Fully Funded Master’s Research Scholarship in Information Management at NOVA, Portugal — Know This Before You Apply
There’s a particular kind of excitement that comes with finding a scholarship that actually checks every box. Full funding. A world-class institution. A city that makes you want to stay forever. Research that matters. And a community that genuinely wants you there regardless of where you’re from.
This is that scholarship.
NOVA School of Business and Economics in Lisbon, Portugal is offering a fully funded Master’s research scholarship through its Information Systems and Analytics Lab and if you’re someone who lives at the intersection of data, technology, and business strategy, this opportunity was essentially built for you. Whether you’re a fresh graduate with a burning research idea or someone who’s spent a few years in the industry and wants to go deeper, this is the kind of funding that can completely redirect the trajectory of your career.
Let’s walk through everything the benefits, the eligibility, the application process, and honestly, why Lisbon might just be the best city in Europe to spend two years of your life doing meaningful academic work.
First, Let’s Talk About NOVA Because the Institution Matters
Not all scholarships are created equal, and a big part of what makes this one worth your serious attention is the institution behind it.
NOVA School of Business and Economics consistently ranks among the top business schools in Europe. It holds triple accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA a distinction shared by fewer than one percent of business schools worldwide. When you graduate from NOVA, that credential carries weight in boardrooms, research institutions, and academic circles across the globe.
The NOVA Information Systems and Analytics Lab, where you’ll be based, is where the school’s most forward-thinking research happens. The lab focuses on real-world problems in information management, data-driven decision making, digital transformation, and business analytics. The faculty you’ll be working alongside aren’t just academics producing papers for other academics they’re researchers with active industry partnerships, international conference presence, and a genuine commitment to mentoring the next generation of scholars.
Past scholars from this lab have gone on to publish in top-tier journals, present at international conferences, and land roles in both academia and industry that most people spend years trying to reach. That pipeline is real, and it starts on day one of your scholarship.
What “Fully Funded” Actually Means Here
The phrase “fully funded” gets used loosely in the scholarship world, so let’s be specific about what this package actually covers because the details matter.
The total scholarship value exceeds €30,000, and it’s structured to genuinely support your life as a full-time researcher, not just your tuition bill.
Your Master’s program fees are completely waived. Every cent of tuition is covered, so you’re walking into NOVA’s program without accumulating the kind of debt that shadows your early career. Beyond tuition, you’ll receive a monthly stipend of €1,200 to cover your accommodation, food, transportation, and daily living costs. In Lisbon more on this city in a moment €1,200 goes meaningfully further than it would in London, Paris, or Amsterdam. People live well on that in Lisbon. Not luxuriously, but comfortably and without financial anxiety, which matters enormously when you’re trying to do serious research.
There’s also a dedicated research budget. This covers software licenses, equipment, and travel to conferences meaning when you produce work worth presenting at an international academic event, you won’t be stuck watching the livestream because you couldn’t afford the flight. You’ll be in the room, presenting your findings, building your network, and putting your name on the map.
Full health insurance coverage is included throughout the program. For international students, this is often the hidden cost that catches people off guard, and here it’s simply handled.
The additional perks are genuinely useful rather than decorative. Priority on-campus housing takes the stress out of arriving in a new country and trying to find accommodation from abroad. Portuguese language courses are included, which is both practically valuable and personally enriching. And career development workshops are woven into the programme to ensure that when you finish your research, you’re not just academically prepared you’re professionally ready.
Lisbon: The City That Makes the Scholarship Even Better
Let’s be honest. Where you live during your Master’s shapes your experience as much as the programme itself does. And Lisbon is, by almost any measure, one of the most extraordinary cities in Europe to spend two years of your life.
It’s a city of contradictions that somehow work perfectly together. Ancient tram lines running through streets lined with azulejo tiles, next to a booming tech startup scene that has turned Lisbon into one of Europe’s fastest-growing innovation hubs. Historic neighbourhoods like Alfama and Mouraria where fado music drifts out of restaurant windows at night, alongside a coastline that puts you thirty minutes from Atlantic beaches on a Tuesday afternoon.
The cost of living is significantly lower than most Western European capitals. A decent meal out costs a fraction of what you’d pay in London or Zurich. Public transport is reliable and affordable. The city is walkable, safe, and genuinely welcoming to international students and researchers.
NOVA’s campus itself is modern, well-resourced, and positioned in a city that gives you access to a thriving international community. The student body at NOVA draws from over 100 countries, which means your cohort is as diverse and globally minded as the research problems you’ll be working on.
And the weather. Lisbon gets over 300 days of sunshine a year. That’s not a small thing when you’re spending two years working intensively being able to take your laptop to an outdoor café in February, or clear your head with a coastal walk in November, is genuinely good for your mental health and your productivity.
Who This Scholarship Is Looking For
The eligibility criteria are clear, and they’re worth reading carefully because this scholarship is more accessible than many people assume.
You need a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business Administration, Data Science, or a closely related field. Your academic record should reflect a GPA equivalent to 14/20 on the Portuguese scale roughly equivalent to an upper second-class honours degree in the UK system, or a B+ average in many other systems. Strong academics matter here, but NOVA is looking at the full picture of who you are as a researcher, not just your transcript.
Your research interest needs to be genuine and demonstrable. This doesn’t mean you need a published paper though that certainly helps. It means you should be able to point to a thesis, a significant project, a research assistantship, or even a well-developed independent study that shows you’ve engaged seriously with questions in information systems, analytics, or management. The research proposal you submit as part of your application is your chance to show this most compellingly.
