1 Research Grant Announcement (M/F)

Call open for applications for a research grant within the framework of project recyBRASS – “New lead-free brass metal alloys, incorporating high levels of recycled material, excellent machinability, and resistance to dezincification, for an innovative approach in automotive and sanitary markets”, with nr. 14395 and operation code at the Funds Platform (Balcão dos Fundos) COMPETE2030-FEDER-00576900, co-financed by COMPETE 2030, by Portugal 2030 and by the European Union, under the following conditions:

Scientific Area: Materials Engineering 

Admission requirements: Candidates who cumulatively meet the following requirements may apply for this grant:

Requirement 1:

• To be a student enrolled in a master degree or integrated master or in an integrated master's program who has already completed the 180 credits corresponding to the first six curricular semesters in the Materials Engineering field, requirement to be proven at the time of signing the contract.

or

- Holder of an academic degree enrolled in a non-academic degree course integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution, developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units, requirement to be proven at the time of signing the contract.

Note: In the case of degree holders who are enrolled in non-academic degree courses, the scholarship can only be awarded to those who do not exceed, with this scholarship contract, including possible renewals, an accumulated period of two years in that typology of the scholarship, followed or interpolated.

And

Requirement 2:

Hold a bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering or related field. 

If the degree has been awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must comply with the provisions of the Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of august 16th, and any formalities established there must be fulfilled until the time of signing the contract. 

Activity Outline: 

State of the art update of brass metal alloys. Screening of chemical compositions for new alloys for applications in the automotive industry: thermodynamic simulations, production, and characterization of new metal alloys. Validation of the thermodynamic model through laboratory-scale production tests. Writing of technical-scientific documentation.

Legislation and regulations:Law Nº. 40/2004, of 18th August, in its current wording (Statutes of Scientific Research Fellow) and Regulation of Research Grants of Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, in force (https://www.fct.pt/financiamento/programas-de-financiamento/bolsas/ ) and Regulation of Research Grants of University of Porto, in force.

Work place: The work will be developed at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), under the scientific supervision of Professor Elsa Wellenkamp de Sequeiros.

Grant duration: Initial duration of 3 months, with the predicted starting date in March 2025, on an exclusive basis eventually renewable but never exceeding the end of the project.

If it is not possible to ensure the duration of 3 months estimated in the previous paragraph, this duration will be adjusted according to the end date of the project, and provided that the minimum duration of 3 consecutive months is guaranteed, in accordance with paragraph 3 of article 6 of the Research Grant Regulations of the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P.

The eventual renewal of the scholarship will be carried out as determined in article 6 of the Research Grants Regulation of the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. 

Stipend: The grant stipend amounts to 1.040,98€ according to the table of values of the grants awarded directly by FCT, I.P. in the Country (https://www.fct.pt/financiamento/programas-de-financiamento/bolsas/ ). 

The payment will be made by bank transfer.

Selection procedure: 

The curricular evaluation of the candidates (70%) will be evaluated based on the merit of the candidate and the following factors will be assessed:

a) Academic training (bachelor in Materials Engineering 10 points; bachelor is related area – 5 points) 

b) Knowledge in the area of Mechanical and Microstructural Characterization of Metallic Materials – 5 points; Basic knowledge of Mechanical and Microstructural Characterization of Metallic Materials – 2 points;

c) Research Experience in the project area – 5 points; in related areas – 3 points; Other areas – 1 point.

The curriculum of each candidate will be evaluated in a 1-20 points scale. Candidates with less than 13 points in the curricular evaluation will not be invited for the interview. In the interview (30%), topics related to the work plan, experience and the candidate’s CV will be discussed with the invited candidates. If none of the candidates achieves a minimum final score of 13 points, the scholarship will not be awarded.

Selection Jury: 

President: Professor Manuel Fernando Gonçalves Vieira

Effective member: Professor Elsa Wellenkamp de Sequeiros

Effective member:  Professor Rúben Filipe da Silva Santos

Supplementary member: Professor Ana Rosanete Lourenço Reis

Supplementary member:  Professor Alexandra Manuela Vieira da Cruz Pinto Alves

Advertisement of final decision: The results of the evaluation will be released to the candidates

by email to the email address indicated in the application process.

Deadline for applications and form of presentation of the applications: 

The call is open from 13/03/2025 to 26/03/2025 (until 23h59m, GMT time).

Applications must be formalized by email to ews@fe.up.pt and to recursoshumanos@fe.up.ptclearly stating the reference FEUP-recyBRASS_3 and including the following pdf documents: Motivation letter, detailed Curriculum Vitae, Copy of certificates evidencing academic degree, Declaration on honor that the candidate fulfills the requirement contained in article 6 of the Regulation for Research Grants of the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. (model below, in case of a student enrolled in a non-academic degree course integrated in the educational project of a higher education institution, developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units) and other documents considered relevant by the applicant. 

Declaration on honour

I, (identification of the scholarship holder), holder of the Citizen Card / Visa / Residence Permit no. valid until _____, declare under honour, to be in the conditions of no. 5 of article 6º of the Research Grants from FCT, IP - Regulation No. 950/2019, of 16 December.

Oporto, __/__/__

Signature

_________________

(scholarship holder