Proposals
- Supervisor: Ayman Radwan
- R&D Institute: Instituto de Telecomunações
- Thesis: Edge-Intelligent Integrated Sensing and Communication with Digital Twins for Assisted Living Systems
- Associated Project: N/A
- Grant: No current available scholarship, but will apply for them
- Requirements: knowledge of Wireless Networking and future mobile networking 5G/6G is an asset
- Beggining date: Sept. 2026 (but can be earlier)
- Observations: The thesis investigates how integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) combined with edge AI and digital twin technologies can enable real-time, privacy-preserving, and adaptive eHealth monitoring systems. By tightly coupling sensing, wireless communication, and intelligent edge processing, the system continuously feeds a digital twin of the monitored environment or individual, enabling proactive health assessment, anomaly detection, and system optimization. The framework is validated in elderly living environments and/or sports monitoring scenarios.
- Supervisor: Ayman Radwan
- R&D Institute: Instituto de Telecomunações
- Thesis: AI-Native Networking Architectures for Scalable and Cost-Efficient 6G Systems
- Associated Project: N/A
- Grant: No current available scholarship, but will apply for them
- Requirements: knowledge of Wireless Networking and future mobile networking 5G/6G is an asset
- Beggining date: Sept. 2026 (but can be earlier)
- Observations: Future 6G communication systems will operate under unprecedented levels of heterogeneity, dynamicity, and service diversity, rendering traditional rule-based network management and control mechanisms increasingly inadequate. This PhD investigates AI-native networking architectures, in which artificial intelligence is embedded as a fundamental component of the network control and orchestration framework rather than being applied as an external optimization layer. Beyond architectural design, the thesis explicitly studies the computational, communication, and energy overhead introduced by AI-driven intelligence, as well as the economic and operational cost of deploying such intelligence across the network infrastructure. Particular emphasis is placed on scalability, analyzing how AI-native solutions behave as network size, traffic demand, and service diversity increase. The proposed architectures and algorithms will be evaluated through analytical modeling, simulation, and experimental testbeds, assessing performance gains against overhead, cost, and scalability constraints under realistic 6G scenarios.
- Supervisor: Hugo Morais / Diogo Ferreira
- R&D Institute: Instituto Superior Técnico
- Thesis: Optimal Management of Energy Communities: A Unified Framework for Automated participation in internal and external flexibility services.
- Associated Project: U2Demo and PVSmile
- Grant:Possible
- Requirements: Motivated students with knowledge in optimization and electricity markets.
- Beggining date: March 2026
- Supervisor: Hugo Morais / Diogo Ferreira
- R&D Institute: Instituto Superior Técnico
- Thesis: Coordination mechanisms between DSOs and Energy Communities mitigating grid constraints in real-time
- Associated Project: U2Demo and PVSmile
- Grant: Possible
- Requirements: Motivated students with knowledge in optimization and electricity markets.
- Beggining date: March 2026
- Supervisor: Emmanuel Zambrini Cruzeiro
- R&D Institute: Instituto Superior Técnico e Instituto de Telecomunicações
- Thesis: Practical quantum communication with entanglement.
- Associated Project: IberianQCI, QSNP
- Grant: Possible
- Requirements: Motivated students with knowledge in telecommunications and optoelectronics.
- Beggining date: March 2026
- Supervisor: Emmanuel Zambrini Cruzeiro
- R&D Institute: Instituto Superior Técnico e Instituto de Telecomunicações
- Thesis: Optical quantum memories with atomic gases
- Associated Project: IberianQCI, QSNP
- Grant: Possible
- Requirements: Motivated students with knowledge in telecommunications and optoelectronics
- Beggining date: March 2026
- Supervisor: João Pires/João Pedro
- R&D Institute: Instituto de Telecomunicações/Nokia
- Thesis: Optical Networking Solutions for High-Performance AI Data Centres The main objective of this research project is to design, analyse, and optimize optical networking solutions that overcome communication limitations in high-performance Artificial Intelligence data centres
- Associated Project: There is none
- Grant: Possible
- Requirements: Good knowledge of computer networks and machine learning techniques
- Beggining date: There is no specific date
- Supervisor: Sérgio Pequito
- R&D Institute: Institute for Systems and Robotics
- Thesis: Modeling and Identification of Variable-Order Fractional Dynamical Systems for Neuron–Astrocyte Interactions
- Associated Project: Modulating Neural Electrical Dynamics with Integrated Adaptive Techniques and Optimal Response
- Grant: Not yet
- Requirements: Background in control systems theory, dynamical systems, and computational neuroscience; degree in electrical and computer engineering, mathematics, or equivalent.
- Beggining date: Ongoing
- Supervisor: Sérgio Pequito
- R&D Institute: Institute for Systems and Robotics
- Thesis: Robust Learning and Identification of Nonlinear Fractional Systems with Time-Varying Scales
- Associated Project: Modulating Neural Electrical Dynamics with Integrated Adaptive Techniques and Optimal Response
- Grant: Not yet
- Requirements: Experience in system identification, data-driven learning, and statistical methods; background in engineering, applied mathematics, or related fields.
