UT Austin Portugal
2023
The Governing Board meets to approve the 2023 activity plan and discuss the Program’s next strategies
The UT Austin Portugal Program organized its 2023 Governing Board (GB) Meeting on March 9.
2022
The External Review Committee reunited to review the Partnership’s progress and plan for the future
Being the first onsite meeting of the Committee since its formation in 2019, it came as an opportunity for its members to attend the Annual Conference and interact with the transatlantic community face-to-face. The Partnership’s support to less senior researchers making their way into research project management and coordination and the intertwining between the Program’s instruments enabling researchers to leverage complementary funds to collaborate longer-term and develop joint results further were some of the highlighted topics.
15 years of collaborations celebrated at the Annual Conference 2022
Almost one hundred participants had the opportunity to hear from a group of top-notch speakers invited to share their views on International Science & Technology Partnerships as platforms for Science Diplomacy, reflect on the Program’s entrepreneurship legacy and disruptive contributions to the biomedical field and ideate its role in society’s energy transition.
2022 Call for Exploratory Research Projects (ERP)
The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) has ran a call to fund a new batch of Exploratory Research Projects within the scope of the UT Austin Portugal Program, in which it will provide €400k to support eight disruptive, high-risk scientific projects research projects.
UT Austin Portugal Program, in collaboration with ANI, organized an online Info Session on funding opportunities within Horizon Europe
This session, led by João Ribau, from the Portuguese National Innovation Agency (ANI), was targeted at the Program’s Principal Investigators of Exploratory and Strategic Research Projects to encourage them to leverage other funding sources and keep progressing along the knowledge-to-innovation chain.
SOE’22 Workshop – Space, Ocean and Earth Insights | Bio, Geo and Tek come together to discuss the current frontier of Space Exploration
What is the current frontier of Space Exploration? On July 7, the UT Austin Portugal Program hosted a workshop with top-notch experts from Space Science Fields at the Porto School of Engineering to highlight state-of-art research and navigate the interdisciplinary research that is feeding into Space Exploration.
UT Austin Portugal’s Workshop At Ciência 2022
As this summit challenged us to cogitate about our role on “Building the future with Science”, the UT Austin Portugal Program brought together four speakers from Portugal and UT Austin to discuss the Program’s footprint towards Energy Transition and a zero-carbon economy.
UT Austin Portugal Program takes Portuguese researchers across borders
Call for Applications to the Short-Term Research Internships at the University of Texas at Austin open. From September to December 2022, 10 researchers will have the chance to develop their research work in one of the best public universities in the United States and immerse themselves in the exhilarating culture of UT Austin’s campus.
UT Austin Portugal partnered with FMUC and launched its first ECTS-awarding course in Phase 3
Along with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, the UT Austin Portugal Program hosted, between March and June, eleven online sessions packed with insightful presentations and discussions about the latest trends in biomedical imaging. This course granted 10 ECTS credits to the participants that fully attended the sessions and performed an evaluation at the end of the course.
The sessions brought together more than 30 experts from Portugal, Texas and Germany, along with more than 100 participants.
2nd BigHPC Webinar Series
After the success of the first webinar series, the UT Austin Portugal Program and the BigHPC consortium returned with a second round of webinars, running every two months from March 2022 to March 2023. This time around, experts from academia and industry will look into the main challenges and opportunities that Big Data applications pose to HPC centers. The first webinar was on March 10.
Governing Board meets to approve the Program’s Activity Plan for 2022 with an eye on the next funding cycle
The UT Austin Portugal Program organized its 2022 Governing Board (GB) Meeting on February 23, and counted on the Portuguese Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education Manuel Heitor to highlight potentially relevant directions for the Program in the future, capitalizing on its legacy.
UT Austin Portugal Program commemorates the 15th anniversary
In 2022, the UT Austin Portugal Program celebrates its 15th anniversary. To start the celebrations, UT Austin Portugal Program launched a logo with the motto “Celebrate With Us”, inviting the entire community to be part of this important milestone.
8 new Exploratory Research Projects added to UT Austin Portugal’s portfolio, starting in 2022
For the second time since the start of Phase 3, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology funded, through the UT Austin Portugal Program, a new round of Exploratory Research Projects. From the 44 transatlantic consortia that applied in early 2021, eight projects were awarded funding, representing a public investment of almost 800 000 euros. Most of the funds are devoted to research in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
2021
External Review Committee convenes to review Program’s performance
For the second time, the ERC convened to assess the Program’s progress. The two-half day online meeting was an opportunity for the Committee to interact with some of the Program’s beneficiaries and stakeholders and learn from them how the Program has been driving positive change through S&T collaboration at the international level. The ERC’s conclusions and views have been handed over to FCT in a detailed report.
2021 Annual Conference takes place in hybrid mode amid pandemic
Over two half-days, the Program’s transatlantic community came together to discuss how interdisciplinarity in science is helping societies become more resilient, i.e., able to cope with adversity and distress and come out stronger. The Conference was preceded by two warm-up online sessions on the 18th and 19th and once more hosted a set of premium Masterclasses across all areas of the Program.
