Post-Doctoral Research Grant - Edital BIPD-ISISE-UMINHO-FiCoFEMAI-16782-B1.1

Universidade do Minho - ISISE, Portugal

Updated: 20 days ago

Deadline: 21 Jan 2026

6 Jan 2026
Job Information

Organisation/Company: Universidade do Minho - ISISE
Department: ISISE
Research Field: Engineering » Civil engineering
Engineering » Mechanical engineering
Computer science » Informatics
Engineering » Other
Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2)
Positions: PhD Positions
Country: Portugal
Application Deadline: 21 Jan 2026 - 23:00 (Europe/Lisbon)
Type of Contract: Not Applicable
Job Status: Not Applicable
Offer Starting Date: 7 Jan 2026
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Other EU programme
Reference Number: COMPETE2030-FEDER-00796500
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: No

Offer Description

A call is open to award (1) post-doctoral research grant within the R&D Project “FiCoFEMAI – Integrated and reliable design methodology for steel fibre reinforced concrete structures assisted by nonlinear finite element analysis and artificial intelligence tools”, project number 16782, code operation COMPETE2030-FEDER-00796500, funded by the Innovation and Digital Transition Program (COMPETE 2030), by Portuguese Foundations for the Science and Technology, by PORTUGAL 2030 and by European Union, in the following conditions:

RESEARCH FIELD: Civil Engineering, Aeronautics, Mechanics, Informatics or related fields.

CANDIDATES PROFILE / CANDIDATE ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Mandatory requirements:

The BIPD are intended for doctorates in the area of Civil Engineering Aeronautics, Mechanics, Informatics or related fields, who cumulatively meet the following requirements:

Holders of a PhD degree obtained in the three years prior to the date of submission of the grant application;
Have carried out the research work that led to the attribution of a PhD degree in an entity other than the host unit (Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering, ISISE);
Do not exceed, with the conclusion of the contract in question, including possible renewals, a cumulative period of three years in this type of grant, consecutive or interpolated;
Applicants must comply with the eligibility conditions laid down in article 9 of the Research Grants Regulation of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (2019).

Candidates who do not cumulatively meet the requirements described will be excluded.

Preferential factors:

Have solid knowledge in structural engineering;
Have solid knowledge in the finite element method;
Have experience on the simulation of the nonlinear behaviour of structural systems;
Have proven experience in software development in C, C++, C# or Python programming languages;
Be fluent in written and spoken English.

APPLICATION / ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The call is open from 07/01/2026 to 21/01/2026 (23:00 – Europe/Lisbon).

Applications must be sent exclusively by e-mail to barros@civil.uminho.pt , with the subject “Edital BIPD-ISISE-UMINHO-FiCoFEMAI-16782-B1.1”, with the following documents:

Elements of the National Identity Card/Citizen Card/Passport/Visa/Title of Residence;

Curriculum Vitae of the candidate, in Portuguese or in English;

Certificates of the required academic degree(s);

PhD Thesis;

Scientific article most representative of the suitability of the profile for the position;

Motivation letter, in Portuguese or in English;

Letters of recommendation (if applicable);

Statement proving that meets the conditions for the grant typology, according to the application requirements (Annex).

Failure to comply with the deadline for submitting the application, such as failure to submit or late submission of the application and the documents referred to in points 2) till 5), determines the exclusion of the application.

Regarding the above-mentioned admissibility requirements, the following should be noted:

In the case of a degree granted by a foreign higher education institution, and in order to ensure the application of the principle of equal treatment to candidates holding foreign and national academic degrees, it is mandatory to recognize the degree. The respective recognition, when granted by foreign higher education institutions, is not mandatory in the application phase, but it will be verified at the scholarship contracting phase.
Only candidates who have completed the required qualification by the end of the application period will be admitted. If they do not yet have the official degree certificate, a declaration of honor from the candidate stating that he/she has completed the qualifications required by the end of the application period, will be accepted. At the time of the respective hiring the candidate must present the official degree certificate. The granting of the scholarship is always dependent on the presentation of proof of ownership of the academic qualifications required for the granting of the scholarship.

