Research fellowships in the field of Planetary Systems

Ref: IA2020-04-BIM

The Centro de Investigação em Astronomia/Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto (CAUP) opens a call for one research fellowship (Bolsa de Investigação) in the field of Planetary Systems at the Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA).

The position is offered in the context of the project UIDB/04434/2020 funded by Portuguese funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia.

The Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA) is the most prominent research unit in the field of Astrophysics in Portugal, integrating researchers from the University of Porto and the University of Lisbon, and is responsible for a major fraction of the national productivity in international ISI journals in this area. The research and development effort at the IA includes most of the topics at the forefront of research in Astrophysics and Space Sciences, complemented by work on instrumentation and systems with potential use in Astronomy and Astrophysics.

The call is open in the field of Planetary Systems and the fellowship is preferably to be started by June/July 2020. The position has maximum duration of 6 months.

The fellowship contracts will comply with Decreto-Lei nº 123/2019 de 28 de Agosto 2019 - ''Estatuto do Bolseiro de Investigação’’ in force [https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/estatutobolseiro] and Regulamento nº 950/2019 de 16 de Dezembro de 2020 - ''Regulamento de Bolsas e Investigação da Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia'' in force [https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/regulamento.phtml.pt].

According to the FCT table values [http:www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores], the monthly allowance will be €1.064,00 (tax free) and will be paid monthly by bank transfer. The fellowship holders will have a personal accident insurance. Funds for traveling (conferences, collaborations, observing missions) are also available.

The work plan will be carried out within IA, in Porto, under the supervision of Dr. Nuno Santos.

Research work plan:
The research project of the successful candidate will focus on the development of methodologies that will allow us to take into account stellar activity signals that may be present in radial velocity time series obtained in the context of exoplanet search projects. Real and mock observational data will be used to test the methodologies. These will be used in the analysis of data obtained with existing spectrographs, such as HARPS and ESPRESSO.

Application:
The application, to be submitted through the web form below, must include the following information:
    - Motivation letter with a brief description of the candidate's experience and motivation;
    - Curriculum Vitae describing the academic curriculum and research experience (up to 4 pages in 10pt size format at minimum) and (separately) a list of the completed curricular units with the respective marks;
    - MSc degree diploma or certificate (please see note 1);
    - Name and contact details (position, email, address) of two referees, available to provide information about the candidate (these will be contacted at the jury's discretion).

Applications will be accepted from the 3 to 18 of June 2020.

Selection criteria and evaluation:
The applicant must have completed a MSc degree and be enrolled in a PhD program. Only applications from candidates having an adequate background in Astronomy, Physics, Mathematics, or other relevant domains, will be considered.

The curricular evaluation of the candidates will be done based on:
    - [10%] Motivation letter with a brief description of the candidate's experience and motivation;
    - [45%] CV, considering the degree and the previous academic training, including outcomes and contents of completed curricular units and the relevance of that training for the topic;
    - [45%] Relevance and adequacy of previous research experience to the work plan, the priorities of the project, the team, and of IA.

An ordered list of candidates will be defined by the selection committee based on the submitted documents and the criteria mentioned above. If judged necessary, reference letters may also be asked to the aforementioned referees and will be taken into account in the evaluation process.

Awarding of the contract:
Following the evaluation process the contracts will be offered according to the ordering list proposed by the selection committee. The positions will be granted only if suitable candidates are found. Only candidates with a minimum grade of 70% will be accepted.

The selected candidates will be notified by e-mail.

For inquires please contact Dr. Nuno Santos.

Selection Committee:
Nuno Santos (chair)
Sérgio Sousa
Pedro Viana

Notes:
1. In the event that the degree was awarded by a foreign higher education institution, that degree must comply with the provisions of Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of 16th August (approves the legal regime for the recognition of foreign higher academic degrees), and all formalities established therein must be complied with up to the date of hiring.
Applicants are advised to check the website of the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES) for further information: https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/pagina/degree-and-diploma-recognition.

2. The fellowship holders' functions are carried out under a scheme of exclusive dedication, in accordance with the terms established in the Research Fellowship Holder's Statute (Estatuto do Bolseiro de Investigação). For more information, see in particular article 5 - Performing Duties [https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/estatutobolseiro].

Publication date:
19 May 2020

The period for application submission has ended for this opportunity.