Post Doctoral Research Grant

INESC TEC; Porto; On-site; EUR 17,000 - 21,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Tuition fee support

Job summary

INESC TEC invites applications for a Post Doctoral Research Grant to join SYSTEM, working in Integrated Forest Fire Management, based in Porto, Portugal. The role emphasizes developing a reference mental model of negligent ignitions and conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses, including workshops in Living Labs.

The successful candidate will contribute to organizing workshops, data analysis, and risk communication studies, with a focus on professional development and impact.

Qualifications

• PhD completed within the last year.
• At least two articles in international peer-reviewed journals indexed in Scopus and Web of Science.
• Experience applying the mental models approach to risk communication in wildfire management.
• Experience in qualitative data analysis using NVivo or equivalent.
• Experience designing and conducting focus groups.
• Experience using spreadsheets.

Responsibilities

• Develop a reference mental model of negligent ignitions from literature and expert interviews.
• Identify parishes and municipalities prone to ignitions through SGIF data analysis.
• Characterize rural residents' perceptions via interviews and Living Labs visits.
• Compare laypeople’s and experts’ mental models to identify knowledge gaps.
• Organize workshops and events in Living Labs focusing on risk communication and participation.

Skills

Workshop organization

Quantitative analysis

Communication skills

Education

PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management, Engineering and Public Policy, or related areas

Tools

R/RStudio

NVivo

Spreadsheets

Job description

Integrated Forest Fire Management

INESC TEC is looking for a Post Doctoral Research Grant to join SYSTEM, working in the field of Integrated Forest Fire Management.

About the opportunity

In this role, you will contribute to:

• Develop a reference mental model of negligent ignitions based on scientific literature and expert interviews;
• Identify parishes and municipalities prone to ignitions with negligent cause through non-parametric and/or multicriteria analysis of SGIF data;
• Characterize rural residents’ perceptions through interviews, focus groups, and/or visits to the project’s Living Labs;
• Compare laypeople’s and experts’ mental models to identify knowledge gaps and misconceptions within the target population;
• Contribute to organizing workshops and events in the project’s Living Labs, focusing on risk communication, community participation in ignition reduction, and the evaluation of communication programs’ effectiveness.

What we are looking for

• PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management, Engineering and Public Policy, or related areas
• Experience in organizing workshops;
• Experience in quantitative analysis, including non-parametric methods and/or multicriteria analysis;
• Experience in statistical analysis using R/RStudio;
• Willingness to pursue personal and professional development.
• A recently completed PhD (awarded less than one year ago);
• At least two articles published in international peer-reviewed scientific journals indexed in both Scopus and Web of Science;
• Experience in applying the mental models approach developed at Carnegie Mellon University to risk communication in integrated wildfire management, gained through R&D projects, a doctoral thesis, an industry internship or professional experience;
• Experience in qualitative data analysis using NVivo or equivalent software;
• Experience in designing and conducting focus groups;
• Experience in using spreadsheets.

What we offer

• INESC TEC supports costs with registration, enrolment or tuition fees during the grant duration, under the terms established in the internal document: Payment of Tuition fees to grant holders.
• The grant holder will benefit from health insurance, supported by INESC TEC.

Application deadline: From 29 Oct 2026 to 11 Nov 2026

At INESC TEC, we believe that different perspectives contribute to more innovative, inclusive and impactful science.

Join us and be part of the future of science and technology.