Applications in advanced computing, nano materials, space-earth interactions and clean energy will be accepted until January 22.
Promoting the development of joint exploratory research projects between Portuguese and North American research teams is the goal of the latest call for project funding promoted by the UT Austin Portugal Program. The Program will finance up to eight projects, with a maximum duration of 12 months, with funding of up to €50K per project for each national team. Proposals must be submitted by a consortium that integrates one or more national organisations, and at least one partner of the University of Texas at Austin.
With a budget of €400K for eligible Portuguese institutions, the UT Austin Portugal Program expects to finance at least eight exploratory research projects. By January 22, research teams wishing to apply for this funding must submit proposals that boost and promote Portugal’s international competitiveness through high-risk/high-impact research activities in three core areas of the UT Austin Portugal Program: advanced computing, space-earth interactions, and nanotechnologies. In addition to these areas, proposals that address issues related to clean energy may also be considered, if they meet the other three main domains.
“We are looking for innovative, high-impact projects with potential for expansion that present solutions to real problems,” said Andreia Passos, Executive Director of the UT Austin Portugal Program. “Even though we do not expect exploratory research projects to achieve the same type of results as longer projects during their standard period, the proposals submitted must be able to clearly frame the results they are expected to generate in a 12-month period, also favouring long-term objectives,” she added.
The Call is open to the following: higher education institutions, their institutes and research units; associated laboratories; non-profit institutions, whose main activities focus on R&D, like CoLabs or Technology and Innovation Centres; other public and private non-profit intuitions that develop or participate in research activities.
Applications must be submitted by a consortium, featuring one or more national entities, and at least one partner of the University of Texas at Austin. Proposals in advanced computing can also be led by senior researchers affiliated with the Texas Advanced Computer Center (TACC).
“The project consortium may include collaborating institutions, i.e., companies and other similar entities, which seek to invest in the exploratory research projects and whose participation is likely to bring relevant knowledge to the project. However, these entities will not be funded under this call”, explained Andreia Passos.
Each selected project will receive up to €50K to finance activities developed by the Portuguese teams. The UT Austin Portugal Program budget allocated to UT Austin will support the US teams ($50K-$100K per project), so that Principal Investigators can hire full-time PhD students. The idea is that these students can, considering a mobility approach, spend some time in Portugal during the execution of the projects – encouraging the exchange of knowledge and the development of joint research between the teams.
The call for exploratory research projects 2024 was announced by the Foundation for Science and Technology, i.p. (FCT) within the scope of the UT Austin Portugal Program. For more information, please check here.
Porto – December 18, 2024
