COMPETITION FOR GRANTING 1 Research Scholarship (Research grant for BSC) - #NOVAID-B054

PUBLIC NOTICE

Title: COMPETITION FOR GRANTING 1 Research Scholarship (Research grant for BSC) - #NOVAID-B054

A tender is open for the attribution of one (1) Research Scholarship for Bachelor of Science within the scope of the R&D project “OPERA: Opto-electronic resistive switching devices for artificial intelligence”, (reference 2022.08132.PTDC), financed by “Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P.”/MCTES (FCT, I.P.) through national funds (PIDDAC) (OE), under the following conditions:

1. Scientific Area: Micro and Nanotechnologies Engineering, Material engineering

1. Recipients profile/category:  

Mandatory requirements: Candidates must have a Bachelors’ degree in Micro and Nanotechnology Engineering Materials Engineering or Electrical and Computer Engineering. Relevant skills include initial experience with oxide thin film deposition by solution and/or resistive switching devices (memristors). At the time of hiring, the candidate must be enrolled in a Master course or a course not leading to a degree as part of an educational project of a Higher Education Institution. Candidates who have obtained the degree abroad must have the degree recognized in Portugal, pursuant to Decree-Law No. 66/2018 of August 16. Documents attesting to this academic situation must be submitted until the contracting stage of the scholarship and may be replaced by a declaration of honor during the application process.

Preferred factors: Cleanroom experience, Solid written and verbal communication skills in English will be required for technical reporting and scientific writing.

1. Work Plan: 

Neuromorphic computing is based on the development of device concepts which arise from biological neural systems. In this respect, innovative optoelectronic memristive devices have emerged as promising candidates to build extremely power efficient systems with high density for artificial intelligence applications, in-memory computing, and parallel processing technologies. Here, the active material of the optoelectronic memristive device is an amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS). AOS materials are promising candidates due to the great advantages in terms of low-cost manufacturing, stability, analog resistive switching, and compatibility with thin film transistors of the same material for full electronic support. All requirements of the proposed device to a broadband light-sensitive memristors from UV-vis to IR will be investigated by TCAD simulation through changing the doping parameters of the AOS layer and the heterojunction configuration. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques are employed to fabricate memristors according to the requirements obtained from simulation. Patterning tools such as photolithography or direct laser writing will be applied for advanced cross point structures of memristors. Learning functionality for pattern recognition will be tested by the development of a neural network simulation, which may incorporate optical and electrical stimuli. This project paves the way to develop a physical implementation of extremely cost and energy efficient AOS-based integrated see-through electronics in neuromorphic vision applied in system on panel applications.

1. Applicable legislation and regulations: 

Law No. 40/2004, of August 18, amended and republished by Decree-Law No. 202/2012 of August 27 (Statute of the Scientific Research Fellow) and amended by Decree-Law No. 233/2012 of October 29, by Law No. 12 /2013 of 29 January, by Decree-Law No. 89/2013, of 9 July and Decree-Law No. 123/2019, of 28 August; Regulation of Research Grants of NOVA.id.FCT – Association for Innovation and Development of FCT; Regulation of Research Grants of the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. in force

(https://files.dre.pt/2s/2019/12/241000000/0009100105.pdf); 

1. Workplace: 

The work will be developed at the Materials Research Center (CENIMAT|i3N) of the Nova School of Science and Technology (FCT NOVA) and cleanroom of CEMOP, under the scientific guidance of Dr. Asal Kiazadeh and Dr. Jorge Martins, being the entity contracting NOVA.id.FCT – Association for Innovation and Development of FCT.

1. Fellowship duration: 

The fellowship will last for 6 months, starting on May, 2023. The scholarship contract may eventually be renewed within the term of the project.

1. Monthly maintenance allowance amount: 

The amount of the scholarship corresponds to € 930,98, based on the table of scholarships awarded directly by FCT, I.P., with payment being made monthly by bank transfer.

1. Selection criteria: 

The evaluation of the applications will focus on the merit of the candidate, applying the following criteria, valued on a scale of 1 to 5 values:

A – Merit of the candidate – MC (70%)

A1 - Curriculum evaluation (40%)

A2 - Scientific Domain (30%)

A3 - Experience in scientific activities of deposition of thin oxide films by solution processes and/or resistive switching memories (30%)

Final classification of the candidate’s merit will be obtained by applying the following formula:

MC=(A1×0.4)+(A2×0.3)+(A3×0.3)

Candidates who obtain a minimum classification of 3.0 in the MC criterion will be admitted to the interview phase, with the jury proceeding to evaluate the following sub-criteria:

B – Interview – INT: 30%

B1 – Interpersonal skills and motivation: 50%

B2 – Knowledge demonstrated in the area of the fellow: 50%

The evaluation of the sub criteria of the interview parameter will correspond to the following levels:

High – 5 values; Good – 4 values; Sufficient – 3 values; Reduced – 2 values and Insufficient – 1 value.

The classification of the interview (INT) will be obtained by applying the following formula:

INT=(B1×0.5)+(B2×0.5)

Candidates called for the interview who do not appear for this evaluation element will be excluded from the competition.

The final classification (CF) will be obtained by applying the following formula:

CF=(MC×0.7)+(ENT×0.3)

1. Composition of the Selection Jury: 

President of the Jury – Dr. Asal Kiazadeh

1st Effective Vowels – Dr. Jonas Deuermeier

2nd Effective Vowels – Dr. Emanuel Carlos

1st Alternate Vowels – Prof. Pedro Barquinha

2nd Alternate Vowels – Dr. Jorge Martins

1. Form of advertising/notification of results: 

The evaluation results proposed by the jury will be notified, up to 10 days after the deadline for the submission of applications, by email, of the results proposed by the jury, with access to the minutes and the final ranking list.

After notification, candidates will have 10 working days to comment on the draft decision (prior hearing of interested parties, under the terms of the Code of Administrative Procedure). The final decision will be taken after the expiry of the prior hearing period, again notified to all candidates by e-mail. Of this final decision the candidates can file a complaint within 15 working days (to the e-mail address used for the notification), or a hierarchical appeal, within 30 working days, addressed to NOVA.ID.FCT's Board through the address coord1@novaidfct.pt. 

1. Application deadline and form of application submission: 

The call is open from April 26, 2023, to May 10th, 2023.

Documentation to be provided for applications: Applications must be formalized by sending the following documents. 

1. 1. Curriculum Vitae
   2. Motivation letter
   3. Certificate of qualifications (Bachelors’ degree)
   4. Other supporting documents considered relevant, namely proof of enrolment in the current academic year, or, if applicable, declaration of honor regarding any of the missing documentation detailed in point 2 of the Notice

How to submit applications: Applications should be sent exclusively by e-mail, indicating in the subject of the e-mail the reference "BI/Licenciado/20-2021", to cenimat.rh@fct.unl.pt  and a.kiazadeh@fct.unl.pt within the deadline for submission. 

Documentation to be provided during the contracting process: Proof of enrolment in courses that do not confer an academic degree or in a study cycle such as master's degree/Integrated master's degree/doctorate, and certificate of recognition of the degree obtained abroad (if applicable)

1. Drafts: 

The drafts of: i) grant contract, ii) final report to be submitted by the grant holder, iii) final report to be submitted by the scientific advisor, and; iv) statement under oath, can be found at the NOVA.id.FCT website.