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The Center for Research and Development in Mathematics and Applications (CIDMA) announces a competition for the award of 1 (one) research scholarship, hereinafter referred to as a Doctoral Research Scholarship, in the field of Mathematics, under the Regulations for Research Scholarships (RBI) of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and Its Research Fellow Statute (EBI).
The scholarship will be funded by FCT under the Collaboration Protocol for Financing the Multiannual Plan of Research Scholarships for Doctoral Students, concluded between the FCT and the R&D Unit CIDMA, UIDP/04106/2020.
1. APPLICATION SUBMISSION
The competition is open from September 18, 2023, to 11:59 PM (Lisbon time) on October 2, 2023.
Applications and the supporting documents, as outlined in this Notice of Competition, must be submitted exclusively via email to cidma@mat.ua.pt.
Each candidate may submit only one application, as multiple submissions will result in the cancellation of all submitted applications.
Providing false declarations or engaging in acts of plagiarism by candidates will result in the cancellation of the application, without prejudice to the adoption of other punitive measures.
2. TYPE AND DURATION OF THE SCHOLARSHIP
The doctoral research scholarship is intended to finance the research activities leading to the attainment of a doctoral degree at Portuguese universities by the scholarship recipient.
The research activities leading to the doctoral degree will take place at the Center for Research and Development in Mathematics and Applications (CIDMA), which will be the host institution for the scholarship recipients. However, collaborative work among multiple institutions is possible.
The research activities leading to the doctoral degree of the selected scholarship recipients must align with the activities and strategy plan of the Center for Research and Development in Mathematics and Applications (CIDMA) and must be carried out within the framework of the Doctoral Program in Applied Mathematics at the University of Aveiro, University of Minho, and University of Porto (MAP-PDMA).
The work plan can be carried out entirely or partially at a national institution (either a domestic scholarship or a mixed scholarship, respectively).
The duration of the scholarships is typically one year, renewable for a maximum of four years (48 months), with no scholarship granted for a period shorter than 3 consecutive months.
In the case of a mixed scholarship, the period of the work plan conducted at a foreign institution cannot exceed 24 months.
3. RECIPIENTS OF THE SCHOLARSHIP
The Doctoral Research Scholarship is intended for candidates who are enrolled or candidates who meet the necessary conditions to enroll in the Doctoral Program mentioned in point 2 of this Notice and who wish to engage in research activities at the Center for Research and Development in Mathematics and Applications (CIDMA) leading to the attainment of a doctoral degree at the University of Aveiro.
4. ELIGIBILITY
4.1 Candidate Eligibility Requirements
Candidates eligible to apply for this competition include:
- Portuguese nationals or citizens of other European Union Member States.
- Citizens of third countries.
- Stateless individuals.
- Citizens with political refugee status.
To apply for the Doctoral Research Scholarship, candidates must:
- Hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the scientific field of Mathematics or related areas.
- Possess an academic and scientific curriculum considered suitable by the jury to carry out research activities at the Center for Research and Development in Mathematics and Applications (CIDMA) leading to the attainment of a doctoral degree at the University of Aveiro.
- Reside permanently and habitually in Portugal at the start of the work plan period abroad if the proposed work plan for the scholarship includes a period at foreign institutions (mixed scholarships). This requirement applies to both Portuguese and foreign citizens.
- Not have previously received a doctoral or business-oriented doctoral scholarship directly funded by FCT, regardless of its duration.
- Not hold a doctoral degree.
4.2 Application Eligibility Requirements
It is essential, under the penalty of non-admission to the competition, to attach the following documents to the application:
- Identification documents such as ID card/citizen card/passport.
- Candidate’s curriculum vitae.
- Academic degree certificates, specifying the final grade, and if possible, the grades obtained in all courses completed. Alternatively, a candidate’s sworn statement confirming the completion of the bachelor’s or master’s degree by the application deadline.
- Recognition records of academic degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions and conversion of their final grade to the Portuguese grading scale. Alternatively, a candidate’s sworn statement confirming the recognition of the foreign degree as equivalent to a bachelor’s or master’s degree with effect by the application deadline.
