Research Fellowship (BI)

Research Field: Computer science

Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)

Positions: Master Positions

Application Deadline: 12 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon)

Country: Portugal

Type of Contract: Temporary

Job Status: Full-time

Hours Per Week: 37,5

Offer Starting Date: 1 Nov 2026

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme

Reference Number: ARDITI-CAIXA-2026-004-BI

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

Offer Description

Reference: ARDITI-CAIXA-2026-004-BI

ARDITI - Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation - Association, opens a call for the award of one (1) Research Fellowship (BI) for a PhD, within the scope of the research activities of the “C.A.I.X.A” project (M2030-FEDER-03048400 funded by the Madeira2030 program). The “CAIXA” project is an initiative developed in partnership with the Portuguese League Against Cancer and the Regional Secretariats for Health and Civil Protection and for Education, Science and Technology. Its main objective is the creation of preventive technological solutions against oncological diseases in the child population.

Application deadline: 25/09/2026 to 12/10/2026

Type of fellowship: Research Fellowship

Host institution: ARDITI - Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation – Association

Funding entity: ARDITI - Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation – Association

Scientific area: Computer Engineering

Target audience: The Research Fellowship to be awarded is intended for the execution of R&D activities by students enrolled in a PhD in Computer Engineering or a related field.

Eligibility requirements: The following may apply to the fellowships:

a) National citizens or citizens of other Member States of the European Union;

b) Citizens of third countries;

c) Stateless persons;

d) Beneficiaries of political refugee status.

Admissibility requirements: To apply, it is also necessary to satisfy the following requirements:

General Requirements:

• Enrollment in a PhD in the field of Computer Engineering, Electronics, HCI, AI, or a related field.
• Only fellowships for selected candidates who present valid proof of enrollment in the degree-granting course, issued by the academic services of the Higher Education Institution, respectively with the indication of the current academic year or its duration (start and end), will be contracted.

Preferred Requirements:

Validation and UX (Usability Testing) Skills

• Test Methodologies Design: Ability to design and apply usability test protocols adapted to the target audience (children), ensuring ethics, safety, and non-invasive data collection.
• Observation and Behavior Analysis: Experience in conducting direct observation sessions (or analysis of interaction heatmaps/logs) to identify interface barriers that may hinder the learning process.
• Evidence-Based Iteration: Ability to transform usability test results into technical correction specifications, optimizing the game flow (user journey) to maximize retention and engagement.
• Accessibility and Inclusion: Sensitivity to adapt interfaces to different levels of digital literacy and cognitive capacities, ensuring the software is intuitive and accessible to the entire target group.

Software Development and Architecture

• Domain of the Unity engine (C#): Consolidated experience in the development of interactive applications for mobile or console environments, focusing on performance optimization.
• Software Architecture: Solid knowledge in the design of scalable and modular systems, allowing the integration of multiple subsystems (APIs, Game Engine, and Dashboards).

Research in AI and Learning Analytics

• Data Science and Learning Analytics: Experience in complex data analysis and mining, with competence in extracting insights and converting behavioral data into performance and pedagogical efficacy indicators.
• Artificial Intelligence and Adaptive Systems: Solid knowledge in the design and implementation of machine learning models applied to the personalization of the user experience. Experience in the development of adaptive learning systems that allow dynamic modulation of contents and difficulty levels, ensuring system autonomy in contexts of continuous use, is valued.

Research Methodology and Pedagogical Design

• Interdisciplinary Requirements Engineering: Ability to translate qualitative and theoretical inputs (from Psychology/Education Sciences) into technical specifications and functional business rules.
• Experimental Validation: Knowledge of experimental testing methodologies to compare versions of pedagogical rules, ensuring scientific rigor in the measurement of learning.

