2025 Call for Expressions of Interest for Short-Term Research Internships at the University of Texas at Austin

Eligible candidates 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 be exclusively dedicated to the internship for its entire duration.

It is the participants’ sole responsibility to check and notify the UT Austin Portugal Program about potential conflicting issues concerning their full-time participation in the exchange and the receiving of other funds prior to signing a contract with the Program. The same holds true for any changes in the mandatory requirements for which the applicants were ruled eligible at EoI submission.

Failure to comply with the eligibility rules may result in the non-allocation or cancellation of the financial assistance foreseen under this Call.

Although there is no objection from the Program, candidates with fellowships funded directly or indirectly by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology must check with this entity (bolsas@fct.pt), not the Program, whether they can receive additional funding under this mobility initiative.

Under this mobility program, a research internship must last a minimum of three months and a maximum of six months; start between October 15 and December 31, 2025 and be completed no later than June 30, 2026.

Yes, you will. Financial assistance breaks down into the following components:

Support from the Program’s Office in Portugal includes:

• Mobility allowance of €2,100/month for the duration of their exchange.
• Reimbursement of health insurance costs (up to €168/month, with a maximum of €1,000 for six months).
• Personal Accident Insurance, extendable to the U.S. under INESC TEC’s plan.

(The mobility allowance is unrestricted and does not require receipts. Only health insurance reimbursements require submission of a reimbursement form by December 31, 2025. Late claims will not be accepted.)

Support from the Program’s Office at UT Austin

• Accommodation: UT Austin will provide free housing for the entire residency at AVE Austin North Lamar.

• Travel: UT Austin will arrange and cover one round-trip airfare (economy class).

• SEVIS Fee: UT Austin will cover the SEVIS fee required for obtaining a J-1 Scholar Visa.

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. Candidates are expected to work on joint publications in peer-reviewed journals and/or conferences together with the faculty hosts at UT Austin.

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.

In the area of Advanced Computing, potential hosts can be affiliated with the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC).

• UT Austin’s faculty directory can be found here (“Academics” tab)
• TACC’s staff directory can be found here
• UT Austin Energy Institute’s people directory can be found here

The Program is also available to assist you in this search through one of the following contacts:

• Marco Bravo | UT Austin Portugal – US Office (bravo@austin.utexas.edu).
• Andreia Passos | UT Austin Portugal – PT Office (research@utaustinportugal.org).

To apply for an internship, applicants must fill out this online application form with the following documents attached:

• Detailed Curriculum Vitae.
• Statement issued by the applicant’s primary affiliation institution/employer or funding entity authorizing their extended leave if the Program selects them.
• One-page Motivation Letter outlining the applicant’s research objectives, the relevance of the proposed work at UT Austin to Portuguese and European research and innovation agendas, and the anticipated impact of the exchange on their academic or professional trajectory.
• At least one Recommendation Letter up to a maximum of two.
• 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.

The evaluation, selection and notification process will be implemented strictly according to Articles 11 and 12 of Regulation no 913/2021. Eligible EoIs will be evaluated by a panel of three experts per Scientific Area. Experts will be looking into the applicant’s scientific curriculum, personal motivation and reference letter(s) .

List of Experts per Scientific Area:

Nanotechnology

• Killian Lobato (University of Lisbon)
• Fátima Montemor (Instituto Superior Técnico)
• André Pereira (University of Porto)

Advanced Computing

• Ricardo Fonseca (ISCTE – IUL)
• Pedro Alberto (University of Coimbra)
• Diogo Gomes (University of Aveiro)

Space-Earth Technologies

• Vasco Mantas (University of Coimbra)
• Maria João Costa (University of Évora)
• Anna Guerman (University of Beira Interior)

Clean Energy

• Pedro Salomé (International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory)
• Paulo Branco (Instituto Superior Técnico)
• Bernardo Silva (University of Porto)

The evaluation process is expected to last approximately five weeks, with FCT being consulted on the final list of ranked candidates. After this consultation, the Program Leadership will notify applicants of their final score and whether they will receive financial support under this Call. Notification is sent by email with a delivery receipt notification.

The Program’s office at UT will handle travel and accommodation arrangements. They will assist you with the preliminary steps for obtaining your J-1 Scholar Visa, including guidance on securing your SEVIS number, and will connect you with UT Austin’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS). 

In addition, the Program’s office in Portugal has prepared an overview document to help admitted applicants navigate the various stages of their mobility process.

Yes, you will. During the internship period, admitted applicants will be granted the status of Visiting Researchers at INESC TEC and will be subject to INESC TEC’s^[1] applicable internal policies. Additionally, they will enter into a Financial Assistance Contract with INESC TEC in accordance with Article 13 of Regulation no 913/2021. This contract will entitle them to financial support as specified in Section 6 of the Call Announcement.

[1] Through the Management and Coordination Agreement 
“Acordo para a Gestão e Coordenação do Programa UT Austin Portugal 2025 | 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.