Calls for Proposals
SPRINT Call for Proposals 2026
SPRINT – São Paulo Researchers in International Collaboration
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Proposal Submission Deadlines
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Edition 1: October 26, 2026 |
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Announcement of Selected Proposals
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Edition 1: February 1, 2027 |
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Eligibility
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Researchers affiliated with Higher Education and Research Institutions in the State of São Paulo. |
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Submission |
To FAPESP through the SAGe system |
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FAPESP Contact
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1. Scope of the Call
SPRINT aims to support researchers in the State of São Paulo in their internationalization journey. This trajectory may be facilitated by the opportunities offered by the Call, ranging from initial international mobility to seed funding for the establishment of research networks. Accordingly, the initial SPRINT proposal has a duration of 12 months and may be extended for up to an additional 24 months, with budget amendments, depending on the results achieved and the development of the collaboration. As a result, it is expected that greater flexibility in collaboration will promote qualitative advances in ongoing research projects and that partner researchers will work cooperatively toward the development of joint medium- and long-term research projects.
Partner researchers from any foreign institution may demonstrate that the scientific missions are funded by their own institution or by a research funding agency through which they have been awarded a grant. Therefore, groups and institutions do not need to have agreements with FAPESP in order to participate. Nevertheless, interested foreign research institutions may establish arrangements for receiving collaborative proposals and funding their teams for scientific missions at research institutions in the State of São Paulo.
1.1 Strategic Research Areas
FAPESP has defined seven strategic areas that will form part of its research funding agenda for the 2026–2028 period: biotechnology; energy transition; biodiversity, sustainable food production and food security; digital transition and artificial intelligence; quantum science and technologies; human and animal health; and violence and public security.
Considering these strategic areas, proposals submitted under this Call must address at least one of these areas, demonstrating their alignment with the Foundation's strategic objectives and their potential to generate knowledge, scientific and technological development, and innovation in the areas covered. For this purpose, the guidelines established in the document FAPESP Strategic Themes for Science, Technology and Innovation – 2026–2028 should be observed. The strategic areas are aligned with FAPESP Strategic Programs and, therefore, approved proposals may be linked to the PROASA, BIOTA, Global Climate Change, Energy Transition, ProCiêncIA, SAS and QuTIA programs.
2. Objectives of the Proposals
To promote the engagement of researchers affiliated with Higher Education and Science and Technology Institutions in the State of São Paulo with partner researchers abroad in order to:
2.1. Advance ongoing research projects qualitatively;
2.2. Work cooperatively toward the development of joint medium- and long-term research and innovation projects, for submission to FAPESP by researchers from the State of São Paulo and to research funding agencies abroad by their partners;
2.3. Develop partnerships with researchers and/or institutions working at the frontier of knowledge in the strategic areas, in order to generate benefits for the scientific community in the State of São Paulo.
3. Rules for Designing the International Collaboration Proposal
Every SPRINT proposal must be developed within the perspective of an internationalization trajectory. Proposals must initially have a duration of 12 months and may provide only for the mobility of the research team from the State of São Paulo to the foreign institution. Subsequent stages will be enabled based on the results and targets achieved during the preceding period, as described in the Scientific Reports. At each reporting stage, the proposal for the following year may be updated, and a budget amendment may be requested through a Change Request (SM) – Budget Amendment. The items below describe the possibilities offered by FAPESP for each stage of the collaboration.
3.1. Phase 1 :Proposals for the mobility of researchers from the State of São Paulo to a foreign research institution.
3.2. Phase 2 :Proposals for the mobility of researchers from the State of São Paulo to a foreign research institution and for foreign researchers to visit institutions in the State of São Paulo.
The extension of the collaboration with additional FAPESP funding will allow the collaboration to be consolidated and expanded, also considering different activities, such as:
a. Missions to innovation environments at foreign universities and research institutions. In this case, the potential submission of a PIPE or PITE grant application should be included in the Research Project, in addition to the information described in item 7.2 of this Call;
b. Up to 7 living allowances for Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellows from the foreign institution to carry out a mission at the partner research institution in the State of São Paulo. In this case, air tickets and insurance must be funded by the partner institution, which must also provide support from its international relations office (or another designated office with relevant expertise) to provide guidance on visas for foreign participants.
Phase 2 may be requested through a Solicitação de Mudança (SM) – Alteração de Vigência and a Solicitação de Mudança – Alteração de Orçamento, and will be funded if the mobility during the first year has generated promising results, as assessed through the Scientific Report for the first year of the project.
Attention: Phase 2 proposals will not be approved if the foreign partner researcher has not carried out a mission at the research institution in the State of São Paulo during Phase 1.
3.3. Phase 3: Proposals for seed funding for collaborations that have resulted in the creation of a new research network and achieved highly positive results.
Phase 3 will be initiated if the Scientific Report for Phase 2 has received a highly favorable assessment, the missions have been successfully completed, and the work plan for this Phase provides clear evidence of knowledge appropriation and network building during the previous stages.
