Research Grant via EURAXESS

Offer Description

A call is open to award two research grants within the R&D Project “WaterPLAAN – Combater a Poluição da Água: Planear a Agricultura Agora” 2023.13840.PEX, financed by national funds through “Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia”, under the following conditions:

RESEARCH FIELD: Mathematics, Physics, Civil Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Data Science, or related fields.

RECIPIENT CATEGORY: Master students enrolled in the fields of Mathematics, Physics, Civil Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Engineering Physics, Data Science, or related areas. 

CANDIDATES PROFILE / CANDIDATE ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Mandatory requirements:

In order to apply, the candidates must possess:

• A Bachelor’s degree in fields of Mathematics, Physics, Civil Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Engineering Physics, Data Science, or related areas;
• Applicants must comply with the eligibility conditions set out in Article 9 of the Research Grant Regulations, No. 950/2019, of 16-12-2019, of FCT I.P.

At the time of the respective hiring, candidates must prove that they are enrolled in:

• Master´s Degree in the fields of Mathematics, Physics, Civil Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Engineering Physics, Data Science, or related areas; 

Preferential factors:

• Portuguese language proficiency;
• English language proficiency.

Requirement for granting the fellowship:

 The applicants may apply without prior registration in the course for which the fellowship is open. The requirement to enroll in a degree course will be verified on the date of contracting the fellowship.

• Only fellowships whose selected applicants present a valid proof of enrollment in a degree course will be contracted, issued by a Higher Education Institution, according to the type of the fellowship, indicating the academic year or its duration (start and term).

APPLICATION / ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The call is open from The call is open from 24/09/2025 to 08/10/2025 (23:00 – Europe/Lisbon).

Applications must be sent exclusively by e-mail to ‘filipan@civil.uminho.pt’, with the subject “Edital BI-CTAC-UMINHO- WaterPLAAN-2”, with the following documents:

1. Elements of the National Identity Card/Citizen Card/Passport/Visa/Title of Residence;
2. Curriculum Vitae of the candidate, in Portuguese or in English;
3. Certificates of the academic degree(s) required, specifying the final grading (mandatory) and, if possible, the grades obtained in all the attended curricular units, or, alternatively, the candidate’s declaration of honor that the degree was obtained until the end of the term of application;
4. Certificate of recognition of foreign academic degree and conversion of the respective final grading into the Portuguese grading scale, or, alternatively, the candidate’s declaration of honor, if applicable;
5. Statement proving compliance with the conditions for the scholarship type, in accordance with the application requirements (declaration of honour);
6. Motivation letter.

Failure to comply with the deadline for submitting the application, such as failure to submit or late submission of the application and the documents referred to in points 2) to 4), determines the exclusion of the application.

Regarding the above mentioned admissibility requirements, the following should be noted:

• In the case of a degree granted by a foreign higher education institution, and in order to ensure the application of the principle of equal treatment to candidates holding foreign and national academic degrees, it is mandatory to recognize the degree and convert the respective final grading to the Portuguese grading scale. The academic degrees and diplomas documents, or their respective recognition when awarded by foreign higher education institutions are not mandatory in the application phase, being replaced by a declaration of honor of the candidate with the contents of academic results. The documents of academic qualification or respective recognition will be required in the contracting phase and must attest facts that occurred on a date prior to the application. In situations of divergence between the information contained in the declaration and the documentation submitted for contracting the grant, only the information contained in the latter will be consider. If the documents proving the ownership of the academic degree and diploma, or the respective recognition under the terms of Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16, do not correspond to the classifications awarded in the evaluation of the academic path, which can change the candidate’s ranking, the fellowship won’t be contracted.
• Applicants with degrees obtained abroad must present proof of recognition of qualifications in Portugal and conversion of the final classification obtained in them to the Portuguese classification scale or declaration under the terms indicated in the previous point. Candidates who do not comply with one of these provisions, the Selection Panel will assign “0” in the respective criteria. Candidates will be evaluated on the remaining parameters.
• Only candidates who have completed the required qualification by the end of the application period will be admitted. If they do not yet have the official degree certificate, a declaration of honor from the candidate stating that he/she has completed the qualifications required by the end of the application period, will be accepted. At the time of the respective hiring the candidate must present the official degree certificate.

DURATION OF THE RESEARCH GRANT

The research grant will last for 3 months, with a provisional starting date in December 2025.

The grant may be renewed until the maximum predicted in the project and/or applicable legislation, if it is necessary to complete the academic degree or to carry out activities that are essential for the conclusion of the project.

