Notice No.26809/2025/2
NOTICE OF OPENING OF INTERNATIONAL SELECTION PROCEDURE FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF A DOCTORATE - ARDITI-SEAMPHONI-2025-001
1. Introduction
ARDITI – the Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation – Association, through its President of the Board of Directors, hereby announces the opening of an international selection procedure for one position of a Doctorate to coordinate and carry out research activities in the scientific area of Marine Ecology and Ecosystem Services, under a fixed-term employment contract governed by the Portuguese Labour Code.
This call is opened under the SEAMPHONI project (GA 101206245), funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Programme.
2. Applicable Legislation
- Decree-Law no. 57/2016 of August 29, which establishes the legal framework for the hiring of PhD holders aimed at stimulating scientific and technological employment across all fields of knowledge (RJEC), as amended by Law no. 57/2017 of July 19;
- Regulatory Decree no. 11-A/2017 of December 29, which defines the remuneration levels for PhD contracts;
- Decree-Law no. 63/2019 of May 17, which establishes the legal regime of R&D institutions, as amended by Decree-Law no. 126-B/2021 of December 31;
- Decree-Law no. 66/2018 of January 1, which establishes the legal regime for the recognition of academic degrees and diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions, as amended by Decree-Law no. 86/2023 of October 10;
- Labour Code, approved by Law no. 7/2009 of February 12, in its current version.
3. Jury Composition
- President: João Canning-Clode (MARE-Madeira, UMa)
- Effective Member: Ana Dinis (MARE-Madeira, UMa)
- Effective Member: Jan Dierking (GEOMAR)
- Alternate Member: João Gama Monteiro (UMa, MARE-Madeira)
- Alternate Member: Manfred Kaufmann (UMa)
4. Duties
This position involves coordinating and executing exclusive research activities in Marine Ecology, with an emphasis on developing and monitoring plans for marine protected areas using innovative techniques and methodologies.
The work will contribute to the implementation of SEAMPHONI project activities, particularly within WP2 – Innovative biodiversity monitoring techniques and WP6 – Validation of solutions and roadmap for protected seas.
The researcher will coordinate project activities, data processing, foster collaboration among partners, and contribute to scientific reports and publications.
5. Workplace
The work will be carried out at ARDITI’s facilities, located in Edifício Madeira Tecnopolo, Floor 2, Caminho da Penteada, 9020-105 Funchal, without prejudice to work being performed at other sites relevant to ARDITI’s activities.
6. Remuneration
This call is for the category of PhD Researcher, remuneration position 1, level 33 of the unified remuneration table (TRU), according to the ARDITI 2025 Salary Grid – PhD Researchers, corresponding to a gross monthly salary of €2,294.95.
7. Contract Duration
7.1 The contract will be a fixed-term contract of uncertain duration, valid while the project funding or justification remains, with a maximum duration of 6 years, under Article 6 of the RJEC.
7.2 The justification for this contract lies in the execution of specific, non-permanent activities required for the SEAMPHONI project, per Article 140 of the Labour Code.
7.3 The termination of funding, project completion, or conclusion of the described activities will result in contract expiry, as provided by Article 345 of the Labour Code, with advance notice of 7, 30, or 60 days depending on the contract duration.
8. Admission Requirements
8.1 Applicants may be nationals, foreigners, or stateless individuals holding a PhD degree in a field related to Marine Sciences or Marine Ecology.
8.2 Foreign degrees must be recognized in Portugal under Decree-Law no. 66/2018 (as amended by Decree-Law no. 86/2023). Recognition must be presented before contract signing.
9. Application Submission
9.1 Applications must be sent via email to
9.2 The application must include:
a) PhD certificate (with official Portuguese recognition if foreign);
b) PhD thesis or equivalent;
c) Detailed CV following items in sections 10.5–10.7, with copies of relevant works;
d) Motivation letter;
e) Any other relevant documents.
9.3 Applications must be submitted in PDF format within 10 working days of the notice publication. If submission by email is not possible, documents may be sent by registered mail to ARDITI’s address above.
9.4 Documents may be submitted in Portuguese or English.
9.5 Candidates who do not comply with submission requirements or submit incomplete or illegible documentation will be excluded.
10. Evaluation of Applications
10.1–10.3 Candidates will be evaluated based on scientific and curricular merit, by a justified nominal vote.
10.4 The evaluation will consider the relevance, quality, and recentness of:
- a) Scientific, technological, and academic production (last 5 years);
- b) Applied/practice-based research activities (last 5 years);
- c) Knowledge dissemination and outreach activities (last 5 years);
- d) Management experience in science, technology, or innovation programs.
10.5 The 5-year period may be extended for justified personal reasons (e.g., parental leave, illness).
10.6 Evaluation criteria and weights:
- PhD in Marine Sciences or Marine Ecology (5%);
- Relevant scientific production for the project (15%);
- Previous work and experience in Marine Ecology, particularly in Macaronesia, including biodiversity monitoring, community ecology, and image analysis from BRUVs, submersibles, ROVs, and diving (30%);
- Participation in field expeditions, especially involving Marine Protected Areas (30%);
- Coordination and reporting experience, conference organization, citizen engagement, and outreach activities (20%).
10.7 Up to 3 candidates may be invited to present their research results for clarification purposes (non-graded).
10.8–10.9 Additional documents may be requested; false statements will be punished by law.
11. Candidate Classification
Each jury member assigns scores (0–100) per criterion. The final ranking is based on the weighted total, determined by successive voting. Minutes of all meetings will be available to candidates upon request.
Results and final rankings will be published on ARDITI’s website and sent via email.
12. Prior Hearing and Final Decision
Candidates will have 10 working days to respond after notification of preliminary results.
Final decisions will be issued within 90 days, ratified by ARDITI’s President within 5 working days thereafter.
The hiring decision will be based on the jury’s final recommendation.
13. Final Provisions
This procedure is designed exclusively to fill the announced position and will terminate once the position is filled.
ARDITI promotes a policy of equal opportunity and non-discrimination, ensuring no candidate is privileged or disadvantaged based on ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, or social condition.
Candidates with disabilities have preference in equal classification, as per Decree-Law no. 29/2001 and Regional Legislative Decree no. 25/2001/M.
14. Personal Data Processing
ARDITI acts as the data controller under the GDPR.
Candidate data (identification, academic, and professional information) will be processed for recruitment and may be shared with tax authorities, social security, labor directorates, statistics institutes, insurance, banks, and accounting firms.
Candidates may exercise their rights of access, correction, erasure, opposition, and portability at any time.
Recruitment data will be retained for 5 years under Article 32 of the Labour Code.
ARDITI ensures compliance with data protection legislation and confidentiality.
Complaints may be submitted to the Portuguese Data Protection Authority (CNPD) — www.cnpd.pt.
Funchal, October 16, 2025
Dr. Rui Miguel Andrade Caldeira
President of the Board of Directors
ARDITI – Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation – Association
Official public notice of the announcement (in Portuguese) here: https://files.diariodarepublica.pt/2s/2025/10/206000000/0033000336.pdf