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

Offer Description

Call for Research Initiation Grant

The University of Coimbra opens a call for the assignment of a research initiation grant, with 1 position, within the scope of the project Multitool - Ferramentas de Corte Multifuncionais.

This call is governed by this Announcement, the Research Grants Regulation of the University of Coimbra (RBI-UC), supplemented by the Research Grants Regulation of the Foundation for Science and Technology (RBI-FCT), the Research Grant Holder Statute (EBI), the Rules for the Attribution and Management of Grants within the scope of R&D Projects, the Code of Administrative Procedure (CPA), all in their current wording, and other applicable national and EU legislation.

Procedure Reference: IT137-26-[ARdS1.1] 380

I - Legal admission requirements

I.I - Grant Recipients: Students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree in the scientific area of Mechanical Engineering.

I.II - Ineligible candidates: Candidates who have previously received any research grants under the terms of the EBI are not eligible.

I.III - The following are eligible for the grant(s), provided they meet the requirements outlined above:

• Portuguese nationals or nationals of other EU Member States
• Nationals of third countries
• Stateless persons
• Beneficiaries of political refugee status

II - Grant location: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra

III - Scientific supervision/coordination of the grant: Marta Cristina Cardoso de Oliveira

IV - Work Plan / Goals to be achieved: The research initiation grant aims to develop work within the scope of the aforementioned project, which combines numerical and experimental approaches to model machining operations, particularly drilling, case opening, and countersinking operations. The aim is to recruit a research initiation grantee to perform the following tasks:

1. Analysis of simulation models that allow the analysis of each machining operation, in isolation, for the different types of construction steel and pre-treated steels under study. These models will be used to evaluate the influence of tool geometry on cutting conditions, in combination with process parameters;
2. Analysis of simulation models of different machining strategies, based on the integration of the various operations sequentially, in order to include in the analysis factors such as work hardening of the workpiece material or residual stresses in the tool, induced by previous operations. The simulation models of the sequence of operations will be used to explore the process parameter space, in order to evaluate the combination that leads to more robust solutions, i.e., less sensitive to potential variations in the mechanical properties of the materials;

The research fellow will be primarily involved in the numerical component of the project, related to the analysis of the models to numerical parameters, sensitivity analysis to geometric and process parameters, and correlation with experimental results.

V - Initial grant duration: 6 months

V.I - Renewal Possibility: Possibily renewable

VI - Funding and financial conditions of the grant

VI.I - Monthly grant amount (paid by bank transfer at the end of each month): 701,12€

VI.II - In addition to the above amounts, voluntary social security (SSV) is included when the grant has a duration of six months or more, corresponding to the first level, if the candidate opts for it, as well as mandatory personal accident insurance.

VI.III - Funding: The grant(s) assigned under this call will be funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Innovation and Digital Transition Program (COMPETE 2030) of Portugal 2030| reference of operation no. 17272, operation COMPETE2030-FEDER-01173200 on Balcão dos Fundos.

VI.IV - Information and publicity about the funding: All R&D activities directly or indirectly financed by the grant, namely all communications, publications and scientific creations, as well as theses, carried out with the support provided by the grant, must mention the financial support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Innovation and Digital Transition Program (COMPETE 2030) of Portugal 2030.

VII - Selection Methods: Evaluation of the academic record (AR)-70% + Interview (I)-30%

VII.I - AR - The curriculum evaluation considers the candidates' academic and professional achievements based on the following weights and criteria:

• Criterion 1: Absolute merit of curriculum vitae
• Criterion 2: Adequacy of the candidate’s profile to the work plan to be developed.

VII.II - E – In the interview evaluation, the candidates' performance is assessed according to the following weighting and criteria:

• Criterion 1: Motivation and interest
• Criterion 2: Knowledge and profile suitable for the functions to be performed
• Criterion 3: Proficiency in English

VII.III - Criteria evaluation and final classification are determined on a scale of 0 to 100, calculated to two decimal places, using the following formulas:

• AR: criterion 1 * (60%) + criterion 2 * (40%) = 100%
• I: criterion 1 * (60%) + criterion 2 * (30%) + criterion 3 * (10%) = 100%
• Final Classification (FC): AR * (70%) + I * (30%) = 100%

VII.III - All candidates who meet the admission requirements are subject to the academic record evaluation, carried out according to the criteria and weights defined in VII.I.

VII.IV - Candidates who score below 50 in any selection method will be excluded, and subsequent methods, if any, will not apply to them. Candidates who are duly notified but fail to attend the interview (if applicable) or withdraw at any stage will also be excluded.

VII.V - Tie-breaking criteria: In the event of a tie in the rankings, candidates will be ordered in descending order as follows:

1. Based on the score obtained in the first method applied;
2. Based on the score of their academic qualifications.

VII.VI - All provisional and final jury decisions must be justified, recorded in minutes, and published on https://apply.uc.pt/.

VII.VII - Jury Composition:

President: Albano Augusto Cavaleiro Rodrigues de Carvalho

Effective Members: Luís Filipe Martins Menezes, Diogo Mariano Simoes Neto

Alternate Members: Diogo Albano Cavaleiro Ventura de Carvalho, Filipe Daniel Fernandes

VIII - Application Submission

Candidates must access and register on the electronic platform https://apply.uc.pt/ to submit their application, selecting the procedure to which they wish to apply. Documents uploaded for the application must be in portable document format (PDF). Applications are submitted by completing the sections available in the electronic platform “Apply UC” under “My Application.”

VIII.I - Mandatory documents to attach when applying:

• Curriculum Vitae, duly updated, dated, and signed;
• Copy of academic degree certificates.

a) If the possession of a degree is a requirement for the grant, candidates holding a degree obtained abroad must, by the end of the application period, provide proof of recognition or evidence that it has been requested, as per Decree-Law No. 66/2018 of August 16. Failure to present degree recognition at the time of contract signing, as per the RBI-UC, will result in exclusion.

b) If duly justified, documents proving the possession of academic degrees and diplomas, or their recognition, may be waived at the application stage and replaced by a candidate's sworn statement. However, until the grant agreement stage, the respective proofs must be submitted under penalty of exclusion.

c) Proof of enrollment in a degree or non-degree course may be waived at the application stage and replaced by a sworn statement from the candidate. However, the required proof must be submitted by the grant agreement stage under penalty of exclusion.

• Whenever possible, documentation proving prior grant benefits should also be attached to the application.
• Motivation letter.

VIII.II - Other documents to attach when applying:

• Any other elements the candidate considers relevant.

VIII.III - All application documents must be submitted in Portuguese and/or English. When the originals are in another language, a translation into one of these languages must be provided.

VIII.IV - Applications that are not properly completed or do not meet the admission criteria defined in the applicable legislation and this notice will not be accepted.

VIII.V - No documents required for the application may be submitted after the application deadline.

VIII.VI - Without prejudice to the penal provisions of the law, false statements made by candidates or grant holders regarding relevant matters for the grant award or renewal, or for the evaluation of its progress, will result in its cancellation.

IX – Application deadline: 07/09/2026 to 18/09/2026

X - Activity Regime: The grant does not create or constitute a legal-labor relationship. It is carried out under an exclusive dedication regime, and the grantee is awarded the Research Grantee Status, as stipulated in the EBI and the RBI-UC.

XI - Notification of Candidates: All notifications will be made through the electronic platform Apply UC, under the terms of subparagraph c) of paragraph 1 and subparagraph b) of paragraph 2 of Article 112 of the CPA and Article 22 of the RBI-UC. The notifications will take effect after being made, as provided in Article 113 of the CPA.

XII - Under Articles 121 and 122 of the CPA and Article 22 of the RBI-UC, candidates may, if they wish, submit comments regarding the jury's decisions within 10 business days, through the “Audiência dos Interessados” option in the platform's procedure section.

XIII - Candidates may also submit a complaint within 15 business days or an appeal to the UC's highest-ranking official within 30 business days, both following the respective notification, under Articles 191 and 192 of the CPA.

XIV - Selected candidates must declare in writing, within five business days of notification, their acceptance of the grant and confirm that they meet the requirements to accept the proposed start date of the grant contract. Unless a justifiable reason is provided, failure to provide this declaration within the stipulated time will be considered a renunciation of the grant. In case of renunciation or withdrawal by the selected candidate, the next candidate on the final classification list will be notified.

XV - The full competition process can be consulted by candidates, subject to prior scheduling, by sending an email to the Human Resources Management Service at: sgrh@uc.pt.

XVI - In compliance with subparagraph h) of Article 9 of the Constitution, the University of Coimbra, as an employer, actively promotes a policy of equal opportunities between men and women in terms of employment access and career progression, ensuring that any form of discrimination is strictly avoided. It encourages underrepresented minorities in each area to apply. Accordingly, no one may be privileged, benefited, disadvantaged, or deprived of any right or exempted from any duty on the grounds of ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, family status, economic situation, education, social origin or condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, place of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs, or trade union membership. The University of Coimbra also promotes measures to facilitate the balance between professional, family, and personal life, recognizing the efforts of its employees and fostering motivation.

XVII- The grantee must submit annual activity reports for each renewal and at the end of the grant contract, as stipulated in Article 7 of the RBI-UC, subject to an opinion issued by the respective supervisor(s). The report models, performance evaluation criteria, and the grant contract model are those approved under the University of Coimbra's Research Grant Regulations.

Where to apply

Website: https://apply.uc.pt/

Requirements

Research Field: Engineering » Mechanical engineering

Education Level: Undergraduate

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available: 1

Company/Institute: University of Coimbra

Country: Portugal

Contact

City: Coimbra

Website: http://www.uc.pt

Street: Rua Larga

Postal Code: 3004-504 Coimbra