- Letter of motivation.
- One letter of recommendation.
- All documents, including letters of motivation and recommendation, must be written in Portuguese or English.
- A work plan with an indication of the expected contribution to the objectives of the Doctoral Program in Applied Mathematics (MAP-PDMA) within the scope of CIDMA research. The work plan should include the following mandatory elements: title, summary, keywords, state of the art, research problems, questions, and objectives, work plan, detailed timeline, and performance indicators, framework and relevance to the objectives of the Doctoral Program in Applied Mathematics, and references (up to five pages).
Regarding the eligibility requirements mentioned above, the following should be noted:
- For academic degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions, recognition of these degrees and conversion of their final grade to the Portuguese grading scale are mandatory to ensure the application of the principle of equal treatment to candidates with foreign and national academic degrees. The recognition of foreign academic degrees and diplomas as well as the conversion of the final grade to the Portuguese grading scale can be requested from any public higher education institution or from the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES, only for automatic recognition). For more information on this matter, it is recommended to visit the DGES portal at the following address: http://www.dges.gov.pt.
- Only candidates who have completed the study program leading to a bachelor’s or master’s degree by the application deadline will be admitted. If candidates do not yet have their degree completion certificate, a sworn statement confirming the completion of the required qualifications by the application deadline will be accepted. The award of the scholarship is contingent upon the presentation of proof of academic qualifications during the contractualization phase.
5. WORK PLANS AND SCIENTIFIC SUPERVISION OF THE SCHOLARSHIP
The work will be carried out at the Center for Research and Development in Mathematics and Applications (CIDMA) at the University of Aveiro. The work plan should contribute to CIDMA’s mission and the development of the strategic plan of this research unit and must be supervised by one of its doctoral members. The scientific research area of Mathematics in which the project falls should be explicitly identified, and an explanation of how the project and its objectives will contribute to its development should be provided. The work plan must include the elements indicated in point 4.2 of this notice. The evaluation criteria specified in point 6 of this notice will be applied.
6. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND BONUSES
6.1 Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation considers the merit of the candidate and the merit of the work plan. Admissible applications will be scored on a scale from 0 to 200 for each of the following evaluation criteria:
- Criterion A – Candidate’s Merit, with a weight of 60%.
- Sub-criterion A1 – Academic background, with a weight of 50%. In this sub-criterion, the candidate’s merit is assessed based on the grades from the degree certificates.
- Sub-criterion A2 – Personal curriculum, with a weight of 50%. In this sub-criterion, the candidate’s merit is evaluated based on the curriculum vitae, motivation letter, and recommendation letter.
- Criterion B – Merit of the Work Plan, with a weight of 40%.
- Sub-criterion B1 – Quality of the work plan, with a weight of 50%. This sub-criterion assesses the merit of the work plan based on the relevance of the research project’s objectives for advancing knowledge and the suitability of the proposed methods.
- Sub-criterion B2 – Relevance to the research objectives of CIDMA, with a weight of 50%. In this sub-criterion, the merit of the work plan is evaluated based on the project’s relevance to CIDMA’s research objectives and its feasibility.
For the purpose of deciding on the award of scholarships, candidates will be ranked according to the weighted average of the scores obtained in each of the two criteria, expressed by the following formula: Scholarship Final Score = (0.6 × Criterion A) + (0.4 × Criterion B)
In case of a tie, the ranking of candidates will be based on the scores assigned to each of the evaluation criteria in the following order of precedence: Criterion A, Criterion B.
Important note for candidates with diplomas issued by foreign higher education institutions:
- Candidates with diplomas issued by foreign higher education institutions can apply and will be evaluated using the same criteria as candidates with diplomas issued by Portuguese institutions, provided that they submit proof of the recognition of their academic degrees and the conversion of the final grade to the Portuguese grading scale in their application, as required by applicable legislation.
- Candidates with recognized foreign diplomas who do not provide proof of the conversion of the final grade to the Portuguese grading scale will be evaluated with a minimum score of 100 points in sub-criterion A1.
