2013 Call for Test-bed Proposals under the MIT Portugal Program Driving innovation through integrated Test-bed research
The MIT Portugal Program is a collaboration between Portuguese Universities, Research centers, Industry and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and seeks to promote the investment in science, technology and higher education as a catalyzer for social and economic development in Portugal.
Launched in 2006, the program has built a research platform for cutting-edge concepts in promising areas of science and technology such as stem cell engineering for regenerative medicine, sustainable energy and transportation systems, integrated product design and medical devices. The MIT Portugal Program promotes the development of demonstration research projects (test-beds) that contributes to strengthen Portugal position as a scalable living laboratory, for the development of new products and services with a global reach, fostering an increase of competitiveness of Portuguese economy in the knowledge-based industry.
Within the MIT Portugal Program framework, a call for test-bed projects is opened, focusing on research projects with the potential to contribute towards the long-term objective of developing innovative products and services, demonstrating international competitiveness and innovative capacity in science and technology between public and private sectors and the entities of the National Scientific and Technology System (SCTN). The Test-bed research projects should aim for piloting and scalability and the use of unique ecosystems and living laboratories, addressing multi-disciplinary research and development competences amongst the participating entities, under the following themes:
1. Sustainable Cities 2. Stem Cell Engineering & Regenerative Medicine 3. Design and Manufacturing Approaches in Mobility Industries
WHAT’S INCLUDED Under this call, it is expected the funding of a maximum of 3 (three) Test-bed projects, with a maximum duration of 3 (three) years, one from each of the areas identified above. The total funding available for Portuguese research institutions as part of this call may reach €3,260,000 (three million, two hundred and sixty thousand euros), allocated across areas as follows: • Sustainable Cities, up to €1.300,000 (one million three hundred thousand euros); • Stem Cell Engineering & Regenerative Medicine, up to €980,000 (nine hundred and eighty thousand euros); • Design and Manufacturing Approaches in Mobility Industries, up to €980,000 (nine hundred and eighty thousand Euros).
SUPPORTED ENTITIES The present call for proposals will exclusively fund the following entities: • Higher Education Institutions, their institutes and R&D centers; • Associated Laboratories; • State Laboratories; • Not for profit private institutions that have as main objective the development of Science and Technology activities. The present Call does not fund companies or other independent partners, public or private, which do not have as primer goal the development Science and Technology activities.
ELIGIBILITY The call is open to teams involving at least: • Three research teams from the entities identified in point 3 above. Two of them need to belong to distinct higher education institutions from different Portuguese Universities; • Two companies (In cases justified by the proponents, the participation of one of the companies may be substituted by one independent non-academic organization that may invest in the test-bed like hospitals, foundations, private or public associations, municipalities, etc.); • A multi-disciplinary research team at MIT, involving at least four Professors/researchers.
HOW AND WHEN TO APPLY Applications must be submitted online, from November 15th, 2013 until January 20th, 2014 at 17:00 Lisbon time, through the FCT website. Applicants should fill in the on-line FCT form and the "Annex to Application" form required for evaluation and according to the guidelines provided in the “ Terms of Reference for MIT Portugal 2013 Call for Proposals”. Applicants should read carefully the document with the guidelines for the present call, Terms of reference and the Announcement of the Call.
EVALUATION The selection and ranking of the applications will be as described at the “ Terms of reference for MIT Portugal 2013 - call for proposals”, based on the criteria of reference that are detailed in Regulations Governing Access to Funding for Scientific Research and Technological Development Projects - 2010, namely: • Scientific merit and innovative nature of the project at an international standpoint, in the context of the test-bed topics as described in section 2 of the Terms of Reference; • Scientific merit of the research team; • Feasibility of the work plan and reasonability of the budget; • Contribution to the body of knowledge and competence of the National Science and Technology System; • Potential Economic Value of the technology.
CONTACTS • Information on the scientific matters of the application form can be obtained from: testbeds2013@mitportugal.org. • Information on the contents of the application form can be obtained from: projetosMIT@fct.pt. • Information on IT questions can be referred to the FCT webmaster at: webmaster@fct.mctes.pt
Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto