Organisation/Company: Universidade de Coimbra
Department: Divisão de Projetos e Atividades (Bolsas)
Research Field: Engineering
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Positions: Undergraduate Positions
Country: Portugal
Application Deadline: 24 Apr 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon)
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer DescriptionThe University of Coimbra opens a call for the assignment of a research initiation grant, with one position, within the scope of the project CISUC - UID/00326, title Center for Informatics and Systems of the University of Coimbra.
This call is governed by this Announcement, the Research Grants Regulation of the University of Coimbra (RBI-UC), supplemented by the Research Grants Regulation of the Foundation for Science and Technology (RBI-FCT), the Research Grant Holder Statute (EBI), the Rules for the Attribution and Management of Grants within the scope of R&D Projects, the Code of Administrative Procedure (CPA), all in their current wording, and other applicable national and EU legislation.
Procedure Reference: IT137-2025-141
I - Legal admission requirementsI.I - Grant Recipients: Students enrolled for the first time in a bachelor's degree in the scientific area of Informatics Engineering, Data Science and Engineering or Design and Multimedia.
I.II - Ineligible candidates: Candidates who have previously received any research grants under the terms of the EBI are not eligible.
I.III - The following are eligible for the grant(s), provided they meet the requirements outlined above:
Portuguese nationals or nationals of other EU Member StatesNationals of third countriesStateless personsBeneficiaries of political refugee statusWhen the work plan takes place, in whole or in part, in foreign institutions, only candidates who can prove permanent and habitual residence in Portugal at the start of the grant are eligible.
II - Grant locationDepartment of Informatics Engineering of the University of Coimbra
III- Scientific supervision/coordination of the grantProfessor José Alexandre D'Abruzzo Pereira
IV - Work Plan / Goals to be achievedTitle: Evaluation of Large Language Models (LLMs) to classify software vulnerability fixes using Orthogonal Defect Classification (ODC)
Description: Orthogonal Defect Classification (ODC) is a technique developed to classify software defects as part of the root-cause analysis. It is also used to classify the fixes of software vulnerabilities. In a previous study, vulnerability fixes of three large open-source C/C++ projects (Linux, Mozilla, and Xen) were classified using ODC by cybersecurity researchers. However, this task is time-consuming and error prone. Large Language Models (LLMs) are being widely used in many applications of computer science, including security. A potential application of LLMs is to classify software vulnerability fixes using ODC. The goal of this scholarship is to evaluate the ability of LLMs to classify software vulnerability fixes and compare them with a previous classification from security experts. It is targeted to a student who wants to improve their programming skills in Python, and who wants to learn more about LLM applications.
Work Plan:M1: Review the available free LLMs solutions, either targeted to source code or not.M2: Classify the software vulnerabilities from the Linux project using LLM technologies.M3: Classify the software vulnerabilities from the Xen project using LLM technologies.M4: Classify the software vulnerabilities from the Mozilla project using LLM technologies.M5-M6: Compare the classification provided by the LLMs with the previous classification provided by the researchers.V - Initial grant durationThree (3) months.
V.I - Renewal PossibilityPossibly renewable
VI - Funding and financial conditions of the grantVI.I - Monthly grant amount (paid by bank transfer at the end of each month): 651,12€
VI.II - Other financial components of the grantVI.III - In addition to the above amounts, voluntary social security (SSV) is included when the grant has a duration of six months or more, corresponding to the first level, if the candidate opts for it, as well as mandatory personal accident insurance.
VI.IV - Funding: The grant(s) assigned under this call will be funded by the national funds entered in the budget of the Foundation for Science and Technology and, if applicable, co-financed by Community funds.
VII - Selection MethodsEvaluation of the academic record (AR) and Interview (I)
VII.I - ARThe curriculum evaluation considers the candidates' academic and professional achievements based on the following weights and criteria:
Criterion 1 – Absolute merit of curriculum vitae;Criterion 2 – Adequacy of the candidate's profile to the work plan to be developed.VII.II- IThe interview evaluates the candidates' performance based on the following weights and criteria:
Criterion 1 – Ability to express oneself and verbal fluency;Criterion 2 – Motivation and interest.VII.III- Criteria evaluation and final classificationare determined on a scale of 0 to 100, calculated to two decimal places, using the following formulas:
AC: critério 1 * (50%) + critério 2 * (50%) = 100%E: critério 1 * (50%) + critério 2 * (50%) = 100%Classificação final (CF): AC * (50%) + E * (50%) = 100%VIII - Application SubmissionCandidates must access and register on the electronic platform / to submit their application, selecting the procedure to which they wish to apply.
