The Portugal-Berkeley Program was created in 2024, through a memorandum of understanding signed between the Foundation for Science and Technology, the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) and the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley).

This strategic partnership has as its main objective to promote academic exchange and scientific collaboration between Portuguese universities and UC Berkeley, while strengthening ties with the Portuguese-American community in California.

The program is managed by the Center for Portuguese Studies (CPS) of UC Berkeley, integrated in the Institute of European Studies of the University, and is funded by FCT, following the signing of a protocol, in January 2025, between FCT and CPS, which guarantees funding of around €100,000/year for 3 years, for the implementation of the programme, in the various aspects.

Additionally, FLAD contributes to support the functioning of the CPS, responsible for implementing the program to support students and researchers and promoting the involvement of the various academic departments of UC Berkeley with the national scientific community.

Initiatives supported under the UC Berkeley FCT/CPS Protocol:

  • Travel Grants for PhD Applicants: Financial support for masters graduates from Portuguese universities participating in the UC Berkeley spring visit (for prospective PhD students).
    3 scholarships of up to $1,500/each – Application process.
  • Visiting professors from Portugal: Support for visits by Portuguese professors/scholars to UC Berkeley departments, covering travel and accommodation expenses.
    Scholarships up to $3,000/each – Application process.
  • Ana Hatherley Program – Writer/Artist in Residence: Reception of Portuguese writers and artists for short-term residencies at UC Berkeley.
    2 scholarships of up to $5,000/each – Application process.
  • UC Berkeley faculty trips to Portugal: Funding for participation in conferences or research activities in Portugal.
    7 scholarships of up to $3,000/each – Application process.
  • Acquisition of books in Portuguese for the DOE Library: Annual funding for the acquisition of Portuguese publications.
    $10,000 allocated/year – Application process.
  • Support for visiting PhD students: Coverage of university and visa fees for 8 Portuguese PhD students.
    Total $13,200/each – Application process information available soon.
  • Academic and cultural events at CPS: Support for the organization of lectures, colloquia and events dedicated to Portugal, the Portuguese language and the Portuguese-American community.
    $10,000 allocated/year – Application process.

The Portugal-Berkeley Program also supports Portuguese students or Portuguese descendants, through the Pinto-Fialon Fund, with the attribution of scholarships for undergraduate, master’s or doctoral studies at UC Berkeley. It also awards research grants to PhD students who need to do research in Portugal or who have been invited to participate in scientific events in Portugal, and to undergraduate students who will participate in the new internship program at the Pedro Nunes Institute, established in cooperation with FLAD/Study in Portugal Network and the University of Coimbra.

The CPS of UC Berkeley is the entity responsible for managing the Protocol in force with FCT, as well as for the management of the Pinto-Fialon Fund.

The Webinar that took place on October 1, 2025, is available for viewing and you can also consult the presentation.

This program benefits or has benefited from funding from the Recovery and Resilience Plan, being one of the measures included in the investment RE-C06-i06 – Ciência Mais Capacitação and contracted between FCT and the Recover Portugal Mission Structure.

For more information contact: