Call for applications for one post-doctoral scholarship related with SUSTAINABLE AGRO-FOOD VALUE CHAINS, BUSINESS MODELS AND SOCIO-POLICY ANALYSIS under the project "SustInAfrica - Sustainable intensification of food production through resilient farming s

1. Notice resume

The Universidade de Lisboa (ULisboa), specifically ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics & Management, opens a call for the award of 1 (one) Post-Doctoral Fellowship, funded by the SustInAfrica project https://www.sustinafrica.com/ of the H2020 Programme, funding source SFS-35-2019-2020, action type RIA-Research and Innovation Action.

This post-doctoral project will focus on sustainable agro-food value chains, business models and policy analysis in the framework of the SustInAfrica project. The aim is to understand agri-food business models and value chains that capture financial as well as social and environmental value in the 5 countries and multiple cultures under study in the SustInAfrica project, and contribute to develop tools and methods that contribute to the success of sustainable agri-food value chains for N and W Africa.

Ref. SustInAfrica_Post-doc1

2. Scientific Area

Social sciences and humanities (Economics and/or management)/ Environmental sciences/ Agronomic sciences/ Sustainability science.

3. Admission Requirements

3.1 In accordance with article 10 of the Universidade de Lisboa’s Research Grant Regulations, national citizens, of other European Union member states and of third states, holding a valid residence permit or benefiting from the status of long-term resident, under the terms foreseen in Law no. 23/2007, of 4th July, amended by Law no. 28/2019, of 29th March, or with whom Portugal has signed reciprocity agreements, may apply.

3.2 Academic Qualifications: PhD in economics; in management; social sciences or other deemed appropriate.

3.3 Preferential Factors:

Preference will be given to candidates who possess:

• Previous experience in multi- and transdisciplinary projects in particular on the African context and/or emerging or developing countries.
• Experience in conducting studies in volatile areas in Africa
• Affinity with engaging project stakeholders in the research agenda to develop and test tools and methods for business models and value chain design
• Extensive knowledge of contemporary socioeconomic and political realities of the countries that this project studies
• Knowledge of agri-food systems, and food chains.
• Experience in the design and application of data collection methods via surveys, focus groups or interviews.
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
• Ability to balance collaboration in a multidisciplinary project team with taking responsibility for one's own research objectives
• Skills for autonomous work and availability to travel abroad at different periods if required.
• If necessary, the candidate will be expected to contribute to education in the field of sustainability for a small part of his/her time.
• Fluency in spoken and written English; knowledge of French language will be advantageous.
• The qualities of perseverance, initiative, autonomy, very good organisational skills and spoken and written communication skills, as well as the ability to work in a team are expected of the candidate.
• The candidate will be expected to publish high quality scientific work in scientific journals and to participate in international conferences.

4. Deadline and form of application

4.1 The call is open from may 3^rd  to may 17^th 2023

4.2 The call will be advertised through the FCT Computing Platform for Scientific Employment and also on the Universidade de Lisboa Portal.

4.3 The application should be sent to the email: drh@iseg.ulisboa.pt  indicating the reference of the grant for which you are applying. The lack of use of this reference may result on the application being lost and therefore not considered in the applicants’ group under selection.

4.4 The application must include the following documents, under penalty of exclusion:

• Documents proving that the applicant fulfils the required conditions for the respective type of scholarship, namely copies of the qualification certificates of the required academic degrees (essentially the PhD certificate or diploma);
• Curriculum vitae of the candidate;
• One reference letter;
• Motivation letter;
• Declaration that there is no professional or service provision activity that violates the duty of exclusive dedication;
• Copy of an official document identifying the applicant; or copy of the civil identification document and, whenever applicable, a copy of the proof of residence permit or other legally equivalent document. If the identification document is the citizen card, the delivery of the copy can be substituted by the exhibition of the same, prior to the signing of the contract, in case the grant is awarded.

4.5 Regarding the qualification certificate, if the degree has been obtained in a foreign institution, it must be recognized by a Portuguese institution in accordance with Decree-Law n.0 66/2018 of 16th August and Portaria n.0 33/2019, of 25th January, in their current wording. This recognition can be done immediately after (and when) grant awarded.

5. Work Plan

• The main research will focus on understanding how to enhance the sustainability of crops value chains and respective sustainable business models of the crops under analysis and in the 5 African countries under study. (Desk study on crop sustainable value chain analysis - T5.3.a).
• The research will focus on the social, economic and political knowledge of the agro-food systems associated with the agro-ecological areas and crops under study and in the countries under analysis.
• Mapping and understanding governance models, performing socio-economic analysis of the different contexts of the agri-food systems, identifying key socio-ecological interactions, identifying gaps/ problems and identifying potential improvement approaches within value chains and business models have to be done.
• To contribute to the monitoring of socio-economic agro ecologic zones and communities in particularly the sustainability of crops value chains and sustainable business models.
• Where necessary support in tasks related to project management and communication This includes also contributing to the finalization of the following deliverables in the coming years: D6.7 - Verification workshops in Africa; D6.8 - Synthesis workshops in Africa; D7.5 - Gender equality.
• In strengthening awareness and knowledge of the project’s activities, findings and objectives, production of relevant communication materials on sustainable value chains, sustainable business models and support training for agricultural leaders, and extension services (WP4).
• Aid in scientific dissemination of the findings and activities of the project through teaching classes.
• To contribute to the design of a multi-scale and multidisciplinary monitoring approach of the agri-food systems under study (T1.3), in particular what is regarding value chains and their sustainability.

