Gaspar de Portola Grants

Methods of Application

Gaspar De Portolà was born in Catalunya in 1717 and became the first governor of the territory of Baixa California. In 1985, in recognition of the 200th anniversary of his death, the Generalitat invited faculty and legislative representatives from Calfornia to participate in a conference and celebration in Catalunya. 

Following this interaction, agreements were adopted between the State of California and Catalunya to strengthen the cultural, scientific, technical and artistic bonds between the two. In 1986, an agreement was signed between the regents of the University of California and the president of the Generalitat of Catalunya establishing the Gaspar de Portola Catalonian studies program. A new version of the Gaspar de Portola program was established in 1999. 

This agreement provides funds for faculty exchanges between all UC campuses and Universities of Catalunya. It is managed through the Catalan Director General of Research and the UC Berkeley Dean of International and Area Studies. This agreement provides funds for faculty exchanges between all campuses of the University of California and the Universities of Catalunya; the Instutut de Recerca i Technologia Agroalimentries (IRTA); and the healthcare staff of the Xarxa Hospitalaria d'Utilitzacio Publica (XHUP).  The themes of emphasis are agriculture, developmental technology (engineering), environment, health sciences, and society and government. 

The Autonomous Government of Catalonia and the University of California are pleased to invite as part of the Gaspar de Portolà Catalonian Studies Program agreement, applications from University of California faculty for scholarly visits to Catalan universities and research institutes. The purpose of an exchange visit would be to interact with colleagues in Catalonia and to give lectures about one's own scholarly work. The program also allows Catalan scholars to visit UC, Information is available through the Office of the Director General for Research of the Commissioner for Universities and Research, in Barcelona. Complete information on this program is available through the web at http://www.gencat.net/dursi

Catalan universities and institutions participating in the Program are: Universitat de Barcelona Universitat Autônoma de Barcelona Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Universitat Pompeu Fabra Universitat de Girona Universitat de Lleida Universitat Rovira i Virgili Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA) Hospitals belonging to the XHUP (Xarxa Hospitalària d'Utilització Püblica; Public Use Hospital Network) 

The program for visits of California faculty to Catalonia is open to all faculties on all campuses of the University of California. No particular language competence is required. The duration of any given scholarly visit may be from one to four weeks, with a preference for two weeks. Visits should take place between 1 October and 30 June. 

The faculty member will be expected to give at least one lecture at no less than two universities or research institutions for each week of the visit. Faculty may propose visits on any scholarly topic, although it is hoped that at least half the visitors will be doing research on agriculture, technological development, environment, health, or society and government. 

The final selection of faculty visitors will be made in Catalonia by the Office of the Director General for Research of the Department for Universities and Research (DURSI) in consultation with the Catalan universities and institutions. The accommodation costs for the stay in Catalonia will be met through the Office of the Director General for Research, in cooperation with the universities or research institutions involved. No stipend or honorarium will be provided. 

The costs of air transport between California and Catalonia generally will be the responsibility of the faculty members or their home university.  Applications should be made through: The Dean of International and Area Studies University of California at Berkeley 260 Stephens Hall Berkeley, CA. 94720 Tel: (510) 642-1140; Fax: (510) 642-9466;  

The cover letter should indicate: (a) the topics on which the faculty member is prepared to lecture, (b) the dates when he or she is available to visit, and (c) any institutional contacts in Catalonia that have already been made or are suggested.  A full curriculum vitae should accompany the application. 

Applications for visits in the fall should be received in Berkeley no later than 15 April; those for the spring, by 15 October.  Application materials should be in both electronic and hard copy form.
http://ias.berkeley.edu/