English proficiency is required at a level of TOEFL iBT 90+ or IELTS 6.5+, or an equivalent qualification. Portuguese is not required the programme and the lab operate in English though learning some Portuguese while you’re there will enrich your experience enormously and the language courses provided make that easy.
The scholarship is open to all nationalities, with a particular emphasis on diversity and inclusion and a specific encouragement for applicants from emerging economies. Women and underrepresented groups in STEM are strongly encouraged to apply — this isn’t performative language buried in the fine print, it reflects genuine institutional commitment to building a diverse research community.
If you have internship experience, a research assistantship, or professional work in data analytics or information management, that experience strengthens your application considerably. But if you’re coming straight from your undergraduate degree with strong academic credentials and a compelling research vision, don’t let a lack of industry experience hold you back from applying.
The programme begins in September 2026, and requires full-time commitment from day one.
The Application Process Step by Step
The application is fully online, which removes a significant logistical barrier for international candidates. Here’s exactly how it works.
Everything begins with your documents. You’ll need to gather them all in PDF format before you start the online submission, because scrambling for a missing transcript after you’ve started filling out the form is the kind of avoidable stress that derails good applications.
The core documents you need are a completed online application form, a CV of no more than two pages, your academic transcripts and degree certificates with English translations if your originals are in another language, and proof of your English language proficiency.
Beyond the core documents, two pieces of writing carry the most weight in your application: your Research Proposal and your Motivation Letter.
Your Research Proposal should be between 1,000 and 1,500 words. This is where you outline the research project you want to pursue, articulate your objectives clearly, and demonstrate how your proposed work connects to the themes and ongoing projects of the NOVA Information Systems and Analytics Lab. This document is the heart of your application. It tells the selection committee whether you’re someone who can think at a research level, whether you understand the field, and whether you’d be a genuine intellectual contribution to the lab. Spend serious time on this. Read the lab’s published work. Understand their research directions. Make your proposal a conversation with their existing scholarship, not a generic statement of interest.
Your Motivation Letter should be between 500 and 800 words. This is your chance to be a person rather than a set of credentials. Explain your career goals, your research interests, what draws you specifically to NOVA and to this lab, and why you are the right candidate for this particular opportunity. Be specific. Be honest. Be compelling without being performative.
Two letters of recommendation are required from academic or professional supervisors. These are submitted directly through the portal by your recommenders, so give them enough lead time ask early, brief them well on what the scholarship involves, and make their job easier by sharing your research proposal and motivation letter with them so their letters can speak to the same themes.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a virtual interview with lab faculty. If you reach this stage, prepare to discuss your research proposal in depth, your academic background, and your vision for how your work fits within the lab’s broader research agenda. This is a conversation between researchers, not an interrogation — approach it that way.
The application deadline is June 30, 2026. Decisions are communicated within eight weeks of that deadline. Late or incomplete applications are not considered under any circumstances, so build your timeline backwards from June 30 and give yourself a buffer.
One important note for non-EU applicants: visa processing for Portugal can take several weeks, and in some cases longer. Once you receive your offer, begin the visa process immediately. Don’t wait. The September 2026 start date is firm, and orientation for international students begins then.
How to Make Your Application Stand Out
Since you’re reading this with genuine intent, here’s some honest guidance on what separates strong applications from forgettable ones.
The research proposal is where most applications win or lose. The candidates who get shortlisted are the ones who have clearly read the lab’s work, understand its direction, and can articulate a research idea that feels like a natural extension of what the lab is already doing. This requires actual research on your part before you write a single word. Go to the NOVA Information Systems and Analytics Lab’s publications page. Read the abstracts. Understand the themes. Then write a proposal that speaks directly into that intellectual space.
Your motivation letter should avoid generic phrases that could apply to any scholarship at any institution. “I have always been passionate about data” is a sentence that will not move anyone. “My undergraduate thesis examined how small and medium enterprises in Ghana adapt their information systems during periods of economic disruption, and NOVA’s work on digital transformation in emerging markets is the natural next chapter of that inquiry” that’s a sentence that opens a door.
Ask your recommenders early and brief them thoroughly. A letter from someone who clearly understands what you’re applying for and why you’re suited to it is worth ten times more than a generic letter of praise from a more prestigious name.
And apply before the deadline. Not on the deadline before it. Rushed applications show, and giving yourself time to review and refine every document is one of the most valuable things you can do.
The Opportunity in Plain Terms
A fully funded Master’s research scholarship. Over €30,000 in total support. A monthly stipend that covers your life in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Research budget, health insurance, housing priority, language courses, and mentorship from faculty who are genuinely invested in your development.
At an institution with triple accreditation. In a lab with a track record of producing researchers who publish, present, and go on to careers that matter. In Lisbon, a city that will make you glad you said yes.
The application deadline is June 30, 2026. The programme starts September 2026.
Visit the NOVA School of Business and Economics website at novasbe.unl.pt to access the official application portal and review the full details of the scholarship.
This is the kind of opportunity that people look back on as the moment everything changed. The question is whether you’ll be one of the people who applied.
Don’t miss this opportunity to advance your research career at a leading European institution. Visit the NOVA School of Business and Economics website for full details and to submit your application: https://www.novasbe.unl.pt/en
Start your application early. Give your research proposal the time it deserves. And go build something worth building.