- In any case, scholarship contracts with candidates holding diplomas from foreign institutions will only be concluded upon the presentation of proof of the recognition of academic degrees and conversion of the final grade, as indicated above.
Candidates whose applications are evaluated with a final score lower than 140 (one hundred and forty) points are not eligible for scholarship awards.
6.2 Bonuses
Candidates who have a disability level equal to or greater than 90% will receive a 20% bonus in Criterion A – Candidate’s Merit.
Candidates who have a disability level equal to or greater than 60% and less than 90% will receive a 10% bonus in the same criterion.
The disability level must be substantiated by submitting the Medical Certificate of Multipurpose Disability (AMIM), issued in accordance with Decree-Law No. 202/96, dated October 23, in its current wording, as part of the application.
7. EVALUATION
The panel for evaluating the candidates is composed of the following members:
- Dr. Delfim Fernando Marado Torres, University of Aveiro (panel coordinator).
- Dr. Dirk Hofmann, University of Aveiro (member).
- Dr. Adelaide de Fátima Baptista Valente Freitas, University of Aveiro (member).
- Dr. Ana Pilar Foulquié Moreno, University of Aveiro (alternate member).
- Dr. Cristiana João Soares da Silva, ISCTE – Lisbon University Institute (alternate member).
- Dr. Natália da Costa Martins (alternate member).
The evaluation panel will assess the applications according to the evaluation criteria outlined in this Notice of Competition, taking into account the assessment elements.
All panel members, including the coordinator, commit to respecting a set of essential responsibilities in the evaluation process, such as the duties of impartiality, disclosure of any potential conflicts of interest, and confidentiality. Confidentiality is fully protected and ensured throughout the evaluation process to guarantee the independence of all assessments.
For each application, the panel will produce a final evaluation sheet where the arguments leading to the scores assigned to each of the evaluation criteria and sub-criteria are presented clearly, coherently, and consistently. Any granted bonuses will also be explained.
The panel meetings will result in minutes, for which all panel members are responsible. The minutes and their attachments must include the following information:
- Names and affiliations of all panel members.
- Identification of all excluded applications and their justification.
- Methodology adopted by the panel for considered special cases.
- Final Evaluation Sheets for each candidate.
- Provisional list of classification and ranking of candidates, in descending order of the final score, for all applications evaluated by the panel.
- Declarations of interest from all panel members.
- Any delegation of voting and responsibilities due to justified absences.
8. ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS
The results of the evaluation will be communicated via email to the email address provided by the candidate in their application.
9. DEADLINES AND PROCEDURES FOR PRIOR HEARING, COMPLAINT, AND APPEAL
After the communication of the provisional list of evaluation results, candidates have a period of 10 working days to, if they wish, make their statements in the prior hearing of interested parties, in accordance with articles 121 and following of the Administrative Procedure Code.
The final decision will be made after analyzing the statements submitted in the prior hearing of interested parties. A complaint can be filed within 15 working days from the notification of the final decision, or alternatively, an appeal can be filed within 30 working days from the notification of the final decision. Candidates who choose to submit a complaint should address their statement to the member of the FCT Board of Directors with delegated competence. Candidates who choose to file an appeal should address it to the FCT Board of Directors.
10. REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOLARSHIP GRANT
Scholarship agreement is directly established with FCT. The following documents must be submitted, upon the possible grant of the scholarship, for the purpose of its formalization:
a) Copies of civil identification, tax, and, when applicable, social security document(s);
b) Copies of degree certificates for academic degrees obtained;
c) Presentation of the recognition of foreign academic degrees and conversion of their final grades to the Portuguese grading scale, if applicable;
d) Work plan;
e) Proof of enrollment and registration in the Doctoral Program identified in this Notice;
f) Declaration from the supervisor(s) assuming responsibility for supervising the work plan, as defined in Article 5-A of the Research Scholar Statute (template of the declaration to be provided by FCT);
g) Proof of the candidate’s acceptance by the institution where the research activities will take place, ensuring the necessary conditions for their successful development, as well as compliance with the duties set out in Article 13 of the Research Scholar Statute (template of the declaration to be provided by FCT);
h) Updated document proving compliance with the exclusive dedication regime (template of the declaration to be provided by FCT).
