Research Grant

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

Offer Description

Research Grant — R&D activities to be carried out by students enrolled in an integrated master's, master's, doctoral or non-academic degree course, Article 6, Regulation No. 950/2019 of the FCT

BI/UTAD/66/2026 (1 position)

Offer description:

The University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) opens a call for one (1) Research Grant for students enrolled in an integrated master’s degree, master’s degree, doctoral degree or non-degree course, in the frame of the R&D project Casas Em Movimento 4.0 (CEM 4.0), operation No. COMPETE2030-FEDER-03260800, project No. 26165, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through Research and Development Incentives under the Innovation and Digital Transition Programme (COMPETE 2030), within the framework of Call MPr-2025-4 – SIID – Business R&D – Individual or Co-promotion Operations.

Reference:

BI/UTAD/66/2026

Scientific area/research field:

Engineering

Researcher profile:

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Admission requirements:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or related fields*;
2. Experience or knowledge in the fields of energy and water efficiency in buildings;
3. Experience or knowledge of building energy simulation;
4. Knowledge of the assessment of water-efficiency solutions, including water harvesting and reuse systems;
5. Experience or knowledge of experimental work, monitoring, data collection and processing;
6. Good command of written and spoken English;
7. Compliance with the Research Grants Regulation, particularly the requirement to be enrolled in a degree-awarding programme (3rd cycle) (RBI No. 950/2019) or in a non-degree course (RBI No. 950/2019)*

* mandatory requirement

Work plan:

The candidate will carry out R&D activities within the scope of the project, namely:

• Review of the state of the art and technical-scientific framework of energy and water efficiency solutions in buildings, with particular emphasis on the solutions envisaged in the CEM 4.0 project;
• Study and definition of passive and bioclimatic solutions applicable to the different configurations of Casas Em Movimento, aiming to improve thermal and energy performance and indoor comfort conditions;
• Development of energy simulations for comparative performance assessment of the solutions and configurations under study, considering different climatic and operating conditions;
• Study of water-efficiency solutions, including rainwater collection and harvesting systems and water reuse solutions, defining design, application and performance criteria;
• Support for the definition of testing and monitoring methodologies, procedures and protocols for the subsequent assessment of energy and water solutions developed within the project;
• Experimental work and/or laboratory-scale testing or testing under controlled conditions, where applicable, including data collection, processing and analysis;
• Comparative analysis of the results obtained and identification of opportunities to optimise energy and water efficiency solutions;
• Preparation of technical reports, supporting documentation and contributions to the technical and scientific dissemination of project results.

Applicable legislation and regulations:

Law N.º 40/2004, of 18 August (Statute of Scientific Research Fellow), amended by DL 123/2019 of 28 August; FCT, IP Research Grant Regulation, approved by Regulation N.º 234/2012, published in the II Series of the Diário da República of June 25, 2012, amended and republished by Regulation No. 326/2013, published in the II Series of the Diário da Republic of July 27, 2013, amended by Regulation No. 339/2015, published in the II Series of the Diário da República of June 17, 2015 and Law No. 71/2018 (State Budget Law for 2019) and by Regulation No. 950/2019, published in the II Series of the Diário da República of December 16, 2019, and the Regulation of Research Grants of the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro - Dispatch RT.36/2011, of July 6, of Mr. Rector, published in Diário da República by Order No. 9157/2011 (II Series), of July 19 in its current wording.

Workplace:

The work will be carried out at the ECT – Department of Engineering at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro.

Duration of scholarship:

The research grant will last for 12 months, with an expected start date of December 2026.

Note:

If the grant is awarded to students enrolled in a course that does not confer an academic degree, the contract cannot exceed a total duration of 12 months.

Monthly maintenance allowance amount:

The monthly grant amount is €1,090.98, in accordance with the table of grants awarded directly by FCT, I.P. in Portugal (https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores). The period of payment of the scholarship is monthly and through bank deposit, check, or another equivalent method.

Selection Methods:

The selection methods to be used are as follows: the grade obtained in a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or related fields; training and/or experience in areas relevant to the project; and an interview, with respective weightings of 30%, 30%, and 40%.

Composition of the Selection Jury:

Chair – Ana Cristina Briga de Sá, Assistant Professor from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro

Effective Member - Ana Cristina Ribeiro Afonso de Matos, Assistant Professor from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro

Effective Member - António Luís Gomes Valente, Associate Professor with Habilitation from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro

Form of advertising/notification of results:

The final results of the evaluation will be publicized through a ranked list posted on the UTAD Campus Online Page (http://www.campus.utad.pt/bolsasinvestigacao/candidaturas), with the candidate being approved notified via email.

Based on the final ranking list, a reserve list will be drawn up, valid for the maximum duration of the project funding this grant or the maximum duration of the grant provided for in Article 3rd, nº 2, of the Statute of Scientific Research Fellow, Law no. 40/2004, of 18th August, revised by Decree-Law no. 123/2019, of 28th August (whichever comes first), which will be used for the possible recruitment of new grant holders within the scope of this project or in the event of the first-placed candidate withdrawing. If none of the candidates demonstrates that they have the profile indicated to carry out the work plan, the jury reserves the right not to award the scholarship to the competition.

If the decision to be taken is unfavourable to the granting of the requested scholarship, the candidates have a period of 10 working days, after the aforementioned disclosure, to express their opinion, if desired, in a prior hearing, under the terms provided for in the Code of Administrative Procedure.

Application deadline and form of submission of applications:

The tender is open from 30-10-2026 to 12-11-2026.

Applications must be formalized, obligatorily, by sending an application form accompanied by the following documents: Curriculum Vitae [proving the above-mentioned requirements]; Indication of the following data: citizen card number, tax identification number – TIN, date of birth, mobile phone number and email address; motivation letter; declaration of honour (to be requested by email to bolsasinvestigacao@utad.pt) and documentary evidence of the requested requirements.

The application must be made through the UTAD Campus Online Page, in the Research Grants section, following the instructions:

• Access the UTAD Campus Online Page: www.campus.utad.pt and select the Research Grants option. Or go directly to www.campus.utad.pt/bolsasinvestigacao/lista.
• Select the scholarship you intend to apply for.
• When selecting the “Apply” option, you will be redirected to the application page where you must complete and submit the respective form.

Equality of opportunities:

The candidate has the right to equal opportunities and treatment, and may not be privileged, benefited, prejudiced, deprived of any right or exempt from any duty due, in particular, to ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, origin or social condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions and union membership.

Where to apply

Website: http://www.utad.pt

Requirements

• Research Field: Engineering » Other
• Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Work Location(s)

• Number of offers available: 1
• Company/Institute: University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro
• Country: Portugal
• State/Province: Portugal
• City: Vila Real
• Postal Code: 501-801
• Street: Quinta de Prados

Contact

• State/Province: Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
• City: Vila Real
• Website: http://www.utad.pt
• Street: Quinta de Prados
• Postal Code: 5000-801
• E-Mail: bolsasInvestigacao@utad.pt