Research Grant (BI)

Offer Description

A call for applications is open for a Research Grant (BI) within the scope of the project “Business model-based platform with applications for the development of local electricity markets and acceleration of the energy transition”, reference CETP/0003/2022, funded “Exclusively by National Funds through FCT, I.P. (CETP/0003/2022)”, under the following conditions:

1. Scientific Area:

Computer Engineering

2. Admission Requirements:

• The candidate must hold a master’s degree in computer engineering or a related field and be enrolled in a non-degree-granting course integrated into the pedagogical project of a higher education institution (In this situation, if the academic degree is foreign, recognition is requested)
• The candidate must have some experience/knowledge in implementing Ontology-based models, especially in the domain of local energy market management;
• The candidate must be proficient in English (written and oral communication).

3. Work plan:

• Modeling local energy markets using ontologies (actors, production, consumption, storage, contracts, supply, demand, market, exploration models, local markets, …)
• Explore the use of these ontologies as a means of integrating information from the different scenarios (markets) and contexts targeted by the project.
• Finalize the implementation of the Smart_LEM platform, in order to use the ontologies from the various case studies of the project partners and automatically generate simulators of the local energy markets prototyped in these case studies.

4. Objectives:

This project aims to develop business models that allow boosting local energy markets to accelerate the energy transition.

In this specific work, the intention is to use the ontologies already defined throughout the project to model several case studies and use/adapt the Smart_LEM platform for the automatic production of simulation interfaces.

5. Applicable legislation and regulations:

Statute of the Scientific Research Grant Holder, approved by Law No. 40/2004, of August 18, in its current wording; FCT, I.P. Research Grant Regulations, in force (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/RBi_Republicado_2025.pdf);

Regulation No. 522/2020, published in the Diário da República, 2nd series, No. 113, of June 12 – Research Grant Regulations of the Polytechnic University of Bragança.

6. Workplace and scientific supervision:

The work will be carried out in Bragança, at the Research Center for Digitalization and Intelligent Robotics, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Portugal, under the scientific supervision of Maria João Varanda and Paulo Matos.

7. Duration of the grant:

The grant will have an initial duration of 4 months, with a planned start date of 02/11/2026 (non-renewable).

8. Monthly Maintenance Allowance Amount:

The grant amount corresponds to 1,359.64€, according to the table of grant values ​​awarded by FCT, I.P. in the country.

Grant recipients will benefit from personal accident insurance and, if they are not covered by any social protection scheme, they may ensure the exercise of the right to social security by joining the voluntary social security scheme, under the terms provided for in the Code of Contribution Regimes of the Social Security System. The grant amount will be paid monthly by bank transfer.

9. Selection Methods and their respective valuation:

The selection methods to be used will be the following:

• a) Curriculum evaluation and its suitability for the work in question (50%);
• b) Experience, according to the desired profile (30%);
• c) Scientific curriculum, considering publications and participation in projects (20%).

If deemed necessary, an interview may be conducted with the top two candidates where the candidates' motivation, availability, and knowledge to develop the proposed work plan will be evaluated with a weight of 20%, with the remaining 80% allocated to the evaluation related to the previous points.

The jury may not grant the grant if the candidates' ranking is lower than 9.5 values.

10. Composition of the Selection Jury:

The jury is composed of Professor Maria João Tinoco Varanda Pereira (president), Professor Paulo Jorge Teixeira Matos (member), Professor Ângela Paula Barbosa da Silva Ferreira (member). Alternates: Professor José Carlos Rufino Amaro (member) and Professor Paulo Alexandre Vara Alves (member).

11. Method of publication/notification of results:

The communications and final results of the evaluation will be published through the UPB application submission portal or, if necessary, by email notification.

12. Application period:

The competition is open from September 24, 2026 to October 8, 2026.

13. Method of submitting applications:

Applications can be formalized through the UPB application submission portal (http://concursos.ipb.br), including the following documents:

• a) Curriculum Vitae;
• b) Certificate of qualifications;
• c) Letter of motivation

Documents proving the holding of academic degrees or diplomas, or enrollment in an academic degree or diploma, may be waived during the application phase, being replaced by a declaration of honor from the candidate, with verification of this condition being mandatory during the contracting phase of the grant.

Academic degrees obtained in foreign countries need recognition by a Portuguese Institution in accordance with Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16, and Ordinance No. 33/2019, of January 25. Presentation of the recognition is mandatory for signing the contract.

14. Deadlines and procedures for complaints and appeals:

If the decision to be made is unfavorable to the granting of the requested grant, candidates have a period of 10 working days, after the date of publication of the evaluation results, to express their opinion, if they wish, in a prior hearing, under the terms provided for in the Administrative Procedure Code.

An appeal against the final decision may be made to the Rector of UPB within 15 working days after the respective notification.

Where to apply

Website: https://concursos.unipb.pt/ui/#/public/concursos/detalhe/1097

Requirements

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

Skills/Qualifications

The applicant must have Master's in Informatics Engineering or related area.

Specific Requirements

Skills in ontology-based model development, automatic code generation, interface development, APIs

• Languages: PORTUGUESE – Level: Excellent
• Languages: ENGLISH – Level: Good

Additional Information

Benefits

The grant amount corresponds to 1,359.64€, according to the table of grant values ​​awarded by FCT, I.P. in the country.

Grant recipients will benefit from personal accident insurance and, if they are not covered by any social protection scheme, they may ensure the exercise of the right to social security by joining the voluntary social security scheme, under the terms provided for in the Code of Contribution Regimes of the Social Security System. The grant amount will be paid monthly by bank transfer.

Eligibility criteria

• The candidate must hold a master’s degree in computer engineering or a related field and be enrolled in a non-degree-granting course integrated into the pedagogical project of a higher education institution (In this situation, if the academic degree is foreign, recognition is requested)
• The candidate must have some experience/knowledge in implementing Ontology-based models, especially in the domain of local energy market management;
• The candidate must be proficient in English (written and oral communication).

Selection process

The selection methods to be used are the following: a) Curriculum evaluation and its suitability for the job in question (50%); b) Experience according to the specific requirements (30%); c) Publications and participation in projects (20%).

If necessary, interviews may be conducted with the top two candidates, where motivation, availability, and the candidates' knowledge to develop the proposed work plan will be evaluated, with a weight of 20%, while the remaining 80% will be allocated to the evaluation of the previous criteria. The jury reserves the right not to award the scholarship if the candidate's score is less than 9.5.

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.unipb.pt/ui/#/public/concursos/detalhe/1097

Work Location(s)

• Number of offers available: 1
• Company/Institute: Instituto Politécnico de Bragança - CeDRI
• 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: mjoao@ipb.pt