Assistant Professor in Earth Sciences, field of Water Resources via EURAXESS

Offer Description

NOTICE NO. 7/2025

Announcement of an international tender for the recruitment of an Assistant Professor in Earth Sciences, field of Water Resources

Under the terms of articles 38 et seq. of the University Teaching Career Statute, approved by Decree-Law no. 448/79, dated November 13, republished by Decree-Law no. 205/2009, dated August 31, and amended by Law no. 8/2010, dated May 13, hereinafter referred to as ECDU, as well as the Regulations for the Recruitment of University and Polytechnic Teaching Staff of the University of the Azores, approved by Order no. 11824-B/2019, dated December 9, published in Diário da República, 2nd series, no. 239, on December 12, amended by Order no. 11606/2024, published in Diário da República, 2nd series, no. 190, on October 1, hereinafter referred to as RRPD, the Rector of the University of the Azores, Professor Susana da Conceição Miranda Silva Mira Leal, hereby announces an international recruitment application process for a permanent position as an Assistant Professor for the University of the Azores in Earth Sciences, field of Water Resources, open for a period of 30 working days, starting from the day following the publication of this notice in Diário da República.

This recruitment procedure is open under the FCT-Tenure funding instrument, aimed at promoting the recruitment of doctoral graduates for permanent positions in teaching or research careers.

This is an international document-based recruitment procedure under the provisions of articles 37 to 39 and 41 -A to 62 – A of the ECDU and articles 23 and following of the RRPD. 

The opening of this tender was authorized by Order no. 420/2024, December 16, of the Rector of the University of the Azores.

1. – Admission requirements

1. – Candidates may apply if they hold a doctoral degree in Geology, specialization in Hydrogeology.

1.2 – Candidates must have a good command of spoken and written Portuguese, and may be subject to specific tests if they do not come from a Portuguese-speaking country.

1.3 – Applicants who hold foreign qualifications must provide proof of recognition, equivalence or registration in Portugal of all the qualifications referred to in 1.1, in accordance with Decree-Law no. 66/2018, dated August 16, amended by Decree-Law no. 86/2023, dated October 10, by the deadline listed in article 43(1) of the RRPD.

1.4 – If, for reasons not attributable to them, applicants who hold foreign qualifications do not submit the respective recognition, equivalence or registration with their application, they must justify their failure to do so and submit, along with the application form, the document proving the submission of the application for recognition, equivalence or registration.

2 – Location of workplace

The location of the workplace of the position available is:

University of the Azores

School of Sciences and Technology

Campus of Ponta Delgada 

Rua Mãe de Deus

9500-321 Ponta Delgada

Azores, Portugal

3 – Form and deadline for submitting applications

3.1 – Applications must be submitted electronically in Portuguese using a form available for this purpose on the University of the Azores services portal (https://servicosonline.uac.pt).

3.2 – The copy of the articles and/or works referred to in 4.1, line p), must be submitted directly in the form, other articles or scientific works can be sent by email to reitoria.secretariado@uac.pt, with proof of delivery, or delivered in person or by registered mail in digital format or in paper, to the Rector’s Office of the University of the Azores, Rua Mãe de Deus, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal.

3.3 – Applications must be submitted within 30 working days of the day following the publication of this notice in the Diário da República.

3.4 – The provisions of the previous paragraph do not apply to the articles and/or works listed in the form and sent by registered mail, which although may be received after the deadline for submitting applications, must be post marked by the date and time set in the previous paragraph.

4 – Application form

4.1 – The form referred to in paragraph 3.1 must include, among other items, the following information:

a) Identification of the recruitment procedure the candidate is applying for, with reference to the number of the notice;

b) Identification of the scientific area of the recruitment procedure and, where applicable, the sub-area;

c) The candidate’s full name;

d) Civil identification number and expiration date of the document;

e) Date and place of birth;

f) Nationality;

g) Profession, if applicable;

h) Residence and postal address;

i) E-mail address and telephone number;

j) Express mention of the candidate’s consent to communications and notifications within the scope of the recruitment procedure to take place by email;

k) A document identifying the candidate’s position, group or discipline, length of service time as a teacher/researcher and the higher education institution(s) where the candidate has worked, where applicable;

l) A copy of the education certificates, or other suitable document legally recognized for this purpose, proving that the conditions set out in the notice have been met, namely a certificate proving that the required degrees and qualifications have been obtained, unless otherwise stated in the notice;

m) Declaration by the candidate, under oath, that:

i) They are not disqualified from working in the public sector or barred from holding the job they are applying for;

ii) They are physically and mentally fit to perform the job and comply with compulsory vaccination laws;

iii) All the information and documents included on the form are true.

