EoI submission period from March 21 to May 15 May 28 (23:59 UTC+1), 2024
Internships at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) between September 15 and December 31, 2024
In 2024, the UT Austin Portugal Program is taking another batch of researchers to UT Austin under its 2024 Call for Short-Term Research Internships.
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 must be submitted between March 21 and May 15 May 28, 2024.
Candidates are expected to spend two up to three months at UT Austin to undertake R&D activities in one of the following areas:
Applications covering Clean Energy-related research topics will be deemed of strategic relevance under this edition, provided they can be framed within one of the previous core scientific areas.
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.
CALL DOCUMENTS:
To submit an EoI and be eligible for a research internship at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), download and read the Call’s official documentation:
- Call Announcement
- Evaluation Criteria and Methodology
- Regulation no. 913/2021 of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P.
A novelty of this edition is UT Austin’s additional financial support to admitted candidates. The U.S. counterpart will be providing accommodation for the duration of internships, and covering the costs associated with obtaining a SEVIS number, a precondition to applying for a J1 Scholar Visa.
These measures, coupled with the financial assistance granted to selected researchers through the Program’s office in Portugal, will significantly reduce researchers’ upfront investment and the usual challenges international mobility poses.
Call 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 UT Austin (Marco Bravo – bravo@austin.utexas.edu)
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.
By the time the placements commence, you must also be allocated to the exchange under a scheme of exclusive dedication. Nevertheless, the Program is not in a position to prevent the affiliation organization of an admitted candidate from providing them with financial assistance in addition to the allowance received through the Program.
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.
Candidates with fellowships funded directly or indirectly by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology must check with this entity, 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 two months and a maximum of three months and start no earlier than September 15 and end no later than December 31, 2024.
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 Visiting Researcher by INESC TEC and sign a contract with the latter that specifies, among other aspects, the components of such support.
In addition to the financial assistance granted through the Program’s office in Portugal, UT Austin will also cover some costs related to the applicant’s admission into this mobility scheme:
Local Accommodation in Texas: In addition to the mobility allowance and health insurance granted through the Program’s office in Portugal, admitted candidates will be offered housing by UT Austin. The American counterpart will guarantee accommodation for the whole residency period, thereby providing participants with a safe and secure place to stay while in Austin. Participants opting for other accommodation options, such as private rental housing, will not be receiving additional funding, though.
SEVIS Fee: SEVIS stands for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. It maintains current information on nonimmigrant students, exchange visitors, and their dependents (i.e., all those in F or J status). To travel to the USA and participate in the Program’s internships at UT Austin, admitted candidates will need to apply for a J-1 Scholar Visa at the US Embassy in Portugal. To this end, they will need to get a SEVIS Number, a unique identifier assigned by the US Government. UT Austin will cover the SEVIS fee.
(Kindly note that the SEVIS is different from VISA fees. The Program will not cover Visa fees).
[1]Through the Management and Coordination Agreement “Acordo para a Gestão e Coordenação do Programa UT Austin Portugal 2023 | 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. 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:
- Andreia Passos | UT Austin Portugal – PT Office (andreia.passos@utaustinportugal.org).
- Marco Bravo | UT Austin Portugal – US Office (bravo@austin.utexas.edu).
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 authorising their extended leave if the Program selects them.
- One-page Motivation Letter, clearly outlining the applicant’s research goals and potencial collaboration with UT Austin extending beyond the duration of the internship. Applicants should be clear about the potential impact of this exchange period on their career.
- 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)
- Proof of English Proficiency: Candidates should be proficient in English. Although no proof of evidence will be required at the application stage, admitted candidates will be asked to attest to their proficiency for visa application. Refer to section 14. Establishing English Proficiency for the J-1 Scholar Visa of this Call Announcement Text to learn more this requirement.
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:
Advanced Computing
- Ricardo Fonseca (ISCTE – IUL)
- Pedro Alberto (University of Coimbra)
- Miguel Nóbrega (University of Minho)
Space-Earth Interactions
- Vasco Mantas (University of Coimbra)
- Maria João Costa (University of Évora)
- Leonardo Azevedo (Instituto Superior Técnico)
Nanotechnologies
- Killian Lobato (University of Lisbon)
- Lorena Diéguez (International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory)
- Fátima Montemor (Instituto Superior Técnico)
The evaluation process is expected to last approximately six 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.
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’s offices in Portugal and at UT Austin will help you navigate these complexities and advise you to the best of our ability.
Regarding accommodation, admitted candidates will be offered housing by UT Austin. The U.S. counterpart will also help you with the prior steps to get your J1-Scholar Visa by guiding you towards obtaining your SEVIS number.
During the pretravel phase, the Program’s office in Portugal may connect you with 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 Visiting 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 as laid out on no.6 of this Call Announcement.
[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 liaison with potential hosts at UT Austin:
- Andreia Passos (PT Office) – andreia.passos@utaustinportugal.org
- Marco Bravo (US Office) – bravo@austin.utexas.edu
For general inquiries on the Call and EoI Submission:
- Vera Pinto (PT Office) – vera.pinto@utaustinportugal.org
Additional Information for Potential Applicants
For detailed information on U.S Immigration Rules, and Living in Austin:
Check out the previous editions
Funding Entities
