The Joint Research Centre has launched a call of interest addressed to Brazilian scientists to be hosted at JRC institutes. The call covers a wide range of fields, ranging from monitoring water pollutants and forest degradation, to biodiversity and alien invasive species in Brazilian protected areas. It covers molecular biology for the authentication of agricultural products, safety of offshore oil and gas operations, and analysis of the status of bioenergy in Latin America. The call also includes economic analysis of global agricultural markets, nanoparticle characterisation and global navigation satellite systems security.

This call follows a specific arrangement between the JRC and Brazil's National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, which sets the conditions for Brazilian scientists to access the JRC's research facilities under the Brazilian mobility programme "science without borders".

This initiative gives a new impetus to scientific cooperation between the JRC and Brazilian institutions. Selected candidates will be offered the possibility to be hosted in one of the JRC sites in Belgium (Geel), Italy (Ispra), Spain (Seville) and in The Netherlands (Petten).

The accord stems from the cooperation arrangement between the JRC and Brazil's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, signed on 24 January 2013. It envisages the exchange of personnel and scientific information, reciprocal access to laboratories, shared use of scientific infrastructure, and support for training and joint research.

Background

The Brazilian 'science without borders' mobility programme aims to promote the consolidation, expansion and internationalisation of science and technology, innovation and competitiveness through scholarships and fellowships to postgraduate and undergraduate students as well as postdoctoral and research fellows. It covers a wide range of areas, including energy, agriculture, marine sciences, biodiversity, nanotechnology, and information technology.