Secretaria de Relações Internacionais | Office of International Relations

Before you get in touch with the Office of International Affairs (SINTER), make sure the solution to your doubts about the Science without Borders Programme (CsF) is not answered below:

Where can I get information on the Science without Borders Programme?

All pieces of information can be found on the official site of the programme.

When will there be new Public Notices?

There is no set calendar, and universities are not notified in advance. You should access the official site of the programme frequently and keep an eye on the notices.

What are the requirements for taking part?

Be regularly enrolled; Have a Brazilian citizenship; Have 20 % of the curriculum achieved at the moment of your departure, according to public notice requirements; Have achieved a mark of equal or above to 600 points at ENEM, in exams taken in 2009 onwards; Have a student of excellence profile; Have enrolled in the internal selection process – it is the student’s duty to seek information on this internal selection process at his university; Provide proficiency language tests; Have not been awarded with an undergraduate sandwich-scholarship abroad, partly or wholly funded by CAPES or CNPq.

 Is my course included in the Programme?

Your course should be in one of the following areas:

Engineering and other technological areas;

Exact and Earth Sciences;

Renewable Energies;

Mineral Technology;

Technologist Training;

Biotechnology;

Oil, Gas and Mineral Coal;

Nanotechnology and New Materials;

Sustainable Agricultural Production;

Prevention Technology and Mitigation of Natural Hazards;

Drugs;

Biodiversity e Bioprospection;

Aerospace Technology;

Sea Sciences;

IT;

Creative Industry (aimed at products and processes for technological development and innovation);

New Technologies of Constructive Engineering;

Biology, Health and Biomedical Sciences;

Technologists Training in the areas and themes listed above

I have failed some subjects, including for Insufficient Frequency (FI).  Can I apply?

Yes, you can, however, you should meet academic performance criteria.

What is the Grade Point Average (GPA) necessary in order to apply?

GPA equal or above 6 at the moment of enrollment.

How can I apply for undergraduate scholarships of SwB programme?

Apply on SwB system  and on SINTER system.

Applying, can I just do it on SwB system?

No, applicants must do it on both systems SwB’s and SINTER’s.

I have not applied on SINTER system.  Will my application be approved?

No, no applicant that has not applied on SINTER system will have its application approved.

Can I change the country of my application?

It depends. Over the application period, it is possible to go for another application, changing applications on the programme site. In order to do so, the student should also go through a new application on SINTER system. Previous applications are automatically cancelled. When application time is over, no alteration will be possible to make.

Is it necessary to have taken ENEM?

Up to the moment ENEM criterion is a must. Applicants must have achieved a mark equal or above 600 points, in exams taken between 2009 and 2015. If the applicant has taken more than one exam over this period, the highest achievement will be considered, according to information provided by the Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (INEP).  This is a requirement of the programme, universities do not require it nor have access to the results of ENEM.

Is it necessary to submit a foreign language proficiency test?

Each Notice has its own requirements in relation to language proficiency. Applicants should check in the Public Notice which tests are required and accepted.

Is there a free English proficiency test for SwB?

The Federal government offered, through English without Borders programme, TOEFL ITP for free. Students can get further information in IsF office (main Rector building on the ground floor and on extension 6222) or on the programme site.

Which are the ‘partners’ of the programme?

The Science without Borders has agreements and partnership with many education institutions, exchange programmes and research institutes across the globe. These are the institutions abroad responsible for allocating scholars within the universities.

After applying, how are applicants selected?

The first stage is the approval by UFSC: applicants enrolled on SINTER system, and have met the Notice requirements, will be approved on CAPES/CNPq system. Next, CAPES and CNPq will be responsible for assessing applications. If they are selected in this second stage, applications will go through partners abroad, who will allocate students.

Can the awarded student choose which university he will go to?

It depends on the Notice. Generally speaking, applicants do not choose which university they to go. Applicants may choose some universities of their preference, but it is up to the partner abroad who will allocate them, according to decisions taken by CAPES and CNPq.

Which universities will I be able to go to?

Applicants will find the list of partners abroad on their sites.

Should the target university have an agreement with UFSC?

No, os candidatos poderão ser alocados em qualquer universidade conveniada aos parceiros no exterior.

The Partner University to which I have applied for requires a certified translation of my School Register in English/German/etc. How do I get one?

 UFSC does not issue documents in foreign languages nor has a translation service, students should hire a certified translator. The Junta Comercial do Estado de Santa Catarina (JUCESC) has translators in all languages in the programme. Some course offices kindly provide students with their own curriculum translation, however, students should request. Others will accept and sign documents translated by students themselves. This is not duty but kindness. Check with your course office if this is possible.

How much is the scholarship worth? Will it be enough to live on?

The amount of the scholarship will vary according to the country and city you are going to. Students can check the amount of the scholarship in the Public Notices. The scholarship will cover the following expenses: air tickets, insurance, accommodation, fees and textbooks. Any other expense will be the students’ responsibility.

I have won a scholarship. Do I have to contact SINTER?