Work plan: The researcher will collaborate in ARDITI's technical and scientific activities in the CAIXA project, assuming the following responsibilities:

• System Architecture and Implementation: Development and optimization of the project's technological ecosystem (game engine and back-end), ensuring scalability, data collection integrity, and user experience fluidity in educational contexts.
• Research in Adaptive Models and AI: Design and implementation of adaptive learning algorithms that allow dynamic personalization of educational paths, based on Machine Learning models.
• Data Analysis and Learning Analytics: Application of data mining techniques for user behavior modeling, transforming complex interactions into metrics to evaluate pedagogical efficacy and the impact of business rules.
• Experimental Validation and Usability: Design, execution, and analysis of usability studies with the target audience, as well as conducting experimental tests for empirical validation of pedagogical and scientific hypotheses.
• Knowledge Transfer and Dissemination: Collaboration in writing scientific articles for publication in specialized conferences and journals, as well as preparing technical documentation for the transfer of project results to the educational ecosystem.

Workplace: The work will be carried out at ARDITI under the scientific supervision of Prof. Luis Duarte Andrade Ferreira.

Fellowship duration: The fellowship will have a duration of 12 months, expected to start in November 2026, possibly renewable for equal and successive periods up to a maximum of 4 years or until the end of the project, whichever occurs first.

Monthly maintenance allowance amount: The fellow will receive a monthly allowance of € 1,359.64, tax-free, according to ARDITI's monthly maintenance allowance table and Annex 1 of the ARDITI Research Fellowship Regulation. The payments due to the fellow are made by bank transfer to the account identified by them. The payment of the monthly maintenance allowance is made in the last week of each month.

Other benefits: All fellows benefit from personal accident insurance related to research activities, borne by ARDITI. All fellowship beneficiaries who are not covered by any social protection regime can ensure the exercise of the right to social security by joining the voluntary social insurance regime, under the terms of the Contributory Regimes Code of the Social Security System, with ARDITI ensuring the charges resulting from the contributions under the terms and within the limits provided for in article 10 of the Research Fellow Statute.

How to apply: Until 12/10/2026, interested parties must send their application by email to bolsas.projetos@arditi.pt, with the subject: ARDITI-CAIXA-2026-004-BI.

The following elements must be attached to the email:

• A. Updated Curriculum Vitae in Portuguese.
• B. Motivation letter, explaining how the candidate meets the call requirements, research skills, and research interests.
• C. Proof of enrollment in a PhD program in Computer Engineering or a similar area.
• D. Bachelor's and Master's degree completion certificates, including the list of completed curricular units, respective ECTS, and grades.

Composition of the Evaluation Panel:

• President: Doctor Luis Ferreira, Assistant Professor at the University of Madeira
• Effective member: Doctor Mónica Cameirão, Associate Professor at the University of Madeira
• Effective member: Doctor Sergi Bermúdez, Associate Professor at the University of Madeira
• Substitute member: Doctor Ana Lúcia, Invited Assistant Professor at the University of Madeira
• Substitute member: Doctor Eduardo Fermé, Full Professor at the University of Madeira

In the event of the President's impediment, they shall be replaced by the first effective member, and the first substitute member shall be appointed to replace the effective member.

Evaluation and selection criteria and procedures: Each application that meets the admissibility requirements will be evaluated by the evaluation panel.

The evaluation criteria for admitted applications will be based on the joint assessment of the following criteria, scored on a scale of 0 to 20 points:

• Criterion A: Evaluation of the Curriculum Vitae and its suitability to the preferred requirements (50%);
• Criterion B: Final average of the bachelor's degree academic training (10%);
• Criterion C: Final average of the master's degree academic training (20%);
• Criterion D: Demonstrated motivation to work on the project (20%).

Applications will be ranked according to the weighted average of the classification obtained in the four evaluation criteria, with the respective weighting in each criterion: criterion A - 50%, criterion B - 10%, criterion C - 20%, and criterion D - 20%.

For tie-breaking purposes, candidates will be ranked based on the classifications assigned to each of the evaluation criteria in the following order of precedence: Criterion D, Criterion A, Criterion C, Criterion B.

The evaluation panel may interview, via videoconference, the top 3 ranked candidates. The interview evaluation is expressed on a numerical scale from 0 to 20 points.

If an interview is conducted, a weighting factor of 80% is assigned to the curriculum evaluation score, and a weighting factor of 20% to the interview score.

