Can Wi-Fi detect someone entering a room without asking them to carry a device? The NOS-WiSENSE Research Fellowship at Portugal’s Instituto de Telecomunicações is open for one master’s graduate to help answer that question in Coimbra. The fellowship pays €1,359.64 per month plus social security contributions.
The project brings together wireless communications, signal processing and machine learning. If you earned your degree outside Portugal, start with the recognition paperwork. You may be able to apply while recognition is pending, but you need the final proof before signing the fellowship agreement.
Is the Coimbra Wi-Fi sensing fellowship a fit for you?
One place · Vacancy B-0114-26
Relevant master’s graduates, including applicants with foreign degrees
€1,359.64 monthly · Six months initially
Written and spoken proficiency required. No test score or application fee specified.
17 November 2026
5 November 2026
1 What will the NOS-WiSENSE fellow build?
The fellow will build and test a low-cost Internet of Things platform that uses Wi-Fi Channel State Information (CSI), measurements of how a wireless signal changes as it travels, to detect human presence and estimate location across multiple rooms. The work includes collecting, processing and storing CSI data, developing signal-processing and machine-learning models, running experiments at 2.4 and 5 GHz, preparing a structured dataset, evaluating performance and documenting the results in technical reports.
You’ll work with the Multimedia Signal Processing group in Coimbra under Professor Marco Gomes. The six-month research grant follows Portugal’s FCT maintenance allowance scale and is paid by bank transfer, with social security contributions in addition. Renewal depends on satisfactory performance and project continuity. Two years is the maximum for this fellowship type.
2 Who qualifies, and what carries the most weight?
You need a master’s in electrical and computer engineering or a related field, plus enrolment in a PhD or qualifying non-degree coursework offered by a higher education institution in cooperation with one or more research and development units. You also need written and spoken English, prior experience in joint communications and sensing, particularly Wi-Fi sensing, and knowledge of and interest in signal processing, machine learning and deep learning. CSI-based experience is preferred.
| Weight | What the jury assesses |
|---|---|
| 40% · C1 | Academic background, scientific and technical training, research experience, publications and other relevant CV evidence. |
| 60% · C2 | Experience, knowledge and technical or scientific skills that match the project’s work. |
Both criteria and the weighted final mark use a 0–20 scale. I would put your most relevant wireless-sensing experiment near the top of your CV and explain what you built, measured or validated. The jury may interview candidates for clarification and may leave the award vacant if nobody meets the requirements. The English summary gives conflicting tie-break instructions and identifies the Portuguese notice as controlling.
3 How to submit both parts of the application
- Open the official NOS-WiSENSE vacancy and register through the Instituto de Telecomunicações application form using a valid email address.
- Use the token and access instructions emailed to you to complete the second stage. Enter your professional details and upload a motivation letter, detailed CV, academic transcripts and degree certificates.
- Add your enrolment evidence or a declaration of intent to enroll in a PhD. If your degree was awarded outside Portugal, include proof of Portuguese recognition or proof that you requested it by the deadline, subject to the documented exception below.
- Complete the submission through the IT portal. The institute conducts the selection there and sends results by email.
4 Which documents can wait until signing?
In duly justified cases, IT may accept a declaration of honour in place of degree or recognition evidence at application. If selected, you must produce the required certificates, final foreign-degree recognition where applicable, and institution-issued enrolment proof by the contracting stage. Missing mandatory proof can cost you the fellowship. The email token only opens the second stage, so allow time to finish the uploads.
5 NOS-WiSENSE applicant questions
Can I apply before my PhD enrolment is complete?
Yes. The vacancy accepts a declaration of intent to enroll in a doctoral programme at application. Formal proof from your institution is due by signing.
Is IELTS or TOEFL mandatory?
The scholarship requires written and spoken English proficiency and lists no mandatory test or minimum score.
Can I do the fellowship remotely?
Plan to work in Coimbra. The vacancy names the institute’s Coimbra premises as the workplace, and the project includes indoor Wi-Fi testing.
6 NOS-WiSENSE fellowship deadline
The last date to apply for the NOS-WiSENSE Research Fellowship offered by Instituto de Telecomunicações is 17 November 2026. Applications opened on 4 November 2026. The vacancy gives no closing hour and lists the expected start as November 2026 or soon after.