DURATION OF THE RESEARCH GRANT

The research grant is 12 months, with a provisional starting date in February 2026.

The grant may be renewed until the maximum predicted in the project and/or applicable legislation, if it is necessary to complete the academic degree or to carry out activities that are essential for the conclusion of the project.

WORK PLAN AND OBJECTIVES

1) Integrate a fibre orientation tensor into the multidirectional fixed smeared crack model existing in the FEMIX software to simulate more accurately the reinforcement mechanisms of fibres crossing the cracks forming at a given integration point of a finite element simulating fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) structures; month 1 to month 6;

2) Development of post-processing tools for results obtained with the FEMIX software to aid in the interpretation of the reliability of material non-linear analysis models of FRC structures; month 6 to month 12.

HOST INSTITUTION AND SCIENTIFIC SUPERVISION

The work will be carried out at ISISE - Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering - Civil Engineering Department, School of Engineering of the University of Minho, located at Azurém (Guimarães), under the scientific supervision of Doctors Joaquim António Oliveira Barros and António Ventura Gouveia.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The evaluation of the applications will focus on the merit of the candidate, by applying the following criteria on a scale of 0 to 5 points:

Candidate's Merit – CM (100%):

In the Candidate Merit Assessment (CM) the following parameters and assessment criteria are considered with the respective weights/weights:

PC - Scientific and technological, cultural or artistic, and activities of applied research, obtained by the formula 0,40PQ + 0,40PV + 0,20AI. PQ corresponds to the quantitative evaluation of publications in ISI/SCOPUS journals: in the development of software for solving engineering problems, with special emphasis on the finite element method, PQ = up to 100 points; publications in related fields, PQ = up to 60 points; publications in other areas, PQ = 0 points. PV corresponds to the qualitative assessment of 3 articles to be provided by the candidate, PV = up to 100 points. AI corresponds to the evaluation of applied research activities or based on the practice of developing software for the simulation of physical or engineering phenomena, AI = up to 60 points; activities in other areas, AI = 0 points – weighting de 80%.

ML - Motivation Letter, describing the relevance of the scientific experience for the position and personal career goals: CM = up to 100 points – weighting 20%.

The final classification of the Candidate’s Merit (CM) will be obtained by applying the following formula:

CM = 0,80PC + 0,20ML

Candidates with CM less than 2,5 points are immediately excluded.

The jury can decide to include in the evaluation process an Interview (INT). Only the three best qualified candidates in the criterion Candidate's Merit (CM) will be considered for the Interview. Besides, the Interview will be conducted in English.

Interview – INT (35%):

Criterion T1 - Motivation, with a weighting of 20%;
Criterion T2 - Candidate's knowledge on the topic of the call, with a weighting of 40%;
Criterion T3 - English fluency, self-expression and the critical sense, with a weighting of 40%.

The Jury also decided on the valuation of the Interview, according to the following levels:

Excellent – 5 points;
Good – 4 points;
Satisfactory – 3 points;
Unsatisfactory – 2 points;
Poor – 1 point.

The final classification of the Interview (INT) will be obtained by applying the following formula:

INT = (T1*0,20) + (T2*0,40) + (T3*0,40)

The final classification (FC) of Candidate’s Merit (CM) and Interview (INT) will be obtained by applying the following formula:

FC = (CM*0,65) + (INT*0,35)

The Selection Panel reserves the right not to award the research grant in the competition based on the evaluation results of the applicants and their suitability for the project objectives.

SELECTION PANEL

The Selection Panel is composed by the following elements:

President: Doctor Joaquim António Oliveira Barros, Full Professor of Civil Engineering Department, ISISE, School of Engineering, University of Minho.
Effective members: Doctor António Ventura Gouveia, Coordinator Professor of the Department of Civil Engineering, ISISE, Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão de Viseu, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, and Doctor Vítor Manuel do Couto Fernandes Cunha, Assistant Researcher, ISISE, School of Engineering, University of Minho.
Substitute members: Doctor José Manuel de Sena Cruz, Associate Professor with Habilitation, ISISE, School of Engineering, University of Minho, and Doctor Eduardo Nuno Borges Pereira, Assistant Professor of the Department of Civil Engineering, ISISE, School of Engineering, University of Minho.

