EoI submission period from April 27 until June 13 (23:59 UTC+1), 2022
Internships at The University of Texas at Austin between September 15 and December 31, 2022
The UT Austin Portugal Program will be receiving Expressions of Interest (EoIs) from faculty, researchers, or Master’s and PhD students affiliated with a Higher Education Institution, R&D centre or an R&D-performing company established in Portugal, who wish to spend two to three months in 2022 at UT Austin to undertake R&D activities in one of the areas of the Program:
Applicants admitted to the scheme will benefit from an immersive experience in UT Austin’s ecosystem to explore and develop institutional/faculty/departmental-level collaborations, engage in interdisciplinary and collaborative research with scientific peers and acquire and transfer new knowledge.
In Medical Physics, internships may also be organized at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC). However, effective approval of these internships is pending staff availability at MDACC to host interns under the present Call.
Financial assistance will be guaranteed to admitted applicants in accordance with the funding criteria and limits set out in the Call Announcement.
To submit an EoI and be eligible for a research internship at UT Austin, download and read the Call’s official documentation:
Indicative Timetable
Information for Potential Hosts at UT Austin
If you are a UT Austin faculty/researcher and receptive to hosting an intern from Portugal under this Call, contact the Program at info@utaustinportugal.org. The Program will consider your profile when supporting applicants searching for potential hosts at UT Austin.
Frequently Asked Questions
For an overview of this mobility program and its application process, read our FAQs.
To be eligible for an internship at UT Austin, at the time of EoI submission and throughout the internship, you must:
- Be a Portuguese national, or, if not, have permanent residence in Portugal;
- Hold a Master’s or Doctoral degree or, if not, be enrolled in a Master’s or Doctoral Program in Portugal;
- Be affiliated with a research institution, university or company established in Portugal;
If you do not meet the required criteria for EoI submission and/or fail to submit any of the mandatory documents listed in section “Application Procedure and Deadline | Mandatory Documents” of the Call Announcement, you will be ruled ineligible and your EoI will not move forward to the evaluation stage.
You must also be allocated under a scheme of exclusive dedication throughout the whole internship.
Under this mobility program, a research internship must last a minimum of two months and a maximum of three months and start no earlier than September 15 and end no later than December 31, 2022.
Yes, you will. Financial assistance varies according to the applicant’s profile. It can be broken down into the following components:
Monthly allowance (for all admitted applicants):
- Beneficiaries with a PhD degree: 2500 euros
- Beneficiaries with a Master’s or Bachelor’s Degree: 1950 euros
One-off Travel allowance: 600 euros (only for Master’s and PhD students)
Health Insurance: up to 500 euros (for all admitted applicants)
Personal Accident Insurance: extendable to the USA during the mobility period according to INESC TEC’s [1] plan (for all admitted applicants)
Admitted applicants will be given the status of External Researcher by INESC TEC and sign a contract with the latter that specifies, among other aspects, the components of such support.
[1]Through the Management and Coordination Agreement “Acordo para a Gestão e Coordenação do Programa UT Austin Portugal 2022 | CoLab”, signed between FCT and the INESC TEC, the latter is the Program’s host organization in Portugal, being accountable for the overall management and implementation of the Program’s activity plan, including of this Call for EoIs.
Although this will very much depend on your work plan – to be agreed upon with your host at UT Austin before the start of your internship – all research internships supported through this Call will offer admitted applicants the chance to advance their knowledge and skills in the Scientific Area where their EoIs fall, by allowing them to work on research projects under the scientific supervision of a UT Austin faculty and in a truly immersive and collaborative research environment at the campus.
Before submitting your EoI, you must have identified at least one UT Austin faculty staff who could act as your scientific host during your stay abroad. We definitely encourage you to proactively look for your potential host at UT Austin and contact them in advance (make sure to refer to the Call and Cc. our contact point at the U.S University – Marco Bravo | bravo@austin.utexas.edu).
In the area of Advanced Computing, potential hosts can be affiliated with the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC). With regard to Medical Physics, applicants may search for a potential host not only on UT Austin’s faculty directory but also on MDACC’s staff directory. However, internships at MDACC are pending the availability of staff to host interns under this Call.
