Research Grant (BI) – heAICare

Offer Description

INVITATION FOR PROPOSALS FOR A RESEARCH GRANT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF AN R&D PROJECT.

An international competition is open for 10 consecutive days for the awarding of a Research Grant (BI) within the scope of the ADiT-Lab (Applied Digital Transformation Laboratory) research unit of the Polytechnic University of Viana do Castelo (UNIPVC), recognized by the FCT with reference UID/06121/2025, funded by the project NORTE2030-FEDER-01825100 – heAICare - AI-Based Solutions for Optimization of Feto-Neonatal Neurodevelopment: Monitoring, Diagnosis and Personalized Treatment”, funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the NORTE2030 program of the Coordination and Development Commission of the Northern Region (CCDR-N).

The conditions for awarding the Grant are as follows:
Scientific Area: Computer Engineering / Artificial Intelligence.

Admission Requirements: Candidates for the scholarship must be enrolled in a master's degree program in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Graphics and Multimedia Engineering, or related fields. Candidates should possess knowledge and/or experience in:

• Development of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning models;
• Image and video processing and analysis;
• Computer vision;
• Python programming;
• Development and training of deep learning models;

The following may apply to this competition:

• Portuguese citizens or citizens of other Member States of the European Union;
• Citizens of third countries outside the European Union;
• Stateless persons;
• Citizens benefiting from political refugee status.

Preferred conditions: experience in applied research projects in the field of Artificial Intelligence; knowledge of deep learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch or equivalents); experience working in interdisciplinary teams; Autonomy and dynamism; fluency in English (spoken and written), good level of written communication.

Work plan

The scholarship holder's work plan will focus on the development of Artificial Intelligence models for monitoring babies through cameras, within the scope of task A4.4 – AI models for infant monitoring via cameras.

In the first phase, the fellow will participate in defining the architecture of the intelligent monitoring system, including identifying functional requirements, specifying video acquisition flows, and defining strategies for processing and analyzing multimodal data.

The work will include the development and implementation of Artificial Intelligence and deep learning computer vision models, using image processing techniques, temporal signal analysis, and

The fellow will also participate in the development of models for detecting pain, discomfort, and emotions through facial analysis of newborns, using facial recognition methods, expression classification, and machine learning.

In addition, the work plan will involve the collection, preparation, annotation, and processing of clinical and multimedia data necessary for training and validating the developed models, ensuring compliance with applicable ethical and data protection standards.

The fellow will be responsible for the integration and experimental validation of the developed models in a laboratory and/or clinical environment, including performance evaluation, robustness, and generalization capacity of the algorithms.

The plan will also include the production of technical and scientific documentation, preparation of progress reports, support for the dissemination of scientific results, and collaboration with the multidisciplinary teams involved in the heAICare project.

Applicable legislation and regulations: Current Research Grant Holder Statute (https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/estatutobolseiro) Research Grant Regulations of the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo approved by Order No. 7347/2020, of July 22.

Workplace: The work will be carried out in person at ADiT-Lab, located at the School of Technology and Management of the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, under the scientific guidance of Professors Jorge Manuel Ferreira Barbosa Ribeiro, Filipe Manuel Sampaio Carvalho and Jorge Manuel Esparteiro Garcia.

Term of the grant: The grant will last 6 months, with a planned start in November 2026, with the possibility of renewal up to a maximum of 24 months, as provided for in Article 4, No. 4 b) of the IPVC Research Grant Regulations and subject to project funding authorization.

Monthly maintenance allowance amount: The scholarship amount corresponds to €1090.98, according to the table of allowances for research grants at IPVC, updated by Order of the President of IPVC of 07-04-2026, and will be paid via bank transfer.

Special requirement for grant allocation: It is necessary to present a national Tax Identification Number (NIF) by the end of the month in which the contract is signed, otherwise payment will not be possible.

Application evaluation: Applications will be evaluated taking into account the selection criteria set out below on a scale of 0 to 20 points. In the event of withdrawal by the selected scholarship holder, the second candidate on the ranked list of candidates will be automatically selected, and so on sequentially, until all candidates submitted with a score greater than or equal to 9.5 are exhausted values. Failure to meet admission requirements, a score lower than 9.5, or failure to submit all required documentation for the application may result in the candidate's exclusion.

