification scale or declaration under the terms indicated in the previous point. Candidates who do not comply with one of these provisions, the Selection Panel will assign “0” in the respective criteria. Candidates will be evaluated on the remaining parameters.
• Only candidates who have completed the required qualification by the end of the application period will be admitted. If they do not yet have the official degree certificate, a declaration of honour from the candidate stating that he/she has completed the qualifications required by the end of the application period, will be accepted. At the time of the respective hiring the candidate must present the official degree certificate.

 

DURATION OF THE RESEARCH GRANT

The research grant will last for 9 months, with a provisional starting date in April 2025.

The grant may be renewed until the maximum predicted in the project and/or applucable legislation, if it is necessary to complete the academic degree or to carry out activities that are essential for the conclusion of the project.

 

WORK PLAN AND OBJECTIVES

The work plans to be developed is part of the BPs 1 to 3, with the goal of accomplishing the following tasks: 

• Analise the Lithium production chain under study and evaluate the environmental impact of the different stages, including the identification of areas where optimization may be made from the environmental viewpoint, including the reduction of resources and the incorporation of waste, recycled or reused materials;
• Test alternative solutions for valorization of the Lithium production chain outflows, exploring circular economy principles and optimizing environmental performance;
• Study the possibility of development of a predictive algorithm for LCA;
• Study and validate the alkaline activation technique in the inertization and mechanical stabilization of mine tailings. For this study mine tailings of Portuguese mines under exploration will be used;
• Evaluation of the strength and deformability characteristics of tailing mixtures through uniaxial and triaxial compressive tests under different conditions;
• Evaluation of the use of fly ash and/or ceramic powder as precursor, and activators in solid form;
• Realization and interpretation of chemical analysis (SEM, XRD) of the mixtures;
• Realization and interpretation of leachate tests in selected mixtures;
• Study of the possibilities of translation of the obtained results to the Lithium production chain, including the ore extraction and processing, as well as refining and end products.

The work plan includes the support to the execution of the project deliverables, including scientific publications or periodic reports.

 

HOST INSTITUTION AND SCIENTIFIC SUPERVISION

The work will be carried out at ISISE - Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering - Civil Engineering Department, School of Engineering of the University of Minho, located at Azurém (Guimarães), under the scientific supervision of Doctor Eduardo Nuno Borges Pereira.

 

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The evaluation of the applications will focus on the Merit of the Candidate, by applying the following criteria on a scale of 0 to 5 points:

Candidate's Merit – CM (100%):

• Criterion A – Academic performance (Final classification of the Master's Degree with an average of 10 - 0 values; with an average of 11 - 1 value; with an average of 12 - 2 values; with an average of 13 - 3 values; between 14 and 17 - 4 values; between 18 and 20 - 5 values) - 30%;
• Criterion B – Research and publication experience in laboratorial mechanical and geotechnical characterization of mine tailings and in the alkaline activation of wastes (high - 5 values; medium – 3 values; low – 1 value; none – 0 values) - 50%;
• Criterion C - Letter of Motivation (up to 5 values) - 20%.

The final classification of the Candidate’s Merit (CM) will be obtained by applying the following formula: 

CM = (A × 0,30) + (B × 0,50) + (C × 0,20)

If no candidate achieves the minimum classification of 3.5 points (CM), the Selection Panel may decide not to award the Scientific Research Grant in competition, due to the inadequacy of the candidates to the objectives of the project.

 

SELECTION PANEL

The Selection Panel is composed by the following elements:

• President: Doctor Eduardo Nuno Borges Pereira, Assistant Professor of the Civil Engineering Department, ISISE, School of Engineering, University of Minho.
• Effective members: Doctor Vítor Manuel do Couto Fernandes da Cunha, Assistant Researcher, ISISE, School of Engineering, University of Minho, and Doctor Tiago Filipe da Silva Miranda, Assistant Professor with Habilitation of the Civil Engineering Department, ISISE, School of Engineering, University of Minho.
• Substitute members: Doctor José Manuel Sena Cruz, Associate Professor with Habilitation of the Civil Engineering Department, ISISE, School of Engineering, University of Minho, and Doctor Joel Ricardo Martins Oliveira, Assistant Professor of the Civil Engineering Department, ISISE, School of Engineering, University of Minho.

