Job Information
Organisation/Company: University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro
Department: Research Support Office
Research Field: Engineering » Other
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Positions: Research Support Positions
Application Deadline: 18 Sep 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon)
Country: Portugal
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Offer Starting Date: 19 Oct 2026
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Not funded by a EU programme
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: No
Offer Description
Research Grant — R&D activities to be carried out by students enrolled in an integrated master's, master's, doctoral or non-academic degree course, Article 6, Regulation No. 950/2019 of the FCT
BI/UTAD/53/2026 (1 position)
Offer description:
The University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) opens a call for one (1) Research Grant for master students, in Engineering, in the frame of the R&D project 'DouroRisk – Prevenção e Mitigação de Riscos Naturais à Escala Local' with the financial support of Fundação ''La Caixa'' in the framework of "Promove. O futuro do interior." Programme with BPI and Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.
Reference: BI/UTAD/53/2026
Scientific area/research field: Engineering
Researcher profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Admission requirements:
- Holders of a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering are eligible to apply.*;
- Prior experience in scientific research activities or participation in R&D projects.*;
- Programming skills, preferably in Python, JavaScript, or equivalent technologies.*;
- Candidates demonstrating the following will be particularly valued:
- Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team;
- Proficiency in English (spoken and written);
- Relevant complementary knowledge in technical communication or science communication applicable to the preparation of documentation and dissemination activities;
- Knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), ArcGIS, or QGIS;
- Knowledge of service virtualization or containerization tools (e.g., Docker) applied to the development and integration of software components;
- Experience in the development of digital platforms and georeferenced applications;
- Knowledge of relational and/or non-relational databases.;
- Immediate availability*;
- Compliance with the provisions of the FCT Research Grant Regulations (RBI No. 950/2019), specifically the terms of Article 6*;
* mandatory requirement
Work plan:
The candidate will carry out the following R&D activities within the scope of the DOURORISK project, namely:
Task 1 – Requirements gathering and analysis:
- Identification of functional and/or technical requirements;
- Survey of geographic, meteorological, and environmental data sources;
- Analysis of the state of the art regarding digital platforms for natural risk management.
Task 2 – Literature review and scientific framework:
- Systematic review of literature related to natural risk management, geographic information systems, and artificial intelligence;
- Identification of methodologies and best practices applicable to the project;
- Production of reports outlining the scientific framework.
Task 3 – Development:
- Design of the platform's overall architecture;
- Definition of geospatial data models;
- Development of backend and frontend components.
Task 4 – Data integration and processing:
- Development of data acquisition and integration mechanisms;
- Implementation of georeferenced databases;
- Development of interoperability services and automatic information updates.
Task 5 – Development of decision-support algorithms:
- Implementation of spatial analysis algorithms;
- Development of models to support risk assessment;
- Exploration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning techniques applied to pattern detection and extreme event forecasting.
Task 6 – Testing, validation, and demonstration:
- Execution of functional and performance tests;
- Validation of obtained results;
- Support for the platform's pilot implementation.
Task 7 – Scientific output and dissemination:
- Participation in the preparation of technical and scientific reports;
- Preparation and submission of scientific papers to international conferences and journals;
- Participation in scientific events to present project results;
- Support for dissemination and knowledge transfer activities.
Applicable legislation and regulations:
Law N.º 40/2004, of 18 August (Statute of Scientific Research Fellow), amended by DL 123/2019 of 28 August; FCT, IP Research Grant Regulation, approved by Regulation N.º 234/2012, published in the II Series of the Diário da República of June 25, 2012, amended and republished by Regulation No. 326/2013, published in the II Series of the Diário da Republic of July 27, 2013, amended by Regulation No. 339/2015, published in the II Series of the Diário da República of June 17, 2015 and Law No. 71/2018 (State Budget Law for 2019) and by Regulation No. 950/2019, published in the II Series of the Diário da República of December 16, 2019, and the Regulation of Research Grants of the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro - Dispatch RT.36/2011, of July 6, of Mr. Rector, published in Diário da República by Order No. 9157/2011 (II Series), of July 19 in its current wording.
