Science partnerships between Portugal and top U.S. universities under threat

A trio of long-running research partnerships between the government of Portugal and top U.S. universities faces an uncertain future amid concerns that their costs outweigh their benefits. Last month, the leaders of Portugal’s universities asked the government to suspend the partnerships—which have existed since 2006—until an evaluation determines whether they should continue in their current form. The request has left some scientists concerned about the future of the program. “I’m worried for the country,” says Marco Bravo, executive director of the University of Texas (UT) at Austin Portugal Program. “These partnerships contribute hugely to the transformation and internationalization of Portuguese science and Portuguese innovation,” says Bravo, a Portuguese electronic engineer who is based in the United States. Portugal’s government created the program, which is run by its national science agency, the Foundation for Science and Technology, to bolster research and give scientists access to resources they lacked at home. It enables researchers and Ph.D. students to apply for funding to pursue projects at Carnegie Mellon University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and UT, in collaboration with U.S. faculty. The program also includes faculty exchanges and funds an incubator for science-based startups. The Portuguese government has spent €309 million on the partnerships so far, providing funding for about 2000 graduate studen...
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Source Type: news