n) Curriculum vitae with a maximum of 5,000 characters, including spaces;

o) List of the projects carried out and works published, as well as teaching, university management or other activities carried out and of interest to the job they are applying for;

p) A copy of the scientific publications that the candidate considers to be the most representative of their production in the area and sub-area of the recruitment procedure, up to a maximum of five;

q) A copy of the other items and documentation set out in the notice;

r) Other documents that the candidate considers relevant for the purposes of analyzing their application.

4.2 – The form must also include the research project that the candidate intents to carry out during the probationary period in the scientific area/sub-area the candidate is applying for, with a maximum of 30,000 characters, including spaces, under the terms of article 24(1)(d) of the RRPD.

4.3 – If and when it deems it necessary, the selection board may request supporting documents relating to curriculum items listed on the form, which must be delivered to the address referred to in 3.2 or by email within 10 working days (non-extendable deadline) of the notification to that effect.

4.4 – Failure to meet the admission requirements, incorrect formalization of the application, failure to submit the documents required under the terms of the notice, submission after the deadline, or submission of false documents or false statements will result in exclusion from this recruitment procedure.

5 – Selection board

5.1 – The selection board is made up as follows:

Chairperson:

Susana da Conceição Miranda Silva Mira Leal, Rector

Members: 

Helena Maria Sant’Ovaia Mendes da Silva, Full Professor at the School of Sciences of the University of Porto

José Virgílio de Matos Figueira Cruz, Full Professor at the School of Sciences and Technology of the University of the Azores

Isabel Margarida Horta Ribeiro Antunes, Associate Professor with Aggregation at the School of Sciences of the University of Minho

Joana Paula Machado Ribeiro, Associate Professor at the School of Sciences of the University of Coimbra

Maria de Fátima Batista Viveiros, Associate Professor at the School of Sciences and Technology of the University of the Azores

5.2 – The powers of the selection board, as well as its secretarial support, operation, type of meetings and deadlines for announcing decisions must comply with the provisions of articles 9 to 14 of the RRPD.

6 – Assessment criteria

6.1 – It is the selection board’s responsibility to decide on the merit of the candidates for the job they are applying for, based on the selection criteria and the weight of each assessment item, in accordance with article 25 of the RRPD:

Assessment Items Weight 

A Scientific production 50%

B Teaching experience 15%

C Other activities 10%

D Research project 25%

6.2 – Taking into account the quality and quantity of the different elements, the assessment criteria and items are broken down into:

A Scientific production Points

A.1 Scientific and technological production, particularly of international projection and subject to arbitration, in the field of ​​hydrogeology of volcanic rocks and interaction between volcanic activity and groundwater and surface water. 0-40

A.2 Experience as principal investigator (PI) or team member of scientific and technological research projects, particularly within the scope of competitive tenders, as well as research and technological development services receiving funding, in the field of hydrogeology of volcanic rocks and interaction between volcanic activity and groundwater and surface water. 0-25

A.3 Participation in knowledge transfer activities for public or private entities, involvement in technology-based companies and patent registration. 0-15

A.4 Organization and oral presentation of papers at congresses and other scientific meetings, particularly international events, as well as lectures and conferences as a guest speaker, in the field of hydrogeology of volcanic rocks and interaction between volcanic activity and groundwater and surface water. 0-10

A.5 Scientific prizes, scholarships, distinctions and mentions. 0-5

A.6 Other scientific activities, especially in the field of scientific assessment, including participation in committees that award postgraduate degrees, and evaluation panels for grants and research projects, as well as membership of editorial boards and reviewing work in indexed scientific publications. 0-5

B Teaching experience Points

B.1 Teaching curricular units in higher-education study cycles. 0-30

B.2 Supervising post-doctoral, doctoral and master’s students. 0-30

B.3 Producing teaching materials and publishing educational texts, particularly with ISBNs. 0-10

B.4 Promotion of events and publication of scientific dissemination works. 0-10

B.5 Awards, distinctions and mentions. 0-5

B.6 Other teaching activities, including teaching short courses and other training activities as part of university or cultural extension activities. 0-15

