The workshop will showcase the scientific collaboration between Texas Tech University and the São Paulo Research Foundation and allow for an exchange of ideas for future projects.
Faculty members from Brazilian academic institutions will join members of the Texas Tech University faculty Wednesday and Thursday (Aug. 31 – Sept. 1) for the STEM Across Continents Workshop, hosted by the Office of International Affairs (OIA).
The workshop, which will be held in the International Cultural Center's Hall of Nations, is part of Texas Tech's collaboration with the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) in Brazil. The partnership offers joint mobility funding for Texas Tech and Brazilian researchers to collaborate through a series of exchanges.
“The STEM Across Continents Workshop promises to bring scientists from Texas Tech and the state of São Paulo together to collectively develop research ideas that could be considered for funding through the FAPESP's São Paulo Researchers International Collaboration (SPRINT) program,” said Sukant Misra, associate vice provost for international programs. “It also will allow researchers to find common subject matter interests and develop sustainable scientific and technological collaborations.”
Researchers from Brazil who are interested in participating in future collaborations with Texas Tech will deliver presentations during the workshop. Past SPRINT awardees will have an opportunity to describe their progress and challenges they faced in their projects.
In 2014 and 2015, Texas Tech and FAPESP called for proposals under the framework of the SPRINT program to promote the scientific and technological collaboration. In each round, five teams won support for exchange of faculty and postdoctoral researchers.
“The SPRINT program allows Texas Tech faculty an opportunity to forge higher education and research partnerships with scientists from the State of São Paulo,” Misra said. “These collaborations are of great value to scientists as they allow them to work cooperatively to sufficiently develop novel project ideas for submission to funding agencies.”
Project topics include nutritional sciences, biology, chemistry and biochemistry, human development and family studies, physics, natural resources management, biotechnology and genomics, environmental toxicology, mechanical engineering and chemical engineering.
Ambassador Tibor Nagy, vice provost for international affairs, said the workshop is part of the OIA International Research and Development Division's continued effort to help develop multi-investigator, multidisciplinary international research and development programs at Texas Tech.
“We work with faculty to create partnership opportunities through workshops such as this and to help develop and submit large, multidisciplinary proposals to funding agencies,” Nagy said. “FAPESP is one of the most visionary concepts ever developed by any government. With its focus on funding world-class research, not only in Brazil but all over the world, it highlights São Paulo's status as one of the world's most forward-looking and globally engaged regions.”
The workshop will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday with opening remarks from Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec and will conclude with laboratory tours from 1-4:30 p.m. Thursday.
For more information and a full itinerary, visit the event webpage.
Find Texas Tech news, experts and story ideas at Texas Tech Today Media Resources or follow us on Twitter.
