Brazilian Scientific Mobility Program - Science without Borders - Preliminary Results and Perspectives

Area of Science:

• STEM Education
• International Academic Mobility
• Scholarship Programs

Background:

• The Brazilian Science without Borders (SwB) program offered over 101,000 scholarships to STEM students and professionals for international study.
• The program's initial phase focused on undergraduate students, who comprised 79% of scholarship recipients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the initial impacts of the Science without Borders (SwB) program on Brazilian undergraduate students.
• To identify key benefits and areas for improvement for future iterations of the program.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of scholarship data and student outcomes from the first phase of the SwB program.
• Comparison of postgraduate program entry rates between SwB participants and the general student body.

Main Results:

• SwB students demonstrated a significantly higher rate of postgraduate program entry (>20%) compared to the overall student body (<5%).
• Over 50% of SwB scholarships were awarded to students from lower-income families (earning less than 6 minimum wages per month).
• Early indicators suggest increased innovation among participating students.

Conclusions:

• The Science without Borders (SwB) program has shown positive initial impacts on postgraduate progression and accessibility for lower-income students.
• Lessons learned from the first phase are crucial for refining future international scholarship initiatives.
• Long-term evaluation is necessary to fully understand the program's comprehensive effects on student innovation and career trajectories.