1 Research Grant Announcement (M/F)

Call open for applications for a research grant within the framework of the project “NEREUS – Next-Generation Scalable AEM Electrolyzers as Sustainable Hydrogen Production System”, with the Grant Agreement number 101251004, financed by the European Commission, under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme, within the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, under the following conditions:

Scientific Area: Chemical engineering

Admission requirements: Candidates who cumulatively meet the following two requirements may apply for this grant:

Requirement 1:

- Be a student enrolled in a doctoral program in the area of chemical engineering or in related areas, a requirement to be duly proven at the time of signing the contract.

or

- Holder of an academic degree enrolled in a non-academic degree course integrated with the educational project of a higher education institution, developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units, a requirement to be duly proven at the time of signing the contract.

and

Requirement 2:

- Hold a master’s degree in chemical engineering or a related area.

If the degree has been awarded by a foreign higher education institution, it must comply with the provisions of the Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of August 16th, and any formalities established there must be fulfilled until the time of signing the contract. 

Activity Outline: The recruitment aims at the performance of R&D work to study and develop technologies for low-temperature water electrolysis, in the scope of the project “NEREUS”.

In particular, the candidate will contribute to the following project work:

1. Development, study, and optimization of a PSA for drying/purifying hydrogen produced by electrolysis;
2. Development, study, and optimization of a demister-based cyclone technology; comparison with the state-of-the-art;
3. Simulation in Aspen of an electrolysis system, including the electrolyzer and the balance of plant, in order to propose its optimization.
4. Dissemination of results.

Legislation and regulations: Law Nº. 40/2004, of 18th August, in its current wording (Statutes of Scientific Research Fellow) and and Regulation of Research Grants of University of Porto.

Workplace: The work will be developed at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), under the scientific supervision of Professor Adélio Miguel Magalhães Mendes.

Grant duration: Initial duration of 6 months, with the predicted starting date in July 2026, on an exclusive basis, eventually renewable but never exceeding the project duration.

If it is not possible to ensure the duration of 6 months estimated in the previous paragraph, this duration will be adjusted according to the end date of the project, and provided that the minimum duration of 3 consecutive months is guaranteed, in accordance with paragraph 2 of article 10 of the Research Regulation of Research Grants of University of Porto.

The eventual renewal of the scholarship will be carried out as determined in paragraph 2 of article 10 of the Research Regulation of Research Grants of University of Porto.

Stipend: The grant stipend amounts between 1.359,64 € according to the table of values of the Regulation of Research Grants of University of Porto  and 1.399,64 € depending on the profile and previous experience of the candidate in the project’s area. The payment will be made by bank transfer.

Selection procedure: 

The curriculum of the candidates will be evaluated based on the merit of the candidate:

1. Academic training: master's in chemical engineering – 5 points; other master's – 2 points.
2. Master’s final classification: equal or superior to 16 values – 5 points; between 13 and 15 values, inclusive – 3 points; equal or inferior to 12 values – 1 point.
3. Experience in: electrochemistry, namely in the characterization of electrolyzers – 5 points; electrochemistry in other areas – 3 points; with no experience in electrochemistry – 0 points.
4. English proficiency (to be evaluated through the motivation letter) – between 0 and 5 points.

The curriculum of each candidate will be evaluated on a 1-20 points scale. Candidates with less than 15 points in the curricular evaluation will not be invited for the interview. In the interview topics related to the work plan, experience and the candidate’s CV will be discussed with the invited candidates.

If none of the candidates achieves a minimum final score of 15 points, the scholarship will not be awarded. 

Selection Jury: 

President: Professor Adélio Miguel Magalhães Mendes

Effective member: Doctor Tânia Sofia Teixeira Lopes

Effective member: Doctor Paula Manuela Monteiro Pereira Costa Dias

Supplementary member: Doctor Cátia Sofia Ribeiro Azenha

Supplementary member: Doctor Dzmitry Ivanou

Advertisement of final decision: The results of the evaluation will be released to the candidates by email to the email address indicated in the application process.

Deadline for applications and form of presentation of the applications: 

The call is open from 13-05-2026 to 26-05-2026 (until 23h59m, GMT time).

Applications must be formalized by email to mendes@fe.up.pt, tlopes@fe.up.pt and to  recursoshumanos@fe.up.pt  , clearly stating the reference FEUP-BD1-NEREUS and including the following pdf documents:

- Motivation letter written in English;

- Copy of certificates evidencing academic degree (referring to the classification of each separated or integrated degree);

- Detailed Curriculum Vitae;

- Other documents considered relevant by the applicant.

To assure that all documents can be read, the preferred saving format is the Portable Document Format (.pdf).