Selection criteria: Curriculum evaluation (50%): qualifications in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Graphics and Multimedia Engineering or related fields; experience in creating 3D models, Digital Twins; experience in applied research or projects in the area. Interview (50%): motivation for the project objectives; digital and scientific communication skills; oral expression in Portuguese; proficiency in English (oral and written).

Composition of the Selection Jury: Professor Jorge Manuel Esparteiro Garcia (jury president), Professor Jorge Manuel Ferreira Barbosa Ribeiro - Viana do Castelo (full member), Professor Filipe Manuel Sampaio Carvalho (full member).

Method of publication/notification of results: The draft decision is published on the IPVC Portal (www.ipvc.pt).

Candidates whose scholarships were not awarded have 10 working days, after the announcement, to respond, if they wish, in a prior hearing of interested parties, in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Code. An appeal against the final decision may be lodged with the president of IPVC within 10 working days of the respective notification of the final decision.

Application deadline and submission method: the application period runs until the 10th consecutive day from the date of publication.

Applications must be formalized by sending an application letter stating the title and reference of the project, describing the candidate's motivation and professional objectives, accompanied by the following documents:

• Curriculum vitae;
• Letter of motivation;
• Copy of academic certificates with a breakdown of the grades obtained in the subjects of the respective course in which the candidate is enrolled.
• Updated document proving professional status, indicating the nature of the employment relationship, functions, and average annual workload (if applicable), which may be replaced by a declaration under oath if the candidate does not perform any professional activity or provide services.
• Letters of recommendation (optional and a maximum of two);

Applications should be sent by email to bolsasinvestigacao@ipvc.pt (the following reference must be included in the subject line of the message: BI_01_2026_heAICare).

Where to apply

E-mail: bolsasinvestigacao@ipvc.pt

Requirements

Research Field: Other

Education Level: Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications:

The conditions for awarding the scholarship are as follows:
Scientific Area: Computer Engineering / Artificial Intelligence

Admission requirements: Candidates for the scholarship must be enrolled in a master's degree program in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Graphics and Multimedia Engineering, or related fields. Candidates should possess knowledge and/or experience in:

• Development of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning models;
• Image and video processing and analysis;
• Computer vision;
• Python programming;

Additional Information

Benefits

Duration of the grant: The grant will last for 6 months, starting in November 2026, with the possibility of renewal up to a maximum of 24 months, as provided for in Article 4, paragraph 4 b) of the IPVC Research Grant Regulations and subject to project funding authorization.

Amount of the monthly maintenance allowance: The grant amount corresponds to €1090.98, according to the table of allowances for research grants at IPVC, updated by Order of the President of IPVC of 07-04-2026, and will be paid by bank transfer.

Special requirement for grant allocation: It is necessary to present a national Tax Identification Number (NIF) by the end of the month in which the contract is signed, otherwise payment will not be possible.

Eligibility criteria

Evaluation of applications: Applications will be evaluated taking into account the selection criteria set out below on a scale of 0 to 20 points. In the event of withdrawal by the selected scholarship recipient, the second candidate on the ranked list of candidates will be automatically selected, and so on sequentially, until all candidates with a score of 9.5 or higher have been exhausted. Failure to meet the admission requirements, a score lower than 9.5 points, or failure to submit all required documentation for the application may result in the candidate's exclusion.

Selection process

Selection criteria: Curriculum evaluation (50%): qualifications in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Graphics and Multimedia Engineering or related fields; experience in creating 3D models, Digital Twins; experience in applied research or projects in the area. Interview (50%): motivation for the project objectives; digital and scientific communication skills; oral expression in Portuguese; proficiency in English (spoken and written).

Work Location(s)

• Number of offers available: 1
• Company/Institute: Universidade Politécnica de Viana do Castelo
• Country: Portugal
• State/Province: Viana do Castelo
• City: VIANA DO CASTELO
• Postal Code: 4900-472
• Street: Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial Nun'Álvares, 34

Contact

• City: VIANA DO CASTELO
• Website: https://www.ipvc.pt/pt/
• Street: Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial Nun’Álvares, 34
• Postal Code: 4900-472
• E-Mail: bolsasinvestigacao@ipvc.pt