Research Grant (BI) - ecoOLIVAL

Reference Number: P562468

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

A call for applications is open for a Research Grant (BI) within the scope of the Project “ecoOLIVAL- Technological innovation to promote the green transition and digital olive groves in the Northeast of Portugal”, with funding from “Norte 20230 - Northern Regional Program . FEDER”, under the following conditions:

1. Scientific Area: Agronomic Engineering, Environmental Technology or related areas.
2. Admission requirements:
   • To be enrolled in a doctoral course in the area of Agronomic Engineering, Environmental Technology or related areas; and
   • Hold a master's degree in Agronomic Engineering, Environmental Technology or related areas; and
   • Suitability of the candidate's training and experience to the objectives of the work to be developed, related to monitoring soil health indicators; and
   • Knowledge and skills in developing, testing and monitoring natural-based solutions (NBS); and
   • Relevant and proven experience in efficacy tests in the field and in controlled conditions (greenhouses) in accordance with EN 17700;
   • Proficiency in Portuguese and English (written and oral communication).
3. Work plan: The candidate will carry out research and development activities related to the implementation and evaluation of different technological tools to support good agricultural practices in soil and water conservation in the olive grove in Trás-os-Montes. The main tasks include:
   • Carrying out a literature review and technical-scientific framework on the application of natural solutions to improve soil health, including the selection of robust and easily measurable soil health indicators;
   • Contribute to the installation of experimental plots in the field that allow monitoring of soil and organic matter losses;
   • Develop natural solutions to improve soil health: production of compost and biochar from waste from the olive sector;
   • Carry out trials of controlled deficit irrigation (field trials) in experimental plots, assessing productivity losses/gains;
   • Carry out efficacy trials to test the viability of the solution applied, in accordance with Standard EN 17700;
   • Analyze soil health indicators, namely soil organic carbon (COS) and its organic fractions (MOL, MOP, AH, AF), and aggregate stability;
   • To prepare technical reports, scientific articles and other materials for the dissemination and transfer of knowledge, communicating the results of the project in academic and technical contexts.
4. Objectives: To test and implement different technological tools to support good agricultural practices in soil and water conservation, namely the application of natural solutions to improve soil health (Scale-up), as well as field trials to optimize controlled deficit irrigation (Living-labs) in traditional olive varieties in the region of Trás-os-Montes, Portugal.
5. Applicable legislation and regulations: Estatuto do Bolseiro de Investigação Científica, approved by Law no. 40/2004, of August 18, in its current wording; Regulamento de Bolsas de Investigação da FCT, I. P., in force https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/docs/RegulamentoBolsasFCT2019.pdf ); Regulamento n.º 522/2020, published in Diário da República, 2ª série, n.º 113, of June 12 - Regulamento de Bolsas de Investigação do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança.
6. Place of work and scientific supervision: The work will be carried out at CIMO, under the scientific supervision of Zulimar Hernández.
7. Duration of the grant: The grant will have an initial duration of 12 months, starting on 01/02/2026 (with the possibility of renewal up to a maximum of 24 months, including the initial period).
8. Amount of the monthly maintenance allowance: The amount of the grant corresponds to 1,309.64, according to the table of values of the grants awarded by FCT, I.P. in the country. Grant holders will be covered by personal accident insurance and, if they are not covered by any social protection scheme, they can ensure that they exercise their right to social security by joining the voluntary social insurance scheme, under the terms of the Code of Contributory Schemes of the Social Security System. The grant will be paid monthly by bank transfer.
9. Selection methods and how they will be assessed: a) Academic qualifications and their suitability for the job in question (40%); b) Scientific curriculum in areas related to the work in question, taking into account publications and participation in R&D projects (20%); c) Experience in the topics defined for the desired profile (40%). The jury may call candidates for an interview in order to clarify aspects of the CV for a better assessment of these criteria. The jury may not award the grant if the candidates' scores are lower than desired.
10. Composition of the Selection Panel: President: Prof. Dr. Zulimar Hernández Hernández (CIMO, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança); Member: Prof. Dr. José Fernando Lopes Barbosa (CEDRI, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança); Member: Prof. Dr. Tomás de Figueiredo (CIMO, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança); Substitute Member: Prof. Dr. Amilcar Teixeira (CIMO, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança).
11. Form of publication/notification of results: The communications and final results of the evaluation will be made public through the IPB's application submission portal or, if necessary, by email notification.
12. Application deadline: The competition is open from 16/12/2025 to 30/12/2025.
13. How to submit applications: Applications can be submitted through the IPB's application submission portal (https://concursos.ipb.pt/ui/#/public/concursos/detalhe/884), including the following documents:
    • Curriculum Vitae in CIÊNCIAVITAE format (https://cienciavitae.pt/);
    • Qualification certificates (or proof of application for recognition DGES for foreign degrees);
    • Motivation letter (max. 1 page);
    • Other documents considered relevant by the candidate for assessment of the application.
    Documents proving that you hold academic degrees or diplomas, or that you are enrolled in an academic degree or diploma, may be waived at the application stage and may be replaced by a declaration of honor by the candidate, which must be verified when the grant is awarded. Academic degrees obtained in foreign countries need to be recognized by a Portuguese institution in accordance with Decree-Law no. 66/2018 of August 16 and Ministerial Order no. 33/2019 of January 25. The presentation of the recognition is mandatory for signing the contract.
14. Deadlines and procedures for complaints and appeals: If the decision to be taken is unfavorable to the award of the grant applied for, candidates have a period of 10 working days after the date of publication of the results of the evaluation to make their case, if they wish, in a prior hearing, under the terms of the Code of Administrative Procedure. The final decision may be appealed to the President of the IPB within 15 working days of notification.

