NOVA IMS is opening applications for one DeepTech Research Talent mobility opportunity funded by the Horizon Europe CITADELS project: Cultivating Industry 5.0 Talents: Academia-Industry Collaboration and Empowerment through Accessible Deep Technologies.

The programme offers researchers the opportunity to participate in an international mobility experience combining a 3-month industry secondment, 2 months of specialised transversal skills training, and a structured career development programme designed to strengthen research, innovation and professional skills.

Applications are open until 31 August 2026 (23:59 WEST).

Before applying, please read the Full Open Call documentation for detailed information on eligibility, the selection process, required documents, and programme conditions.

Ready to apply? Complete the online Application Form.

About this opportunity

The selected Research Talent will complete:

• a 3-month DeepTech Deployment at TECNALIA Research & Innovation (Serbia);
• a 1-month Transversal Skills secondment at Pomurje Technology Park (Slovenia) focusing on Innovation and Entrepreneurship;
• a 1-month Transversal Skills secondment at Knowledge & Innovation (Italy) focusing on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI).

The mobility programme is complemented by personalised mentoring, an individual Career Development Plan, and post-secondment career support.

Who can apply?

Applications are welcome from NOVA IMS researchers, including:

• PhD students;
• postdoctoral researchers;
• faculty members.

Applicants must be able to establish and maintain an eligible contractual relationship with NOVA IMS throughout the mobility period.

Researchers with backgrounds in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Machine Learning, or closely related DeepTech fields are particularly encouraged to apply.

Financial Support

The mobility is fully funded through the Horizon Europe CITADELS project.

Selected participants will receive:

• €14,800 to cover travel, accommodation and living expenses during the five-month mobility programme;
• €1,500 Professional Development Voucher after the secondment to support participation in conferences, specialised training or other eligible career development activities.

Researchers employed by NOVA IMS will retain their regular employment status throughout the secondment, subject to institutional procedures.

DeepTech deployment

The selected researcher will contribute to the deployment of an AI-based physiological monitoring solution designed to support human-centric Industry 5.0. The project combines wearable sensing technologies with Artificial Intelligence to develop and validate models capable of estimating physiological states such as stress, cognitive load and physical fatigue.

This Opportunity: Phase 2 – DeepTech Deployment

The selected NOVA IMS researcher will undertake a 3-month secondment at TECNALIA (Serbia) between April and September 2027. Building on the results of the project's Proof of Concept phase, the researcher will validate the AI solution in a real industrial environment.

Working alongside TECNALIA researchers, the participant will use the SusFe wearable device to collect physiological data from factory workers under real operational conditions. The researcher will adapt and recalibrate the data pre-processing and feature engineering pipelines, refine and optimise the machine learning models, and evaluate their performance using real-world industrial data. The secondment will conclude with the deployment and in-situ validation of the AI solution on the factory floor, assessing its effectiveness for monitoring stress, cognitive load and physical fatigue, while contributing to the integration of the technology into the CITADELS DeepTech TestBed Catalogue.

Project Background: Phase 1 – Proof of Concept (PoC)

Before the deployment secondment, NOVA IMS will host a 3-month Proof of Concept (PoC) secondment between October 2026 and March 2027. During this phase, a researcher from TECNALIA will work under the supervision of NOVA IMS researchers to establish the baseline DeepTech pipeline. This includes collecting multimodal physiological data from NOVA IMS staff, students and other participants using the SusFe wearable device, followed by data pre-processing and feature engineering to develop an initial machine learning pipeline capable of estimating physiological states such as stress, cognitive load and physical fatigue.

Applicants to this call will participate exclusively in the Phase 2 – DeepTech Deployment secondment, building upon the foundations established during the Proof of Concept phase.

What we expect from you? 

As the selected candidate, you will be expected to actively engage in the mobility programme, and its career-enhancing and post-secondment activities. Specifically, you will need to: 

• Execute the mobility plan: Successfully complete the 3-month DeepTech Deployment secondment at TECNALIA, and the two 1-month Transversal Skills secondments at PTP (focused on innovation/entrepreneurship) and K&I (focused on Responsible Research and Innovation). 
• Career development: Work closely with an assigned mentor to prepare a structured Career Development Plan and a Return Plan, ensuring long-term benefits from this experience. 
• Project engagement: Participate in preparation and follow-up meetings; strictly comply with host access, safety, confidentiality, data protection, and dissemination rules. You must also contribute to secondment documentation, reporting, testimony, and, where appropriate, publications, datasets, code repositories, or presentations arising from the action. 
• Post-secondment activities: After returning, you will be expected to actively participate in career-support activities, which include: 6 months of post-secondment mentoring from your CITADELS mentor; involvement in return-phase dissemination activities, such as participating in one or multiple whole-day events called CITADELS Days; working with peers to develop Business Plans or R&I Project Proposals; Presenting your developed ideas to secure further support (Pitching session). 

Required documents

Applications should include:

• Curriculum Vitae;
• Motivation Letter;
• signed Commitment Statement (using this template);
• approval letter from the supervisor or authorised institutional representative;
• proof of employment (or equivalent contractual relationship with NOVA IMS)
• any additional documents required by the call.

Please consult the Open Call for detailed application requirements.

Evaluation

Applications will be assessed based on:

• alignment between the applicant's profile and the DeepTech deployment;
• relevant technical and research experience;
• motivation and expected contribution;
• feasibility and availability for the mobility programme;
• experience in collaborative and interdisciplinary research;
• contribution to the applicant's career development.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an online interview.

Questions and support: for questions regarding eligibility, the mobility programme, or the application process, please contact: magic@novaims.unl.pt.