PhD Research Grants at NOVA University of Lisbon (CHAM)

The Centre for the Humanities (CHAM) at NOVA University of Lisbon has launched a call for two research grants aimed at master’s degree holders who want to begin a PhD. Unlike a fellowship tied to a fixed set of tasks, this grant is built around the candidate’s own doctoral project: the central goal is to develop and ultimately submit a doctoral thesis within the centre’s research environment.

CHAM is an inter-university research unit shared between the NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities (NOVA FCSH) and the University of the Azores, funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). It is one of the larger humanities centres in Portugal and was rated “Excellent” in the most recent national evaluation of research units, which gives doctoral candidates access to an established and well-connected academic community.

The call is published under reference UID/04666/2025 and is financed by national funds through FCT/MECI (PIDDAC). Two grants are available, and the work each holder carries out must align with CHAM’s strategic project for 2025–2029, which examines how the Human and Humanity have been represented, reconstructed, and reimagined across different historical periods and cultural contexts. This is a strong fit for applicants whose research sits at the intersection of history, heritage, and critical humanities.

Overview of the PhD Research Grant

The grant is what Portugal calls a “BI Mestre” — a research grant for someone holding a master’s degree who is starting doctoral work. The work plan is explicit: develop a PhD project with the aim of submitting a doctoral thesis. Research is conducted at CHAM, either at NOVA FCSH in Lisbon or at the University of the Azores, depending on the selected candidate’s project and supervisor.

Academic supervision is provided by one or more full-time PhD researchers at CHAM, matched to the topic of the proposed project. Each grant runs for twelve months, starting in October 2026, and may be renewed up to a maximum of forty-eight months. In practice, this means the funding is structured to follow a doctoral candidate through the core years of their thesis, provided renewals are granted.

The proposal needs to connect clearly to CHAM’s current strategic theme. Candidates are encouraged to read the centre’s strategic project description before drafting their PhD proposal, since alignment with that programme is scored directly in the selection process.

Funding and Benefits

• Monthly maintenance subsidy: €1,309.64, following the FCT table of grant amounts for positions held in Portugal.
• Personal accident insurance for the duration of the grant.
• Voluntary social insurance at the first scale of earnings (under Decree-Law no. 40/90), if the grant holder chooses to take it.
• Payment is made by bank transfer.

The call does not mention coverage of doctoral tuition fees. The grant is a maintenance stipend that supports the researcher while the thesis is developed; enrolment in the PhD programme is a separate responsibility that the candidate must arrange and prove before the contract is signed.

Research Areas

The grant is open across the humanities, but the call signals clear preferences. Stronger consideration is given to candidates whose PhD project falls within one of the following fields:

• Heritage Studies — including tangible and intangible heritage, memory, and conservation in historical context.
• Indigenous Studies — research engaging with indigenous histories, knowledge systems, and representation.
• Digital Humanities — applying computational and digital methods to humanities research questions.

Beyond these priority areas, the broader frame is CHAM’s strategic project, which spans archaeology, art history, literature, philosophy, the history of ideas, and related disciplines. A project that combines one of the preferred fields with the centre’s questions about representation and the construction of knowledge will read as a natural fit.

Eligibility Criteria

• Academic level: a completed master’s degree (or equivalent) is required.
• Disciplinary background: preference is given to candidates with an academic background in the Humanities.
• Project field: preference is given to PhD projects in Heritage Studies, Indigenous Studies, and/or Digital Humanities.
• Languages: excellent command of both Portuguese and English is expected.
• Foreign qualifications: degrees from non-Portuguese institutions require recognition under Decree-Law no. 66/2018, or a sworn declaration that recognition will be obtained before contracting. Recognition is mandatory before the grant is contracted. Applicants who do not provide proof of grade conversion to the Portuguese scale are scored only 5 points under sub-criterion A1, so this step has a real impact on ranking.

Required Documents

• A letter of application.
• Curriculum vitae.
• Copies of academic qualifications.
• A PhD proposal containing: title; keywords (max. 6); summary (max. 150 words); state of the art (max. 500 words); objectives (max. 300 words); detailed description (max. 1,000 words); bibliographical references (max. 30); and a timetable.
• Proof of enrolment and registration in one of the PhD programmes identified in the call — to be submitted when signing the contract.
• For foreign degrees: recognition of qualifications and grade conversion, or a sworn declaration pending recognition.

How to Apply

Applications are sent by email to cham@fcsh.unl.pt, with the reference “BI (Mestre)_CHAM_2026” in the subject line. The most demanding part of the application is the PhD proposal, which is graded as half of the total score.

Selection uses a 100-point scale split into two equal blocks. Criterion A (candidate’s merit, 0–50) covers academic qualifications (0–20), academic background, training and professional experience (0–20), and the motivation letter (0–10). Criterion B (merit of the work plan, 0–50) covers the originality and relevance of the proposed contribution (0–30), the feasibility of the plan (0–10), and its alignment with CHAM’s strategic project (0–10). Candidates scoring below 70 points are not eligible. In a tie, Criterion B takes precedence over Criterion A, which underlines how much weight the proposal carries.

Results are published within 90 working days of the deadline, sent by email as a provisional ranked list, with a 10-working-day window for comments before the final decision. A reserve list remains valid for six months.

Deadline

The application deadline is 27 July 2026 at 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon time). Because the proposal alone accounts for half the score and benefits from careful drafting, candidates should treat the writing of the PhD project as the main task rather than something to finalise at the last moment.

Final Advice for Applicants

The proposal is where this competition is won or lost. With Criterion B weighted at 50 points and used as the first tie-breaker, a well-argued, feasible project that visibly connects to CHAM’s 2025–2029 theme will outperform a strong CV attached to a vague plan. Read the strategic project description closely and name the link explicitly in your detailed description rather than leaving the panel to infer it.

Keep within the stated word limits for each section of the proposal; exceeding them signals weak planning in a document that is itself being judged for feasibility. If your degree was awarded outside Portugal, begin the recognition and grade-conversion process now, because skipping it caps your academic-qualification score at 5 points and can be decisive in a 100-point ranking. Finally, since both Portuguese and English are expected at an excellent level, make sure your application materials demonstrate that competence rather than simply asserting it, and confirm early which CHAM PhD programme you intend to enrol in, as proof of registration is required before the contract can be signed.