Information for awarded students is available on SINTER site.

I have been awarded. I have a UFSC scholarship. When should I cancel it?

Students cannot accumulate two scholarships during the same month. Therefore, current scholarships must be cancelled in the previous month, just before the beginning of SwB.

How should I proceed in order to keep my attachment to UFSC during my exchange?

Students should enroll in the subjects of the Exchange Programme every semester (CAGR).

Should I interrupt my course at UFSC while abroad on the Exchange?

No. Students must enroll in the Exchange programme every semester.

My course does not offer a subject called ‘Exchange Programme’. How should I proceed?

All courses have received a memorandum which requires the opening of Exchange programme subjects (I, II and III) on March, 2013. Students should go to their course office and check this situation.

Is it possible to take the compulsory training abroad through SwB?

Yes, it is, but it will be up to each course office to allow you to do it.

Can I take a remunerated training while abroad?

No, students will not be allowed to get any other grant during scholarship period.

Can I apply for the programme while a student at UFSC and then change university in the middle of the process?

For new Notices, which will be launched soon, if students change courses or universities after the approval period, applications will be rejected.

Can I extend my stay abroad?

Scholars can require extension in the following cases:1) prove they have been accepted into an internship or a research project; 2) have their course consent through legal documents It will be up to the grantor university to approve such extension.

To get your scholarship extension approval, you have to:

1. Submit a formal statement of the activities to be developed (a statement from the university or company you will be involved with).

2. You will have to write out a letter of request addressed to the coordinator of your course, explaining what exactly is being requested and justify it with specific dates and singed. This may be done via e-mail or you can digitalize it. Your coordinator will print, write ‘agreed’, stamp and sign it. Or you or your coordinator can send the document to us via e-mail, and we will write out a Consent Letter and return it to you properly stamped and singed via e-mail.

Can I come back before the end of the scholarship period?

Scholars can come back earlier in the following cases: 1) the academic activities abroad have already been finished or for health problems and 2) your early return has been approved by your coordinator by a statement. It will be up to the grantor university to approve your early return.

To have your early return approved, you will have to:

1. Send a statement which reads your early return will not hinder your activities at the host university. Students cannot miss the semester being studied abroad.

2. In case of health problems, you will have to attach all medical certificates.

What is a ‘Learning Agreement’, and how do I get one?

 Learning Agreementis a form which reads the subjects students will take at the university abroad and the ones your coordinator has approved. Apart from that, there are blank spaces that should be filled in by the institution abroad stating that students have been authorized to take such subjects. This document will attest to the subjects to be taken and to the approval of your coordinator, so that these subjects can be validated in the future.

If the signature of the Science without Borders Coordination – UFSC – is necessary, this should be collected only after your coordination has signed it off.

There is a ‘Learning Agreement’ template available on SINTER site. However, you may find that the host university will require you to fill in its own form. Both forms will be accepted in validation processes at UFSC, provided that it is properly stamped and signed.

How do I get the subjects taken abroad validated?

You begin a Validation Process at DAE, attaching Study Plan, properly signed by your coordinator (a list with all subjects before you actually start taking them); Course syllabus you took abroad and the respective achieved marks.

It is your course coordination that will evaluate and decide whether or not a particular subject can be validated. Therefore, we suggest you discuss with your coordinator about validation criteria before you actually begin the process at DAE.

In some forms, the signature of an Academic Advisor or Department Coordinator is required. Who is this person at UFSC?

The Academic Advisor or Departament Coordinator is the course coordinator, who is responsible for academic aspects of the Exchange.

In some forms, the name and signature of an Institutional Advisor or Science without Borders Coordinator. Who is this person at UFSC?

An Institutional Advisor/Coordinator or Science without Borders Coordinator or Brazilian Scientific Mobility Program (BSMP) Coordinator is the Coordinator of Science without Borders at UFSC, who is responsible for the institutional aspects of the exchange. The signature can be collected at SINTER.

What happens if I do not enjoy it and want to come back not for health problems, though?

Scholars who quit without any reasonable grounds will have to return all the investment in your mobility to the funding agency.

If I have any problems in settling down, or feel homesick, what should I do?

Most universities have a student counselling service available and psychologists you can see. Apart from that, scholars get an insurance that will cover different medical specialties. Thus, scholars should seek help straightaway at the host university.

Will someone be waiting for me at the airport on my arrival?

There will only be someone waiting for you at the airport if you previously set with someone. Some university offer this kind of service, others may suggest some reception services. We suggest you look such information up beforehand. Different countries and cities have different means of transportation at the airport. Make sure you have the right address of the person you are staying with.

Do I have to submit my academic performance form?

Yes, students are supposed to fill in partial and final activity reports to CAPES or CNPq, attaching performance forms. In case of any performance failure, you will have to justify.

What if I have a poor performance or fail any subject?

You will have to justify any performance problems. However, it is best to act upon it before it actually happens. The universities have monitoring service available to students with any learning difficulties.

Further information: csf@contato.ufsc.br