Research Initiation Grant (BIC) - AURORA

Offer Description

Grant: Research Initiation Grant (Bolsa de Iniciação à Investigação - BIC) for a Bachelor’s degree holder enrolled in a Master’s programme.

Reference: AURORA

Scientific area: Design.

Scientific sub-area: Interactive digital artefacts.

Summary: A call is hereby opened for the award of one Research Initiation Grant (BIC) under seed project AURORA, within project UID/00711/2025 - Research Unit in Design and Communication (UNIDCOM/IADE), hosted by UNIDCOM/IADE - Universidade Europeia and funded through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. DOI: 10.54499/UID/00711/2025.

AURORA explores how design can foster more meaningful relationships between people and Atlantic maritime heritage through the development and evaluation of innovative design interventions. Drawing on the concepts of aura and resonance, the project investigates how exhibitions, installations, participatory experiences and other forms of heritage interpretation can encourage deeper engagement with cultural landscapes, historical memory and coastal socio-ecological systems.

The research adopts a Research-through-Design approach, combining conceptual inquiry with the design, prototyping and evaluation of situated interventions developed in collaboration with the AGREE project and the Museu de Lagos. The project will contribute to new approaches to heritage interpretation within the emerging Council of Europe Cultural Route dedicated to the Great Atlantic Explorations.

Expected outcomes include a conceptual and methodological framework for designing meaningful heritage experiences, documented design interventions, qualitative evidence on visitor engagement, and practical design guidelines for museums, cultural organisations and researchers working in heritage, experience design and more-than-human design.

Where to apply

E-mail: alexandre.monteiro@universidadeeuropeia.pt

Requirements

Research Field: Arts » Other

Education Level: Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate:

1. an academic background in, in descending order of preference, Design and Arts, New Media, Digital Arts, Cultural Studies, or Anthropology;
2. an interest in design research, cultural heritage, museum studies, visitor experience, participatory approaches and user experience, together with a willingness to work in transdisciplinary and community-based research contexts;
3. experience with mixed-methods approaches combining qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis;
4. familiarity with rapid prototyping techniques, sketching and visual communication tools;
5. experience in participatory design, co-design, community engagement, heritage interpretation, museum activities, visitor-experience design, public-engagement initiatives, or workshop facilitation;
6. an interest in cultural heritage, museums, Atlantic maritime heritage, sustainable tourism, or design for social and cultural innovation, particularly where the applicant intends to develop a Master’s dissertation within the scope of AURORA.

Specific Requirements

Eligibility requirements:

1. Applicants must satisfy all of the following requirements:
2. hold a Bachelor’s degree;
3. be currently enrolled in a Master’s programme;
4. have a good command of spoken and written English and the ability to undertake literature reviews, analyse scientific publications and contribute to academic research activities;
5. have knowledge of human-centred research approach and ethnographic methods, including workshops, focus groups, questionnaires, interviews, observation, or cultural probes;
6. demonstrate organisational and project-management skills, the ability to work collaboratively and meet deadlines, and proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Languages: ENGLISH

Level: Good

Research Field: Arts » Other

Years of Research Experience: None

Additional Information

Benefits

Grant duration: The grant will have an initial duration of 6 months, with an expected start date in February 2027, and may be renewed for up to an additional 6 months, to a maximum total duration of one year, subject to the applicable legislation and regulations.

Monthly maintenance allowance: The monthly maintenance allowance is €701.12, corresponding to the amount established for this type of grant in the FCT table in force, and will be paid monthly by bank transfer. The grant also includes personal accident insurance and, where applicable and at the grant holder’s option, reimbursement of contributions to the Voluntary Social Security (SSV) scheme at the first contribution bracket, under the applicable rules.

Eligibility criteria

Eligibility requirements:

1. Applicants must satisfy all of the following requirements:
2. hold a Bachelor’s degree;
3. be currently enrolled in a Master’s programme;
4. have a good command of spoken and written English and the ability to undertake literature reviews, analyse scientific publications and contribute to academic research activities;
5. have knowledge of human-centred research approach and ethnographic methods, including workshops, focus groups, questionnaires, interviews, observation, or cultural probes;
6. demonstrate organisational and project-management skills, the ability to work collaboratively and meet deadlines, and proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
7. Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate:
8. an academic background in, in descending order of preference, Design and Arts, New Media, Digital Arts, Cultural Studies, or Anthropology;
9. an interest in design research, cultural heritage, museum studies, visitor experience, participatory approaches and user experience, together with a willingness to work in transdisciplinary and community-based research contexts;
10. experience with mixed-methods approaches combining qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis;
11. familiarity with rapid prototyping techniques, sketching and visual communication tools;
12. experience in participatory design, co-design, community engagement, heritage interpretation, museum activities, visitor-experience design, public-engagement initiatives, or workshop facilitation;
13. an interest in cultural heritage, museums, Atlantic maritime heritage, sustainable tourism, or design for social and cultural innovation, particularly where the applicant intends to develop a Master’s dissertation within the scope of AURORA.