WORK PLAN AND OBJECTIVES

The work will be part of the WaterPlaan exploratory project, which aims to study the effects of irrigation and fertilization on agricultural fields and water resources, focusing on reusing water from wastewater treatment plants. By using optimal control techniques and predictive modeling, the project seeks to develop management policies for irrigation, fertilization, and crop cultivation. The main goal is to optimize resource use and reduce water pollution.

HOST INSTITUTION AND SCIENTIFIC SUPERVISION

The work will be carried out at CTAC – Centre for Territory, Environment and Construction – Civil Engineering Department, School of Engineering of the University of Minho, located at Azurém (Guimarães), under the scientific supervision of Doctor Filipa Nunes Nogueira (Invited Assistant Professor at the University of Minho) and coordination of Doctor José Luís Barroso Aguiar. 

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The evaluation of the applications will focus on the merit of the candidate, by applying the following criteria on a scale of 0 to 5 points:

Candidate’s Merit – CM (100%):

• Criterion A – Motivation letter, with a weighting of 10%;
• Criterion B – Academic path (Final classification obtained in the Bachelor/Master/Integrated Master), with a weighting of 50%;
• Criterion C – Personal curriculum (considering professional and scientific background), with a weighting of 40%:

The final classification of the Candidate’s Merit (CM) will be obtained by applying the following formula: 

CM = (A*0,10) + (B*0,50) + (C*0,40)

The Selection Panel reserves the right not to award the research grant in the competition based on the evaluation results of the applicants and their suitability for the project objectives.

SELECTION PANEL

The Selection Panel is composed by the following elements:

• President: Doctor Dr. Filipa Nunes Nogueira, Invited Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, School of Sciences, University of Minho.
• Effective members: Dr. José Luís da Silva Pinho, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Minho.
• Effective members: Doctor Dr. Sofia Oliveira Lopes, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, School of Sciences, University of Minho.
• Substitute members: Doctor Dr. Amélia Cristina Duque Caldeira Matos, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto.
• Substitute members: Dr. Irene Vitória Ribeiro de Brito, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, School of Sciences, University of Minho.

If the President of the Selection Panel is unavailable, he/she shall be replaced by the first effective member. The first substitute member will replace the effective member.

The Selection Panel, including the President, undertake the commitment to respect a set of responsibilities essential to the evaluation process, such as the duties of impartiality, of stating any potential situations of conflict of interest and confidentiality.

COMUNICATION OF RESULTS

The results of the evaluation are announced by email to all candidates, attaching, for this purpose, the minutes of the jury’s deliberations, within a maximum period of 60 working days from the deadline for submission of applications.

Candidates are informed, at a preliminary hearing, in accordance with Articles 121 and 122 of the Administrative Procedure Code (DL nº 4 / 2015 of January 7), of the likely outcome of the final decision, and may comment within 10 working days of this notification.

COMPLAINT AND APPEAL PROCEDURES

The selected candidate must indicate, in writing, the intention to accept the grant, within 10 working days of notification of the grant award.

The final decision can be contested, having 15 working days for this purpose, or an appeal may be lodged with the Rector within 30 working days, both after the respective notification.

REQUIREMENTS FOR FINAL AWARDING OF THE GRANT

The scholarship is awarded through the signing of a contract between the University of Minho and the scholarship recipient, in accordance with the draft contract in Annex II of the University of Minho Regulations (RBIC).At the time of hiring, the following documents must be sent:a)       National Identity Card/Citizen Card/Passport/Visa/Title of Residence;b)       Copy of the certificate of the academic degree;c)       Presentation of the certificate of recognition of foreign academic degree and conversion of the respective final grading into the Portuguese grading scale, if applicable;d)       Document proving enrollment in the Doctoral Program, identified in this application;e)       Science ID;f)        NIB/IBAN (document of the Bank with the name of the candidate);g)       Tax Identification Number (NIF);h)       Digital mobile key (digital signature).

The contract may only be concluded after all the documentation required is collected, which must take place within a maximum period of 6 months.Once all the documentation has been received, the contracting entity has a period of 60 working days to conclude the scholarship contract, in accordance with nº3 of the Article 14º the University of Minho Regulations (RBIC).

MONTHLY MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE

The Monthly Maintenance Allowance corresponds to the basic value of 1040,98  euros per month, according to the table of grants of FCT, I.P. in the country (http://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores) and Research Scholarship of the University of Minho, updated annually, as decided by the Management Board.

Payments are made by bank transfer on the 23rd of each month to the Bank Identification Number of the fellow identified in the contratualization process.

