2013 Call for Testbed Proposals

The MIT Portugal Program is a collaboration between Portuguese Universities, Research centers, Industry and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that seeks to promote investment in science, technology and higher education as a catalyser for social and economic development in Portugal.

Launched in 2006, the programme 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 contribute to strengthen Portugal´s position as a scalable living laboratory for the development of new products and services with a global reach, increasing the competitiveness of the Portuguese economy in the knowledge-based industry.

Purpose and overview

A call for applications to test-bed projects is now launched, focusing on research projects that have the potential to contribute to the long-term objective of developing innovative products and services, demonstrating international competitiveness and innovative capacity in science and technology, and that bring together public and private sectors and the Portuguese S&T centres.

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

Within this call, a maximum of 3 (three) Test-bed projects are expected to be funded, one from each of the areas mentioned above. Funding is for a maximum period of three years. The total funds available for Portuguese research institutions as part of this call may reach €3,260,000, allocated across the areas.

Eligibility

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.

The call is open to teams involving at least:

1. Three research teams from the organisations mentioned above. Two of them need to belong to separate higher education institutions from different Portuguese Universities;
2. Two companies (When adequately justified by the proponents, the participation of one of the companies may be replaced by an independent non-academic organisation that may invest in the test-bed, such as hospitals, foundations, private or public associations, municipalities, etc.);
3. A multi-disciplinary research team at MIT, involving at least four Professors/researchers.

How and when to apply

Applications should be submitted online, from 15th November, 2013 until 30th January 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 carefully read 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 in 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:

1. Scientific merit and innovative nature of the project at an international standpoint (in the context of the test-bed topics as described in the section Purpose and Overview
2. Scientific merit of the research team;
3. Feasibility of the work plan and reasonability of the budget;
4. Contribution to the body of knowledge and competence of the National Science and Technology System;
5. Potential Economic Value of the technology.

Further information on the evaluation process is available in the Guide for Peer Reviewers.

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.pt.

The information on this page does not replace or override any requirements set forth in the Regulations or the Announcement of the Call for Proposals.