Birmingham and Nottingham’s joint links with Brazil go from strength to strength

A group of 16 early career lecturers and post-doctoral researchers from universities in Brazil will spend the next three months at the University of Birmingham and the University of Nottingham carrying out identified research projects in areas such as Chemistry, Dentistry, Mathematics and Earth Sciences.

In addition to the Visiting Fellows scheme, both universities are offering 10 three-year full fee PhD scholarships specifically for Brazilian students for commencement in October this year. A living allowance for each PhD scholarship student will be provided by the Brazilian Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES). Subject areas include energy, food security, globalisation, neuroscience, astronomy, the digital economy, and global infection and healthcare, though students from any discipline can apply for these awards.

Coinciding with these schemes, the two universities have partnered with the State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) on a joint research investment fund worth £480k. The fund will support joint research projects between FAPESP-funded researchers and researchers from either the University of Birmingham or University of Nottingham, or from both UK institutions. These collaborative research projects can be in any subject area though applications in some specific areas are especially welcomed.

During May, a week-long workshop focused on Bio-Energy will take place in the State of São Paulo with participants from the University of Birmingham, the University of Nottingham, the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), the University of São Paulo and São Paulo State University (UNESP). Further workshops on the themes of Oil and Gas and Sporting Event Legacies are planned for later this year.

Professor Malcolm Press, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of International Engagement in the Americas at the University of Birmingham, said: “All these initiatives reinforce Birmingham’s commitment to further enhancing its global footprint in specific overseas territories. We are delighted to welcome the Visiting Fellows to our campus as our engagement with Brazilian partners continues to grow.”

Professor Christine Ennew, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Internationalisation at the University of Nottingham, added: “We are particularly pleased to be welcoming a cadre of outstanding academics from Brazil under our Distinguished Visiting Fellows scheme. Initiatives of this nature provide the foundations for longer term partnerships in both research and teaching.”

Flávia Pires Rodrigues from Anhanguera-Bandeirante University of São Paulo (UNIBAN) said: “I feel that joining the Visiting Fellows scheme will be important to become familiar with more advanced research techniques, different experimental designs, new research environments, and will be of huge benefit in developing my early research career.”

From September, both Birmingham and Nottingham will also participate in the Brazilian Government’s Science without Borders programme, enabling Brazilian students to study in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects on undergraduate and PhD sandwich courses, as well as for full PhD scholarships in the UK.