- Beggining date: Ongoing
- Supervisor: Sérgio Pequito
- R&D Institute: Institute for Systems and Robotics
- Thesis: Stability Analysis of Variable-Order Nonlinear Fractional Systems for Adaptive Neurostimulation
- Associated Project: Modulating Neural Electrical Dynamics with Integrated Adaptive Techniques and Optimal Response
- Grant: Not yet
- Requirements: Strong background in dynamical systems, control theory, and mathematical analysis; degree in engineering, mathematics, or physics.
- Beggining date: Ongoing
- Supervisor: Sérgio Pequito
- R&D Institute: Institute for Systems and Robotics
- Thesis: Fractional-Order Model Predictive Control for Cooperative Neuron–Astrocyte Neurostimulation
- Associated Project: Modulating Neural Electrical Dynamics with Integrated Adaptive Techniques and Optimal Response
- Grant: Not yet
- Requirements: Solid knowledge of model predictive control, state estimation, and optimization; background in electrical engineering, control, or related areas.
- Beggining date: Ongoing
- Supervisor: Sérgio Pequito
- R&D Institute: Institute for Systems and Robotics
- Thesis: Real-Time Implementation of Fractional Control Algorithms for Implantable Neurostimulation Devices
- Associated Project: Modulating Neural Electrical Dynamics with Integrated Adaptive Techniques and Optimal Response
- Grant: Not yet
- Requirements: Experience with real-time implementation, embedded systems, and computational optimization; background in electrical and computer engineering or equivalent.
- Beggining date: Ongoing
- Supervisor: Rui Castro
- R&D Institute: INESC-ID
- Thesis: Market-Driven Demand Response for Power Systems with High Renewable Penetration
This PhD will investigate advanced demand response mechanisms that actively interact with electricity markets under high shares of variable renewable energy. The research will focus on how flexible demand from residential, commercial, and industrial consumers can be optimally activated through price signals, market participation, and aggregation. Emphasis will be placed on system-level impacts, including congestion management, balancing costs, and adequacy, using realistic market and power system models. - Requirements: Motivated students with adequate background.
- Beggining date: According to the candidate's time planning.
- Supervisor: Rui Castro
- R&D Institute: INESC-ID
- Thesis: Techno-Economic Integration of Hydrogen Systems in Electricity Markets
This topic explores the role of hydrogen as a large-scale flexibility option in future power systems. The PhD will analyse electrolyzers, hydrogen storage, and reconversion technologies as market participants, assessing their interaction with energy, balancing, and capacity markets. The work will quantify when hydrogen systems become economically viable, how they compete with batteries, and how market design influences their operation and value. - Requirements: Motivated students with adequate background.
- Beggining date: According to the candidate's time planning.
- Supervisor: Rui Castro
- R&D Institute: INESC-ID
- Thesis: Optimal Coordination of Battery Energy Storage Systems in Energy and Ancillary Service Markets - This research focuses on the optimal operation and sizing of battery energy storage systems participating simultaneously in multiple electricity markets. The PhD will develop optimization frameworks to coordinate energy arbitrage, reserve provision, and congestion management, considering degradation, uncertainty, and regulatory constraints. The objective is to identify market strategies that maximize system value while ensuring long-term technical and economic sustainability.
- Requirements: Motivated students with adequate background.
- Beggining date: According to the candidate's time planning.
- Supervisor: Pedro M. Ramos
- R&D Institute: Instituto de Telecomunicações
- Thesis: Embedded Impedance Spectroscopy for Electric Vehicle Battery Pack Diagnostics
- Associated Project: Not at this time
- Grant: To be proposed to FCT call
- Requirements: Experience in development of embedded measurement systems (SW and HW)
- Beggining date: 2026
- Supervisor: Luís Filipe Soldado Granadeiro Rosado
- R&D Institute: Instituto de Telecomunicações e Instituto Superior Técnico
- Thesis: Exploring Ultrasounds for Microplastics Manipulation and Detection in Microfluidics Device - Microfluidics analysis has been applied to diversified biomedical and biological applications (e.g. flow cytometry, lab on chips) as well as industrial (e.g. oil and gas characterization). The literature has more recently reported the detection of microfluidics on the detection/characterization of microplastics in water samples. Ultrasonic transducers hold potential for both the manipulation and detection of these contaminants. This thesis will focus on the design: of actuators to realize acoustophoresis to manipulate and sort microplastics particles within microfluidics devices; transducers to detect and characterize particles relying on interference with ultrasonic waves.
- Associated Project: MESMERISING
- Grant: Possible
- Requirements: Above average grades in Physics and Electronics courses, proficiency in electronics hardware design as well as modelling tools.
- Beggining date: 2026
- Supervisor: João Ascenso (joao.ascenso@lx.it.pt)
- R&D Institute: Instituto de Telecomunicações
- Thesis:Learning-based media coding for humans and machines
- Grant: Yes (in a business environment)
- Requirements: Good knowledge of deep learning and image processing
- Beggining date: To be agreed with the student
- Supervisor: Prof. Ricardo Miguel Ferreira Martins
- R&D Institute: ICG-Lx, Instituto de Telecomunicações, IST, Lisboa
- Thesis: Multi-Topology Efficient Analog and Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuit Synthesis
- Associated Project: ACTON (FCT/2023.11981.PEX) - Accelerating the Future 5G/6G Deployments with Millimeter Wave Integrated Circuit Interfaces Generated by Deep Computer Vision
- Grant: Possible
- Requirements: Previous knowledge in machine and/or deep learning techniques.
- Beggining date: n/a