NOTICE FOR SCHOLARSHIP grant BI (1 vacancy)

Resume:

A tender is open for the attribution of a Scholarship Grant (BI) to holders of a Master degree who are enrolled in courses that do not lead to an academic degree within the scope of the project CC 5000/50, from the “G1 - Resource Management & Landscape Architecture” Research Group from LEAF-Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food, of the Instituto Superior de Agronomia, financed by ISA-ULisboa, under the following conditions:

1. TYPE, DURATION OF THE SCHOLARSHIPS and EXPECTED BEGINNING PERIOD OF THE SCHOLARSHIP

The tender is for the awarding of a Research Grant, with a planned duration of 6 months, non-renewable, and scheduled to begin in May 2026.

2. WORK PLAN AND WORKPLACE:

Topic: Optimizing the performance of anaerobic co-digestion with a view to increasing the energy self-sufficiency of a wastewater treatment plant in Lisbon.

The work plan involves the following activities:

1) Creating synergies between academia and the agricultural industry and the agro-food waste valorization sector. Consolidation of the network of interface institutions between the academic, scientific and technological system and the Portuguese business fabric, namely the agricultural industry and the agroforestry waste valorization sector, efficiently guaranteeing the necessary support to provide this network with the human resources, equipment, technical and financial means required to enhance its impact.

2) Identification of biomass flows. Selection of representative biomass flows to maximize the agro-energy transition.

3) Pretreatment Trials. Study of pretreatments suitable for the selected biomasses and their optimization to enhance biogas/biomethane production.

4) Anaerobic digestion and co-digestion trials. Conducting anaerobic digestion and co-digestion trials that enhance biogas/biomethane production.

5) Promotion and dissemination of obtained results. Preparation of scientific articles and scientific presentations at National and International Congresses.

The work will be developed at the facilities of the Instituto Superior de Agronomia, under the supervision of Professor Elizabeth Duarte.

3. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

Applications must be formalized, obligatorily, by sending an application letter, with the reference “CC 5000_50-Ref-BL-20-2026", accompanied by the following documents: Curriculum Vitae, copy of certificate of qualifications and other supporting documents considered relevant.

Exceptionally, in duly justified situations, proof of enrolment in a cycle of studies or courses that do not lead to an academic degree may be delivered up to the date of the effective contracting; 

If the selected candidate has a qualification awarded by a foreign higher education institution, this must be recognized by the Portuguese higher education institution by the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES, only in case of automatic recognition), under the terms of Decree-Law no. 341/2007, of 12 October, regulated by Notice no. 227/2017 , of July 25 and updated by Decree-Law No. 66/2018, published in the Diário da República, 1st series, No. 157, of August 16, 2018. For getting more information about this, we suggest consulting the DGES portal (http://www.dges.gov.pt).  It may be waived to present it during the application phase for the support in question, with this condition being verified only during the grant contracting phase.

The applications must be sent to Professor Doctor Margarida Moldão via email: mmoldao@isa.ulisboa.pt.

The application period will run from April 27 to May 11, 2026.

4. SCHOLARSHIP RENEWAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Scholarships may be renewed for additional periods up to their maximum duration, provided that, at the renewal date, the conditions for their grant are verified, always depending on the request submitted, within 60 working days prior to the start date of the renewal, accompanied by the following documents: a) Detailed report of the work carried out, including the URL addresses of communications, publications and scientific creations resulting from the activity carried out, if any; b) Statement of the supervisor on the documents referred to in the preceding paragraph; c) Work plan for the renewal period. D) Document proving the renewal of enrollment in the cycle of studies required for granting the scholarship, in scholarships associated with cycles of studies or courses that do not confer an academic degree, except when this has already been concluded

5. SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

5.1 Required Education Level: 

- Holders of a Master’s degree who are enrolled in courses that do not lead to an academic degree.

5.2 Skills/Qualifications/Specific Requirements:

- Scientific Area: Environmental Engineering

- Categories/profile of recipients: Master degree in Environmental Engineering

- Requirements including preferential factors: Knowledge in the valorization of bio-waste within the context of anaerobic digestion and co-digestion processes;

- Required research experience: experimental work in monitoring batch/continuous complete mixing reactors for Anaerobic Digestion and Co-digestion.

