The Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) announced the final results of the UT Austin Portugal Program’s 2024 Call for Exploratory Research Projects (ERPs). Eight cutting-edge transatlantic research initiatives have been selected for funding, marking another pivotal moment in the ongoing strategic partnership between Portugal and The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin).
These Exploratory Research Projects exemplify high-risk, high-reward scientific endeavors, carefully selected by an independent international panel appointed by FCT. The eight funded initiatives, which span Nanotechnology and Advanced Computing, will enhance international competitiveness and address pressing real-world problems through innovation and collaborative scientific excellence.
Selected Projects for 2024
Below is an overview of the eight selected projects, each awarded for a duration of 12 months:
Nanotechnology
1- New Implantable Device for Breast Cancer Phototherapy
- Portuguese PI: Artur Daniel Moreira Pinto (Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde – Universidade do Porto)
- UT Austin PI: Jean Anne Incorvia
- Collaborative Institutions: Eindhoven University of Technology, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
2- Targeted RNA-Guided Epigenetic Therapy with Zoledronate for Osteosarcoma
- Portuguese PI: Pedro Sousa Gomes (REQUIMTE – Rede de Química e Tecnologia)
- UT Austin PI: Zhengrong Cui
3- Seamless Dressing Made of Bioactive, Co-axial Wet-Spun Fibers for Diabetic Foot Ulcers
- Portuguese PI: Helena Prado Felgueiras (Universidade do Minho)
- UT Austin PI: Jonathan Y. Chen
- Collaborative Institution: Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra
4- Mechanoluminescent Nanotransducers for Deep Brain Sono-optogenetics in Parkinson’s Treatment
- Portuguese PI: Rosemeyre Amaral Cordeiro (Universidade de Coimbra)
- UT Austin PI: Huiliang (Evan) Wang
5- Nanostructured Piezoelectric Biocomposites for Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering (PiezoHeart)
- Portuguese PI: Maxim Ivanov (Universidade de Aveiro)
- UT Austin PI: Aaron B. Baker
6- Multifunctional Nano-immunotherapy Targeting STAT3 Pathway in Breast Cancer Brain Metastases
- Portuguese PI: Helena Isabel Fialho Florindo Roque Ferreira (FARM-ID, Associação Faculdade Farmácia, Universidade Lisboa)
- UT Austin PI: Nicholas A. Peppas
Advanced Computing
7- Defect Engineering in Quantum Memristors for Neuromorphic Computing
- Portuguese PI: Andrea Capasso (INL – Laboratório Ibérico Internacional de Nanotecnologia)
- UT Austin PI: Deji Akinwande
8- Foundation Models for Humanoid Domestic Robots
- Portuguese PI: Pedro Manuel Urbano de Almeida Lima (Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa)
- UT Austin PI: Peter Stone
- Participant Institutions: Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores (INESC-ID), Universidade de Lisboa
Funding Overview
The total funding for the Portuguese teams is €400,000, with each project receiving up to €50,000. UT Austin, through its program’s dedicated budget, will allocate approximately $800,000 overall, with individual projects receiving between $50,000 and $100,000. The funding provided by UT Austin will primarily enable hiring PhD researchers who will collaborate closely with Portuguese teams, including through dedicated exchange periods.
ERPs as Springboards for Collaboration Toward Long-Lasting Partnerships
One notable trend in this year’s Exploratory Research Projects (ERP) selection is the continuity of participation: most of the awarded Principal Investigators (PIs) have previously led ERPs or Strategic Research Projects (SRPs) funded in earlier calls. Some have collaborated with their UT Austin counterparts for several years, resulting in established research lines that further strengthen the transatlantic bridge between Portugal and UT Austin.
Among these longstanding partnerships are Helena Florindo and Nicholas Peppas, Artur Pinto and Jean Anne Incorvia, and Andrea Capasso and Deji Akinwande. The 2024 project cohort also includes Helena Prado Felgueiras, a former visiting researcher at UT Austin under the Program’s 2024 short-term research internship scheme, who will now lead a new ERP alongside her former UT Austin host, Professor Jonathan Y. Chen.
Strategic Impact and Continuity in Phase IV
The eight projects will further enrich the robust research portfolio of the UT Austin Portugal Program, joining previous initiatives that have consistently delivered impactful outcomes and secured significant follow-on funding.
Recent successes include national and European grant awards, such as an ERC grant, industry-led projects, and even research contracts with U.S. public research laboratories. These and other examples underscore the strategic significance and research excellence supported by the Program.
Looking forward, the UT Austin Portugal Program anticipates launching a new call for Exploratory Research Projects under Phase IV later this year, continuing its commitment to groundbreaking research and fostering enduring international scientific collaboration.
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