Research Grant

Organisation/Company Aveiro University Department Mechanical Engineering Department Research Field Engineering » Materials engineering Chemistry Researcher Profile Established Researcher (R3) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 20 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon) Country Portugal Type of Contract Not Applicable Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 40 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2027 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

Reference:BIPD_35_DEM_TEMA_2026_e-CO2FT

A tender is hereby opened for the award of a Postdoctoral Fellowship(s) (PDF) in the scope of R&D projects "Fischer–Tropsch Electrochemical Reactor for the Direct Conversion of Water Vapour and CO₂ into C₂–C₅+ Hydrocarbons" (COMPETE2030-FEDER-00770000) for TEMA – Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro under the following conditions:

1. Scientific Area:Science and Engineering of Materials/Chemistry.

2. Funding Source: Foundation for Science and Technology/MCTES, I.P., through national funds (PIDDAC), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union, through COMPETE 2030, COMPETE2030-FEDER-00770000, (Projeto FCT nº 16527) of Portugal 2030.

3. Admission Requirements: Doctor Degree in Chemistry or related area.

If the qualification was awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must be recognised by a Portuguese higher education institution, in accordance with Article 25 of Decree-Law No. 66/2018 of 16 August, which establishes the legal framework for the recognition of academic degrees and higher education diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions, and Article 4(2)(e) of Decree-Law No. 60/2018 of 3 August. All formalities established under these provisions must be completed by the date of the employment contract's signing.

4. Other Requirements:Demonstrated prior experience in research and development (R&D) in the fields of functional oxide materials, electrochemistry, and ceramic materials processing. Specialisation in electrode and electrolyte materials for solid oxide fuel cells, electrocatalysis, and electrochemical characterisation, with hands‑on experience in materials synthesis, ceramic cell fabrication, impedance spectroscopy, and microstructural characterisation.

5. Eligibility: Applicants are eligible if they comply with paragraph b) of nos.1 and 2 of article 2, of the Research Fellow Statute as amended by Decree‑Law no. 123/2019, of August 28th, as well as in article 7 of the Research Grant Regulations of the Foundation for Science and Technology. PDFs can only be granted provided the following requirements are met cumulatively:

• The doctorate has been obtained within the three years prior to the date of submission of the application for the grant;
• The postdoctoral research is carried out in a host entity different from the entity where the research work leading to the doctoral degree was carried out;
• The research activities do not require postdoctoral experience;
• The research activities have a time frame for development and implementation of three years or less;
• The fellow does not exceed, with the conclusion of the grant contract in question, including possible renewals, an accumulated period of three years in that type of grant, consecutive or interpolated.

6.Work plan: To introduce a new concept for the production of synthetic chemicals and fuels through the sustainable recycling of CO₂. The objective is to construct, test, and simulate a disruptive electrochemical device for CO₂ hydrogenation that simultaneously enables in situ steam electrolysis. The candidate will evaluate the device’s performance, stability, and changes in the distribution of CO₂ Fischer–Tropsch (CO₂-FT) products through the concept of H₂ pumping..

7. Applicable legislation and regulations: Statute of Scientific Research Grant Holder, as amended by Decree‑Law no. 123/2019, of August 28th; Regulation no. 950/2019, of November 29th, published in Diário da República, no. 241, Series II, of December 16th (FCT, I.P. Research Grants Regulation); Decree‑Law no. 66/2018, of August 16th (Legal regime for recognition of academic degrees and diplomas of higher education awarded by foreign higher education institutions).

8. Workplace: The work will be carried out at TEMA – Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation, Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Aveiro, under the scientific supervision of Professor Doctor António Carlos Mendes de Sousa e Doctor Duncan Paul Fagg.

9. Duration of the grant(s): The grant duration will be 12 months, starting in January