Selection process

Selection methods: Applications will be assessed on a scale from 0 (zero) to 20 (twenty) points. The final classification (FC) will be calculated using the formula FC = (AQ × 30%) + (RE × 20%) + (ML × 20%) + (INT × 30%), according to the following criteria:

1. Academic Qualifications (AQ) - 30%: the final Bachelor’s degree grade and academic performance in curricular units relevant to the project, particularly in Design, Arts, New Media, Digital Arts, Cultural Studies, Anthropology, Human-Computer Interaction, User Experience, Design Research, Heritage Studies, or related fields.
2. Research Experience and Technical Skills (RE) - 20%: academic, research, professional, or voluntary experience relevant to the project, including design research, participatory design, co-design, ethnographic methods, user experience, heritage interpretation, museum studies, qualitative or mixed-methods research, rapid prototyping, or related activities.
3. Motivation Letter and Project Alignment (ML) - 20%: the applicant’s interest in the project’s themes, understanding of the fellowship’s objectives, motivation for pursuing research, written communication, critical thinking, scientific maturity and alignment with AURORA. Particular consideration will be given to applicants intending to develop their Master’s dissertation within the project.
4. Interview (INT) - 30%: motivation, communication and interpersonal skills, capacity for critical and independent thinking, understanding of the research objectives, availability and commitment to the work plan, and ability to collaborate in an interdisciplinary research environment.

Applicants obtaining a score below 9.5 points in either the Curricular Assessment or the Interview will be excluded from the recruitment procedure.

Composition of the Selection Jury:

Chair: Professor Emília Duarte - UNIDCOM/IADE - Universidade Europeia.

1st full member: Professor Sofia Ponte - UNIDCOM/IADE - Universidade Europeia.

2nd full member: Professor António Gorgel - UNIDCOM/IADE - Universidade Europeia.

Alternate member: Professor Rui Ramos - UNIDCOM/IADE - Universidade Europeia.

Application period and submission procedure: Applications must be submitted by email to alexandre.monteiro@universidadeeuropeia.pt, with the subject line “Application - Research Initiation Grant (BIC) - AURORA”, and must include the following documents:

1. Curriculum Vitae and portfolio;
2. Bachelor’s degree certificate and the corresponding academic transcript;
3. proof of current and valid enrolment in a programme leading to a Master’s degree;
4. a motivation letter of no more than two pages;
5. any letters of recommendation or other documents the applicant considers relevant;
6. a declaration on honour stating that the applicant has not previously benefited from a research grant directly or indirectly funded by FCT.

For academic degrees awarded by foreign higher education institutions, recognition of the degree is required in accordance with Decree-Law No 66/2018 of 16 August. If recognition has not yet been obtained by the application date, the applicant must submit a declaration on honour stating that recognition will be obtained before the grant contract is signed. In all cases, proof of recognition must be presented before the grant is formalised.

The call will remain open for 23 working days, counted from the working day immediately following publication of this notice.

Publication and notification of results: The final evaluation results will be published as a ranking list ordered by final score and communicated to all applicants by email in accordance with the FCT, I.P. Research Grants Regulation. The minutes of the selection procedure will be made available for consultation.

Following notification of the provisional results, applicants may, if they wish, submit comments within 10 working days under the prior-hearing procedure for interested parties, pursuant to Article 121 and subsequent articles of the Portuguese Administrative Procedure Code. The final decision will be taken within a maximum of 60 working days following the conclusion of the prior-hearing or public-consultation period.

An administrative complaint may be lodged against the final decision within 15 working days, or an appeal may be submitted to the highest executive body of the funding entity within 30 working days, in both cases following notification.

If no applicant meets the eligibility criteria and/or the needs of the research activities, the host institution reserves the right not to award the grant.

Additional comments

Motivation letter: Applicants must submit a motivation letter of no more than two pages addressing:

1. their motivation for applying;
2. their interest in the project’s research themes;
3. any relevant academic, professional, or voluntary experience;
4. how their background and interests align with the objectives of the project.