In addition to allowing funding for the items included in the previous phases, during the third year of FAPESP funding only, other expenditure items may be requested: Consumable Materials and Third-Party Services.
Phase 3 may be requested through a Solicitação de Mudança – Alteração de Vigência and a Solicitação de Mudança – Alteração de Orçamento, upon presentation of co-funding for the research of the foreign partner researcher by their own institution or by a research funding agency through which the researcher has been awarded a grant. The co-funding must be formalized through a letter or agreement signed by the legal representative of the respective institution.
4. Eligibility to Submit a Proposal
FAPESP considers the following eligible to submit proposals to this Call:
4.1. Principal Investigators of ongoing FAPESP Research Grants in the following funding modalities: Regular Research Grant (excluding mobility and Young Investigator Retention projects), Young Investigator, Generation Project (provided that the researcher has an employment relationship), Initial Project (PI), Thematic Project, Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (CEPIDs), Engineering Research Centers/Applied Research Centers (CPEs/CPAs), Centers for Science for Development (CCDs), Public Education Research Program, Research in Public Policies (PPP), and Research Partnership for Technological Innovation Program (PITE).
Co-Principal Investigators of ongoing Thematic Projects, CEPIDs, CPEs, CPAs, CCDs and PITEs are also eligible.
4.2. Subject to the applicable timeline, the scheduled start date of the SPRINT proposal must be at least six months before the end of the duration of the research project associated with the proposal.
4.3. FAPESP may accept submissions related to research proposals that are undergoing merit review. However, if the proposal is still under review or has not been approved by the time the mobility proposals under this Call are selected, the SPRINT proposal will be cancelled.
5. Eligible Fundable Participants
5.1. Proposals must comply with the principle of reciprocity regarding the academic qualifications of those who will participate in the exchange activities.
5.2. For exchange activities under this Call, the following are eligible: the Principal Investigator of the SPRINT proposal and their PhD students/ Postdoctoral fellows, provided that they are Postdoctoral Fellows, Doctoral Fellows or Direct Doctoral Fellows with an ongoing FAPESP fellowship during the planned exchange mission.
6. Funding and Duration of the Projects
Funding for the three phases of a SPRINT collaboration follows the budget guidelines described below.
6.1. Phase 1 :Up to the equivalent of US$12,500.00 (twelve thousand five hundred dollars) per year may be requested for the mobility of researchers from the State of São Paulo on scientific missions to the partner institution, in accordance with FAPESP standards. Funds must be requested individually for each proposed researcher and for each scientific mission :
a. Air tickets;
b. Travel insurance;
c. Living allowances. A maximum of 10 living allowances may be used for researchers and 7 living allowances for fellows.
6.1.1. Funds must be used for activities such as researcher exchange, research planning visits, participation in international workshops, and initial data collection activities, always with the aim of ensuring continuity of the research and consolidating the collaboration.
6.1.2. The total budget available for approved proposals will correspond to a maximum of 30 proposals per edition.
6.2. Phase 2: FAPESP will support researchers from the State of São Paulo up to the equivalent of an additional US$12,500.00 (twelve thousand five hundred dollars) for a second year of the project, provided that the Principal Investigator submits for review and obtains FAPESP approval for, in addition to the Scientific Report, Solicitação de Mudança – Alteração de Vigência (including the Research Project for the second year) and Solicitação de Mudança – Alteração de Orçamento (including evidence that the partner researcher visited São Paulo, in the form of round-trip boarding passes).
6.3. Phase 3: FAPESP will support researchers from the State of São Paulo up to the equivalent of an additional US$25,000.00 for a third year of the project, provided that the Principal Investigator submits for review and obtains FAPESP approval for, in addition to the Scientific Report clearly demonstrating the benefit to the State of São Paulo and knowledge appropriation resulting from the partnership, Solicitação de Mudança – Alteração de Vigência (including the Research Project for the third year) and Solicitação de Mudança – Alteração de Orçamento (including the financial counterpart described in item 3.3).
6.4. For each phase, requests for extensions of up to six additional months under exceptional circumstances and without additional funding must be submitted through a Solicitação de Mudança – Alteração de Vigência , following the guidelines available from FAPESP.
Requests for changes to the grant involving additional funding, changes to team members, or changes to travel segments will not be accepted for review.
6.5. The Grantee is responsible for checking with the competent consulate whether a specific visa is required and for obtaining it.
6.6. Scientific Reports must be submitted following the format indicated by FAPESP.
7. Proposal Format
7.1. The proposal must consist of:
a. A Research Project of up to five (5) pages, as described in item 7.2 below, written in English and jointly prepared by the FAPESP Principal Investigator and the partner researcher (Principal Investigator at the Partner Institution). The Research Project must include clear objectives and targets, with an explicit statement of how the partnership will generate scientific, public policy, or socioeconomic impacts in the State of São Paulo;
b. Additional documents requested by FAPESP in the SAGe “Documents” tab.
