Call For Applications For A Research Grant

Organisation/Company INESC TEC Research Field Engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 15 Oct ***:59 (UTC) Country Portugal Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 36 Offer Starting Date 1 Dec Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number AE* Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
No CALL FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS (AE*) INESC TEC is now accepting grant applications to award 1 Research Grant (BI) within the scope of the OCEAN_FCT funded by National Funds through FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., project reference.
1. GRANT DESCRIPTION
Type of grant: Research Grant (BI) General scientific area: ENGINEERING Scientific subarea: Mechanical engineering Grant duration: 12 months, starting on **, with the possibility of being renewed for a maximum term of four years, in the cases of students enrolled in a PhD.
Scientific advisor: Diogo Neves Workplace: INESC TEC, INESCTEC / FEUP, Portugal Maintenance stipend: *, according to the table of monthly maintenance stipend for FCT grants ( ... ), paid via bank transfer.
Grant holders may be awarded potential supplements, according to a quarterly evaluation process (Articles 19, 21 and 22 of the Regulations for Grants of INESC TEC and Annex II), up to a maximum limit of 50 of the monthly maintenance stipend.
The grant holder will benefit from health insurance, supported by INESC TEC.
2. OBJECTIVES:
The main objective of the doctoral research will be to contribute to the development of an integrated monitoring and predictive maintenance system for floating wind structures, with the potential to be adapted to other types and configurations of offshore wind farms.
The specific objectives include: Designing and implementing an SHM architecture that integrates distributed sensors (on the turbine, tower, floater, moorings, and cables) and combines them with an advanced robotic hub for inspection and data collection in the marine environment.
Developing data analysis methodologies and numerical modelling tools for assessing structural behaviour, identifying damage, and predicting failures, using computational simulation and time series analysis techniques.
Contributing to the experimental validation of the system, including laboratory testing and/or in situ monitoring campaigns.
Proposing predictive maintenance strategies based on the collected data and developed models, w ith the aim of optimising operations and reducing maintenance costs.
Contributing to the development of guidelines for adapting and scaling the system to different types of floating wind platforms and large-scale wind farms.
3. BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THE WORK PROGRAMME AND TRAINING:
The doctoral candidate's work plan focuses on the development of an integrated Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system for floating wind platforms.
It encompasses a comprehensive scope, ranging from literature review and complementary training in hydrodynamics and data analysis, to the implementation and experimental validation of analysis methodologies and numerical modelling.
The training plan includes participation in specialised courses, international conferences, and internships, aiming to develop advanced skills in SHM, fluid–structure interaction, and predictive maintenance, as well as the publication of scientific papers.
The ultimate goal is to contribute significantly to the safety and efficiency of offshore wind energy production.
The candidate will undertake a training and capacity‐building period at SINTEF OCEAN in Trondheim, Norway.
The supervisory team is composed of Paulo Rosa Santos (FEUP) and Diogo Neves (INESCTEC), together with co‐supervisors from INESCTEC a nd SINTEF Ocean (Norway), as outlined in the work plan.
4. REQUIRED PROFILE:
Admission requirements: Master's degree in Civil Engineering, Ocean Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Naval Engineering, Maritime Hydraulics, or related fields, with a solid background in hydrodynamics, structural analysis, and fluid dynamics.
Eligible applicants: Students who are enrolled, or who commit to enroll by the time of hiring, in a PhD degree‐awarding study programme offered by a Higher Education Institution.
The awarding of the fellowship is dependent on the applicants' enrolment in study cycle or non‐award courses of Higher Education Institutions.
Preference factors: Preference will be given to candidates with experience in dynamic analysis of floating objects and moorings for offshore structures.
Minimum requirements:
Experience in fluid‐structure interaction, numerical modeling, dynamic analysis of offshore structures and/or processing of sensor data.
Skills in scientific programming (Python, MATLAB, or equivalent) and use of simul