OTHER BENEFITS

Reimbursement of the Voluntary Social Insurance, if the candidate chooses to receive it, corresponding to the 1st tier of the contribution base (for grants of 6 months or more) and Personal Accident Insurance.

EXCLUSIVITY REGIME

The grantee will perform the activities under exclusivity, as foreseen in article 5º of the Research Fellow Statutes and applicable regulations.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR GRANT RENEWAL 

Grant may be renewed for additional periods, if this information is provided in “DURATION OF THE RESEARCH GRANT” and in the contract. This additional period may not exceed the regulatory limits or the end of the project.

The renewal of the grant always depends on a petition submitted by the grant holder, on a date prior to the end of the grant contract, accompanied by the following documents:

1. report issued by the supervisor(s) and by the host entity(ies) on the follow-up of the grant holder’s work and the evaluation of his/her activities;
2. updated document proving compliance with the exclusive dedication regime;
3. document proving the renewal of enrollment in the study cycle leading to an academic degree. If, at the time of the renewal, the grant holder has already obtained the degree or completed the course, the contract may still be renewed if in its clauses it is specified that the renewal, in these situations, is intended to carry out activities that are indispensable for the completion of the project. 

TERM AND CANCELLATION OF GRANT CONTRACTS

Without prejudice to the other grounds laid down in the University of Minho’s Scientific Research Scholarship Regulation and in the Research Fellow Statute, the scholarship will cease on completion of the contracted work plan, as well as on expiry of the period for which it was granted or renewed.

At the end of the grant, the grantee is obliged to present a Final Report of the work carried out, in accordance with the objectives and evaluation criteria defined with the scientific advisor, within 60 working days after the end of the grant.

The Final Report must be prepared in accordance with Annex I of the University of Minho Scientific Research Grant Regulations (RBIC).

APPLICABLE LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS 

Research Fellowship Holder Statutes, approved by Law no. 40/2004 of August 18, in its current version; FCT Research Fellowship Regulation, approved by Regulation nº 950/2019, published in the Diário da República, 2nd series, of December 16, 2019, in its current wording; University of Minho Scientific Research Grant Regulations (RBIC), approved by Order n. 4998/2025, published in the Official Gazette, 2nd series, n. 81, of April 28, rectified and republished through Rectification Statement n. 634/2025/2, published in the Official Gazette, 2nd series, n. 132, of July 11.

NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL ACCESS POLICY

University of Minho actively promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, so that no candidate may be privileged, benefited, harmed or deprived of any right or exempt from any duty due, namely, to ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, economic situation, education, social origin or condition, genetic heritage, reduced working capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions and trade union membership.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

You can find the Portuguese version of the application at: https://ctac.uminho.pt/open-positions/

Where to apply

E-mail: filipan@civil.uminho.pt’

Specific Requirements

Mandatory requirements:

In order to apply, the candidates must possess:

• A Bachelor’s degree in fields of Mathematics, Physics, Civil Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Engineering Physics, Data Science, or related areas;
• Applicants must comply with the eligibility conditions set out in Article 9 of the Research Grant Regulations, No. 950/2019, of 16-12-2019, of FCT I.P.

At the time of the respective hiring, candidates must prove that they are enrolled in:

• Master´s Degree in the fields of Mathematics, Physics, Civil Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Engineering Physics, Data Science, or related areas;

Additional Information

Benefits

MONTHLY MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE

The Monthly Maintenance Allowance corresponds to the basic value of 1040,98 euros per month, according to the table of grants of FCT, I.P. in the country (http://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores) and Research Scholarship of the University of Minho, updated annually, as decided by the Management Board.

Payments are made by bank transfer on the 23rd of each month to the Bank Identification Number of the fellow identified in the contratualization process.

OTHER BENEFITS

Reimbursement of the Voluntary Social Insurance, if the candidate chooses to receive it, corresponding to the 1st tier of the contribution base (for grants of 6 months or more) and Personal Accident Insurance.

Selection process

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The evaluation of the applications will focus on the merit of the candidate, by applying the following criteria on a scale of 0 to 5 points:

Candidate’s Merit – CM (100%):

• Criterion A – Motivation letter, with a weighting of 10%;
• Criterion B – Academic path (Final classification obtained in the Bachelor/Master/Integrated Master), with a weighting of 50%;
• Criterion C – Personal curriculum (considering professional and scientific background), with a weighting of 40%:

The final classification of the Candidate’s Merit (CM) will be obtained by applying the following formula: 

CM = (A*0,10) + (B*0,50) + (C*0,40)