6. FUNDING AND SCHOLARSHIP COMPONENTS

The grant will be financed by the project CC 5000/50.

The amount of the monthly allowance is 1.359,64 € plus the reimbursement of voluntary social insurance (applicable to scholarships lasting six months or more), according to the table of values of monthly allowances, set out in Annex I of Regulation No. 950/2019 (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tabela-de-Valores-SMM-202…).

The payment will be made via bank transfer.

7. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Selection Methods: The selection methods to be used will involve the evaluation of candidates' curriculum (60%) and an interview (40%) conducted with the three candidates with the highest curriculum evaluation.

Curriculum Evaluation:

Classification, assigned by the jury, on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 corresponds to the maximum value, of three criteria: i) scientific and technological skills (30%), ii) experience in waste management, sanitation and sustainable solutions, including the implementation of biogas projects (40%), iii) experience in environmental audits, environmental impact studies and implementation of management systems (30%).

Interview:

Classification, assigned by the jury, regarding: i) demonstrated motivation to work on the project (50%) and ii) demonstrated competence on the topics related to the selection criteria (50%).

8. EVALUATION

Composition of the Assessment Committee: 

Members:

- Margarida Moldão (President of the Jury), 

- Elizabeth D’Almeida Duarte 

- Rita Fragoso

Substitutes: 

- Cristina Queda 

- Henrique Ribeiro.

9. DISCLOSURE OF RESULTS

Form of advertising/notification of results: The final results of the evaluation will be publicized, through a list ordered, alphabetically, by final grade, posted in a visible and public place of the Instituto Superior de Agronomia, with the candidate being approved notified via email.

10. TERMS AND PROCEDURES FOR PRIOR HEARING, CLAIM AND APPEAL

After communicating the provisional list of the evaluation results, the candidates with a project of decision unfavorable to the granting of the scholarship, have a period of 10 working days to, if they wish, do their statements in the preliminary hearing of interested parties, pursuant to articles 121 and following of the Code of Administrative Procedure. The final decision will be rendered after the analysis of the statements presented during a prior hearing of interested parties.

In the event that a scholarship holder terminates his scholarship in advance, the evaluation of the contest in question may be used to contract a new scholarship with the candidate who was in the position immediately after. The recruitment reserve is valid for a period of 18 months from the date of approval of the final ranking list, pursuant to article 25 of Ordinance 233/2022, of 9 September.

11. SCHOLARSHIP AGREEMENT MODEL AND FINAL REPORTS

11.1 - The scholarship contract must include:

a) The identification of the scholarship holder and the scientific advisor or coordinator;

b) The identification of the host and financial entities;

c) The applicable legislation, Regulation No. 950/2019;

d) The plan of activities to be developed by the scholarship holder;

e) Indication of the duration and start date of the grant.

11. 2 - The scholarship contract will be made in writing and a copy will be sent to the Foundation for Science and Technology, IP for inclusion in the national register of scholarship holders.

11. 3 - The Scholarship Holder Status is automatically granted with the signing of the contract, always referring to the start date of the scholarship.

11.4 - The scholarship holder must submit to ISA, within 60 working days after the end of the scholarship, in electronic format, a final report of their activities containing the activities developed and results obtained, including communications, publications and scientific creations resulting from the developed activity, and respective URL addresses, accompanied by the opinion of the supervisors.

12. NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL ACCESS POLICY

No candidate may be privileged, benefited, harmed or 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.

13. APPLICABLE LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS:

Statute of the Scientific Research Fellow, approved by Law no. 40/2004, published in Diário da República no. 194/2004, Series I-A, 2004‐08‐18, in the wording given by Decree-Law no. 123/2019, of August 28 and FCT Scholarship Regulation - Regulation No. 950/2019, of December 16, 2019 (https://www.ct.pt/apoios/bolsas/regulamentos.phtml.pt).

Authorized on April 21, 2026 by President of the Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Professor António Guerreiro de Brito.