If the President of the Selection Panel is unavailable, he/she shall be replaced by the first effective member. The first substitute member will replace the effective member.

The Selection Panel, including the President, undertake the commitment to respect a set of responsibilities essential to the evaluation process, such as the duties of impartiality, of stating any potential situations of conflict of interest and confidentiality.

COMUNICATION OF RESULTS

The results of the evaluation are announced by email to all candidates, attaching, for this purpose, the minutes of the jury's deliberations, within a maximum period of 60 working days from the deadline for submission of applications.

Candidates are informed, at a preliminary hearing, in accordance with Articles 121 and 122 of the Administrative Procedure Code (DL nº 4 / 2015 of January 7), of the likely outcome of the final decision, and may comment within 10 working days of this notification.

COMPLAINT AND APPEAL PROCEDURES

The selected candidate must indicate, in writing, the intention to accept the grant, within 10 working days of notification of the grant award.

The final decision can be contested, having 15 working days for this purpose, or an appeal may be lodged with the Rector within 30 working days, both after the respective notification.

REQUIREMENTS FOR FINAL AWARDING OF THE GRANT

The scholarship is awarded through the signing of a contract between the University of Minho and the scholarship recipient, in accordance with the draft contract in Annex II of the University of Minho Regulations (RBIC).At the time of hiring, the following documents must be sent:

National Identity Card/Citizen Card/Passport/Visa/Title of Residence;
Copy of the certificate of the academic degree;
Presentation of the certificate of recognition of foreign academic degree and conversion of the respective final grading into the Portuguese grading scale, if applicable;
Science ID;
NIB/IBAN (document of the Bank with the name of the candidate);
Tax Identification Number (NIF);
Digital mobile key (digital signature).

The contract may only be concluded after all the documentation required is collected, which must take place within a maximum period of 6 months.Once all the documentation has been received, the contracting entity has a period of 60 working days to conclude the scholarship contract, in accordance with nº3 of the Article 14º the University of Minho Regulations (RBIC).

MONTHLY MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE

The Monthly Maintenance Allowance corresponds to the basic value of 1851,00 euros per month, according to the table of grants of FCT, I.P. in the country (http://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores ) and Research Scholarship of the University of Minho, updated annually, as decided by the Management Board.

Payments are made by bank transfer on the 23rd of each month to the Bank Identification Number of the fellow identified in the contratualization process.

OTHER BENEFITS

Reimbursement of the Voluntary Social Insurance, if the candidate chooses to receive it, corresponding to the 1st tier of the contribution base (for grants of 6 months or more) and Personal Accident Insurance.

EXCLUSIVITY REGIME

The grantee will perform the activities under exclusivity, as foreseen in article 5º of the Research Fellow Statutes and applicable regulations.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR GRANT RENEWAL

Grant may be renewed for additional periods, if this information is provided in “DURATION OF THE RESEARCH GRANT" and in the contract. This additional period may not exceed the regulatory limits or the end of the project.

The renewal of the grant always depends on a petition submitted by the grant holder, on a date prior to the end of the grant contract, accompanied by the following documents:

report issued by the supervisor(s) and by the host entity(ies) on the follow-up of the grant holder's work and the evaluation of his/her activities;

updated document proving compliance with the exclusive dedication regime.

TERM AND CANCELLATION OF GRANT CONTRACTS

Without prejudice to the other grounds laid down in the University of Minho's Scientific Research Scholarship Regulation and in the Research Fellow Statute, the scholarship will cease on completion of the contracted work plan, as well as on expiry of the period for which it was granted or renewed.

At the end of the grant, the grantee is obliged to present a Final Report of the work carried out, in accordance with the objectives and evaluation criteria defined with the scientific advisor, within 60 working days after the end of the grant.

