UNC Charlotte, São Paulo foundation announce research partnerships

UNC Charlotte and the State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) have created joint research and educational opportunities between the University and the foundation. The entities will provide seed funding for joint research ventures.

“The São Paulo Research Foundation values highly the collaboration opportunities offered by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in conjunction with FAPESP’s SPRINT call for proposals,” stated FAPESP’s Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz. “Scientific collaboration is essential for the development of high impact research, more so considering the exceptional qualifications of UNC Charlotte, and we are looking forward to the collaborations that will develop with the program.”

The São Paulo Researchers in International Collaboration (SPRINT) program is accepting proposals from UNC Charlotte faculty researchers through Monday, July 28. The program resulted from visits by FAPESP leaders and researchers last year; a cooperative agreement between the University and FAPESP was reached in April.

Research submissions are being accepted from all fields of science, technology, education and mathematics. According to the Graduate School, the overarching goal of the SPRINT program is to leverage the results of these pilot projects into responses to existing and future joint calls for proposals issued from FAPESP and the U.S. government.

Daniel Janies, the Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professor of Bioinformatics and Genomics, has been involved with the São Paulo Research Foundation for several years. He said science and technology play a very significant role in São Paulo.

“The rising level of research funding in São Paulo has allowed their scientists to focus on important problems rather than being overwhelmed with finding financial resources for their studies,” said Janies. “By taking the lead to organize these symposia and funding programs, UNC Charlotte’s Graduate School is opening doors for much broader collaborations between our faculty and their counterparts in the State of São Paulo. International partnerships are key for addressing many problems that are global in scope, such as energy, biodiversity and the global spread of disease.”