FLAD and Fulbright have a partnership aimed at strengthening support for study and research in the US, and promoting Portugal as an academic destination for Americans. As part of this relationship, for the academic year 2024/2025, FLAD awarded three scholarships to Portuguese students and researchers from various scientific areas and two scholarships to American researchers.

This year, the Fulbright Research Scholarship with the support of FLAD, will support three master’s students in Portuguese universities, who will develop a 4-month research period in the USA, in three different scientific areas. They are:

Ana Sofia Costa is a Master’s student in Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship at the University of Porto. The student will develop part of her master’s thesis at Harvard Business School. The project aims to study the use of generative AI to improve decision-making in business environments, in order to develop analytical tools that evaluate business ideas accurately and impartially.

Miguel Correia is a Master’s student in Biochemistry at the University of Porto. The student will develop part of his/her master’s thesis at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. The research aims to deepen our understanding of cellular aging by investigating the molecular mechanisms that link actin cytoskeletal dynamics, organelle inheritance and protein quality control.

Pedro Monteiro is a Master’s student in Rehabilitation and Mental Health at the School of Health of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto. The student will develop part of his/her master’s thesis at Ohio State University. The aim of the project is to identify geographical disparities between the supply and need for rehabilitation services. In addition, it aims to inform data-driven health policy and planning, as well as build initial research capacity in rehabilitation-related and equity-oriented health services in Portugal.

Fulbright and FLAD are also awarding the FLAD Open Study/Research Award that will support two American researchers at Portuguese universities to develop research in Portugal for eight months, in two different scientific areas. They are:

Ellena Privitera is a medical student at Ohio State University and her area of study focuses on Public Health. The student will join NOVA University Lisbon to study best practices for the development of health literacy among migrants.

Stephen Crocker is an alumnus at Brown University, with a B.A. in Modern Culture and Media and an A.M. in Documentary Production and Practice. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Social Work at Boston University. It will join ISCTE – Inituto Universitário de Lisboa, with a project that aims to explore the lived experience of the people most affected by innovative drug and harm reduction policies in Portugal.