The grant of the scholarship is also subject to:
- Compliance with the requirements set forth in this Notice of Competition;
- The evaluation result;
- The absence of unjustified non-compliance with the duties of the scholarship holder under a previous scholarship contract funded, directly or indirectly, by FCT;
- The budgetary availability of FCT.
Failure to submit any of the necessary documents to complete the scholarship contracting process within 6 months from the date of communication of the conditional scholarship grant decision will result in the expiration of the grant and the closure of the process.
11. FUNDING
The payment of the scholarship will begin after the candidate return the signed scholarship contract, which must be done within a maximum of 15 working days from the date of its receipt.
The scholarships awarded under this competition will be financed by FCT with funds from the State Budget and, when eligible, with funds from the European Social Fund through the Demography, Qualifications, and Inclusion Program (PDQI), in accordance with the regulatory provisions established for this purpose.
12. COMPONENTS OF THE SCHOLARSHIP
Fellowship recipients are awarded a monthly maintenance allowance in accordance with the table in Annex I of the RBI.
The scholarship may also include other components, as provided in Article 18 of the RBI and for the amounts specified in its Annex II.
All scholarship recipients are covered by personal accident insurance for research activities, funded by FCT.
All scholarship recipients who are not covered by any social protection scheme can ensure their right to social security by joining the voluntary social security scheme, in accordance with the Contributory Regimes Code of the Social Security Previdential System, with FCT covering the contributions in accordance with the terms and limits set out in Article 10 of the EBI.
13. PAYMENTS OF SCHOLARSHIP COMPONENTS
Payments owed to the scholarship holder are made by bank transfer to the account specified by the scholarship holder. The monthly maintenance allowance is paid on the first working day of each month.
Payments for registration fees, enrollment fees, or tuition fees are made directly by FCT to the national institution where the scholarship holder is enrolled or registered for the doctoral program.
14. TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR RENEWAL OF THE SCHOLARSHIP
The renewal of the scholarship is always subject to a request made by the scholarship holder within 60 working days prior to the renewal start date, accompanied by the following documents:
a) Opinions issued by the supervisor(s) and the host institution(s) regarding the supervision of the scholarship holder’s work and the assessment of their activities;
b) An updated document confirming compliance with the exclusive dedication regime;
c) Proof of renewal of enrollment in the doctoral program.
15. INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY OF THE GRANTED FUNDING
In all research and development activities directly or indirectly financed by the scholarship, including all communications, publications, scientific creations, as well as theses, carried out with the support provided by the scholarship, it must be mentioned that financial support was received from FCT and the European Social Fund, notably through the Demography, Qualifications, and Inclusion Program (PDQI). For this purpose, the logos of FCT, MCTES, FSE, and the EU must be included in the documents related to these actions, in accordance with the graphic standards of the community support program.
The dissemination of research results funded under the RBI must comply with the open access standards for data, publications, and other research results in force at FCT.
In all scholarships, and particularly in the case of actions supported by community funding, especially from the ESF, monitoring and control actions may be carried out by national and community bodies in accordance with applicable legislation in this matter. Scholarship recipients are required to cooperate and provide requested information, including conducting surveys and evaluation studies in this area, even after the scholarship has ended.
16. NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL ACCESS POLICY
FCT promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, so no candidate can be privileged, benefited, harmed, or deprived of any rights or exempted from any duties based on, in particular, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, origin or social condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic or racial origin, place of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs, and trade union membership.
17. APPLICABLE LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS
This competition is governed by this Notice of Opening, the FCT Research Scholarship Regulation approved by Regulation No. 950/2019, published in the II Series of the DR of December 16, 2019, the Research Scholarship Statute approved by Law No. 40/2004, of August 18, in its current wording, and other applicable national and community legislation.
Requirements
Research Field: Mathematics » Other
Education Level: Being a graduate or master’s degree holder in the scientific field of Mathematics or in related areas.
Internal Application form(s) needed: https://cidma.ua.pt/files/files/Minuta_Aviso_Abertura_Concurso-cidma%28…
