Research Grant ("Bolsa de Investigação") - BII/Nº2026/00087

This scholarship is offered in the context of the NeuroVision – Neuromorphic Vision Sensor Data Coding research project, lead by the Instituto de Telecomunicações. The project focuses on the development of efficient, low-latency, and scalable coding solutions for event-based (neuromorphic) vision sensors, targeting both human and machine consumption scenarios. The work is closely aligned with ongoing international standardization efforts, namely within the JPEG XE activity. The scholarship holder will be integrated into a highly active research team with strong international visibility in image and video compression, learning-based coding, and multimedia signal processing.

Scientific Area:

Information and Data Sciences

Group:

Multimedia Signal Processing – Lx

Admission Requirements:

Research grants (BI):

• Are intended for carrying out R&D activities by students enrolled in an integrated master's or a master's degree, aiming to consolidate their scientific training through the development of research work leading to the respective academic degree, whether or not integrated into R&D projects.

• Are intended for carrying out R&D activities by graduates enrolled in non-degree courses that are part of the educational programme of a higher education institution, developed in association or cooperation with one or more R&D units.

With regard to the eligibility criteria for this particular research fellowship:

• Hold a M.Sc. degree completed in electrical, telecommunications and/or computer engineering;

• Be enrolled on a PhD degree programme in Computer science or Electrical and Computer Engineering;

• Strong programming skills in languages such as Python or C/C++

• Knowledge at least one of the following areas: image and video compression, event-based or neuromorphic vision, signal processing, or machine learning and deep learning for visual data.

• A strong motivation to conduct research and disseminate scientific results.

• Good written and spoken English communication skills.

Work Objectives:

The work objectives are to:

1) Design and implement compression algorithms for event-based data, including lossy and learning-based approaches.

2) Develop models for aggregating and representing neuromorphic event data.

3) Integrate the proposed codec into selected use cases, such as high-frame-rate video reconstruction and machine vision tasks.

4) Evaluate compression performance through rate–distortion analysis, objective quality metrics, and task-oriented benchmarks.

5) Disseminate research results through scientific publications, including conference papers, and contribute to international standardization activities within JPEG XE.

Applicable legislation:

A fellowship will be celebrated according to the regulations defined by FCT, “Regulation of Instituto de Telecomunicações’ fellowships” and “Estatuto do Bolseiro de Investigação”, according to Law no. 123/2019, dated August 28 (Status of Scientific Research Fellow), in its actual redaction, and also by Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. Fellowship Regulation of Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia. For direct access to the FCT RBI go to the following link https://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/regulamento.phtml.pt (Reg. 950/2019, published in the DR of 16 December).

Place of work:

The work will be developed at the premises of Instituto de Telecomunicações at Instituto Superior Técnico, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. João Miguel Duarte Ascenso

Duration:

12 months, with the possibility of renewal. This type of scholarship has a maximum duration of 2 years. Start date: november 2026 or soon thereafter.

Monthly salary:

1901€ according to the table of grant amounts awarded directly by FCT for positions held in Portugal (www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/valores ). The payment will be made by bank transfer.

Selection criteria:

• C1 (50%)

Curriculum vitae/academic evaluation

• C2 (50%)

Suitability of the candidate profile based on relevant work experience for the tasks described in the project work plan

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 50% + C2 x 50%

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. João Miguel Duarte Ascenso, Instituto Superior Técnico (President of the jury)
• Prof. Catarina Isabel Carvalheiro Brites, ISCTE/Instituto Universitário de Lisboa
• Prof. Maria Paula dos Santos Queluz Rodrigues, Instituto Superior Técnico
• Prof. Fernando Manuel Bernardo Pereira, Instituto Superior Técnico (Substitute)

Communication of the results:

The candidates will be notified by email.

Required Documents:

• Motivation letter explaining the interest in the position;

• Detailed Curriculum Vitae with transcripts;

• Degree certificate (if applicable);

• Proof of enrollment in a higher education course or declaration of intention to enroll in a study cycle leading to an academic degree or in a course that does not confer an academic degree. *

• NOTE: Proof of enrollment, issued by the higher education institution in a study cycle leading to the award of an academic degree or in a non-degree course, must be submitted by the time of contract signing.

Apply online clicking on the “Apply Now” button in this form.

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

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

NOTICE: Degrees obtained abroad are recognized by a Portuguese higher education institution under the terms of Decree-Law No. 66/2018, of August 16 and Ordinance No. 33/2019, of January 25. More information at: https://www.dges.gov.pt/pt/pagina/reconhecimento?plid=374

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

Application Period:

30-09-2026 to 14-10-2026

Assistance:

Send Email

Published on:

30-09-2026