History

CAPES-PrInt is a successor program of Science without Borders (SwB), the large Brazilian scholarship program that ran from 2011 to 2017. The University of Groningen/University Medical Center Groningen had been the number one destination for Brazilian students under SwB, receiving large cohorts of undergraduate and PhD students, as well as postdoctoral researchers.

Additionally, SwB fostered many lasting connections between academic staff at Groningen and in Brazil, including the award of five Visiting Researcher grants for UMCG staff to spend one month each year at the Brazilian partner institution for a period of three years: prof. dr Truuske de Bock (epidemiological oncology), prof. dr Marco Harmsen (Medical Biology), and dr Erik de Vries (nuclear medicine), with Universidade de São Paulo; prof. dr Harrie Kampinga (cell biology) with Universidade Federal de Rio Grande do Sul; and prof. dr Martina Schmidt (molecular pharmacology, Faculty of Science & Engineering), with Universidade Estadual de Rio de Janeiro.

Since 2010, the internationalization strategy of the Graduate School of Medical Sciences has aimed to particularly also foster connections with Brazilian scientists. About 35 sandwich PhD students have enrolled via the Abel Tasman Talent Program, in many different fields. 

Focus CAPES-PrInt

Unlike SwB, PrInt projects focus solely on international mobility of sandwich PhDs (6-12 months), short missions, staff mobility (all from Brazil to other countries) and visiting professor scholarships (from and to Brazil), for the next four years. The implementation of PrInt is the responsibility of the Brazilian universities, who report directly to CAPES. 

The Brazilian PhD landscape is different from the Netherlands in the sense that a PhD student in Brazil pertains to an individually accredited PhD program (e.g. in Biology, Cardiology, Neurosciences, etc.). All postgraduate (master and PhD) programs in Brazil are assessed by CAPES every four years on a scale of 1-7, with 6 and 7 being considered programs of excellence. The latest evaluation, of 2017, may be accessed here.

Each individual Master/PhD program has a Director and an academic committee. As a PhD supervisor you pertain to one or more PhD programs. Be aware that the CAPES-PrInt proposals of different Brazilian institutions may not include all of the existing PhD programs.

More information

Contact Joyce Fongers.