Where to apply

Website: https://concursos.ipb.pt/ui/#/public/concursos/detalhe/884

Requirements

Research Field: Environmental science » Earth science

Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

The candidate must have a Bachelor's degree or a degree in Agronomy or Environmental Technology. Be enrolled in a doctoral program in Agricultural Engineering, Environmental Technology or related fields; Hold a master's degree in Agricultural Engineering, Environmental Technology or related fields; Suitability of the candidate's training and experience to the objectives of the work to be developed, related to the monitoring of soil health indicators; Knowledge and skills in the processes of developing, testing and monitoring natural-based solutions (NbS); Possess relevant and demonstrated experience in field efficacy trials and under controlled conditions (greenhouses) according to EN 17700 standard.

Specific Requirements

The candidate will develop research and development activities related to the implementation and evaluation of different technological tools to support good agricultural practices in soil and water conservation in the olive groves of Trás-os-Montes. The main tasks include: Conducting a literature review and technical-scientific framework on the application of natural solutions to improve soil health, including the selection of robust and easily measurable soil health indicators; Contributing to the installation of experimental field plots that allow monitoring of soil and organic matter losses; Developing natural solutions to improve soil health: production of compost and biochar from olive oil waste; Developing controlled deficit irrigation trials (field trials) in experimental plots, evaluating productivity losses/gains; Conducting efficacy trials to test the viability of the applied solution, according to EN 17700 standard; Analyze soil health indicators, namely, soil organic carbon (SOC) and its organic fractions (MO, OPM, HA, AF), and aggregate stability; Prepare technical reports, scientific articles and other materials for dissemination and knowledge transfer, communicating the project results in academic and technical contexts.

Languages: Portuguese (Excellent); English (Good); Spanish (Good).

Additional Information

Benefits

The amount of the grant corresponds to 1,309.64, according to the table of values of the grants awarded by FCT, I.P. in the country. Grant holders will be covered by personal accident insurance and, if they are not covered by any social protection scheme, they can ensure that they exercise their right to social security by joining the voluntary social insurance scheme, under the terms of the Code of Contributory Schemes of the Social Security System. The grant will be paid monthly by bank transfer.

Eligibility criteria

• To be enrolled in a doctoral course in the area of Agronomic Engineering, Environmental Technology or related areas; and
• Hold a master's degree in Agronomic Engineering, Environmental Technology or related areas; and
• Suitability of the candidate's training and experience to the objectives of the work to be developed, related to monitoring soil health indicators; and
• Knowledge and skills in developing, testing and monitoring natural-based solutions (NBS); and
• Relevant and proven experience in efficacy tests in the field and in controlled conditions (greenhouses) in accordance with EN 17700;
• Proficiency in Portuguese and English (written and oral communication).

Selection process

The selection method will utilize the following components: a) Academic qualifications and their suitability for the work in question (40%); b) Scientific curriculum in areas related to the work in question, considering publications, and participation in R&D projects (20%); c) Experience in the topics defined for the desired profile (40%). The jury may call candidates for an interview to clarify aspects of the CV in order to better evaluate these criteria. The jury may not award the scholarship if the candidates' ranking is lower than desired.

Additional comments

Documents proving the ownership of academic degrees or diplomas, or enrollment in an academic degree or diploma, may be dispensed with during the application stage, being replaced by a declaration of honor by the candidate, and verification of this condition is mandatory during the grant contracting stage. Academic degrees obtained in foreign countries require recognition by a Portuguese Institution in accordance with Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16th and Ordinance No. 33/2019, of January 25th. The presentation of recognition is mandatory for the signing of the contract.

Website for additional job details: https://concursos.ipb.pt/ui/#/public/concursos/detalhe/884

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available: 1

Company/Institute: Instituto Politécnico de Bragança - CIMO

Country: Portugal

State/Province: Bragança

City: Bragança

Postal Code: 5300-253

Street: Campus de Santa Apolónia

Contact

State/Province: Bragança

City: Bragança

Website: http://portal3.ipb.pt/index.php/pt/ipb

Street: Campus de Sta Apolónio

Postal Code: 5300-253

E-Mail: zulimar@ipb.pt