6. Place of work and scientific orientation

The work will be carried out at the office in ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics & Management of Universidade de Lisboa, under the scientific supervision of Professor Idalina Dias Sardinha.

Granted post doc will also work in close collaboration with other local colleagues, of the project based at ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics & Management, and the other partners of SustInAfrica.

7. Selection methods and their evaluation

7.1 First phase of the selection method to be used is a curricular assessment based on the curriculum vitae (CA=70%) and motivation letter (ML= 30%).

There will be an interview for those selected according results from CV=(70%) + ML=(30%).

So those applicants who pass to the interview stage, the first evaluation component will weigh 70% and the interview (I) will weigh 30%.

7.2 The curricular assessment (CA) is expressed on a scale from 0 to 20, with a mark to the hundredths; the motivation letter (ML) and the interview (I), if it exists, are evaluated according to the classification levels of High, Good, Sufficient, Poor or Insufficient, to which correspond, respectively, the classifications of 20, 16, 12, 8 and 4 values.

7.3 In the curricular assessment (CA) of the candidates, their aptitudes will be appreciated, weighting, according to its adequacy to the demands of the work plan and so considering the relevance of the competences expressed by the candidate in the Curriculum Vitae to the work plan expressed in this call. The final classification of master's degree and doctorate, being done according to the parameters defined in the Jury's minutes will also be considerate if Curriculum Vitae presents adequacy to the demands of the work plan.

7.4 In the evaluation of the motivation letter (ML), the candidate's motivation, the relevance of the grant in his/her personal project, the adequacy of the candidate's profile to the defined work plan, and written expression and fluency are evaluated in an objective and systematic way.

7.5 In the interview (I), if it takes place, the knowledge, technical competences and behavioral aspects that are evidenced during the interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee, namely those related to the capacity of communication and interpersonal relationship, information analysis and critical sense, initiative and autonomy, and potential for planning and organization; potential of integration and collaboration capacity in work teams as well as the availability to start the job in the date stated in this call are evaluated in an objective and systematic way.

7.6 Each of the selection methods is eliminatory.

7.6.1 Candidates who do not obtain a classification equal to or higher than 14 in the CA and equal to or higher than 12 in the CA+ML, or who do not obtain a classification in the first 5 positions, will be excluded.

7.6.2 Candidates who do not attend the interview or who obtain a mark lower than 9.5 in the interview will be excluded from the selection process.

7.7 Candidates have access to the jury's minutes, which contain the evaluation parameters and respective weighting for each of the selection methods to be used, the classification grid and the final evaluation system of the method, as long as they request them.

8. Composition of the Jury

President - Idalina Dias Sardinha (PhD)

Effective member - Daniela Mourão Craveiro (PhD)

Effective member - Amélia Branco (PhD)

Substitute Member - Ana Luz (PhD)

Substitute Member – Ines Faria (PhD)

9. Form of publication/notification of results

The list of candidates admitted and excluded to the competition, the results obtained in each phase, and the final ranking list of the candidates completing the procedure are published on Universidade de Lisboa’s portal at https://www.iseg.ulisboa.pt/aquila/unidade/drh .

9.1 Candidates admitted to the first selection method are called to the next method by email to the email address communicated in their Curriculum Vitae.

9.2 Candidates who are excluded will be notified, by e-mail with receipt of delivery sent to the e-mail address communicated in their Curriculum Vitae, to hold a hearing of the interested parties in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Code.

9.3 The final ranking list will be notified to all candidates by e-mail with receipt of delivery.

9.4 Once the deadline for complaints against the final ranking list has passed, the selected candidate will be notified to, within a maximum of 10 working days, submit a written statement of acceptance of the grant, failing which, if no valid reason is given within the aforementioned deadline, this will be considered as a renunciation or withdrawal of the grant.

9.5 In case the selected candidate renounces or gives up the scholarship, and is notified, for the purposes of the provisions of the previous paragraph, the candidate ranked in the subsequent place, if applicable.

10. Duration of Scholarship and Amount of Monthly Maintenance Allowance

10.1 The fellowship will have a duration of 12 months, starting in June 2023, with the possibility of renewal for another 1,5 year.

10.2 The monthly grant will amount to 1 741,00 € (updated according FCT rules).

10.3 The grant holder will have a personal accident insurance policy and, if not covered by any social protection scheme, may ensure the exercise of the right to social security by joining the voluntary social security scheme, under the terms of the Social Security Contributions Code.

10.4 Scholarship renewal terms and conditions

Scholarships may be renewed for additional periods up to their maximum duration, provided that, on the renewal date, the conditions for their granting are verified, always depending on the request submitted, within 60 working days prior to the renewal start date, accompanied by the following documents:

• Detailed report of the work carried out, containing the URL addresses of communications, publications and scientific creations resulting from the activity developed, if any;
• Statement of the supervisor(s) on the documents referred to in the previous paragraph;
• Work plan for the renewal period (done accordingly supervisor);

10.5 The selected grant holder will work as a grant holder under the exclusive dedication regime, as established in the Research Grant Holder Statute.

11. Applicable legislation and regulations

Research Grant Holder Statute, approved by Law no. 40/2004, of 18 of August, as amended by Decree-Law no. 123/2019, of 28 of August. Universidade de Lisboa’s Research Grants Regulations, order No. 6238/2020 published in the Official Gazette No. 113, Series II, of 12 June 2020. Amounts of the monthly maintenance allowance applicable to grants covered by Regulation 234/2012. Monthly maintenance allowance (values updated with effect from 1 January 2023).

The President of the Jury,

Idalina Maria Dias Sardinha