Public launch of the new colleges of ulisboa

The two new colleges of the University of Lisbon: Polar2E – Polar and Extreme Environments and CTrop – Tropical will be presented next friday at 15:00 at the Salão Nobre (Reitoria da Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Cidade Universitária).

The session will consist on an introduction by the Rector of ULISBOA, followed by a presentation of the colleges and their objectives by the respective directors. The opening will be followed by a round-table with researchers of the two colleges including a debate with the public.

An ice-breaker and an opportunity for networking will take place at 17:15.

The session is open to the public and you are most welcome to attend.

Permarsenic team in the Canadian Sub-Arctic

João Canário and Diogo Ferreira from Polar2E – CQE/IST are now at the Centre of Northern Studies (CEN) research station at Kuujjuarapik/Whapmagoostui in Northern Quebec, for the winter campaign of the project “Arsenic speciation and biogeochemistry in Permafrost Thaw Lakes – Permarsenic” funded by the FCT through the Portuguese Polar Program. Permarsenic involves an interdisciplinary team of Polar2E and of CEN.

Call for PhD scholarship applications 2020

Polar2E – The University of Lisbon College on Polar and Extreme Environments opens a call for expressions of interest for PhD grants targetting at the FCT Call for PhD Grants 2020 (https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/concursos/individuais2020.phtml.pt). Polar2E is the new interdisciplinary College of ULISBOA, joining the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, the Faculty of Sciences and the IST-Técnico, with researchers from several research centres from the University of Lisbon.

PhD Application & Enrolment

In order to apply for a FCT scholarship framed within Polar2E, it is necessary to have a project idea. To search for opportunities based on your own research idea, you first need to identify a Strategical Area at Polar2E whose objectives best match your idea. If you find it, you should contact the coordinator, which will direct you to a potential supervisor. You will then need to discuss your research ideas with him/her before you apply for a FCT scholarship.

Candidates to apply to the FCT call under the framework of Polar2E will be pre-selected by a committee, considering 3 main criteria:

1) Academic CV

2) Motivation letter

3) Personal interview

What is essential to include in your CV and application

Applications may be sent via e-mail to the Strategical Area Coordinator until 28 february 2020 with: (1) The CV, which must include final marks in degrees completed, a list of marks in individual courses and a list of publications if they exist, as well as a scan of all the diplomas + certificates; (2) The motivation letter, which must indicate the preferred area of work; (3) Abstract of the PhD research idea to be developed. The committee will interview a selected number of candidates.

Note that Academic degrees awarded by non-Portuguese institutions will only be accepted if recognized by the Portuguese Government, through the “Direção Geral do Ensino Superior”, or by any Portuguese Public University, according with applicable laws, namely Decree-Law 341/2007, 12th  October, and Decree-Law 283/83, 21 June.

Current Strategical Areas within the College Polar2E ULisboa

– Biogeochemistry of extreme environments (Coord: João Canário, joao.canario@tecnico.ulisboa.pt),

– Changes in Polar marine ecosystems (Coord: Vanda Brotas, vbrotas@fc.ul.pt)

– Climate modelling (Coord: Emanuel Dutra, endutra@fc.ul.pt),

– Cryosphere / Permafrost (Coord.: Gonçalo Vieira, vieira@igot.ulisboa.pt),

– Polar and extreme ecosystems (Coord: Cristina Branquinho, cmbranquinho@fc.ul.pt),

– Remote sensing (Coord: carlamora@campus.ul.pt),

– Space environment (Coord.: Paulo Gil, paulo.gil@tecnico.ulisboa.pt).

– Sustainable architecture in extreme environments (Coord: Manuel Guedes, manuel.guedes@tecnico.ulisboa.pt)

Other topics may be accepted, if within the scope of Polar2E.

Besides the Strategical Areas in the framework of which you may propose PhD topics, below you will find offers for themes of specific interest in the current call:

  • Ecology of ecosystems under extreme environmental conditions such as drylands (Supervisors: Cristina Branquinho – cmbranquinho@fc.ul.pt and Alice Nunes).

PROPOLAR Flight punta arenas-king george island in 13 february

The DAP BAE-146 aircraft in the Teniente Marsh Airfield runway in King George Island arriving from Punta Arenas in the 13 February 2020.

The Portuguese Polar Program flights linking Punta Arenas (Chile) and King George Island in Antarctica took place in the 13 February with about 24h delay due to poor weather at the Teniente Marsh Airfield. The PROPOLAR flights are a contribution to the international logistics in the Antarctic Peninsula and this year supported a total of 62 scientists and technicians from PROPOLAR and six other partner programs. The Portuguese Antarctic campaign has 10 projects in the field, with 20 scientists. PROPOLAR is funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia and the logistical operator is IGOT, member of the College Polar2E-ULISBOA.

Scientists in King George Island.
Portuguese team upon arrival in Punta Arenas back from the Antarctic Season.