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Maria de Sousa Call for PhD Studentships – 2022 SEAGULL - Seeking Epidemiological and Virological Answers

Purpose and Overview

The Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), in collaboration with the Agência de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica (AICIB), announces the opening of the call for PhD Studentships – 2022 SEAGULL – Seeking Epidemiological and Virological Answers. The call is focused on the development of knowledge to create the skills required to answer to virologic phenomena, including pandemics, and that may translate into efficient prevention measures, better healthcare and an effective support to citizens.

The Call will support applications in any scientific field that contribute to the following objectives and areas of knowledge:

1. Epidemiology and risk factors for infection, and severe illness caused by the virus;
2. Human-animal interaction, mechanisms of resistance and inter-species transmission of the virus, and the risk of pandemics;
3. Prevention and preparedness strategies for new viral epidemics, including vaccines;
4. Innovative approaches, including new methods and new technologies, for viral disease diagnosis;
5. Characterization of the viral infection mechanisms;
6. Characterization of the host's immune, cellular and serological, response to infection by the virus, impact of age and comorbidities;
7. Development of new therapies and new therapeutic approaches, including life support and personal protection equipment to fight viral diseases;
8. Effects of viral infection on maternal and new-born health;
9. Psychological impact and behavioural changes associated with epidemics or pandemics of virological origin.

Who Can Apply

Within the scope of the Maria de Sousa Call for PhD Studentships – 2022, 10 PhD studentships will be awarded to fund the research activities that will grant the doctorate academic degree, framed within the scope of the Call, and that contribute to its objectives.

The research activities may be carried out in any environment of production and dissemination of knowledge, national or international.

The work plan may take place entirely or partially in a national institution (studentship in Portugal or both in Portugal and abroad, respectively), or be carried out entirely in a foreign institution (studentship abroad); in the latter case, it is necessary to clearly explain the reasons why the work plan will be exclusively performed abroad. In case of a studentship carried out both in Portugal and abroad, the work plan period in a foreign institution cannot exceed 24 months.

Portuguese citizens, citizens of EU member states and citizens from third-party states, stateless citizens and citizens beneficiaries of political refugee status may apply to this call.

Applicants need to:

• Be a citizen permanently and usually living in Portugal in case the work plan will be carried out entirely or partially at foreign institutions (both in Portugal and abroad or entirely abroad); this requirement applies to both national and foreign citizens.
• Not have held any prior PhD or PhD in Industry studentship directly funded by FCT, of any duration;
• Not to hold a doctoral degree.

Funding

Selected applicants will have monthly allowances and supplementary support, according to the rules established in the Regulation (RBI), which may include tuition fees, support for complementary training activities or presentation of work at scientific meetings, personal accident insurance and, when applicable, travel and relocation costs.

As a rule, studentships are annual, and can be renewed for the number of months for which they have been requested. No studentships are granted for periods of less than 3 consecutive months or more than 48 months.

How and when to apply

Applications should be submitted online, using the respective application form, in MyFCT portal from September 1st 2022. Each applicant may submit only one application to the call.

Before application submission, FCT recommends the careful reading of the following documents: Notice of the Call, Annex I to the Notice of the Call (Evaluation Guide), Application Guide, Research Fellowship Holder Statute and the FCT Regulation for Students and Fellowships.

Evaluation

Proposals will be assessed by evaluation panels specifically set up for this call, involving experts of acknowledged experience and scientific merit. Applications will be graded using scores from 0 (0,000 minimum score) to 5 (5,000 maximum score), for each of the following three criteria:

1. merit of the applicant;
2. merit of the work plan;
3. merit of the hosting conditions.

The relative weights of three criteria are 40%, 40%, 20%, respectively.

The merit of the applicant will be evaluated based on two sub-criteria: academic career, with a relative weight of 50% and personal curriculum, also with a relative weight of 50%.

Applicant personal curriculum will be analysed in an integrated manner, considering a global view of scientific and professional achievements.

Assessment of the work plan and of the host institution conditions will be based on a duly substantiated assessment decision by the review panel.

Applications will be ranked according to the weighted average of the scores for each three criteria.

The information on this page does not replace or override any requirements set forth in the Regulation for Students and Fellowships, in the Notice of the Call and in the Evaluation and Application Guides applicable to the call.

Important dates

The call is open from September 1st to 5:00 pm (Lisbon time) September 29th 2022.

Contacts

Information about the call and application form should be requested, during the call period, through the e-mail address: info.bolsas@fct.pt.

For clarification of doubts about the creation and management of CVs, the CIÊNCIAVITAE platform has a helpdesk that may be accessed through: info@cienciavitae.pt.