A research position for one Research Grant (“Bolsa de Investigação“) is open at Instituto de Telecomunicações, in the scope of the Project NEXUS – Nexus of Multidisciplinary Approaches in Explainable and Causal Machine Learning. This project is funded by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., and, when eligible, co-funded by EU funds under project/support UID/50008/2025 – Instituto de Telecomunicações, with DOI identifier - https://doi.org/10.54499/UID/50008/2025.

This grant under project NEXUS proposes a detailed investigation into the applicability and effectiveness of causality discovery algorithms in a context of complex and highly dimensional biological data. By utilizing advanced machine learning technologies and causal modeling, this work will not only investigate existing methods but also attempt to overcome challenges associated with confounding and nonlinear data. The focus will be placed on the accuracy and biological significance of the discovered causal relationships, setting the stage for future applications in drug repurposing models.

Scientific Area:

Information and Data Sciences

Group:

Pattern and Image Analysis – Lx

Admission Requirements:

Research grants are intended:

• for students enrolled in a degree-conferring course to carry out R&D activities with the aim to consolidate their scientific training through the development of research work leading to the attainment of the respective academic degree or completion of the course (integrated or not in R&D projects).

• for students enrolled in courses that do not confer an academic degree but which are integrated in an educational project of a higher education institution and are developed in association or cooperation with one or several R&D units.

In what concerns the admission requirements for this research grant in particular:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics or Physics, providing a strong foundation in analytical thinking and problem-solving.

• Currently enrolled in a Master’s in Data Science and Engineering, focusing on advanced data analysis techniques.

Work Objectives:

• Evaluate and compare different causality discovery algorithms under controlled and realistic conditions.

• Develop a robust and interpretable causal model for TCGA breast cancer data.

• Establish the groundwork of causal structures aiming to improve the generalization and interpretability of predictive models.

Applicable legislation:

A fellowship will be celebrated according to “Estatuto do Bolseiro de Investigação”, Law no. 40/2004, dated on 18th of August (Status of Scientific Research Fellow - https://dre.pt/dre/legislacao-consolidada/lei/2004-58216179), in its actual redaction, by Fellowship Regulation of Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia (https://files.dre.pt/2s/2019/12/241000000/0009100105.pdf), according to Reg. 950/2019, dated on 16th of December, and also by “Regulation of Instituto de Telecomunicações’ fellowships”.

Place of work:

The work will be developed at the premises of Instituto de Telecomunicações – Lisboa, under the supervision of Professor Dr. Alexandra Carvalho.

Duration:

6 months, with the possibility of renewal (according to the regulations defined by FCT). Start date: June 1st, 2026 or soon thereafter.

Monthly salary:

1090,98€ according to the table of grant amounts awarded directly by FCT for positions held in Portugal (https://www.fct.pt/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tabela-de-Valores-SMM-2026.pdf).

The payment will be made by bank transfer.

Selection criteria:

• C1 (40%)

Bachelor’s degree grade. Minimum grade point average of 16/20 (or equivalent) in the Bachelor’s degree, specifically in Mathematics or Physics

• C2 (30%)

Minimum grade point average of 17/20 (or equivalent) in the coursework component of the Master’s in Data Science and Engineering

• C3 (20%)

Demonstrable skills in data analysis and familiarity with programming languages such as R or Python

• C4 (10%)

Strong proficiency in English, capable of conducting research, writing scientific papers, and communicating effectively in an academic setting. This may be demonstrated through previous coursework conducted in English or standardized English language tests

Each criteria, and the final classification F will be evaluated in a scale (0-20). The candidates will be ordered according to:

F \= C1 x 40% + C2 x 30% + C3 x 20% + C4 x 10%

In case of a tie, the tied candidates will be ordered according to C1, then C2...

The Jury has the right to not admit any of the candidates that applied for this position whenever they consider that no candidate meets the minimum requirements for the position.

Jury:

• Prof. Paulo Alexandre Carreira Mateus, Instituto Superior Técnico (President of the jury)
• Prof. André Nuno Carvalho Souto, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa
• Prof. Chrysoula Vlachou, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia / Universidade Nova de Lisboa
• Prof. Preeti Yadav, Instituto de Telecomunicações Lisboa (Substitute)

Communication of the results:

Results will be published at the Instituto de Telecomunicações, Lisboa. The selected candidate will be notified by email.

After the notification of the results, candidates have 10 working days if they wish to contest the decision.

Required Documents:

• Cover letter explaining the interest in the position and relevant background;

• Detailed Curriculum Vitae with transcripts,

• Copy of the relevant certificates (Copy of the Degree Certificate(s), if applicable);

• Proof of enrollment (or proof of acceptance) in a higher education course or declaration of honour confirming that complies with the conditions to enroll in the required/preferable higher education course.

NOTE: The proof of enrollment in a higher education course must be made until the contract is signed.

Apply online clicking on the “Apply Now” button in this form https://www.it.pt/Positions/OtherResearchPosition/XXXX

E-mail submissions will not be considered. (The cover letter and the CV are mandatory documents in the online application platform)

All the selection process is conducted through the IT web portal. No actions outside this platform are valid.

Application Period:

22-04-2026 to 06-05-2026

Assistance:

Send Email

Published on:

21-04-2026