The motivation letter will form part of the evaluation process and will be used to assess motivation, scientific maturity, critical thinking, written communication skills and overall suitability for contributing to an interdisciplinary research project.

Work plan: The grant holder will be integrated into AURORA and will contribute to its research, design and dissemination activities under the supervision of the Principal Investigator.

The activities will include:

1. conducting literature reviews on design research, heritage interpretation, museum experience, participatory design, user experience and related topics;
2. supporting the planning, organisation and implementation of participatory research activities, including workshops, interviews, observations, focus groups, questionnaires and other user-centred methods;
3. contributing to the co-design, prototyping and documentation of situated design interventions developed within the AGREE project, in collaboration with the Museu de Lagos and other project partners;
4. participating in fieldwork, including data collection, organisation and qualitative and quantitative data analysis;
5. documenting the Research-through-Design process through design journals, visual documentation, reports, research records and the systematisation of project outputs;
6. contributing to scientific publications, conference papers, project reports, exhibitions and other dissemination and public-engagement activities;
7. participating in regular project meetings and collaborating with the multidisciplinary research team in the execution of the project’s scientific and technical activities.

Applicants intending to develop their Master’s dissertation within the project will be encouraged to align their research with one or more project activities, under the supervision of the Principal Investigator.

Training and expected learning outcomes

The fellowship provides an opportunity to develop advanced research skills within an interdisciplinary and international research environment. The grant holder will receive training and mentoring in:

1. Research-through-Design methodologies;
2. ethnographic and participatory research methods;
3. co-design and community engagement;
4. qualitative and mixed-methods data collection and analysis;
5. heritage interpretation and visitor-experience design;
6. rapid prototyping and iterative design processes;
7. scientific writing, academic publishing and conference presentations;
8. research ethics, data management and Open Science practices;
9. collaborative research within European and transnational cultural-heritage projects.

By the end of the fellowship, the grant holder is expected to have strengthened their ability to conduct independent research, collaborate in interdisciplinary teams, communicate research outcomes effectively and contribute to the project’s scientific outputs. Where appropriate, the fellowship will also support the development of the grant holder’s Master’s dissertation in close alignment with AURORA’s objectives.

Applicable legislation and regulations: The grant is governed by the Portuguese Research Fellowship Holder Statute and by the FCT, I.P. Research Grants Regulation, in its consolidated version, including the amendments approved by the Board of Directors of FCT, I.P. on 10 December 2025 and in force from 25 December 2025, except for Article 13-A, whose effects are retroactive to March 2025. The consolidated regulation is available at:

FCT Research Grants Regulation - consolidated version

Place of work: The work will be carried out at UNIDCOM/IADE - Universidade Europeia and its laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal, under the scientific supervision of Professor Emília Duarte, with the collaboration of Professor Sofia Ponte. Activities will take place at Oriente Green Campus, Moscavide, and, where relevant, at locations connected with the AGREE project, the Museu de Lagos and other project activities.

Grant duration: The grant will have an initial duration of 6 months, with an expected start date in February 2027, and may be renewed for up to an additional 6 months, to a maximum total duration of one year, subject to the applicable legislation and regulations.

Non-discrimination and equal access policy: UNIDCOM and IADE - Universidade Europeia promote non-discrimination and equal access. No applicant may be privileged, benefited, disadvantaged or deprived of any right, or exempted from any duty, on grounds of ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, social origin or condition, genetic heritage, reduced working capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions, or trade union membership.

This call complies with the applicable Portuguese legislation and institutional regulations governing research grants.

Website for additional job details: https://univeuropeiapt-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/alexandre_monteiro_universidadeeuropeia_pt/IQBfCE04AiHNSZU0ZGFGiFqeAediAqbKUZT5hms7Q1VM5L4?e=O2Tcah

Work Location(s)

• Number of offers available: 1
• Company/Institute: Europeia ID
• Country: Portugal
• State/Province: Lisbon
• City: Moscavide
• Postal Code: 1885-081
• Street: Oriente Green Campus, 1885-081 Moscavide, Portugal.

Contact

• State/Province: Portugal
• City: Lisboa
• Website: https://www.unidcom-iade.pt/
• Street: Oriente Green Campus, 1885-081 Moscavide
• Postal Code: 1885-081
• E-Mail: alexandre.monteiro@universidadeeuropeia.pt