- UT Austin’s faculty directory can be found here (“Academics” tab)
- TACC’s staff directory can be found here
- MDACC’s staff directory can be found here
The Program is also available to assist you in this search through one of the following contacts:
- Andreia Passos | UT Austin Portugal – PT Office (andreia.passos@utaustinportugal.org).
We encourage you to first read the Call´s official documentation. Then you should be ready to gather the following documents and upload them as attachments to this online form that you are required to fill in before submitting it.
- Detailed Curriculum Vitae.
- A statement issued by your employer or funding entity authorizing your extended leave if the Program selects you.
- One-page Motivation Letter, clearly outlining your research goals and how the collaboration with UT Austin is likely to extend beyond the internship duration.
- Up to two Recommendation(s) Letter(s).
- Highest Degree Certificate[1].
- Evidence of Portuguese Citizenship (or Proof of Permanent Residence in Portugal for foreign nationals only).
- Proof of Enrollment in Master’s or PhD. Program in Portugal (for applicants applying as Master’s or PhD Students)
1] For degrees earned from foreign Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), candidates will be required to present proof of degree recognition by a Portuguese HEI as laid out in Article no. 8 of Regulation no 913/2021.
Eligible EoIs will be evaluated based on their scientific curriculum, personal motivation and recommendation letter(s).
Such evaluation will be conducted by a panel of at least three experts connected to the Program. The panel will always include one Area Director[1] at UT Austin, one Area Director[2] in Portugal and one member of the Program’s Board of Directors. The only exception is for the Area of Medical Physics, where the appointed evaluator at UT Austin will be an expert outside of the Program’s Governing Bodies.
To be considered for funding, an EoI must achieve an overall qualifying score of 10. Only the EoIs above this threshold will be ranked in descending order, according to their overall score and, thus, entitled to financial support, depending on the availability of funds by area. Applicants are highly recommended to consult the evaluation criteria and scoring method used by the Program here.
[1] According to the Scientific Area where the EoI falls [2] According to the Scientific Area where the EoI falls
The evaluation process is expected to last up to 2,5 weeks approximately. All applicants will be notified of their final score and whether they will be receiving financial support under this Call. Notification is sent by email with a delivery receipt notification.
Admitted applicants are expected to make their own arrangements for travel, health insurance, visa, accommodation and living expenses during the internship period.
However, the Program will be entirely available to help you navigate these complexities and advise you. During the pretravel phase, the Program’s office in Portugal may also liaise UT Austin’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) to give you the best support.
The ISSS has a wealth of useful information on their website about U.S immigration rules and living in Austin we advise you to consult.
Yes, you will. For the period of the internships, INESC TEC will confer upon admitted applicants the status of External Researchers, whereby they will be subject to INESC TEC’s[1] applicable internal policies. Additionally, they will sign a Financial Assistance Contract with INESC TEC that complies with Article 13 of Regulations no 913/2021 and will entitle them to receive financial support.
[1] Through the Management and Coordination Agreement “Acordo para a Gestão e Coordenação do Programa UT Austin Portugal 2022 | CoLab”, signed between FCT and the INESC TEC, the latter is the Program’s host organization in Portugal, being accountable for the overall management and implementation of the Program’s activity plan, including of this Call for EoIs.
At the end of internships, admitted applicants will be asked to write and submit a report (maximum two pages) detailing their progress against the goals set in the work plan. The report should include a few pictures and an overall comment by the host at UT Austin on the participant’s performance and achievements.
UT Austin Portugal’s Directors in Portugal, acting as supervisors of admitted applicants, should also provide an overall assessment of each internship based on the reports submitted by admitted applicants and on the comments of UT Austin’s hosts.
Contacts
For general enquiries on the Call and EoI Submission:
- Sheila Habib or Vera Pinto (PT Office): info@utaustinportugal.org
For liaison with potential hosts at UT Austin:
- Andreia Passos (PT Office) – andreia.passos@utaustinportugal.org
Additional Information for Potential Applicants
For detailed information on U.S Immigration Rules, Covid-19 Travel Guidance and Living in Austin:
