Research Fellowship – Product Engineering and Design

Offer Description

Polytechnic of Leiria is now opening applications for 1 (one) Research within the scope of the project “BioShoes4All - Inovação e capacitação da fileira do calçado para a bioeconomia sustentável: medida 1.2.3”, integrated in the European funds allocated to Portugal by the PRR, within the scope of the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (MRR) of the European Union (EU), framed in the Next Generation EU, for the period 2021 - 2026, under the following conditions:

• SCIENTIFIC AREA: Product Engineering and Design.
• RECIPIENTS: Holders Master`s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering and Product Design or related areas, who are enrolled in non-academic degree courses, in association with R&D Units. (according to with art. 5th to 7th of the FCT regulations).
• DURATION: 03 months, eventually renewable until the end of the project or the maximum duration for this research fellowship type. The fellowship is due to start in 01/10/2026.
• WORK PLAN: 1) Prototype evaluation and model optimization. 2) Results processing and analysis. 3) Writing the final report.
• WORKPLACE AND SCIENTIFIC SUPERVISION: The work will be developed at the Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development, under the supervision of PhD Professor João Manuel Matias.
• GRANT FINANTIAL COMPONENTS: Monthly maintenance subsidy, in the amount of € 1.359,64, according to the FCT, I.P. (Tabela de Valores SMM 2026). 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: João Manuel Matias (president), Fábio Jorge Pereira Simões and António Mário Henriques Pereira (effective member); Pedro Manuel Da Conceição Custódio and Fernando da Conceição Batista (substitute members).
• APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 14, 2026 to 25 september, 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:

1. Academic Qualification (AQ): Final Master's degree grade;
2. Professional/Academic Experience (PAE):

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

1. Specific knowledge (SK): Knowledge of materials processing and/or synthesis; Knowledge of thermal, morphological, chemical, physical, and mechanical characterization; Knowledge of additive manufacturing; Knowledge of CAD modeling; Knowledge of product development.

• Excellent knowledge – 20 points.
• High knowledge – 15 points.
• Medium knowledge – 10 points.
• Low level of knowledge – 5 points.
• No knowledge – 0 points.
• The final grade (FG) is evaluated employing the formula FG = [AQ*0.5 + PAE*0.2 + SK*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 a classification from 0 (zero) to 20 (twenty) values, with the final grade with interview (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.
• 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=243, 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 in a non-awarding degree course, as stated in the application announcement (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 the Polytechnic of Leiria. 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, 11 of September of 2026.

Pro-Rector of University of Leiria and Oeste

Diogo Manuel Teixeira Monteiro

Where to apply

Website: https://recrutamento.ipleiria.pt/processos-ativos/bolseiros/concurso?recruitment_process_id=243

Requirements

• Research Field: Engineering » Design engineering
• Education Level: Master 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

Contact

• State/Province: Leiria
• City: Marinha Grande
• Website: https://www.ipleiria.pt/
• Street: Rua de Portugal
• Postal Code: 2430-028
• E-Mail: cdrsp@ipleiria.pt
• Phone: 244569441