Josh’s Water Jobs – FEUP - Research Grant - H2SYMBIOTIC-WATER-PURIFICATION

Offer Description

1 Research Grant Announcement (M/F)

Call open for applications for a research grant within the framework of the project H2SYMBIOTIC – Multi-Sector Hydrogen Integration for Decarbonisation and Circularity, with nr. 25502 and operation code at the Funds Platform (Balcão dos Fundos) COMPETE2030-FEDER-03035600, co-financed by the European Union through the COMPETE 2030 Programme, of Portugal 2030, under the following conditions:

Scientific Area: Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering or related areas

Admission requirements: Candidates who cumulatively meet the following two requirements may apply for this grant:

Requirement 1:

– Be a student enrolled in a doctoral program in the area of Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering or related areas, a requirement to be duly proven at the time of signing the contract.

– Holder of an academic degree enrolled in a non-academic degree course integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution, developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units, a requirement to be duly proven at the time of signing the contract.

Note: In the case of masters who are enrolled in non-academic degree courses, the scholarship can only be awarded to those who do not exceed, with this scholarship contract, including possible renewals, an accumulated period of two years in that typology of the scholarship, followed or interpolated.

and

Requirement 2:

– Hold a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering or related field.

If the degree has been awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must comply with the provisions of the Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of august 16th, and any formalities established there must be fulfilled until the time of signing the contract.

Activity Outline: The H2SYMBIOTIC project aims to develop integrated and modular green hydrogen hubs, promoting decarbonization and the circular economy in industrial and urban sectors. The project adopts an innovative and multidisciplinary approach that combines advanced digital technologies, sustainable physicochemical processes, and industrial symbiosis strategies, aiming to create comprehensive ecosystems that integrate the production, purification, storage, recovery, and efficient use of hydrogen, as well as the smart management of its byproducts, namely water, oxygen, biogas, and nutrients. The work plan for this grant aims to develop a wastewater purification system for electrolysis. The activities include: (i) removal of micropollutants through ozonation and a sand biofilter to comply with the DARU directive; (ii) ensuring high-purity water for feeding alkaline electrolyzers, including ozonation, biofiltration, reverse osmosis, and electrodeionization, achieving conductivity below 1 μS/cm; (iii) testing in alkaline electrolyzers to verify performance and durability.

Legislation and regulations: Law Nº. 40/2004, of 18th August, in its current wording (Statutes of Scientific Research Fellow) and Regulation of Research Grants of Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, in force and Regulation of Research Grants of University of Porto, in force.

Work place: The work will be developed at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), under the scientific supervision of Doctor Vítor Jorge Pais Vilar and Doctor Ana Isabel de Emílio Gomes.

Grant duration: Initial duration of 6 months, with the predicted starting date in September 2026, on an exclusive basis, eventually renewable but never exceeding the end of the project.

If it is not possible to ensure the duration of 6 months estimated in the previous paragraph, this duration will be adjusted according to the end date of the project, and provided that the minimum duration of 3 consecutive months is guaranteed, in accordance with paragraph 3 of article 6 of the Research Grant Regulations of the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P.

The eventual renewal of the scholarship will be carried out as determined in article 6 of the Research Grants Regulation of the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P.

Stipend: The monthly scholarship amount ranges from €1,359.64—in accordance with the schedule of amounts for scholarships awarded directly by FCT, I.P. in Portugal to €1,459.64, depending on the candidate’s profile and prior experience in the project’s field. If the amount to be paid exceeds €1,359.64, the remaining amount will be covered by FEUP funds not derived from project financing. Payment will be made via bank transfer.

Selection procedure:

The curriculum of the candidates (60%) will be evaluated based on the merit of the candidate and the following factors will be weighted:

a) Academic training: Master in Environmental Engineering or Chemical Engineering – 5 points, Master in related areas – 2 points, Master in other fields – 0 points;

b) Classification of academic training in the areas identified in the admission requirements for the call: higher than or equal to 16 values – 5 points, 15 values – 4 points, 14 values – 3 points, less than 14 values – 0 points;

c) Publications: in the project area – up to 5 points, in related areas – up to 2 points, in other fields – 0 points;

d) Research Experience: in the project area – up to 5 points; in related areas – up to 2 points; in other fields – 0 points.

The curriculum of each candidate will be evaluated on a 1-20 points scale. Candidates with less than 14 points in the curricular evaluation will not be invited for the interview.

In the interview (40%), topics related to the work plan, experience, and the candidate’s CV will be discussed with the invited candidates.

If none of the candidates achieves a minimum final score of 15 points, the scholarship will not be awarded.

Selection Jury:

President: Doctor Vítor Jorge Pais Vilar

Effective member: Doctor Ana Isabel de Emílio Gomes

Effective member: Doctor Catarina da Rocha Cruzeiro

Supplementary member: Doctor Tânia Filomena Castro Valente Silva

Supplementary member: Doctor Maria Francisca da Costa Moreira

Advertisement of final decision: The results of the evaluation will be released to the candidates

by email to the email address indicated in the application process.

Deadline for applications and form of presentation of the applications:

The call is open from 31-07-2026 to 13-08-2026 (until 23h59m, GMT time).

Applications must be formalized by email to vilar@fe.up.pt and to recursoshumanos@fe.up.pt, clearly stating the reference FEUP-H2SYMBIOTIC-WATER-PURIFICATION and including the following pdf documents: Motivation letter, Copy of certificates evidencing academic degree (referring the classification of each separated or integrated degree), detailed Curriculum Vitae; Declaration on honor that the candidate fulfills the requirement contained in article 6 of the Regulation for Research Grants of the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. (model below, for student enrolled in a non-academic degree course integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution, developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units) and other documents considered relevant by the applicant.

In order to assure that all documents can be read, the preferred saving format is the Portable Document Format (.pdf).

Declaration on honour

I, (identification of the scholarship holder), holder of the Citizen Card / Visa / Residence Permit no. valid until _____, declare under honour, to be in the conditions of no. 5 of article 6º of the Research Grants from FCT, IP – Regulation No. 950/2019, of 16 December.

Oporto, __/__/__

Signature

_________________

(scholarship holder)