This fall, the University of Illinois System welcomes its first cohort of CAPES Brasillinois Mobility Program doctoral fellows from Brazil. The dynamic group of scholars working across diverse fields has been awarded fellowships from the Coordination for Higher Education (CAPES) of the Brazilian Ministry of Education. The fellows represent a powerful cross-section of Brazil’s academic excellence, spanning regions, institutions, and disciplines, and reinforce long-standing partnerships between Brazilian universities and Illinois.
"CAPES’ large investment in the Brasillinois Mobility Program reflects the strong international reputation of faculty across the University of Illinois System and our standing as a global research hub,” Brasillinois Director Jerry Dávila said.
The incoming fellows reflect an impressive national footprint, with participants drawn from universities across 11 States from Brazil’s major regions:
South: Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná
Southeast: São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo
Midwest: Brasília, Goiás
Northeast: Bahia, Paraíba
This geographic diversity ensures that the program captures regional perspectives on Brazil’s most pressing social, scientific, and economic challenges. The fellows reflect Brazil’s broader academic demographic trends combining scholars from large metropolitan research hubs with those from regional and emerging institutions bringing a wide range of lived experiences and research motivations to the University of Illinois System.
The fellows’ research spans an extraordinary range of disciplines, highlighting the interdisciplinary strength of the CAPES–Brasillinois Mobility Program:
Health & Life Sciences
- Cancer biology, immunology, virology, and neuroscience
- Public health, epidemiology, and rehabilitation sciences
- Veterinary medicine and animal science
Engineering, Technology & Natural Sciences
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Environmental engineering and sanitation systems
- Chemistry, materials science, and food science innovation
Agriculture & Sustainability
- Genomic crop modeling and soybean breeding
- Sustainable food systems and biofortification
- Climate resilience and environmental health
Social Sciences & Humanities
- Sociology, history, and international relations
- Linguistics and second-language acquisition
- Education and research practices
Business, Policy & Public Administration
- Government and public administration
- Financial systems and banking efficiency
- Social inequalities and labor markets
This breadth of expertise underscores the program’s role in advancing interdisciplinary research solutions to global challenges, from climate change and food security to democratic governance and public health. Under the supervision of University of Illinois faculty across Chicago, Springfield, and Urbana-Champaign, the fellows will engage in collaborative research, archival data collection, laboratory research, and field-based studies. Their projects frequently include comparative U.S.–Brazil dimensions, strengthening bilateral knowledge exchange. Faculty hosts across the Illinois system represent fields ranging from engineering and medicine to social sciences and humanities, creating a deeply integrated academic experience.
The Brasillinois Mobility Program is a cornerstone of Brazil–U.S. academic cooperation. By bringing together diverse scholars with cutting-edge research agendas, the University of Illinois System is advancing its mission to be a global leader in research, innovation, and public impact.
