Postdoctoral Research Fellowship – Madeira Scientific Expeditions 2026–2027

Offer Description

ARDITI – Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation – Association, opens a competition for the award of 1 (one) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (BIPD) under the research activities of the Madeira Scientific Expeditions 2026–2027.

Reference: ARDITI-EXPEDIÇÕES MADEIRA/2026/001-BIPD.

Type of fellowship: Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (BIPD), intended for the performance of R&D activities by a holder of a doctoral degree.

Scientific area: Marine Sciences / Marine Biology / Marine Ecology.

Host institution: ARDITI – Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation – Association.

Scientific supervisor: Dr. João Canning-Clode, Principal Investigator at ARDITI, Director of MARE-Madeira.

Funding entity: the fellowship is funded within the framework of the Madeira Ocean Scientific Expeditions 2026–2027, under the Memorandum of Understanding signed in May 2026 between the Regional Government of Madeira, ARDITI, the Oceano Azul Foundation, and National Geographic Pristine Seas.

Eligible Candidates

The Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (BIPD) is intended for holders of a doctoral degree, to carry out R&D activities in the field of Marine Sciences or related areas.

Eligibility Requirements

The following persons may apply: (a) Portuguese citizens or citizens of other European Union Member States; (b) citizens of third countries; (c) stateless persons; (d) persons who hold political refugee status.

To apply, it is also necessary to: hold a doctoral degree obtained within the three years prior to the date of submission (duly recognized if obtained abroad); the research activities do not require postdoctoral experience; the research activities have a development and execution period equal to or shorter than three years; and the fellow does not exceed, with the conclusion of the fellowship contract, an accumulated period of three years in this type of fellowship.

Admissibility Requirements

General Requirements

• Hold a doctoral degree obtained within the three years prior to the closing date of this application.
• When obtained abroad, the degree must be duly recognized.

Preferential Requirements

• Experience in coordination and management of scientific activities, including report drafting, deliverable follow-up, and communication among partners.
• Participation in campaigns or fieldwork in marine sciences.
• Skills in the organization and management of scientific data.
• Scientific communication skills in English and Portuguese, both oral and written.
• Experience in the preparation of technical reports and support for scientific output.
• Interest or experience in Marine Protected Areas and/or marine conservation.
• Experience interacting with local communities and fisheries management bodies, and participation in science dissemination activities, will also be considered relevant.

Work Plan

Postdoctoral Researcher – Science Manager – Support for the coordination of the Madeira Ocean Scientific Expeditions 2026–2027:

• Support for the operational and logistical coordination of the Madeira 2026 Expedition (October 2–28, covering the north and south coasts of Madeira, the Desertas Islands, and the north coast of Porto Santo) and of the Selvagens 2027 Expedition (Selvagens Islands, focusing on deep-sea habitats).
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement activities and field data collection, promoting collaboration with local fishers for the collection of ecological information and participation in environmental monitoring and fisheries assessment processes.
• Support for the management, pre-processing, and analysis of data compiled and collected during the expeditions.
• Support for content compilation and report drafting, as well as other expedition outputs.
• Support for the organization and moderation of events, meetings, and workshops associated with the expeditions.

Fellowship Duration

The fellowship will last 24 months, with an expected start date of September 1, 2026, possibly renewable for an equal and successive period, up to a maximum of 3 years.

Monthly Maintenance Stipend

The fellow will receive a monthly stipend of €1,901, tax-exempt, in accordance with the ARDITI Table of Monthly Maintenance Stipends. Payments are made by bank transfer in the last week of each month.

Other Benefits

All fellows benefit from personal accident insurance related to research activities, covered by ARDITI. Fellowship beneficiaries not covered by any social protection scheme may exercise their right to social security by voluntarily joining the voluntary social insurance scheme, with ARDITI covering the costs resulting from the contributions.

How to Apply

By August 11th, 2026, interested candidates must submit their application and accompanying documents by email to bolsas.projetos@arditi.pt, with the subject line: ARDITI-EXPEDIÇÕES MADEIRA/2026/001-BIPD.

The application must be accompanied by: a copy of certificate or diploma (with Portuguese Recognition if obtained abroad); an updated Curriculum Vitae in English; and a motivation letter explaining how the candidate meets the requirements of the competition, research capabilities, and research interests.

Evaluation and Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated on a scale of 0 to 20 points across: doctoral degree in relevant fields (10%); experience in coordination and management of scientific activities (35%); skills in organization and management of scientific data (20%); participation in campaigns or fieldwork in marine environments (15%); quality of scientific output (10%); and oral/written fluency in Portuguese and English (10%). The top 3 ranked candidates may be interviewed by videoconference (weighted 20% if held, vs. 80% curricular assessment).

Candidates with a disability level equal to or greater than 90% will receive a 20% bonus on the data management criterion; those with a disability level of 60–90% will receive a 10% bonus.

Non-Discrimination and Gender Equality Policy

ARDITI promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, whereby no candidate may be privileged, benefited, prejudiced, or deprived of any right on any grounds including ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, or political beliefs.

Funding

The Postdoctoral Research Fellowship is funded by the "Madeira Scientific Expeditions 2026–2027" Project, in partnership with the Oceano Azul Foundation.

More information: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/456885