First course selected under Call for short-term Advanced Training Proposals held online
The first course selected through this call kicked off on September 27. Responsible Innovation was the first of a series of short-term advanced online courses with the Program’s seal organized in the second semester of 2021. Supported courses were coordinated by experts from Portugal and UT Austin and brought on board high-caliber speakers from all over the world, reaching participants affiliated with organizations beyond the Program’s geographical scope.
BigHPC Webinar Series
UT Austin Portugal and the BigHPC consortium teamed up to organize a webinar series to spark discussion among academia and industry about the challenges around High-Performance Computing (HPC) and the major opportunities that lie ahead for both sides. The first webinar was on July 22.
UT Austin Portugal’s workshop at Ciência 2021
With the summit’s underlying theme “The Science that makes tomorrow and transforms the economy” in mind, the Program invited attendees to reflect on the role of international scientific collaboration in the empowerment and strengthening of societies to respond to future challenges and crises.
New Call for Exploratory Research Projects
A new round of funding was made available by the Program’s sponsor, FCT, to support eight more research joint ventures focused on exploratory topics. The call ran from May 19 to June 30, 2021 and was accompanied by the creation of a cooperation profiles database to help with matchmaking.
Pilot Call to Support Training Proposals
UT Austin Portugal opened a Call for Short-Term Advanced Training Proposals destined to support actors across the transatlantic community implementing short-term thematic advanced training offering a deep dive into topics related to the Program’s Knowledge Areas.
Program’s Leadership and PT Area Directors Meeting
In order to give an overview of the Program’s main accomplishments in 2020, and discuss future actions for 2021, the Program Leadership, Executive Team and Area Directors met earlier this year online.
Governing Board Meeting
The UT Austin Portugal Program organized its 2021 Governing Board Meeting (Phase 3), reviewing the 2020 activities and the work plan for 2021.
2020
Ciência 2020
Bringing together beneficiaries and ambassadors of its Research and Education initiatives, the Program held a 90-minute session, in a hybrid format, at the annual event “Ciência 2020”.
UT Austin Portugal organizes Highly-specialized Masterclasses
Thematic and highly-specialized masterclasses were a central part of our Annual Conference agenda. In this edition, we doubled the number of Masterclasses, covering the following knowledge areas – Advanced Computing, Nanotechnologies, Medical Physics, and Space-Earth Interactions and featuring renowned experts. Framed by the 2020 Conference’s underlying theme – Innovation at the Intersection of Academia and Industry – Masterclasses gave participants the chance to find out more about the latest research and innovation trends and interact with world-class experts, peers and potential partners.
External Review Committee Annual Meeting
The first External Review Committee since the start of Phase 3 in 2018 took place in October in an online format. The ERC reviewed the past two years and, with an eye on the future, prepared a summary of recommendations.
UT Austin Portugal’s 2020 Annual Conference
The 2020 edition of the UT Austin Portugal’s Annual Conference was focused on Innovation at the Intersection of Academia and Industry, in a first-time-ever hybrid format. The event gathered a panel of top-notch speakers, four highly specialized masterclasses, an E-Poster Exhibition, and a E-networking corner in a totally new experience!
8 Exploratory Research Projects approved under the UT Austin Portugal Program
In 2019, FCT opened a competitive call to support exploratory research projects carried out by teams of researchers from the National Scientific and Technological System and The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). 58 scientific project proposals were submitted, mobilizing more than 30 different non-corporate research institutions in Portugal and 58 Principal Investigators at UT Austin and beyond. Eight 8 applications were awarded funding.
€ 21.9M granted to support 11 high-quality R&DI projects
The UT Austin Portugal Program achieved the largest number of supported projects under the 2019 call jointly launched by COMPETE 2020, the Regional Operational Programs, Agência Nacional de Inovação (ANI), and Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) under “Go Portugal – Global Science and Technology Partnerships Portugal”, an initiative of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education.
Program’s Leadership and PT Area Directors Meeting
The Program hosted the first meeting of the year with its Area Directors to present the 2019 Annual Report and discuss future actions and contributions for 2020.
First Governing Board meeting of Phase 3
The UT Austin Portugal’s Leadership met to take a look back at the activities of 2019, review the progress made, reflect on lessons learnt and approve the work program for 2020.
2019
New Challenges in Medical Physics Conference
Between December 12-13, 2019, a handful of experts from different research fields and organizations in Portugal but also from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) gathered in Coimbra to discuss current trends and spark knowledge exchange in Medical Physics, highlighting innovative approaches in radiotherapy, targeted radionuclide therapy and proton therapy.
2019 Call for Exploratory Research Projects (ERPs)
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) announced its 2019 call for Exploratory Research Projects (ERP), under the UT Austin Portugal Program. Designed to assist teams of researchers from non-corporate entities of the National Scientific and Technology System and UT Austin, this call aimed to bootstrap high-impact potential research activities in the scientific areas of the UT Austin Portugal Program, aligned with strategic international R&D agendas.