Disability bonus:

• Candidates presenting a degree of disability equal to or greater than 90% will have a 20% bonus in criterion D.
• Candidates presenting a degree of disability equal to or greater than 60% and less than 90% will have a 10% bonus in the same criterion.
• The degree of disability must strictly be proven by presenting, in the application, the Multipurpose Medical Certificate of Disability (AMIM), issued under the terms of Decree-Law No. 202/96, of October 23, in its current wording. Resulting from the changes introduced by Decree-Law No. 15/2024, of January 17, in the case of AMIM subject to renewal or re-evaluation, they are considered valid provided they are accompanied by proof of application to the medical board for evaluation of disability, which was submitted by the expiration date of the certificate.

Notification of results: The final evaluation results will be communicated via email to all candidates within 90 working days after the application submission deadline.

Deadlines and procedures for prior hearing, complaint, and appeal: After communicating the provisional list of evaluation results, candidates with an unfavorable draft decision regarding the fellowship grant have a period of 10 working days to, if they wish, express their views in a prior hearing of interested parties, under the terms of articles 121 and following of the Code of Administrative Procedure.

The final decision will be issued after analyzing the statements presented during the prior hearing of interested parties.

A complaint may be filed against the final decision within 15 working days, or, alternatively, an appeal may be filed within 30 working days, both counted from the date of the respective notification.

The presentation of opposing arguments by candidates in these contestation phases, as well as the dissemination of the results of their analysis, takes place exclusively via email, specifically to bolsas.projetos@arditi.pt.

Terms and conditions for fellowship renewal: The renewal of the fellowship always depends on a request submitted by the fellow within 60 working days prior to the start date of the renewal, accompanied by the following documents:

a) Detailed report on the research carried out, containing the URL addresses of communications, publications, and creations resulting from the developed activity, if any;

b) Work Plan to be carried out during the renewal period;

c) Copy of Communications and publications resulting from the developed activity, if any;

d) Opinions issued by the supervisor(s) and by the host entity(ies) on the monitoring of the fellow's work and the evaluation of their activities.

e) Updated document proving compliance with the exclusive dedication regime.

f) Document proving renewal of enrollment in the study cycle leading to a doctoral degree.

Failure to submit a fellowship renewal request implies its respective expiration, within the period established in paragraph 2 of article 15 of the RBI.

Non-discrimination and gender equality policy: ARDITI promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, so no candidate may be privileged, benefited, prejudiced, or deprived of any right or exempt from any duty due to, namely, ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, origin or social condition, genetic heritage, reduced working capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions, and trade union membership.

Personal data processing: ARDITI — Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation — Association will act as the data controller (as defined in the GDPR), with the collection and processing of personal data of fellowship candidates being essential to the selection and recruitment process and the eventual subsequent conclusion of the fellowship contract.

With the purpose of facilitating the processing activities related to pre-contractual steps, fellowship candidates are expressly informed that ARDITI — Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation — Association, as the data controller, may use, for processing and treatment, the following categories of personal data:

a) Identification and contact data;

b) Curricular/academic data;

c) Data regarding professional experience;

d) Amounts earned within the scope of the fellowship.

Fellowship candidates are informed that ARDITI — Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation — Association, due to compliance with legal obligations to which it is bound, may communicate and/or transfer personal data to the following entities:

a) Institute of Qualification, IP-RAM;

b) Institute for Regional Development, IP-RAM;

c) Tax Authority;

d) IGFSS — Social Security Financial Management Institute;

e) IGF-Audit Authority;

f) Regional Government.

Funding: The Research Fellowship is funded by the “C.A.I.X.A” Project (M2030-FEDER-03048400 funded by the Madeira2030 program).

Applicable legislation and regulations: The Call is governed by this Notice of Opening, the ARDITI Research Fellowship Regulation, and the Research Fellow Statute approved by Law No. 40/2004, of August 18, in its current wording, and other applicable national and community legislation.

Contact point: Information about the call should be requested via the email address bolsas.projetos@arditi.pt.

Where to apply

E-mail: bolsas.projetos@arditi.pt

Requirements

Research Field: Computer science

Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available: 1

Company/Institute: ARDITI

Country: Portugal

Contact

City: Funchal

Website: http://www.arditi.pt

Street: Madeira Tecnopolo, Caminho da Penteada

Postal Code: 9020-105