Call for Applications for a Research Fellowship (BI) (1 Position)_BI-AWOCADO-Refª-BL-37-2026”

Instituto Superior de Agronomia; Portugal; On-site; EUR 13,000 - 17,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Monthly maintenance allowance €1,359.,

FCT funding

Job summary

Instituto Superior de Agronomia invites applications for a Research Fellowship (BI). The 4-month, non-renewable fellowship supports work on the AWOCADO project, including installation of sensors, data collection, and data processing for irrigation optimization in avocado crops.

The role is based in the Agricultural Engineering and Horticulture sections, with supervision by Professors Teresa Afonso do Paço and Mariana Mota.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Computer Engineering or related field.
• Proficiency in Portuguese and English, both spoken and written.
• A valid driving licence.
• Research experience, including fieldwork with sensors and data loggers, data acquisition and Big Data processing.

Responsibilities

• Install and maintain sensors; collect and analyze data; implement irrigation treatments; conduct field measurements; support data processing for validation of microtensiometers and optimization of regulated deficit irrigation in avocado.
• Structure the data pipeline used to feed machine learning models and decision-support dashboards (e.g. Grafana); contribute to project communication and dissemination.

Skills

Portuguese language

English language

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Engineering or related field

Job description

Call for Applications for a Research Fellowship (BI) (1 Position)

Organisation/Company Instituto Superior de Agronomia Department Núcleo de Recursos Humanos Research Field Engineering » Computer engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Bachelor Positions Application Deadline 23 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon) Country Portugal Type of Contract Other Type of Contract Extra Information Call for Applications for a Research Fellowship (BI) (1 Position) Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 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

Call for Applications for a Research Fellowship (BI) (1 Position)

Summary

Applications are open for the award of one Research Fellowship (BI) for bachelor's or master's degree holders enrolled in non-degree-awarding courses, within the scope of the AWOCADO project (Avocado Water Optimization under Deficit Irrigation – Innovative Approaches Based on Technology and Plant Physiology). The project is being carried out by Group 1 (Resource Management & Landscape Architecture) of LEAF – Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food, at the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (School of Agriculture),financedby national funds through FCT, I.P., reference UID/04129/2025, under the following conditions.

1. TYPE AND DURATION OF THE FELLOWSHIP AND EXPECTED START DATE

This call is intended for the award of one Research Fellowship to bachelor's or master's degree holders enrolled in non-degree-awarding courses. The fellowship is expected to last 4 months,non-renewable, scheduled to start on December 2026.

2. WORK PLAN AND LOCATION

Installation and maintenance of sensors; data collection and analysis; implementation of irrigation treatments; field measurements; and support for data processing related to the validation of microtensiometers and the optimisation of regulated deficit irrigation in avocado.

The fellow will be responsible for acquiring and processing data across multiple temporal and spatial scales and for structuring the data pipeline used to feed machine learning models and decision-support dashboards (e.g. in Grafana). The fellow will also contribute to project communication and dissemination activities.

The work will be carried out in the Agricultural Engineering and Horticulture and Viticulture sections of the Instituto Superior de Agronomia, with occasional travel to experimental trials or external meetings, under the scientific supervision of Professors Teresa Afonso do Paço and Mariana Mota.

3. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applications must be submitted by sending an application letter bearing the reference “BI-AWOCADO-Refª-BL-37-2026”, accompanied by the following documents: Curriculum Vitae, a copy of the academic qualifications certificate, and any other relevant supporting documents.

The application period will run fromNovember 10 to 23, 2026.

Exceptionally, in duly justified cases, proof of enrolment in a study cycle or non-degree-awarding course, as well as documents certifying the award of academic degrees and diplomas, may be waived at the application stage. Verification of these requirements will then take place only at the fellowship contracting stage.

If the selected candidate holds a qualification awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must be recognised by a Portuguese higher education institution in accordance with Decree-Law No. 341/2007 of 12 October, regulated by Ordinance No. 227/2017 of 25 July and updated by Decree-Law No. 66/2018, published in the Portuguese Official Gazette, Series I, No. 157, on 16 August 2018. Submission of the relevant recognition documentation may be waived at the application stage, with verification taking place only at the fellowship contracting stage.

4. TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR FELLOWSHIP RENEWAL

Fellowships may be renewed for additional periods up to the maximum permitted duration, provided that the eligibility requirements for the award of the fellowship continue to be met at the time of renewal.