The Final Report must be prepared in accordance with Annex I of the University of Minho Scientific Research Grant Regulations (RBIC).

APPLICABLE LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS

Research Fellowship Holder Statutes, approved by Law no. 40/2004 of August 18, in its current version; FCT Research Fellowship Regulation, approved by Regulation nº 950/2019, published in the Diário da República, 2nd series, of December 16, 2019, in its current wording; University of Minho Scientific Research Grant Regulations (RBIC), approved by Order n. 4998/2025, published in the Official Gazette, 2nd series, n. 81, of April 28, rectified and republished through Rectification Statement n. 634/2025/2, published in the Official Gazette, 2nd series, n. 132, of July 11.

NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL ACCESS POLICY

University of Minho actively promotes a policy of non-discrimination and equal access, so that no candidate may be privileged, benefited, harmed or deprived of any right or exempt from any duty due, namely, to ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, economic situation, education, social origin or 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.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

You can find the Portuguese version of the application, templates for the declaration of honor and final report at:

https://isise.net/dissemination/recruitment/

ANNEX

Declaration of Honour

I, _________________________ (full name), candidate for the competition _______________________ (reference of the call), within the scope of the project _____________________ (title of project), hereby declare, upon my honour, that I am solely and exclusively responsible for the veracity of the information contained in my Curriculum Vitae.

I further declare, under penalty of exclusion from this competition, that I fulfil all the following requirements for the award of the Post-Doctoral Research Grant (BIPD) for which I am applying, namely:

Hold a PhD degree obtained in the three years prior to the date of submission of the grant application.

Have carried out the research work that led to the attribution of a PhD degree in an entity other than the host unit (Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering, ISISE).

Not to exceed, with the execution of this new fellowship contract and its planned renewals, the cumulative duration of 3 years, whether consecutive or not.

To meet and comply with the eligibility requirements set forth in the Call, as well as those established in the applicable regulations for the award of Research Fellowships by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., in the Research Fellowship Regulations of the University of Minho (currently in force), and in the Statute of the Research Fellow (EBI).

To provide, at the fellowship contracting stage, the supporting documents proving that I meet the requirements for admission to this competition, specifically:

Certificate of the doctoral degree;
Recognition record of academic degrees and record of conversion of the respective final classification into the Portuguese grading scale, in the case of degrees awarded by a foreign higher education institution.

To perform the duties of a fellow on an exclusive basis, under the terms set out in Article 5 of the Statute of the Research Fellow and in the applicable research fellowship regulations.

Being true, this declaration shall be dated and signed by me.

(Location), (date).

The declarant,

________________________________

(full name of the candidate)

Where to apply

E-mail: barros@civil.uminho.pt

Requirements

Research Field: Engineering » Civil engineering
Education Level: PhD or equivalent

Research Field: Engineering » Mechanical engineering
Education Level: PhD or equivalent

Research Field: Computer science » Informatics
Education Level: PhD or equivalent

Research Field: Engineering » Other
Education Level: PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Mandatory requirements:

The BIPD are intended for doctorates in the area of Civil Engineering Aeronautics, Mechanics, Informatics or related fields, who cumulatively meet the following requirements:

Holders of a PhD degree obtained in the three years prior to the date of submission of the grant application;
Have carried out the research work that led to the attribution of a PhD degree in an entity other than the host unit (Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering, ISISE);
Do not exceed, with the conclusion of the contract in question, including possible renewals, a cumulative period of three years in this type of grant, consecutive or interpolated;
Applicants must comply with the eligibility conditions laid down in article 9 of the Research Grants Regulation of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (2019).

Candidates who do not cumulatively meet the requirements described will be excluded.

Specific Requirements

Preferential factors:

Have solid knowledge in structural engineering;
Have solid knowledge in the finite element method;
Have experience on the simulation of the nonlinear behaviour of structural systems;
Have proven experience in software development in C, C++, C# or Python programming languages;
Be fluent in written and spoken English.

Languages: ENGLISH
Level: Good

Additional Information
Benefits