C Other activities Points

C.1 Experience in similar roles at other institutions and at public or private entities with responsibilities in the field of hydrogeology of volcanic rocks and interaction between volcanic activity and groundwater and surface water. 0-30

C.2 Consulting work and involvement in committees or working groups focused on the development, implementation, monitoring, or evaluation of public policies in the field of hydrogeology of volcanic rocks and interaction between volcanic activity and groundwater and surface water. 0-30

C.3 Leading and coordinating courses and training programs. 0-15

C.4 Participation in mobility and international relations initiatives that enhance the visibility of the scientific area or sub-area of this recruitment procedure. 0-15

C.5 Other awards, distinctions and mentions. 0-5

C.6 Other activities relevant to the responsibilities of the job regarding hydrogeology of volcanic rocks and interaction between volcanic activity and groundwater and surface water. 0-5

D Research project Points

D.1 The rationale for the theme and objectives of the project, emphasizing its importance for research and teaching at the University of the Azores, namely in the field of hydrogeology of volcanic rocks and interaction between volcanic activity and groundwater and surface water, focusing on the study of the water cycle and the mitigation of geological risks. 0-30

D.2 State-of-the-art overview. 0-10

D.3 Detailed project description, including activities, methodologies, and anticipated products/results. 0-25

D.4 Project timeline, incorporating annual implementation indicators, potential risks, and mitigation strategies. 0-15

D.5 Identification of opportunities to broaden the University of the Azores’ training offerings in the field of this recruitment procedure. 0-20

7 – Approval based on absolute merit

1. It is sufficient condition to be approved on absolute merit to hold an Habilitation/Aggregation title. 
2. Candidates will also be approved on absolute merit if, in the scientific field of their application, they cumulatively meet both Criteria 1 and 2, either over the last 10 years or since their doctorate, if it was obtained less than 10 years ago.

Criterion 1 – Scientific Production: An h-index of 10 or higher in the SCOPUS database, along with at least ten scientific articles published or accepted in journals indexed by Web of Science or Scopus. Of these, three must be in SCIMAGO Q1 or Q2 journals or rated A or A* by CORE, in the field of this recruitment procedure.

Criterion 2 – Participation in funded projects: responsible researcher for a regional, national or international project, completed or in progress, with competitive public funding national or international; or participation as a researcher in three R&D projects, regional, national or international,  and/or R&D services, completed or in progress.

8 – Admission, application assessment, and result approval

The procedure for admitting and assessing applications, and for result approval, is defined in articles 37 to 44 of the RRPD.

9 – Public hearing

9.1 – In addition to curriculum evaluation, candidate selection may include a public hearing under the terms of article 5 of the RRPD.

9.2 – This public hearing may be waived at the selection board’s discretion, as stated in article 23 of the RRPD.

10 – Completion of recruitment procedure

10.1 – This recruitment procedure will conclude once the advertised position is filled or if it cannot be filled due to the lack of qualified candidates meeting the absolute merit criteria.

10.2 – In exceptional cases, the procedure may be terminated by a reasoned decision of the rector, particularly if the results are not approved as outlined in article 44(3) of the RRPD.

11 – Publication of the notice

The recruitment procedure will be published:

a) In the 2nd series of the Diário da República;

b) On the Public Employment Exchange website;

c) On Euraxess;

d) On the University of the Azores’ website, both in Portuguese and English.

12 – Equal Opportunity Policy

In accordance with Article 9(h) of the Constitution, the Public Administration, as an employer, upholds a policy of equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of gender, when accessing employment and professional advancement, ensuring that all forms of discrimination are strictly avoided. Therefore, terms like “candidate,” “recruit,” “teacher,” and other similar expressions are used in this notice without reference to gender. Furthermore, no candidate will be favored, disadvantaged, or deprived of rights or exempted from any duties based on factors such as ancestry, age, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, financial status, education, social background, genetic heritage, reduced working capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin, race, place of origin, religion, political or ideological beliefs, or trade union membership.

Ponta Delgada, January 23th of 2025.

THE RECTOR

__________________________

Susana Mira Leal

Where to apply

Website: https://servicosonline.uac.pt

Requirements

Research Field: Environmental science » Earth science

Education Level: PhD or equivalent