Renewal is always subject to the submission of a request within the 60 working days preceding the renewal start date, accompanied by the following documents:

• a) A detailed report on the work carried out, including the URLs of any communications, publications and scientific outputs resulting from the activities undertaken;
• b) An opinion from the supervisor on the documents referred to in the preceding paragraph;
• c) A work plan for the renewal period;
• d) Proof of renewed enrolment in the study cycle required for the award of the fellowship, in the case of fellowships associated with study cycles or non-degree-awarding courses, unless the course has already been completed.

5. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

5.1 Required academic qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Computer Engineering or a related field.

Fellowship category

• bachelor's or master’s degree holders enrolled in non-degree-awarding courses.

5.2 Skills, qualifications and specific requirements

Mandatory requirements:

• A higher education qualification in one of the fields specified in Section 5.1;
• Proficiency in Portuguese and English, both spoken and written;
• A valid driving licence;
• Research experience, including fieldwork involving the installation of sensors and data loggers, experience with data acquisition and transmission systems, and Big Data processing.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience in irrigation and irrigated agricultural crops;
• Research experience;
• Experience in scientific writing and dissemination.

6. FUNDING AND FELLOWSHIP ALLOWANCE

The grant will be financed by national funds through FCT, I.P., reference UID/04129/2025.

The monthly maintenance allowance is€1.359,64, plus reimbursement of the voluntary social security contributions (applicable to fellowships lasting six months or longer), in accordance with the table of monthly maintenance allowances set out in Annex I to Regulation No. 950/2019.

• Curriculum assessment, scored on a scale of 0 to 20, with a weighting of 70% for essential requirements and 30% for preferred requirements;
• If necessary, an interview with the two highest-ranked candidates following the curriculum assessment. In this case, the final score will be calculated by assigning equal weight to the curriculum assessment and the interview.

8. EVALUATION PANEL

The Selection and Evaluation Panel shall consist of:

9. PUBLICATION OF RESULTS

The final evaluation results will be published in the form of a list of candidates ranked by final score, displayed in a publicly accessible and visible location at the Instituto Superior de Agronomia.

The successful candidate will be notified by email.

10. DEADLINES AND PROCEDURES FOR PRIOR HEARING, COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS

Following notification of the provisional list of evaluation results, candidates for whom an unfavourable decision regarding the award of the fellowship is proposed shall have 10 working days to submit their representations, should they wish to do so, under the prior hearing procedure for interested parties, pursuant to Articles 121 et seq. of the Portuguese Code of Administrative Procedure.

The final decision will be issued after consideration of the representations submitted during the prior hearing procedure.

Should a fellow terminate their fellowship prematurely, the results of this competition may be used to award a new fellowship to the candidate ranked immediately below them.

The reserve list shall remain valid for 18 months from the date on which the final ranking list is approved, in accordance with the principles set out in Article 25 of Ordinance No. 233/2022 of 9 September.

11. FELLOWSHIP AGREEMENT AND FINAL REPORTS

11.1. The fellowship agreement must include:

• a) Identification of the fellow and the scientific supervisor or coordinator;
• b) Identification of the host and funding institutions;
• c) Identification of the applicable regulations, where relevant;
• d) The activity plan to be carried out by the fellow;
• e) The duration of the fellowship and its start date.

11.2.

Fellowship agreements shall be drawn up in writing. Copies of all agreements concluded must be sent to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, I.P.), which will use them to compile a national register of research fellows.

11.3.

Research Fellow status shall be automatically granted upon conclusion of the fellowship agreement and shall take effect from the fellowship start date.

11.4.

Within 60 working days following the end of the fellowship, the fellow must submit an electronic final report to the funding institution describing the activities carried out and the results obtained. The report must include any communications, publications and scientific outputs resulting from the activities undertaken, together with their respective URLs, and must be accompanied by the supervisors' assessment.

12. NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL ACCESS POLICY

No candidate may be privileged, favoured, disadvantaged or deprived of any right, or exempted from any duty, on grounds including ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family circumstances, economic situation, education, social origin or status, genetic heritage, reduced working capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, place of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs, or trade union membership.

13. APPLICABLE LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS

The applicable legislation and regulations are the Statute of Scientific Research Fellows, Law No. 40/2004, published in the Portuguese Official Gazette No. 194/2004, Series I-A, on 18 August 2004, as amended by Decree-Law No. 123/2019 of 28 August, and the FCT Fellowship Regulations, Regulation No. 950/2019 of 16 December 2019, available at:

Authorized on November 4, 2026

by President of the Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Professor António Guerreiro de Brito.