Fulbright Award for the Ocean, Climate and Space / AIR Centre
Deadline for applications is September 16, 2024, for AY2025/2026
The Commission for Educational Exchange between the United States of America and Portugal – Fulbright Commission Portugal strives to be a collaborative and innovative organization and is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.
We seek to ensure that all our grants, programs and activities reflect the diversity of U.S. and Portuguese societies and are open to people regardless of their ethnicity, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.
We work every day to build a culture of inclusiveness, respect for diversity, and understanding of the many differences that enrich the Fulbright Program.
AWARD DETAILS
AWARD ACTIVITY AND DISCIPLINES
Category:
U.S. Scholar Program.
Type:
Research.
Award Activity:
Support the development of the mission-oriented approach of the Atlantic International Research Centre (AIR Centre) in the context of the disciplines identified in the scope of the Atlantic Interactions initiative:
- Earth observation from deep ocean to near space;
- Ocean observation and modelling;
- Healthy and clean oceans;
- Marine resources and biodiversity;
- Digital twin of the ocean;
- Marine robotics and applications.
- Mitigation of and adaptation to climate change.
with focus on innovation in multi-national collaborative networks and creative approaches to the transatlantic cooperation to improve the understanding of the ocean and coastal systems as a whole.
The activity will involve the identification of relevant players from science, industry and administration in the USA and the countries associated with the AIR Centre and the promotion of workshops and meetings to develop the research agenda and identify research projects, new services and products and business opportunities.
Scholars selected for this Awards can choose to:
- Advise and/or mentor students
- Assist in faculty, curriculum, and/or program development
- Conduct a research project designated by the host institution
- Conduct a research project of the applicant’s choosing
- Conduct a professional and/or artistic project
Disciplines:
Only projects in the following disciplines will be considered:
- Biology
- Engineering
- Environmental Sciences
- Geology
- Information Sciences/Systems
- Mathematics
- Oceanography
- Physics
Specializations:
- Biological Sciences;
- Data and Information Sciences;
- Ecology;
- Environmental Biology;
- Environmental Engineering;
- Mathematics;
- Natural Resources;
- Oceanography;
- Physical Oceanography
AWARD LOCATION AND PERIOD
Location:
Associação para o Desenvolvimento do AIR Centre (Atlantic International Research Centre), Lisbon and Terceira Island (Azores Archipelago), Portugal.
The activity will take place at the AD AIR Centre Office in Lisbon and AD AIR Centre HQ and Earth Observation Laboratory located in the Science and Technology Park–Terinov in Terceira Island, Azores.
Length:
Four months.
Period:
Preferred starting month is March, as agreed with the Portuguese host institution.
Projects must be completed by August 31, 2026.
AWARD REQUIREMENTS
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Citizenship/Residency Requirement:
Applicants residing in Portugal at the time of application or thereafter are not eligible to apply for this award.
Permanent residents of Portugal are not eligible to apply for this award.
Invitation Requirement:
A letter of invitation is optional.
If applicants can obtain the letter of invitation, the letter of invitation must express the host’s interest in the project and describe the proposed activities and timeline for the project; it must be written in English and printed on institutional letterhead.
Follow this link for guidance on seeking Letters of Invitation and developing contacts abroad.
Degree Requirements:
Ph.D. (or other terminal degree) required
Language Proficiency Requirements:
None, English is sufficient.
Priority areas of experience/capacity are:
- Multinational distributed collaborative networks (with a focus in the Atlantic);
- Innovative / creative approaches to transatlantic cooperation for improving the understanding of the Ocean and Coastal systems (with a focus in the Atlantic).
Applications are sought in all appropriate disciplines, but the following technical disciplines as academic / technical background are preferred:
- Integration of satellite data and in-situ observations into assimilative models;
- Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning applied to Earth Observation;
- Earth Observation in support of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation;
- Development of Earth Observation concepts and prototypes for operational services and products.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Candidates can seek further information to the AIR Centre’s Deputy Executive Director Mafalda Carapuço, mafalda.carapuco@aircentre.org.
Assistance will be provided by AIR Centre’s Deputy Executive Director Mafalda Carapuço, mafalda.carapuco@aircentre.org and Alexandra Frazão, Executive Secretary, alexandra.frazao@aircentre.org, telephone: (+351) +351 21 723 10 62
AWARD BENEFITS
Grant stipend of €11.200 (approx. $12,180), which corresponds to a monthly stipend of €2.800 (approx. $3,045).
Monthly housing allowance of €1.000 (approx. $1088), in a total of €4.000 (approx. $4,350).
Award allowances are paid in a lump sum on the first month of the grant.
(Exchange rate of December 1, 2023)
TRAVEL ALLOWANCE
Travel allowance of €1.100 (approx. $1,196).
Travel allowance is paid on the first month of the grant.
(Exchange rate of December 1, 2023)
DEPENDENT BENEFITS
The Fulbright Commission offers funding for dependents who stay with the scholar during the entirety of the grant period.
Amounts are determined prior to the start of the academic year, according to availability of funds.
SPECIAL AWARD BENEFITS
The host institution provides computer facilities, internet access and e-mail, office space, access to laboratory facilities and transportation.
COUNTRY OVERVIEW
Over the last decades, Portugal has seen remarkable progress in learning, science and innovation, reflected in the quality of education offered at Portuguese universities. Internationalization and academic mobility are one of the priorities for Portuguese higher education institutions, which are increasingly attractive to a growing number of international students, scholars and researchers.
To learn more about Portuguese Higher Education Institutions and Research Centers, visit Study & Research in Portugal.
ESTIMATED COST OF LIVING
Rents are higher in larger metropolitan areas such as Lisbon and Porto: a two-room apartment in central Lisbon costs an average of $1,500/month. Grantees are responsible for finding their housing but are encouraged to contact their hosts and the institution’s international relations/mobility office for assistance in finding housing. The Commission can also provide a list of resources and websites for house searching in Portugal and informal advice concerning housing in Lisbon (average prices per location, safe neighborhoods).
Portugal offers an excellent public schooling system with a wide range of public (free, from nursery to 12th grade) and private (national and international) schools.
Foreign citizens with a valid visa can access the National Health Care Service (SNS), which is high-quality and reasonably priced: an emergency appointment at a public hospital costs approximately $25, and a medical specialty at a private hospital costs approximately $100.
The public transport system in Lisbon and Porto is easy to use, safe, covers the entire metropolitan area, and is quite affordable: a monthly public transport pass in Lisbon costs approximately $45.
VISAS
Fulbright U.S. grantees are responsible for obtaining a Temporary Stay Visa to Portugal. The Commission can provide informal assistance but the Portuguese Embassy and Consulates are the sole authorities in matters pertaining to visa issues. Grantees should carefully look into visa information and start the visa application well in advance of travel.
For additional information about National Temporary Stay Visas or the Portuguese Republic’s Consular Network in the U.S.A, visit the Diplomatic Portal.
APPLICATIONS
APPLICATIONS AND DEADLINE
Number of Grants:
One grant to Award.
Applications:
Applications must be submitted through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program website: https://fulbrightscholars.org/us-scholar-awards#steps
Deadline:
Monday, September 16, 2024.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For more information about the U.S. Scholar Program in Portugal, contact Dora Reis Arenga, U.S. Program Manager at the Fulbright Commission Portugal, darenga@fulbright.pt.