UT Austin Portugal Program’s 2019 Annual Conference
On September 20 2019, the UT Austin Portugal Program hosted its annual conference, “Create Knowledge. Foster Change: Towards a New Decade of Joint Achievements”. The event was held at the University of Minho and brought Professor Robert A. Peterson to discuss innovation commercialization matters, serving as the keynote speaker. The annual conference also allowed participants to learn more about the latest research topics and innovation trends in the areas of Quantum Computing and Wearables and Advanced Textiles, in two Masterclasses led by top-notch speakers; and provided a stage to showcase research work and network with peers in Poster and Exhibition session.
Cooperation Profiles for Faculty Matchmaking
The UT Austin Portugal Program announced a Call for submission of Cooperation Profiles for Faculty Matchmaking, within the scope of an upcoming Call for Exploratory Research Projects, in order to facilitate and accelerate the creation of partnering opportunities. Over 50 profiles were submitted in the course of several months.
First supercomputer in Portugal
With the arrival of the first Portuguese supercomputer, the country will greatly expand its capacity in advanced computing, also starting the activities of the Minho Advanced Computing Center (MACC), within the scope of the UT Austin Portugal Program. The super machine is named after Robert A. Peterson, former Principal Investigator of the UT Austin Portugal Program, and originator of the idea to bring the supercomputer to Portugal.
Immersive Training in Advanced Scientific Visualization
Within the framework of the UT Austin Portugal Program, an online scientific visualization training organized by the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), was open to the Portuguese scientific community. Hosted at Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, the 4 day intensive training relied on local monitors. This was the first time a TACC training course was remotely available for Portuguese researchers.
Call for R&TD Projects in Co-Promotion – International Partnerships
The UT Austin Portugal Program announced a Call for Co-Promotion R&TD Projects – International Partnerships, under Portugal2020. This Call intended to finance international Research and Technological Development consortia, led by Portuguese companies and involving non-corporate organizations of the National Research and Innovation System and research teams at the University of Texas at Austin.
Portuguese delegation visits UT Austin to kick-start activities
On February 2019, a Portuguese delegation that included the President of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Paulo Ferrão, the Director of Air Center, Joaquín Brito, the National Directorate of the Program and the Area Directors, was at UT Austin campus to prepare the ground for a number of promising activities planned for the year.
2018
New leadership for the UT Austin Portugal Program 2018-2030
The new directors of the UT Austin Portugal Program were formally appointed on September 2018, at Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, in Lisbon. The UT Austin Portugal Program will be headed by José Manuel Mendonça and Rui Oliveira, and Sara Brandão as the executive director on the Portuguese side. From the University of Texas at Austin, John Ekerdt and Marco Bravo will be the co-principal investigator and executive director on the American side.
Advanced Computing Training Program
Call for Applications to the Advanced Computing Training Program in the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at the University of Texas at Austin open.
New Program areas 2018-2030
2018-2030
Space-Earth Interactions, Advanced Computing, Nanotechnologies, Medical Physics, and Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Agreement closed between FCT and UT Austin (Phase III)
UT Austin Portugal Program was renewed for another decade in a public ceremony held at CEiiA on February 2018. The signing ceremony was presided by the Portuguese Prime Minister and the Portuguese Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education.
2013
UTEN workshops and training initiatives for Portuguese entrepreneurs
2013-2018
The 2013 UTEN Annual Conference, held in Porto, was designed to promote new relations with Latin America and to help increase awareness of the emerging patterns, related challenges, and opportunities associated with international technology transfer and commercialization of products from small and medium-size enterprises, during a time of global financial constraint.
Global Startup Program
2013-2017
The Global Startup Program aims to assist Portuguese entrepreneurial endeavors in different phases of development.
Agreement closed between FCT and UT Austin (Phase II)
The memorandum of understanding between the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the University of Texas in Austin has been signed to guarantee the continuity of the UT Austin | Portugal Program for another five years, with an annual investment of €2M.
2011
US Connect pilot program for startups
2011-2012
US Connect pilot program on business development to help Portuguese startups make the transition to global markets, primarily by closing business deals in the United States.
2008
Research and training in Digital Media, Advanced Computing, Applied Mathematics, and Emerging Technologies
2008-2018
Call for projects, classes, summer courses, workshops, annual conference.
2007
UTEN initiative kickoff
Workshops, webinars, training in technology transfer for TTOs.
CoLab initiative kickoff
Research in Digital Media, Advanced Computing, Applied Mathematics, and Emerging Technologies.
Agreement closed between FCT and UT Austin (Phase I)
A protocol between the Portuguese State and UT Austin, conducted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, was formalized. The agreement with the University of Texas includes the participation of 15 universities, 3 associated laboratories, 4 science parks, and 2 government agencies, in addition to 12 Portuguese companies in the area of Media and Technology.
2006