If the President of the Selection Panel is unavailable, he/she shall be replaced by the first effective member. The first substitute member will replace the effective member.

The Selection Panel, including the President, undertake the commitment to respect a set of responsibilities essential to the evaluation process, such as the duties of impartiality, of stating any potential situations of conflict of interest and confidentiality.

 

COMUNICATION OF RESULTS

The evaluation results, based on minutes, will be sent to the candidates by e-mail.

If the result is not in favour of the applicant, he/she has a period of 10 working days to comment the results, if he/she wishes it so, in the context of a prior hearing with the interested parties, under the terms of article 121 and 122 of the Administrative Procedure Code (DL nº 4 / 2015 of January 7).

 

COMPLAINT AND APPEAL PROCEDURES

The final results of the evaluation will be sent by email to all candidates, enclosing for that purpose, the minutes of the Selection Panel deliberations.

The selected candidate must indicate, in writing, the intention to accept the grant.

The final decision can be contested, having 15 working days for this purpose, by sending to the President of the Selection Panel the corresponding claim. Interested parties may also submit an optional hierarchical appeal, addressed to the Pro-Rector of the University of Minho for Scientific Projects and Research Management, according to nº 6 of article 12º of “Regulamento de Bolsas de Investigação da FCT”.

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR FINAL AWARDING OF THE GRANT

Research grant contracts are signed with the University of Minho, accordingly with the contract minute (annex IV of the Regulation of Research Fellowships of the University of Minho). At the time of hiring, the following documents must be sent:

• National Identity Card/Citizen Card/Passport/Visa/Title of Residence;
• Copy of the certificate of the academic degree;
• Presentation of the certificate of recognition of foreign academic degree and conversion of the respective final grading into the Portuguese grading scale, if applicable;
• Document proving enrollment in the Doctoral Program or in a Course that does not confer an academic degree, identified in this application;
• Science ID;
• NIB/IBAN (document of the Bank with the name of the candidate);
• Tax Identification Number (NIF);
• Digital mobile key (digital signature).

The contract may only be concluded after all the documentation required is collected, which must take place within a maximum period of 6 months.Once all the documentation has been received, the contracting entity has a period of 60 working days to conclude the scholarship contract. Once received, the fellow must return the contract duly signed within 15 working days.

 

MONTHLY MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE

The Monthly Maintenance Allowance corresponds to the basic value of 1259,64 euros per month, according to the table of grants of FCT, I.P. in the country (Appendix I - Table of monthly maintenance allowances for the FCT I.P. Research Grant Regulation: http://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores ).

Payments are made by bank transfer on the 23rd of each month to the account identified by the grant holder.

 

OTHER BENEFITS

Reimbursement of the Voluntary Social Insurance, corresponding to the 1st tier of the contribution base (for grants of 6 months or more) and Personal Accident Insurance.

 

EXCLUSIVITY REGIME

The grantee will perform the activities under exclusivity, as foreseen in article 5º of the Research Fellow Statutes and applicable regulations.

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR GRANT RENEWAL 

Grant may be renewed for additional periods, if this information is provided in “DURATION OF THE RESEARCH GRANT" and in the contract. This additional period may not exceed the regulatory limits or the end of the project.

The renewal of the grant always depends on a petition submitted by the grant holder, on a date prior to the end of the grant contract, accompanied by the following documents:

report issued by the supervisor(s) and by the host entity(ies) on the follow-up of the grant holder's work and the evaluation of his/her activities;

updated document proving compliance with the exclusive dedication regime;

document proving the renewal of enrollment in the study cycle leading to an academic degree or of a course that does not confer an academic degree. If, at the time of the renewal, the grant holder has already obtained the degree or completed the course, the contract may still be renewed if in its clauses it is specified that the renewal, in these situations, is intended to carry out activities that are indispensable for the completion of the project. 

 

TERM AND CANCELLATION OF GRANT CONTRACTS

At the end of the grant, the grantee is obliged to present a Final Report of the work carried out, in accordance with the objectives and evaluation criteria defined with the scientific advisor, within 30 days after the end of the grant.