Documents uploaded for the application must be in portable document format (PDF).
Applications are submitted by completing the sections available in the electronic platform "Apply UC" under "My Application."
VIII.I- Mandatory documents to attach when applyingCurriculum Vitae, duly updated, dated, and signed;Copy of academic degree certificates.If the possession of a degree is a requirement for the grant, candidates holding a degree obtained abroad must, by the end of the application period, provide proof of recognition or evidence that it has been requested, as per Decree-Law No. 66/2018 of August 16. Failure to present degree recognition at the time of contract signing, as per the RBI-UC, will result in exclusion.If duly justified, documents proving the possession of academic degrees and diplomas, or their recognition, may be waived at the application stage and replaced by a candidate's sworn statement. However, until the grant agreement stage, the respective proofs must be submitted under penalty of exclusion.Proof of enrollment in a degree or non-degree course may be waived at the application stage and replaced by a sworn statement from the candidate. However, the required proof must be submitted by the grant agreement stage under penalty of exclusion.VIII.II- Other documents to attach when applyingAny other elements the candidate considers relevant.Motivation Letter.Proof of enrolment – bachelor's degree.Declaration on the honor of the candidates(s) with the indication of the fellowship(s) of the typology to which the contest was held and the respective duration(s).VIII.III - All application documents must be submitted in Portuguese and/or EnglishWhen the originals are in another language, a translation into one of these languages must be provided.
VIII.IV - Applications that are not properly completed or do not meet the admission criteria defined in the applicable legislation and this notice will not be accepted.VIII.V - No documents required for the application may be submitted after the application deadline.IX – Application deadline10/04/2025 to 24/04/2025
X - Activity RegimeThe grant does not create or constitute a legal-labor relationship. It is carried out under an exclusive dedication regime, and the grantee is awarded the Research Grantee Status, as stipulated in the EBI and the RBI-UC.
XI - Notification of CandidatesAll notifications will be made through the electronic platform Apply UC, under the terms of subparagraph c) of paragraph 1 and subparagraph b) of paragraph 2 of Article 112 of the CPA and Article 22 of the RBI-UC. The notifications will take effect after being made, as provided in Article 113 of the CPA.
XII - Under Articles 121 and 122 of the CPA and Article 22 of the RBI-UCcandidates may, if they wish, submit comments regarding the jury's decisions within 10 business days, through the "Audiência dos Interessados" option in the platform's procedure section.
XIII - Candidates may also submit a complaintwithin 15 business days or an appeal to the UC's highest ranking official within 30 business days, both following the respective notification, under Articles 191 and 192 of the CPA.
XIV - Selected candidates must declare in writingwithin five business days of notification, their acceptance of the grant and confirm that they meet the requirements to accept the proposed start date of the grant contract. Unless a justifiable reason is provided, failure to provide this declaration within the stipulated time will be considered a renunciation of the grant. In case of renunciation or withdrawal by the selected candidate, the next candidate on the final classification list will be notified.
XV - The full competition process can be consulted by candidatessubject to prior scheduling, by sending an email to the Human Resources Management Service at: ******.
XVI - In compliance with subparagraph h) of Article 9 of the ConstitutionThe University of Coimbra, as an employer, actively promotes a policy of equal opportunities between men and women in terms of employment access and career progression, ensuring that any form of discrimination is strictly avoided. It encourages underrepresented minorities in each area to apply. Accordingly, no one may be privileged, benefited, disadvantaged, or deprived of any right or exempted from any duty on the grounds of ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, family status, economic situation, education, social origin or condition, genetic heritage, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic illness, nationality, ethnic origin or race, place of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs, or trade union membership. The University of Coimbra also promotes measures to facilitate the balance between professional, family, and personal life, recognizing the efforts of its employees and fostering motivation.
XVII- The grantee must submit annual activity reportsfor each renewal and at the end of the grant contract, as stipulated in Article 7 of the RBI-UC, subject to an opinion issued by the respective supervisor(s). The report models, performance evaluation criteria, and the grant contract model are those approved under the University of Coimbra's Research Grant Regulations.
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