UT Austin Portugal Program opens call for Exploratory Research projects

The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under its international partnership with The University of Texas at Austin (USA), has launched a call to support high-risk, high-reward (HRHR) exploratory research projects.

The 2025 Call for Exploratory Research Projects, under the UT Austin Portugal Programme, aims to foster long-term scientific collaboration between research teams based in Portugal and The University of Texas at Austin. Joint projects must fall within one or more of the programme’s strategic areas: advanced computing, clean energy, nanotechnologies and space-earth technologies.

Proposals must be submitted in English by 5pm (Lisbon time) on 10 February. The call has a total budget of €400,000 for eligible Portuguese institutions, with a maximum funding of €50,000 per project. Further information on the call and how to apply is available here.

The UT Austin Portugal Programme also currently has open calls for training opportunities: The 2026 edition of Startup2ScaleUp, a 12-month, execution-driven programme that supports four Portuguese deep-tech companies enter the US market each year, begins in March and is now accepting applications. It starts in March and is now accepting applications. The Entrepreneurial Foundations – Cohort 2 course is also open for applications until 16 February. Current and upcoming training opportunities can be found here.

Now in its second decade, the UT Austin Portugal Programme is a partnership between FCT and The University of Texas at Austin.

^{Translation: Diana Taborda [DCM-UC]}