Awards foster collaboration between UC Davis, São Paulo Research Foundation
The UC Davis Office of Research is pleased to announce the recipients of nine seed funding awards that will be jointly supported with the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) of Brazil. The awards are designed to catalyze scientific discoveries through collaborative engagement between UC Davis researchers and colleagues at institutions in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
The awards support the exchange of faculty, staff and students in both directions, enabling them to work together on joint research projects with topics of mutual interest. Each principal investigator at UC Davis and in Brazil will receive up to $10,000 per year for two years.
“We are delighted to announce funding for these nine awards as part of the UC Davis-FAPESP initiative,” says Harris Lewin, vice chancellor for Research. “This program is an important component of our campus’ continued growth in international research engagement and represents an important step forward in our partnership with FAPESP and universities in São Paulo.”
Award recipients
- Julie Sutcliffe (UC Davis, Internal Medicine) and Fabio Marques (University of São Paulo); “Establishment of a multicenter platform for the development of molecular imaging agents.”
- Ermias Kebreab (UC Davis, Animal Science) and Izabelle Teixeira (São Paulo State University [UNESP], Jaboticabal); “Improving our understanding of nutritional requirements to reduce environmental impact of livestock.”
- Maeli Melotto (UC Davis, Plant Sciences) and Alessandra de Souza (Institute of Agriculture [IAC], Campinas); “Molecular basis for pathogen recognition and resistance aimed to control bacterial diseases of citrus.”
- Juliana Bell (UC Davis, Food Science and Technology) and Thais Vieira (University of São Paulo); “Optimizing antioxidant extraction and milk processing conditions for reduced lipid oxidation.”
- Jaime Dominguez (UC Davis, Food Science and Technology) and Ana Penna (São Paulo State University [UNESP]); “Fermented products by lactic acid bacteria: basic and applied studies.”
- Ihid Leao (UC Davis, Molecular and Cellular Biology) and Jorge Casseb (University of São Paulo); “Evaluation of HIV tropism in individuals co-infected with HTLV-I/II in Brazil.”
- Primo Lara (UC Davis, Division of Internal Medicine), Ralph de Vere White (UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center) and Vila Martins (A.C. Camargo Cancer Center); “The patient-derived xenograft as a platform to identify cancer biomarkers in circulating exosomes in renal cell carcinoma.”
- Alexandra Navrotsky (UC Davis, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science) and Douglas Gouvêa (University of São Paulo); “Interfaces in ceramic processing.”
- Andrea Fascetti (UC Davis, Veterinary Medicine, Molecular Biology) and Aulus Carciofi (São Paulo State University [UNESP], Jaboticabal); “Diets with different protein and carbohydrate ratios for cats: effects on energy and protein metabolism and methods to evaluate energy expenditure.”
A total of 21 applications were received based on the initial call for proposals issued as part of FAPESP’s international competitive research program. Each proposal was evaluated through a joint peer-review process that included an assessment of the potential for lasting impact beyond the duration of the initial seed award. All projects are related to research associated with ongoing FAPESP grants received by the São Paulo investigators.
“This program, and the associated awards, are one of the outcomes of a larger strategic partnership with FAPESP,” says Paul Dodd, associate vice chancellor for Interdisciplinary Research and Strategic Initiatives. “We are delighted to see a very strong interest amongst our faculty in developing collaborations with colleagues in Brazil.”
A number of funding programs have been negotiated between FAPESP and several United States federal agencies including National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. The awards announced today are intended to provide UC Davis researchers with a competitive advantage in competing for those funds by establishing seed projects that generate preliminary data and joint research publications.
Program links:
National Institutes of Health (NIH) FAPESP Memorandum of Understanding
Programs under collaboration between National Science Foundation (NSF) and FAPESP
U.S. Department of Energy / GOAmazon Program
Media contact:
AJ Cheline, UC Davis Office of Research, 530-752-1101, [email protected]