We are seeking prospective PhD students interested in applying for a PhD Fellowship at the University of Porto as part of the Gulf of Guinea Research Program (GGRP). Students in this program would enroll as PhD students with CIBIO/Biopolis as the host institution, undergo all their research and coursework in English, and perform field research in the Gulf of Guinea, Africa. This FCT fellowship program in Portugal is a hidden gem: it is an excellent academic program, but acceptance into the program is relatively non-competitive: e.g., in 2022, 79% of eligible students received the fellowship, which includes a tuition waver and monthly stipend (more below). Here we are recruiting prospective students to apply for the FCT PhD Fellowship through CIBIO/Biopolis and the GGRP. This fall, we will select from among the most promising respondents to this pre-call and will then support those chosen candidates through the application process.
The GGRP: The GGRP is a brand-new research program that is a collaboration between CIBIO/Biopolis and Supernova Technologies with the goal of advancing research and conservation in the Gulf of Guinea. More information can be found here in the full proposal, which is effectively a non-comprehensive catalogue of possible PhD research topics. In particular, the GGRP has research hubs in Principe Island, Sao Tome, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea (both mainland and Bioko), Cameroon, and in Cabinda, Angola. Students in the program have broad flexibility in selecting a research topic, so long as the research is centered in the Gulf of Guinea.
Required: A strong passion for tropical ecology, conservation and/or evolution in the Gulf of Guinea. Bachelor’s and master’s degree in biology, ecology or a related field. At least one publication. Considerable research experience. Field experience. Adaptability. Resourcefulness. Very good marks/grades. Prospective fellows, when they apply for the fellowship, are ranked by an FCT panel, where grades, experience, and publications weigh heavily on their score.
Preferred: At least one first-authored publication. At least three total publications. At least a working knowledge of Portuguese, Spanish or French would be most helpful in the field, but is not required. Excellent quantitative skills - particularly modelling in R. Lab skills. Experience performing fieldwork in Africa or other tropical places.
Details of the Fellowship and application: In addition to a tuition waiver, fellows would earn about 1200 euros per month while in Portugal or about 2000 euros a month while outside of Portugal if they receive a “mixed grant”. Applications for the FCT fellowship program are due at the end of March, 2024. Critically, applicants receiving their MS and/or BS degrees outside of Portugal must authenticate their diplomas and have their degrees recognized by Portugal (and grades transferred). For degrees from the Global North (especially Europe), this process is typically quick: weeks at most. For degrees from the Global South, the process is challenging and can (rather unfairly) take four months or more because the countries/universities don’t typically have degree recognition agreements in place with Portugal. More details on the process are explained here.
To apply: send an email to Luke.L.Powell@cibio.up.pt with “GGRP pre-call” in the subject line. Please include 1) your CV, with pubs (including those in prep and in review; with target journal), 2)a 250 word max letter describing your interest in the program, including a brief discussion of yourself and a potential dissertation topic (see GGRP Proposal for ideas; other topics welcome) and, if applicable, which researcher at CIBIO/Biopolis you would like to advise you during your PhD; finally, include 3) a list of 3 references that can speak to your abilities as a researcher/graduate student. These three items should be separate attachments, (not in the body of the email) and named in this way: Surname_Firstname_CV.pdf. Please send your materials by November 27th, 2023. Students with degrees from the Global South are encouraged to send their letters ASAP as degree transferring takes months. We particularly encourage African students to apply; note that African students from PALOP countries have a special path to acceptance in the program.
We are seeking prospective PhD students interested in applying for a PhD Fellowship at the University of Porto as part of the Gulf of Guinea Research Program (GGRP). Students in this program would enroll as PhD students with CIBIO/Biopolis as the host institution, undergo all their research and coursework in English, and perform field research in the Gulf of Guinea, Africa. This FCT fellowship program in Portugal is a hidden gem: it is an excellent academic program, but acceptance into the program is relatively non-competitive: e.g., in 2022, 79% of eligible students received the fellowship, which includes a tuition waver and monthly stipend (more below). Here we are recruiting prospective students to apply for the FCT PhD Fellowship through CIBIO/Biopolis and the GGRP. This fall, we will select from among the most promising respondents to this pre-call and will then support those chosen candidates through the application process. The GGRP: The GGRP is a brand-new research program that is a collaboration between CIBIO/Biopolis and Supernova Technologies with the goal of advancing research and conservation in the Gulf of Guinea. More information can be found here in the full proposal, which is effectively a non-comprehensive catalogue of possible PhD research topics. In particular, the GGRP has research hubs in Principe Island, Sao Tome, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea (both mainland and Bioko), Cameroon, and in Cabinda, Angola. Students in the program have broad flexibility in selecting a research topic, so long as the research is centered in the Gulf of Guinea. Required: A strong passion for tropical ecology, conservation and/or evolution in the Gulf of Guinea. Bachelor’s and master’s degree in biology, ecology or a related field. At least one publication. Considerable research experience. Field experience. Adaptability. Resourcefulness. Very good marks/grades. Prospective fellows, when they apply for the fellowship, are ranked by an FCT panel, where grades, experience, and publications weigh heavily on their score. Preferred: At least one first-authored publication. At least three total publications. At least a working knowledge of Portuguese, Spanish or French would be most helpful in the field, but is not required. Excellent quantitative skills - particularly modelling in R. Lab skills. Experience performing fieldwork in Africa or other tropical places. Details of the Fellowship and application: In addition to a tuition waiver, fellows would earn about 1200 euros per month while in Portugal or about 2000 euros a month while outside of Portugal if they receive a “mixed grant”. Applications for the FCT fellowship program are due at the end of March, 2024. Critically, applicants receiving their MS and/or BS degrees outside of Portugal must authenticate their diplomas and have their degrees recognized by Portugal (and grades transferred). For degrees from the Global North (especially Europe), this process is typically quick: weeks at most. For degrees from the Global South, the process is challenging and can (rather unfairly) take four months or more because the countries/universities don’t typically have degree recognition agreements in place with Portugal. More details on the process are explained here. To apply: send an email to Luke.L.Powell@cibio.up.pt with “GGRP pre-call” in the subject line. Please include 1) your CV, with pubs (including those in prep and in review; with target journal), 2)a 250 word max letter describing your interest in the program, including a brief discussion of yourself and a potential dissertation topic (see GGRP Proposal for ideas; other topics welcome) and, if applicable, which researcher at CIBIO/Biopolis you would like to advise you during your PhD; finally, include 3) a list of 3 references that can speak to your abilities as a researcher/graduate student. These three items should be separate attachments, (not in the body of the email) and named in this way: Surname_Firstname_CV.pdf. Please send your materials by November 27th, 2023. Students with degrees from the Global South are encouraged to send their letters ASAP as degree transferring takes months. We particularly encourage African students to apply; note that African students from PALOP countries have a special path to acceptance in the program.