Prof. Rute André (CICECO, University of Aveiro) joins Prof. Rui Oliveira as National Director for Program. See governance update
Meet the people and partners who help the Program deliver on its mission according to the best standards.
The Governing Board has overall responsibility and assesses the Program’s activities, reviews the progress achieved, and approves the activities’ report and the future plan of activities. The Board meets face-to-face in Portugal at least once a year.
Constituted by one representative of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), one of The University of Texas at Austin, one representative of Portuguese universities, appointed by FCT, and one representative of the Industrial Advisory Board. FCT Vice-President presides over the Program’s Governing Board.
The External Review Committee (ERC) is appointed by FCT and consists of academic peers from internationally recognized institutions who serve the Program in an advisory role. The ERC is an independent body, charged with reviewing the Program’s progress annually, and providing a set of detailed recommendations.
Composed of two teams, one in Portugal and one at Austin, the Board of Directors guarantees the overall governance of the Partnership. The directors work collegially to lead the operations of the Program and establish educational and research agendas among the partnering institutions through specific activities.
Assigned to each program area, both in Portugal and at UT Austin (with the exception of Medical Physics), the Area Directors assist the Board of Directors in defining and running
the Program’s initiatives from a scientific standpoint to ensure that education, research and innovation activities with the seal of the Program pursue scientific excellence and are in line with relevant scientific agendas. Their expected contribution is a strategic and consulting one, very much focused on the design of initiatives and mobilization of potential beneficiaries and other interested parties.
The Board of Directors is assisted by two executive directors – one in Portugal and one at UT Austin – and their respective teams who manage and coordinate the day-to-day activities of the Program; help implement new instruments to address new potential areas of collaboration of strategic interest to the Program; bridge institutional and operational mobilization and coordination of the Program stakeholders, in close contact with multiple higher education institutions, research units, companies, and innovation and entrepreneurship support organizations; communicate to the Program’s community and the public in general of the Program’s initiatives, results, and impact.
The Program is established in close collaboration with Portuguese industry affiliates who are very important to help close the gap between research and innovation. Currently, the Program is supported by a group of 10 industrial partners who bring guidance and resources to the Program.
From exchange programs to research calls, UT Austin Portugal collaborates with industrial partners and affiliates. These direct-engagement activities complement the overall raft of the Program’s areas, bridging academia with industry and society. This is a non-exhaustive list of organizations collaborating with the Program since Phase 3:
Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca, EPE (HFF, EPE)
Centro Hospitalar Cova da Beira (CHCB)
Labfit – Health Products Research and Development Lda (HPRD Lda)
Instituto de Física dos Materiais (IFIMUP)
Nanohmics (Nanohm)
Fundação Gaspar Frutuoso, FP (FGF)
Instituto de Investigação em Vulcanologia e Avaliação de Riscos (IVAR/Uaçores/UAçores)
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, I. P. (IPMA)
ENIGMA VIRTUAL, LDA
Sociedade Afonso Chaves (SAC)
TEKEVER Autonomous Systems, Lda (TEK-AS)
Associação para a Promoção da Investigação em Design e Arte (ESAD IDEA)