Workplace:
The work will be developed at the Engineering Department of the School of Sciences and Technology of the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, under the scientific guidance of Professor Margarida Lopes Rodrigues Liberato.
Duration of scholarship:
The fellowship will last for 8 months, expected to start in October 2026. The scholarship contract may be renewed, under the terms of the FCT Research Grant Regulation (no. 950/2019).
Note:
If the grant is awarded to students enrolled in a course that does not confer an academic degree, the contract cannot exceed a total duration of 12 months.
Monthly maintenance allowance amount:
The scholarship amount corresponds to €1090,98, according to the table of scholarships awarded directly by the FCT, I.P. in the country (https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores). The period of payment of the scholarship is monthly and through bank deposit, check or another equivalent method.
Selection Methods:
The selection methods to be used will be as follows:
A. Academic curriculum assessment: 80%
B. Motivation letter assessment: 20%
Composition of the Selection Jury:
Chair – MARGARIDA DA CONCEIÇÃO RASTEIRO MAGANO LOPES RODRIGUES LIBERATO, Associate Professor from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro
Effective Member - TÂNIA DE JESUS VILELA DA ROCHA, Assistant Professor from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro
Effective Member - LUÍS MANUEL DE OLIVEIRA SOUSA, Associate Professor from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro
Form of advertising/notification of results:
The final results of the evaluation will be publicized through a ranked list posted on the UTAD Campus Online Page (http://www.campus.utad.pt/bolsasinvestigacao/candidaturas ), with the candidate being approved notified via email.
Based on the final ranking list, a reserve list will be drawn up, valid for the maximum duration of the project funding this grant or the maximum duration of the grant provided for in Article 3rd , nº 2, of the Statute of Scientific Research Fellow, Law no. 40/2004, of 18th August, revised by Decree-Law no. 123/2019, of 28th August (whichever comes first), which will be used for the possible recruitment of new grant holders within the scope of this project or in the event of the first-placed candidate withdrawing. If none of the candidates demonstrates that they have the profile indicated to carry out the work plan, the jury reserves the right not to award the scholarship to the competition.
If the decision to be taken is unfavourable to the granting of the requested scholarship, the candidates have a period of 10 working days, after the aforementioned disclosure, to express their opinion, if desired, in a prior hearing, under the terms provided for in the Code of Administrative Procedure.
Application deadline and form of submission of applications:
The tender is open from 07-09-2026 to 18-09-2026.
Applications must be formalized, obligatorily, by sending an application form accompanied by the following documents: Curriculum Vitae [proving the above-mentioned requirements]; Indication of the following data: citizen card number, tax identification number – TIN, date of birth, mobile phone number and email address; motivation letter; declaration of honour (to be requested by email to bolsasinvestigacao@utad.pt) and documentary evidence of the requested requirements.
The application must be made through the UTAD Campus Online Page, in the Research Grants section, following the instructions:
- Access the UTAD Campus Online Page: www.campus.utad.pt and select the Research Grants option. Or go directly to www.campus.utad.pt/bolsasinvestigacao/lista .
- Select the scholarship you intend to apply for.
- When selecting the “Apply” option, you will be redirected to the application page where you must complete and submit the respective form.
Equality of opportunities:
The candidate has the right to equal opportunities and treatment, and may not be privileged, benefited, prejudiced, deprived of any right or exempt from any duty due, in particular, to ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, origin or social condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological convictions and union membership.
Where to apply
Website: http://www.utad.pt
Requirements
Research Field: Engineering » Other
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro
Country: Portugal
State/Province: Portugal
City: Vila Real
Postal Code: 501-801
Street: Quinta de Prados
Contact
State/Province: Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
City: Vila Real
Website: http://www.utad.pt
Street: Quinta de Prados
Postal Code: 5000-801
E-Mail: bolsasInvestigacao@utad.pt
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