7.2. The Research Project must include:
a. A description of the planned exchange activities, clearly indicating how they will contribute both to the ongoing research project supported by FAPESP and to the research being conducted by the partner researcher;
b. A detailed schedule of the missions to be carried out by the São Paulo team at the Partner Institution and by the partner team at the Institution in São Paulo;
c. A description of each applicant's contribution to the mission, demonstrating their qualifications to carry out the planned activities;
d. Objectives, targets and performance indicators for the planned activities, indicating the expected results;
e. Actions planned to maximize the impact of the exchange at the Partner Institution and at the Host Institution in the State of São Paulo, through seminars, short courses, etc.;
f. A description of how the Principal Investigators in São Paulo and at the Partner Institution intend to prepare a resulting joint research project based on the exchange activities, to be submitted to the research funding agencies available in their respective regions, with a view to establishing a medium- to long-term collaboration (maximum of one page).
8. Restrictions
More than one Partner Institution may not be included in the same SPRINT proposal.
The Principal Investigator may not have more than one ongoing SPRINT project simultaneously.
9. Timeline
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Proposal submission deadlines
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Edition 1: October 26, 2026 Edition 2: February 22, 2027 |
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Announcement of selected proposals
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Edition 1: From February 1, 2027 Edition 2: From June 1, 2027 |
10. Submission of the Proposal
All proposals submitted to FAPESP must be submitted exclusively through the SAGe system, in accordance with the instructions provided in Annex 1.
11. Analysis and Selection
11.1. Proposals that do not comply with the terms of this Call will not be pre-qualified for merit review. The Principal Investigator is solely responsible for ensuring that the proposal is correctly submitted within the established deadline and in the required format, otherwise it may be returned.
11.2. Proposals will undergo an eligibility review based on the eligibility criteria. Eligible proposals will be evaluated with regard to scientific merit, relevance, relationship with the ongoing research project supported by FAPESP, and potential to leverage new funding opportunities.
The highest-rated proposals will be funded, up to a maximum of 30 proposals per edition.
12. Result of the Analysis
Selected proposals will be announced on the official FAPESP website, and each Principal Investigator will receive formal notification of the result through SAGe.
13. Contracting of Selected Proposals
Proposals selected by FAPESP will be subject to a Grant Term (Termo de Outorga) to be signed by the Principal Investigator and the legal representative of the Host Institution.
For proposals involving financial counterpart funding, the institutional financing document from the partner institution will be required before the Grant Term is signed.
14. Questions about this Call at FAPESP
Questions related to this Call for Proposals should be directed to: sprint@fapesp.br
Annex 1: Specific Instructions for Use of SAGe
Both Principal Investigators responsible for the proposal (the researcher from the State of São Paulo and the researcher from the Partner Institution) must be registered in the SAGe system.
i) Researchers without a SAGe registration must register by accessing www.fapesp.br/sage, clicking on “No registration?” and completing the requested information. All registration information must be completed; a basic user registration is not sufficient.
ii) Researchers from the State of São Paulo who are already registered must access SAGe using their usual credentials.
iii) All researchers from the State of São Paulo indicated for the scientific missions must be included as team members and confirm their participation through the “Proposals I Participate in” option in the main menu.
iv) The Principal Investigator at the Partner Institution must be included as a team member and confirm their participation in the system. An English-language manual is available in SAGe.
2. On the SAGe home page, select “Quick Access” from the menu and then select “New Initial Proposal.”
3. The system will display the “Include Proposal – Select Funding Line / Call” menu under the “Open Calls” section:
SPRINT – Research Project – Mobility – Edition 2026/01 / Other Institutions
SPRINT – Research Project – Mobility – Edition 2026/02 / Other Institutions
Include the collaborative proposal and complete all the requested information in each tab, attaching the required documents.
4. Pay close attention to the mandatory fields marked with an asterisk (*). It is essential to submit the proposal at the end of the process. Saving the proposal does not mean that it has been submitted. A successful submission will generate a process number.
5. For questions regarding the system, access the “Manuals” option on the SAGe home page and consult the “Researcher Support Manuals” section.
6. IMPORTANT :Applicants are advised to periodically check for pending items by using the “Validate” option in SAGe throughout the proposal preparation process. This will identify blocking issues in time for them to be resolved.
For additional support, FAPESP can be reached at +55 (11) 3838-4000 .
Please observe the Call Timeline (Item 9).
Annex 2: Guidelines for Collaborative Research Projects
For the execution of the Research Project, the partners must enter into an agreement covering, at a minimum:
i. The location and period of storage of data generated during the project, the data protection protocol, and the definition of who will be authorized to use the data;
ii. Identification of the repositories where the data will be stored (generated exclusively by Brazilian or foreign partners), with the appropriate cross-references;
iii. Rules applicable to co-authorship of publications resulting from the joint research;
iv. Intellectual property provisions: if the results generate a product, a patentable method, or commercial value, the exchange of information and rights will be governed by Brazilian Law No. 9,279/1996, Decree No. 9,283/2018, the FAPESP Intellectual Property Policy, and the legislation applicable in the country of the foreign Partner Institution.
Submission of this agreement is not mandatory for the signing of the Grant Term; however, FAPESP may request it at any time.