The MagIC research center at NOVA IMS has been awarded four PhD fellowships in the 2024 annual call for PhD studentships by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). This accomplishment highlights MagIC’s ability to attract top young talent and its commitment to supporting innovative research.

These fellowships will support research in the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and health sciences, with projects overseen by experienced MagIC faculty. The fellows' research holds the potential to make significant contributions to these dynamic fields.

The projects and researchers are:

• Berfin Sakallioglu, under the supervision of Mauro Castelli, will focus on Evolutionary Computation for Explainable and Interpretable Computer-Assisted Medical Decision Making, aiming to improve how AI is used in medical settings by making its decision-making processes more transparent and interpretable.
• Diogo Rasteiro, supervised by Leonardo Vanneschi, will explore Geometric Semantic Genetic Programming for the Evolution of Classifiers, aiming to advance machine learning classifiers through innovative genetic programming techniques.
• Farina Pontejos, under the supervision of Fernando Bação, will work on TaxonomAI: Leveraging Large Language Models for Automated Taxonomy Construction, exploring new ways to use AI for automating taxonomy creation.
• Madalena Ricoca-Peixoto, working with Diego Costa Pinto, will focus on Uses of Artificial Intelligence in Portuguese Health Settings: A Behavioral Science Approach. Her fellowship is linked to "Dr. Finanças" project, developed by NOVA IMS in collaboration with Laicos and FPUL.

The 2024 FCT PhD fellowship call was one of the most prestigious and competitive in Portugal, with 3,750 applications received and only 1,500 fellowships awarded, resulting in a 40% approval rate. The selection process evaluated the merit of the candidates, the quality of the proposed research, and the strength of the institutions involved.

MagIC’s success in this competition reflects its commitment to fostering high-level research and attracting the brightest minds to shape the future of artificial intelligence and health sciences.