Research Fellowship (BI)

• SCIENTIFIC AREA: Biomechanics.
• RECIPIENTS: Graduates in Biomechanics or related fields who are Master's students in Biomedical Engineering.
• DURATION: 12 months, eventually renewable until the end of the project or until the eligibility limit assigned to the profile for this scholarship. The fellowship is due to start in 10/2026.

WORK PLAN: The activities to be developed include:

1. Survey of additive manufacturing technologies applicable to the production of different components of customized orthoses;
2. Selection and preliminary development of polymeric, bio-based, recycled and/or composite materials for 3D printing;
3. CAD modeling and digital preparation of orthoses for additive manufacturing;
4. Experimental production of orthosis prototypes and preliminary optimization of printing parameters;
5. Preliminary dimensional, functional and mechanical characterization of the prototypes produced;
6. Organization, processing, documentation and dissemination of the results obtained.

WORKPLACE AND SCIENTIFIC SUPERVISION: The work will be developed at the Centre for Rapid and Sustained Product Development from the University of Leiria and Oeste (CDRSP-ULO), under the supervision of PhD Researcher Joana Filipa Abreu Pereira and PhD professors: Nuno Manuel Fernandes Alves and Paulo Jorge da Costa Parente Novo.

GRANT FINANTIAL COMPONENTS: Monthly maintenance subsidy, in the amount of € 1090,98 according to the FCT, I.P. To this amount is added the monthly amount referring to the Voluntary Social Security, if applicable, in accordance with the conditions defined in the Statute of Research Fellows. The scholarship holder will benefit from Personal Accident Insurance during the course of the scholarship.

PAYMENT: The maintenance stipend will be monthly processed, through bank transfer, to the account identified by the research fellow.

ACTIVITY SCHEME: Exclusivity, according to the applicable legislation.

EVALUATION PANEL: The jury responsible for the applications evaluation will be constituted by PhD Professors: Joana Filipa Abreu Pereira Valente (president), Nuno Manuel Fernandes Alves and Paulo Jorge da Costa Parente Novo (effective members); Sandra Cristina Fernandes Amado and Pedro José da Silva Carreira (substitute members).

APPLICATION DEADLINE: september 09, 2026 to september 22, 2026.

SELECTION METHOD AND EVALUATION CRITERIA: The evaluation will be made through curriculum analysis and possible interview, and will focus on the merit of the candidate, where they will be considered and weighted according to the following:

A) Suitability of Academic Study Area (30%):

• Academic degree in Biomechanics - 20 points.
• Academic degree in related areas – 13 points.

B) Academic Qualification (20%): final grade of bachelor's degree

C) Professional/Academic Experience (20%)

• Has excellent professional/academic experience – 20 values.
• Has very good professional/academic experience – 17 values.
• Has good professional/academic experience – 14 values.
• Has enough professional/academic experience – 10 values.
• Has insufficient professional/academic experience – 2 values.
• No mention of professional/academic practice – 0 values.

D) Specific knowledge (30%): 1) Additive manufacturing including 3D printer operation; 2) CAD modeling; 3) Material characterization (notably using the following equipment: Universal mechanical testing machine, Texture analyzer, FTIR, SEM, EDX, Rheometer, TGA and STA)

• Excellent knowledge - 20 values.
• High knowledge - 15 values.
• Medium knowledge - 10 values.
• Low level of knowledge - 5 values.
• No knowledge - 0 values.

with the final grade FG = [A*0.3 + B*0.2 + C*0.2 + D*0.3]. If the jury decides by reasoned deliberation, the three first classified in the curriculum analysis will be invited for an interview (INT), with the final grade (FG) = [FG*0.8 + INT*0.2]. Candidates who, at the end of the assessment, obtain a classification of less than 9.5 will be excluded from the contest.

Observation: If the candidate(s) with foreign qualifications(s) do not present, during the application phase, the recognition of the degree or foreign diploma and the classification conversion to the Portuguese scale, the jury defines the conversion only for the application purposes based on the rules of the legal regime applicable to the recognition of foreign degrees and diplomas or, when not possible, applies the minimal classification of 10 points.

Note that foreign academic degrees need to be registered by a Portuguese institution, in accordance with Decree-law no. 66/2018, dated August 16th, and Ordinance no. 33/2019, dated January 25th. The presentation of the certificate is mandatory for signing the contract. More information can be obtained at: https://www.dges.gov.pt/pt/pagina/reconhecimento?plid=374

ELIGIBILITY OF CANDIDATES: Without prejudice to the applicable rules to each type of research fellowship, the following candidates are eligible:

1. National citizens or citizens of other member states of the European Union;
2. Third-party states citizens;
3. Stateless persons;
4. Beneficiaries of political refugee status.

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS: Applications must be submitted through https://recrutamento.ipleiria.pt/processos-ativos/bolseiros/concurso?recruitment_process_id=241 by clicking the "submit application" button, filling out and submitting the application form accompanied by the following documents:

• Document(s) proving the ownership of the academic degree(s) and/or required application diploma(s), preferably with the final average and curricular units’ classification. Candidates with foreign qualifications must prove their academic degree and foreign diploma in the terms of the Decree-law no. 66/2018, dated August 16th. These documents can be dismissed during the application phase, by submitting a declaration of honour available in the application form, which can only attest to facts that occurred prior to the application, with the verification of this condition occurring only in the contract signing phase;
• Document proving the enrolment and registration in the study cycle (optional presentation in the application stage, which in turn is a mandatory element when contracting the research grant);
• Updated candidate Curriculum Vitae;
• Document(s) supporting other evaluation parameter(s) indicated in the announcement;
• Other certifications and/or other documents considered relevant by the candidate.

RESULTS | DISCLOSURE AND COMPLAINTS: The jury will send to the candidates, by e-mail, the provisional results of the evaluation (presented in the form of the minutes resulting from the evaluation process) within 90 working days after the application deadline. After this disclosure, candidates have 10 working days to pronounce, if they wish, in the appropriate form available in the institutional webpage, under the terms of the administrative procedure code (CPA). The final decision will be taken within a maximum period of 60 working days after the conclusion of the previous hearing of interested parties, of which a complaint can be filed within 15 working days, after notification, to the highest executive body of University of Leiria and Oeste. Within the scope of the research fellowship award procedure, if the final ordering list, duly approved, contains a number of approved candidates higher than the number of research fellowships to be filled, an internal recruitment reserve is always created, which can be used when there is need for occupation due to withdrawal of the scholarship holder, under the terms of the CPA, to be used during the eligibility of the project.

APPLICABLE LEGISLATION AND REGULATION: Research Fellowship Holder statute, approved by Law no. 40/2004, dated August 18th, in its current wording; Regulation n.º 152/2021, with amendment introduced by Regulation nº. 548/2022 dated June 8th (Polytechnic of Leiria Regulation for Studentships and Fellowships).

Leiria, September 08, 2026

Pro-Rector of University of Leiria and Oeste

Diogo Manuel Teixeira Monteiro

Requirements

Research Field: Other

Education Level: Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available: 1

Company/Institute: Instituto Politécnico de Leiria

Country: Portugal

State/Province: Leiria

City: Marinha Grande

Postal Code: 2430-028

Street: Rua de Portugal - Zona Industrial