The Final Report must be prepared in accordance with Annex I of the Scientific Research Fellowships Regulation of the University of Minho (RBIC), published in Diário da República, 2nd Série, no. 119, through dispatch no. 6524/2020 of 22-06-2020, ratified by ratification declaration no. 447/2021 of 22-06-2021.

 

APPLICABLE LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS 

Research Fellowship Holder Statutes, approved by Law no. 40/2004 of August 18, in its current version published by Decree-Law no. 123/2019 of august 28; Regulation of Scientific Research Fellowships of the University of Minho (RBIC), published in “Diário da República”, 2nd serie, no. 119, through dispatch no. 6524/2020 of 22-06-2020, ratified by ratification declaration no. 447/2021 of 22-06-2021 and Regulation of Research Studentships and Fellowships (RBI) of the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. - in force.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

You can find the Portuguese version of the application, templates for the declaration of honour, contract and final report at:

https://isise.net/dissemination/recruitment/

Where to apply

E-mail

eduardo.pereira@civil.uminho.pt

Requirements

Research Field

Engineering » Civil engineering

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field

Engineering » Other

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Mandatory requirements:

In order to apply, the candidates must possess:

• A Master's degree in the field of Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geotechnics, or related fields;
• Applicants must comply with the eligibility conditions laid down in article 9 of the Research Grants Regulation of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (2019).

At the time of the respective hiring, candidates must prove that they are enrolled in one of the following courses:

• PhD in Civil Engineering, or related fields;
• In a Course that do not confer an academic degree, integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution, in the area or area related to that requested in the tender (e.g.: postgraduate studies, advanced studies, specialized training).

Specific Requirements

Preferential factors:

• Previous experience in the development of environmental impact studies and the implementation of the Life Cycle Assessment method;
• Previous experience on experimental work and on the characterization and development of new materials based on wastes, circular economy and construction;
• Previous experience in the execution and monitoring of geotechnical tests;
• Previous experience in experimental and laboratory work in the characterization of mine tailings;
• English language proficiency.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Good

Additional Information
Benefits

MONTHLY MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE

The Monthly Maintenance Allowance corresponds to the basic value of 1259,64 euros per month, according to the table of grants of FCT, I.P. in the country (Appendix I - Table of monthly maintenance allowances for the FCT I.P. Research Grant Regulation: http://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores ).

Payments are made by bank transfer on the 23rd of each month to the account identified by the grant holder.

OTHER BENEFITS

Reimbursement of the Voluntary Social Insurance, corresponding to the 1st tier of the contribution base (for grants of 6 months or more) and Personal Accident Insurance.

Selection process

The evaluation of the applications will focus on the Merit of the Candidate, by applying the following criteria on a scale of 0 to 5 points:

Candidate's Merit – CM (100%):

• Criterion A – Academic performance (Final classification of the Master's Degree with an average of 10 - 0 values; with an average of 11 - 1 value; with an average of 12 - 2 values; with an average of 13 - 3 values; between 14 and 17 - 4 values; between 18 and 20 - 5 values) - 30%;
• Criterion B – Research and publication experience in laboratorial mechanical and geotechnical characterization of mine tailings and in the alkaline activation of wastes (high - 5 values; medium – 3 values; low – 1 value; none – 0 values) - 50%;
• Criterion C - Letter of Motivation (up to 5 values) - 20%.

The final classification of the Candidate’s Merit (CM) will be obtained by applying the following formula: 

CM = (A x 0,30) + (B × 0,50) + (C × 0,20)

If no candidate achieves the minimum classification of 3.5 points (CM), the Selection Panel may decide not to award the Scientific Research Grant in competition, due to the inadequacy of the candidates to the objectives of the project.

Additional comments

You can find the Portuguese version of the application, templates for the declaration of honour, contract and final report at:

https://isise.net/dissemination/recruitment/

Website for additional job details

https://isise.net/dissemination/recruitment/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

3

Company/Institute

Universidade do Minho - ISISE

Country

Portugal

City

Guimarães

Geofield

Contact

City

Guimarães

Website

http://www.isise.net/

Street

Campus de Azurém

Postal Code

4800-058

STATUS: EXPIRED

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